Volunteering in retirement

 At some stage in retirement, our thoughts turn to how we can contribute to helping our children and our grandchildren as well as contributing to the well-being of the community. Many of us are already heavily invested in the welfare of our children and grandchildren. However, giving them money is not the answer what is important is that you give them your time and energy to help children develop in a way that will lead to a well-adjusted society in the future.

Some of us may feel that we have done enough by raising our own children whereas others look to volunteer for organizations that are focused on the well-being of citizens. Many of us are likely to be involved in caregiving for a spouse, elderly parents, children, grandchildren, or friends. Some of us believe that we are already contributing to society by doing this caring so we may not want to help outside our family circle.

When we volunteer, it may not live up to our expectations. Some of us who volunteer find volunteering fulfilling but some find it disappointing. People with specific skills may be asked to do jobs that do not match their skill set.

Sometimes, permanent employees of the agencies, we volunteer for can feel threatened by the competence of some volunteers. With government funding and other sources being reduced, there is a real fear there is the possibility that volunteers could displace the employees. 

If volunteers are stuffing envelopes or delivering flyers, they may find that such tasks lack meaning and eventually withdraw. The challenge is to find a desirable balance of a situation in which retired volunteers can help their communities and also find meaning. If tasks lack meaningful engagement, seniors who volunteer will not stay.

Identity issues faced in the early stages of life can recur, especially when people have reached retirement. Although the contexts of retirement and the earlier stages of life differ, drawing on the emotional tensions first encountered earlier in life can facilitate self-awareness and increased understanding and subsequent management of some of the challenges of retirement.