After retiring from 35 years as a teacher, Jeff Kellert as a tutor and helped with monthly dinners at his synagogue.
Later, he got certified to lead support groups every other week for the National Mental Health Alliance, an organization for relatives of people with mental illness.
Altogether, Kellert, 71, volunteers about 30 hours a month. The experience keeps him active, but just as important, he said, it has led to new friendships and he never expected in retirement.
"That together with a good sense of self-esteem and self-confidence 鈥� I feel like I鈥檓 doing ,鈥� said Kellert, of Albany, New York. 鈥淩etirement鈥檚 not what it used to be, sitting on your rocking chair knitting. It鈥檚 so much more.鈥�
Volunteering also may help him live longer, providing what various studies have shown are a variety of
Jacquelyn Stephens, a developmental-health psychologist at the nonprofit Mather Institute, in Evanston, Illinois, researches how to age well. She said volunteering would be good even if it didn鈥檛 have so many benefits.
鈥淏ut it just so happens that it does, and especially for older adults,鈥� she said.
The health benefits of volunteering
Eric S. Kim, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia Vancouver, said his research has found a connection between volunteering and more positive emotions, and more social support.
鈥淭hese things have downstream effects, such as increased healthy behaviors, as well as increased healthier biological function such as reduced inflammation,鈥� said Kim.
It鈥檚 not just older adults who benefit, though they are the most-studied group. There are indications that too.
Stephens noted that some types of volunteer opportunities, like loading boxes at a food bank, include physical activity. But the work doesn鈥檛 have to be physical to be beneficial, she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like exercise, that the best kind of volunteering is the one you鈥檒l actually do,鈥� she said, noting that the only risk is overcommitting, which would negate health benefits. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not good to be stressed out about your volunteer commitment.鈥�
How to get started volunteering
Stephens said many people might not volunteer because at first they only think of a few common options that don鈥檛 appeal to them, like tutoring or providing food to the needy. Instead, she suggested reaching out to your social network to learn about opportunities that others have enjoyed.
Doing so helps to vet an organization for a good environment for volunteers, and encourages people to get involved with a friend or relative in ways that deepen their bonds.
Other good places to start are and aggregator websites such as , which pairs a person鈥檚 skills with opportunities in their area.
Kellert recommended simply searching online for 鈥渧olunteer opportunities in my town,鈥� but he also suggested doing a little soul searching before you retire.
鈥淎 lot of the time it鈥檚 right in front of you,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat do you love? What do you want to do? And now you can do that.鈥�
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and wellness. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com
Albert Stumm, The Associated Press
