(Washington, DC, Tuesday, December 13, 2022) – Volunteering your time and energy helps strengthen your community, but the benefits go beyond the social good done. This can be especially true for older adults, who may feel less engaged in society after retirement or once a caregiving role ends.
In fact, studies confirm many benefits:
- 88% of volunteers who felt a lack of companionship reported fewer feelings of isolation after becoming an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer.
- States with a high volunteer rate have lower incidences of heart disease.
- Volunteers who devote about 100 hours or more per year are the most likely to experience health benefits.
As the new year approaches and older adults are considering their own resolutions, AmeriCorps Seniors is offering opportunities for older adults of all backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow personally and professionally and receive benefits for their service. They have also recently announced awarding grants for pilot programs in New York that could become replicable nationwide to address workforce development.