Volunteering for Seniors
Volunteering for Seniors in New Zealand: Why It’s Great
Volunteering is a big thing in New Zealand. About one in five Kiwis give their time to help others. For older folks who aren’t working full-time or are enjoying retirement, volunteering is a wonderful way to stay active and feel connected.
Volunteering provides tangible benefits for seniors, creating opportunities to build friendships, stay active, and contribute to their communities. It allows them to leverage their experience and wisdom in various projects while maintaining mental and physical activity. Furthermore, it can fill the gaps in a retiree’s schedule with productive and socially engaging activities, fostering continuous learning and keeping them connected with their communities. In essence, volunteering facilitates a balanced lifestyle that intertwines giving back with personal well-being.
Making Friends: When you volunteer, you get to meet new people and often become friends with them. Some start volunteering because a buddy asked them to. It’s a fun way to chat, share, and be with people.
Helping the Community: A lot of Kiwis volunteer because they want to help their community. Older folks have a lot of wisdom and experience. By volunteering, they can share what they know, help the youngins, and work on local projects.
Keep the Mind Sharp: Volunteering keeps the brain busy. Talking with people, learning new things, or just being part of a group can make you feel happy and think clearly.
Staying Active: It’s good to move around and stay fit as we age. Through volunteering, older people can do activities like gardening or helping neighbours. This is a fun way to exercise and feel good.
Learn New Stuff: You don’t need to know everything to volunteer. Many places will teach you what to do. This can be a cool way to learn new things and find new hobbies.
Stay Busy: For those who are retired, sometimes there’s too much free time. Volunteering can fill up some of that time with fun and useful things to do. Plus, it’s a good reason to get out and about.
In short, for older Kiwis, volunteering is a great mix of helping out, learning, making friends, and feeling good. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy and give back to the community.