Retiree looking to volunteer
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Anonymous
There are more needy adults than infants needing this care. |
Anonymous
| In my city (not in the DMV) the United Way has a searchable database of volunteer opportunities on their website. |
Anonymous
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Check Palisades Village. palisadesvillage.org
There are other "village" communities which may be closer to you but this is the one I have been involved with. You can volunteer to take people grocery shopping, have a friendly visit, change a light bulb, drive someone to a doc appointment. The list is endless. And you can also volunteer to help with their annual house tour to raise money for the organization! |
Anonymous
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OP, everyone's experiences may vary, but I would advise to temper your expectations about volunteerism and be prepared you may have to try several/many organizations before you find a good fit.
I've done volunteering in elder care, youth support, historic venue, animal shelters and music/arts promotion. Not all of them are created equal. Some organizations just don't have the bandwidth to manage volunteers successfully. Others have a distinct "pecking order" and can be clannish, leaving newcomers essentially standing on the sidelines and ignored. I eventually found a couple of good causes where I feel like I'm being useful, and hope you will have similar luck. |
Anonymous
| I have heard also that you may have to try out more than one stint before finding the “right” one. |
Anonymous
| I am a former board member of a nonprofit that offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities in adult career development. It is based in Alexandria and run by an excellent executive director: https://www.computercore.org |
Anonymous
This has been my experience as well. |
Anonymous
| I have a marketing background and I volunteer at a local high school working with students taking classes in innovation and entrepreneurship. At each stage in the course work I will speak with them about my own experience that relates to that stage. It’s fun working with the teens and they seem to really appreciate someone with real world experience. The teachers love it because they get a break. |
Anonymous
| Tutor at school. |
Anonymous
I think they volunteer with babies who do not have family to care for them..especially those born addicted. |
Anonymous
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If you want to be outdoors, the volunteer coordination at Red Wiggler Care Farm is great: https://redwiggler.org/volunteer/
Volunteers work alongside employed adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to grow organic food and most of the food produced is donated. |
Anonymous
| Meals on Wheels |
Anonymous
| Where I live the local United way has a database of volunteer opportunities at their member organizations. |
Anonymous
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I volunteer for the National Park Service.
The website is volunteer.gov |