How Volunteering Turns Retirement into Reward
By: Dannon Eubanks

After having spent any number of years in a job, seeing the same people, working the same hours, the freetime of retirement can often feel foreign. You might spend the first few weeks enjoying all the time for relaxation, but soon get bored with the lack of a set routine. At Volunteer Odyssey, we recognize the lull that can come with retirement, and have a solution for you. Volunteer. With our platform, VolunteerCompass, you are able to search by day of availability or area of interest to find the volunteer experience that fits around your not-so-busy schedule.

Retirement opens a lot of doors for an individual. It allows you to rediscover old hobbies and find new ones. Volunteering enables you to try new things, such as making burritos for those who are hungry and then riding around on your bike to hand out those burritos through Urban Bicycle Food Ministry. Volunteering also gives you the opportunity to get back to doing things you love, such as gardening, which you can do through Memphis Tilth, or reading to children, which you can do at St. Jude. These experiences allow you to socialize with new people while giving back to your community in a way that enriches the lives of all those involved. Non-profits often struggle to fill slots that fall during normal working hours, which make retirees an essential part to their success.

Volunteering is the perfect way to give back to the city that has housed you for so many years or to explore the new city that you are retiring to. Whatever you interests are, or whatever you’re wanting to get involved doing, Volunteer Odyssey has an option for you. Ready to fill your days with meaningful service? Visit VolunteerCompass to get started.