Volunteer for Good Health

(President's Message, Arva Dell, Monterey Peninsula Feb. 2010)

Does volunteering lead to improved health or is it a simple matter that healthy individuals are more likely to volunteer? What do you think? How, if at all, does it apply in your own life?

The research has been done and the data analyzed. The results show a strong relationship between volunteering and health; volunteers have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer. The good news is that older volunteers are most likely to receive the greatest benefits from volunteering. Perhaps this is because volunteering provides increased physical and social activity. More importantly, volunteering gives a sense of purpose to elders at a time when their other social roles are waning.

I know first hand about this “sense of purpose”. When my husband and I were still operating our dental office, I decided to volunteer as a dental hygienist on Holland America cruise ships. My husband was unable to leave the business to join me on all the cruises, so I sometimes volunteered alone or with a girlfriend. I would never otherwise have done a cruise without my hubby, but donating my services gave me a reason for being far from home on the high seas.

Altrusans can look positively toward a future of increased membership growth, due to the phenomenon of the Baby Boomers, (those born between 1946 and 1964) entering their retirement years. The U.S. Census data indicates that the number of volunteers age 65 and older should increase 50% over the next 13 years, from about 9 million in 2007 to more than 13 million in 2020. The numbers should continue to rise since the youngest Baby Boomers will not reach 65 until 2029.

It is clear that Altrusans stand to benefit from the retirement of the Baby Boomers. However, we must act now to ensure that we get our fair share of the “volunteer pie”. It is time to invest in our potential future

growth, to get rebranded, to look attractive, so the retiring Boomers will choose us instead of another organization. Note to self: Remember to donate to help pay for rebranding and new marketing materials.

We have always known the benefits of volunteering on the recipients in a community. Now we know that those who volunteer receive greater health benefits than those who receive support! Volunteering and increased physical and mental health are part of a self-reinforcing cycle. There is more research I’d like to share, --perhaps in the March President’s letter.

The citation for the referenced research is: Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development. “The Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research, Washington D.C. 2007.