Lifestyles

What’s Good For The Community Is Good For The Volunteer

Posted: 2/9/2012

Research establishes a strong relationship between volunteering and health.

(NAPSI)—Volunteering does more than contribute to the health and vitality of a community.

Lending a hand also offers physical and mental health benefits to seniors who volunteer, found a study, The Health Benefits of Volunteering, by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

“Along with delivering enormous social and economic benefit to communities nationwide, volunteer service also allows older Americans to remain active and healthy, an outcome that is critical as our nation strives to lower health care costs in times of budget constraints,” said Dr. Erwin Tan, director of CNCS’ Senior Corp program. “More than two decades of research establishes a strong relationship between volunteering and health, and we are seeing that those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression and disease later in life than those who do not volunteer.”

According to CNCS, more than a quarter of older adults (ages 55+) in the U.S. contributed more than 3 billion hours of service in communities across the country per year, on average, between 2008 and 2010, with a contribution worth $64 billion to our nation.

“As the 78 million−strong baby boomer generation looks to continue giving back to their local communities, Senior Corps programs offer a powerful way to link them to meaningful and challenging opportunities,” said Dr. Tan. “Our programs connect people in their communities to tackle tough problems that benefit those most in need, making senior service a vital investment for our nation—now and into the future.”

CNCS administers three Senior Corps programs—Foster Grandparents, RSVP and Senior Companions—which have engaged millions of older Americans in achieving results through community-driven service for more than 40 years.

Senior Corps volunteers tutor at-risk students, help veterans and military families, support independent living and respond to natural disasters.

For more information on Senior Corps and to find a volunteer opportunity in your local community, visit www.GetInvolved.gov.

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