When a retiree uses their skills to help others in their community, like teaching others to knit, it can foster feelings of belonging and connection.Getty Images
Retirement is no longer an end, it’s a beginning. That’s the philosophy behind Third Chapter, a new series about changing hearts and minds around planning for and living a prosperous retirement. It’s about inspiring Canadians to dream big, no matter their age.
When Ginny Barton retired last summer, shortly after her husband’s passing, she sought a way to stay busy by volunteering in her community.
The former high school family studies teacher came across The Stop Community Food Centre, which provides healthy food and services for people living in poverty in Toronto. Since September, Ms. Barton has been running a weekly group called “Stitchin’ By The Kitchen,” teaching people how to sew and knit.
“I’m using the skills that I had from teaching, but in a different way,” she says.
Ms. Barton is among a growing number of retiring baby boomers seeking fulfilment and community engagement through volunteerism. A 2022 Environics Research survey, commissioned by the National Institute on Ageing, found that one-third of Canadian respondents 50 and older reported volunteering or engaging in charity work.
According to Volunteer Canada, volunteering can help combat loneliness, which it describes as a growing epidemic. The organization also cites research showing that intergenerational volunteering fosters feelings of belonging and connection, while building community well-being and resilience. “In fact, many health-care professionals are beginning to prescribe volunteering for older adult patients, and some financial planners are recommending volunteering to their retiree clients,” says the report.
Ms. Barton says that she, for one, has gained a lot from giving back.
“When I see improvements in someone else’s well-being, it improves my well-being,” she says.
How companies can help retirees transition to volunteerism
Carlie Bell, director of consulting at human resources firm Citation Canada, who specializes in organizational development, says more companies should help retiring workers find volunteer positions in their communities, whether it’s a board position, a non-profit in the same industry or even an entirely new sector.
She recommends that companies create retirement transition programs that enable individuals considering or nearing retirement to better understand the available options and how they can get involved.
“I think employers would be doing a great service if they were a little bit more pro-active in recognizing that people who are retiring from their organization don’t necessarily want to just end things,” she says.
Ms. Bell says workers benefit by having something fulfilling to do in their retirement years, while employers benefit from the engagement and connection between the work force and the community.
“I think gold-standard employers are recognizing that there’s great value in helping with these transition periods,” Ms. Bell says.
She cites the example of the academic community, which offers professors emeritus status and includes resources to stay engaged in their industry. Retiring workers, especially those who enjoyed their work, want to stay connected to the company and the industry, she adds, and organizations can help make that happen.
“It’s about bridging and creating a space where these older people still have value and are really celebrated for the knowledge that they bring,” Ms. Bell says.
Staying active, social and helpful
Michelle Pannor Silver, a professor in the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto, says volunteering is a meaningful way for retirees to stay active, social and helpful, whether it is doing something that makes use of their current skill set or provides the chance to try out a new talent.
“It’s really about finding outlets for what we’re interested in, what we value and what’s needed,” says Ms. Silver, who also wrote the 2018 book Retirement and Its Discontents and the forthcoming Aging with Agility, out later this year.
To make volunteering fulfilling, she recommends people spend time doing something that aligns with their interests and life experiences.
“Start small and be willing to try something short-term or occasional at first to see what fits,” she says. “Remember that to get good at anything, we must practise.”
Ms. Silver also recommends that retirees utilize their professional or personal skills to get started. “Use connections to find a volunteer opportunity and see this as a chance to meet people, build friendships and stay socially engaged,” she says.
Ms. Barton says her volunteer gig aligns with her interests around food security and enables her to keep working with her hands, which she finds fulfilling.
And while she uses her craft to give back to the community, Ms. Barton says it’s also been personally meaningful, especially as she continues to mourn the loss of her husband.
“It has changed my relationship with my community. I’ve met a lot of new people whom I might not otherwise have crossed paths with, and now, when I see them on the street, I know them by name. It just makes my community feel very different, and I like that.”
