{"id":9622,"date":"2022-09-26T11:10:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T15:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=9622"},"modified":"2022-09-26T11:16:16","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T15:16:16","slug":"giving-back-in-retirement-using-your-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=9622","title":{"rendered":"Give back in retirement using your skills"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For all the talk of retirees \u2018unretiring\u2019 these days, you may very well be perfectly at ease with the notion of stepping out of the paid workforce.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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You\u2019re \u201cevolving\u201d as Serena Williams so gracefully\u00a0refers\u00a0<\/a>to her retirement from her tennis career.<\/p>\n

I love that replacement word for retirement. I\u2019ve grappled for years to come up with the right moniker. She\u2019s nailed it. One way that the evolvers I know are approaching this next chapter of their lives is to find ways to make an impact on the world. They are embracing volunteering for a cause that resonates with them and are consciously careful about creating flexibility when it comes to the time they commit and focusing on the value they can bring.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s a win all around. Many nonprofits don’t have deep pockets to bring experienced workers on board and welcome volunteers with specific skills from accounting to medicine to marketing. And retired professionals are hunting for ways to remain engaged mentally, connect with a social network, and give back to causes near and dear to their heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m seeing a rise in the desire for skill-based volunteering opportunities,\u201d Robert Laura,\u00a0a retirement coach\u00a0<\/a>and founder of the\u00a0Retirement Coaches Association<\/a>, told Yahoo Money.<\/p>\n

\u201cRetirees want to help others and feel they can have a bigger impact with their skills rather than just money, food, or clothing donations. It also helps replace their work identity and fill their time, but more so, fills them up and makes them feel good in terms of being relevant and needed and connected and appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The health benefit of volunteering<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Plus, it\u2019s good for their health. Older adults who volunteer for as little as two hours per week can substantially lower their risk of early death, become more physically active, and improve their sense of well-being compared with those who don’t volunteer, according to\u00a0a study<\/a>\u00a0from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n

The study findings were based on interviews and surveys from nearly 13,000 participants in the Health and Retirement Study of a diverse cohort of U.S. adults over 50.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur results show that volunteerism among older adults doesn’t just strengthen communities, but enriches our own lives by strengthening our bonds to others and helping us feel a sense of purpose and well-being,” according to\u00a0co-author Eric Kim<\/a>, research scientist in the Chan School’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.<\/p>\n

Purpose is a key piece of a happy retirement, according to \u201cLongevity and the New Journey of Retirement,\u201d a recent\u00a0survey<\/a>\u00a0by Edward Jones and Age Wave, a think tank and consulting firm, that canvassed more than 11,000 North American adults 45 and older, largely pre-retirees and retirees.<\/p>\n

The study, which focuses on four pillars of living well in retirement \u2014 health, family, purpose, and finances \u2014shines a spotlight on the significance of purpose and contribution post-work.<\/p>\n

But as Ken Dychtwald, co-founder of\u00a0Age Wave<\/a>, told Yahoo Money in\u00a0a recent interview<\/a>. \u201cThere’s a lot of confusion and disorientation and a lot of desire for guidance including \u2018where can I volunteer in a way that suits my skills and interests?\u201d<\/p>\n