Tag: Gardening
Volunteering for Seniors: Benefits & Opportunities
November 15, 2024

There are good reasons why more than one in five older adults volunteer. A study in the Australian Journal of Psychology found that the more people volunteer, the more their overall life satisfaction increases.
If you find yourself with the urge to help or give back to your community somehow, here’s everything you need to know about volunteering later in life.
Volunteering can improve your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that if someone volunteered for at least 100 hours per year, or less than two hours a week, for at least four years, they experienced a reduced risk of mortality, less physical functioning limitations, higher amounts of physical activity, and positive psychosocial outcomes, such as a stronger sense of life purpose. “Volunteering is an affirmation that your time hasn’t ended. It’s also a way to affirm that careers are ongoing,” says Marcia Wall, a career coach. “Continue your career through volunteering, and you’ll continue to have that sense of professional identity that can continue even without getting a paid job,” she says.
Furthermore, volunteerism can prevent social isolation and loneliness, major risk factors for mortality among the aging population. In addition to having the opportunity to utilize the skills you already have, volunteering can provide the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, too. “It’s good for the mind, and for socialization; it’s the idea that we’re all lifelong learners,” says Wall. “There is value in learning for learning’s sake. The idea that our brains and our spirits are still active and you can’t be curious without having a spirit. It’s an affirmation that your time hasn’t ended,” she says.
What to Consider Before Getting Started
Before choosing a volunteer opportunity, think about your “why” and what kind of work you want to do. Read about an organization’s mission and the ways they go about achieving that. Does the work they carry out align with your values? Volunteering is a way to engage with your interests, so make sure that you look for an organization that makes you feel excited and even motivates you.
Then, check the reviews. Pay attention to positive and negative feedback and how the organization responds. Beware of any place that uses phrases like “work tirelessly” or seems understaffed or over-extended. “First and foremost, volunteers should not be considered ‘free labor,’” says Wall. “Volunteers are skilled and valuable contributors who are choosing to donate their time in exchange for a personal reward of some kind,” she says. Ultimately, it’s important for you to feel in control of the work you decide to do. Remember that it doesn’t have to be long-term; you can always pursue other avenues. Volunteering should never feel like a chore.
Six Options for Older Adults Looking to Volunteer
There are volunteer opportunities out there for everyone. Here are several ideas to get you started on your search.
- Local or National Charities
Always look at what’s in your backyard first. Habitat for Humanity, for instance, exists nationwide and helps families in your community establish stability and self-reliance by providing them with homes. Food banks always need assistance with daily tasks such as food delivery and donation gathering. Feeding America lists food banks in your area where you can begin. Charity thrift stores are another great way to help with a cause you care about. The items sold there benefit those who buy them, and the proceeds go toward the organization’s efforts.
2. Local, State and National Parks
The National Park Service is often eager to have new volunteers. Opportunities include helping with one-time special events or long-term commitments that involve tasks such as invasive plant removal or serving as a tour guide and educator.
If pets are your passion, working with your local animal shelter may be the right fit for you. While large, well-known organizations like the SPCA and The Humane Society of the United States are great places to work with, smaller local rescues need help, too. Volunteering with a rescue center may involve caring for and playing with animals, providing potential the public with information, cleaning, and helping at fundraising events.
4. Fostering Younger Generations in a Multitude of Ways
Did you know you could become a foster grandparent for a child living in your community? Fostering a child usually consists of tutoring, mentoring, and caregiving. If that kind of opportunity sounds rewarding, check with your local churches and Americorps for children in need of a foster.
Your local schools are another venue to check with for volunteering to help teachers, tutor children, or chaperone field trips. Eldera is another program that connects those over age 60 to help students with homework, while Big & Mini connects people with common interests intergenerationally. Yet another group is Career Village, which brings former professionals to students interested in those careers. If sports are of interest to you, then coaching a youth team is yet another way to give back to children in your backyard.
5. Providing Companionship to Older Adults
There are several ways to help people your own age, such as volunteering with your local Hospice agency. Hospice opportunities include being a companion to patients at the end of their lives, helping with clerical duties, or making things like fidget mats and quilts for patients. “You’re one on one with a patient or them and their family,” says Erin Long, a hospice volunteer services manager. “It’s individual volunteering and independent volunteering. We look for someone who is comfortable in independent situations.”
There are other ways to assist older adults, including being a companion to someone still living independently at home but needing a little support. Seniors Helping Seniors is just one organization that connects seniors to volunteers in their area. Hosting a meet-up for seniors in your area is another way to connect with people your age, build community among older adults, and even prevent loneliness. Starts at 60 Meet Ups helps volunteers host casual gatherings at coffee shops.
- Community Gardens
If you have a green thumb, gardening might be the right cause. Community gardens can contribute healthy foods to their community, beautify your hometown, and provide you with some health benefits. Working in the garden improves both physical and mental well-being. If your neighborhood needs a garden, then AARP can help you get one going.
Senior Corps links seniors with thousands of opportunities. And don’t forget about checking with family and friends, who may know where the local needs are. With Insureyouknow.org, you can keep all of your volunteering research in one place, as well as schedules and logs of the benefits you notice and your impact. Just remember that every act of kindness can create a lasting impact, no matter how small or large. If you’re interested in volunteering, there’s no better time than now to start your search.
Gardening for Mental Well-Being
May 15, 2024

Interest in gardening has increased since the pandemic, as more and more people are searching for ways to disconnect from stressful times and reconnect to nature. It turns out that immersing ourselves in green spaces and caring for plants is a form of caring for ourselves. Time spent in nature has been found to improve mental health so much so that gardening has been prescribed by the National Health Service in Great Britain since 2019. But while scientists are just beginning to pay attention to nature’s overall effect on our health, humans have known about the power of gardening for a very long time.
Historic Gardens and Horticultural Therapy
Ancient and modern gardens all over the world, including Persian pleasure gardens, Islamic paradise gardens, Chinese courtyard gardens and Japanese rock gardens, nurture a sense of separation from the chaotic world and provide a place for inward reflection. In addition to sources of food, the Roman Empire treated gardens as a place to cultivate mindfulness. As extensions of the home, Roman gardens were the first outdoor rooms. They served as spaces to rest and marvel at nature’s wonder. By the Middle Ages, hospital gardens modeled after these Roman gardens were seen as integral parts of the hospital, not just to feed patients and grow medicines but to offer patients time outside. But as efficiency and technology took over medical treatment, these spaces went extinct.
Still, the benefits of gardens were not forgotten. In the 1800s, early American psychiatrists began noting links between horticulture and mental health. Born in 1933, the famous neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks believed that gardens and nature were more powerful than any medication. As the scientific evidence of spending time in green spaces leading to better health grew, many hospitals began incorporating gardens into their facilities again and horticultural therapy was developed as a therapeutic practice in the 1970s.
Horticultural therapy involves taking care of plants with specific goals for the patient in mind. For instance, tending to a garden and watching it thrive can help people build self-esteem and feel a sense of accomplishment. Gardening can also lead to life lessons, such as when a plant dies, the person can ask themselves, “What could I have done differently?” Connecting the garden to themself can lead them to think that maybe they can do a little more to take care of themself, too. “It’s really the plants that are the therapists,” says Laura Rumpf, a horticultural therapist who treats patients with dementia through gardening. “Even if somebody can’t necessarily name what it is they’re smelling, the body somehow remembers.” For those with dementia for instance, plants can help them to reminisce which leads to telling stories and sharing memories, an important part of connecting to others and validating their identity.
The Scientific Proof of Nature’s Benefits
Gardening involves exercise, which we know is beneficial to our health, and since people tend to breathe more deeply when they’re outside, outdoor activities can clear the lungs, aid digestion, and improve immune responses. Sunlight also lowers blood pressure and increases vitamin D levels, but the benefits of outdoor gardening extend beyond these physical benefits.
A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Florida found that gardening lowered stress, anxiety and depression in healthy women who attended a gardening class twice a week. “Past studies have shown that gardening can help improve the mental health of people who have existing medical conditions or challenges,” said the principal investigator of the study Charles Guy. “Our study shows that healthy people can also experience a boost in mental well-being through gardening.” In addition to improved mental well-being, interacting with nature has proven cognitive benefits. A 2019 study by University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman showed that green spaces near schools promote cognitive development in children, while adults assigned to public housing in green neighborhoods exhibited better attentional functioning than those assigned to units with less access to green spaces.
Scientists have a few ideas as to why nature is so good for our mental health. One hypothesis is that since our ancestors evolved in the wild and relied on their environment for survival, we have an innate drive to connect with nature. As a species, we may be attracted to plants because we depend on them for food and shelter. Another hypothesis is that spending time in nature triggers a physiological response that lowers stress levels. Throughout human history, trees and water have been an oasis and signaled relaxation. There is an implicit trust in nature that calms our parasympathetic nervous system. Yet a third hypothesis is that nature replenishes cognitive functioning, which restores the ability to concentrate and pay attention. The truth probably lies in a combination of all of these theories.
Gardening Against Loneliness
Perhaps one of the most overlooked yet obvious benefits of gardening is that it can make people feel less alone in the world. While gardening can bring people together through community gardens, one doesn’t even need to be around other people while spending time in nature in order to feel more connected to others. “Nature can be a way to induce awe,” said psychology professor John Zelenski. “One of the things that may come from awe is the feeling that the individual is part of a much bigger whole.”
Gardening can bring people together through a sense of community, as people who garden are rich with expertise that they are willing to share with other gardeners. Master gardeners and local volunteers dedicate their time to empowering other people in the community who are interested in growing their own plants. Simply sharing a gardening blunder is just one way to connect with a fellow gardener. Social connections are important for our mental well-being because they help lower stress, improve resilience, and provide support, while a strong sense of belonging has been shown to lower one’s risk of depression and anxiety.
Community gardens are a great place to connect with others as they offer room for talking during uncomplicated and repetitive tasks. Since gardening can bring together all kinds of people, time in the garden with others can also remind us that we are more alike than not. “Gardens are a great point of connection,” said the director of a London community garden Sarah Alun-Jones. “We often find ourselves talking about where we grew up, our childhood gardens, food we like to grow and cook… and we learn lots along the way.”
If you’re thinking of incorporating gardening into your routine, it doesn’t need to be intimidating. Simply starting by potting indoor plants or taking walks in green spaces during your lunch break are just two simple ways to connect with nature now. At Insureyouknow.org, you may store all of your gardening plans and records, so that you can become the researcher of your own gardening benefits.