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Helping hand: The best places for seniors to volunteer

Anyone who loves a senior understands the importance of being informed on senior issues, and so do we. Our News You Can Use posts are meant to help seniors and their families as they learn and transition together through the physical and emotional changes brought on by aging.

After retirement, a lot of seniors find themselves with the ambition to volunteer and the time to do it. But with so many volunteer opportunities, where should a do-gooder retirees cast their charitable gaze? Here are some nonprofit suggestions that rely heavily on senior volunteers:

1) Senior Corps
A facet of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Senior Corps’ Foster Grandparent Program partners volunteers age 55 and over with children in their community. The program, which gives seniors the opportunity to mentor and comfort abused children and at-risk teens, is an extremely satisfying volunteer opportunity for retired teachers, nurses, or anyone who has a passion for helping children.

2) The USO
The USO has been helping veterans and their families for 75 years and relies heavily on volunteers, who help by welcoming troops, serving them warm meals and a handful of other goodwill gestures toward soldiers returning home. Volunteering for the USO is a great fit if you or your spouse is a retired veteran.

3) SCORE
The SCORE organization offers free mentoring and workshops to small business owners, making it an exceptionally gratifying choice for volunteers who retired from a career in business operations, sales, or finance. And the best part? SCORE mentors are partnered with business owners in their community, so volunteering your expertise and know-how can help boost your local economy!

None of these seem like a great fit? Don’t throw in the towel just yet. A lot of organizations like Volunteer Match and AARP’sVolunteer Resource Center specializing in matching people over the age of 55 with the perfect volunteer opportunity in their community.

For more information on how to stay physically and emotionally engaged after retirement, visit blog.milestoneretirement.com.