How to Find Volunteer Work After Retiring

Giving back to the community, seeking social justice, meeting new people, feeling involved, the reasons for volunteering are as numerous as the types of volunteer opportunities available. For many retired citizens finding a volunteer opportunity that suits them and their goals has never been simpler.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Consider your skills, interests and how much time you can give. If you were an accountant in the work world you may want to volunteer this service to a nonprofit organization. But you may also want to do something completely different. If you have an interest in carpentry or working with children, don't rule out trying something new in your volunteer work.
2. Write a volunteer resume that outlines all the skills you have that could help an organization. Volunteer resumes are much like professional resumes but highlight all the skill sets you have or those you are interested in using during your volunteer work. Some organizations have their own volunteer resume forms.
3. Search for opportunities on Internet sites like VolunteerMatch (see Resources below). This site matches volunteers and opportunities and provides a good start for your search. But you can go right to the source. For instance, if you know you want to work for Habitat for Humanity find the local number or look online for a contact.

Tips & Warnings

• Find a need in your community that you are passionate about or that inspires you. There are hundreds of needs in every community and finding the one that fits you is key to mixing volunteer work with satisfaction.