Volunteering Puts Seniors' Life Experience to Work

Volunteering is a perfect way for older adults to remain active, creative and productive in their later years.

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Volunteering is a perfect way for older adults to remain active, creative and productive in their later years.

More older Americans are volunteering to help others in their community than ever before. Over half a million Americans age 55 and over lend a hand to local nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based organizations.

Thanks to the Internet, and a nonprofit Web site called VolunteerMatch, finding an organization in need of volunteer help has never been easier. VolunteerMatch's mission is to help everyone find a great place to volunteer, and has already helped more than 30,000 nonprofits post over 30,000 volunteer opportunities online. As a result, VolunteerMatch has generated nearly 2 million new volunteer referrals to these organizations since 1998.

Visitors to the site simply enter their ZIP code at www.VolunteerMatch.org to find local opportunities. Volunteers can also search by interest, date and keyword to generate a personally customized list. Once an opportunity is found, all it takes is a click to contact the organization and get involved.

Any nonprofit or tax-exempt organization can list volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch.Many of the organizations listed, including Elder Wisdom Circle and RSVP (the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), provide great

opportunities for seniors looking to get out and do good.

Elder Wisdom Circle pairs online advice seekers with a nationwide network of volunteer seniors, aged 60 to 97, who share their hard-earned knowledge and wisdom.

Elders participate individually from their home computers or in groups at assisted living communities, allowing seniors to give back to the community without leaving the comfort of home. Since using VolunteerMatch to recruit senior volunteers, Elder Wisdom Circle has generated more than 15,000 volunteer referrals.

For those looking to get out in the community, RSVP is another organization in need of senior volunteers. RSVP helps people age 55 and older put their skills and life experience to work by addressing community needs through volunteer service.

There are nearly 200 RSVPs across the country posting opportunities on VolunteerMatch.

The VolunteerMatch service is without cost for both volunteers and nonprofits. VolunteerMatch relies upon grants from charitable foundations for most of its funding, and also licenses its technology to companies like Charles Schwab, McDonalds and Target to make it easier for employees to volunteer. The revenue derived from corporate licenses preserves VolunteerMatch's financial stability, and strengthens its capacity as an effective public service - and one of the few online social services available.

Volunteering allows seniors to participate more fully in the life of their community. Whether sparing an hour a week, a day per week, or a week per year, seniors' contributions make an important difference in communities nationwide.

If you're ready to make a difference, visit the VolunteerMatch Web site at www.VolunteerMatch.org and get out and do good today.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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