For many seniors, Powell River is an ideal environment to thrive in as a volunteer. There are so many different ways to offer your skills and expertise. From various church functions, Willing Hearts, Friendly Visitors, Meals On Wheels, paddling, caregiving, therapeutic riding, companionship, hospice, literacy tutoring to the BOMB Squad, there isn’t a shortage of events and organizations to help out with.
And that’s just what 66% of seniors said in a recent survey conducted in the summer of 2007:
“I want to give back to my community. It’s time to share in whatever ways that I can.”
Why do seniors volunteer? Here’s what respondents of the survey stated
To keep busy – 28.8%
For a special cause – 46%
What causes? Socially isolated, charitable, cancer patients and those needing healing with prayer
Build community – 55.7%
Meet people –53.8%
Help out – 66%
Many survey participants said volunteering offers more than physical results, it’s about the emotional rewards - making new friends, the comraderie and the satisfaction of feeling useful – whether it’s by making your community a better place to live in, comforting those in need or contributing to a special cause to help those less fortunate.
Mutually rewarding, volunteering allows each and every one of us the option to enrich the lives of others, helping out as we can, offering our compassion, experience, skills and time.
Forty-eight per cent of seniors agreed that volunteering is affordable; others suggested that making the right selection of events and organizations were equally important to their resources.
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