Reformed Retirees

A look at unique ways to stay active after leaving the working world

While some retirees look forward to open schedules and relaxing days with family, others crave activity and structure.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to stay involved in the community – and the world beyond – after packing up your desk.

Fostering a Pet

Welcoming a new friend into your home is one way to spend your time as a retiree. Animal shelters are always looking for reliable people to take in animals before finding their forever homes.

“(We look for) professional people who have professional attitudes,” says Angela Christianson, cat foster coordinator for northwest Columbus-based PetPromise. “If you make a commitment, you make a commitment. You’re loyal and you’re trustworthy. We’re placing an animal in your hands.”

Christianson adds that foster parents should have a flexible schedule so they can attend adoption events and keep in touch with foster coordinators. While it’s not required to have experience with animals, it is preferred.

Because PetPromise does not have a shelter, it relies entirely on foster homes. PetPromise does not get a lot of interest from retirees, Christianson says, but she thinks it would be a fantastic opportunity for those who have some free time and are on a fixed income. PetPromise pays for food and routine medical care.

“To watch (an animal) grow and keep it healthy is giving back to something that has no voice,” Christianson says. “When someone retires, their life may have been taken up with work, so now they might have more time. Volunteering or fostering an animal will fill up that time and give them a purpose.”

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To learn more about fostering through PetPromise, visit www.petpromise.org/foster. Other options in the area include Pets Without Parents, A.D.O.P.T. Pet Rescue and Colony Cats.

If you don’t want to foster an animal in your home, there are other ways to get involved with local shelters. For example, PetPromise volunteers have organized pet food drives. Tech-savvy volunteers and grant writers are also in demand.

Volunteering Abroad

If you’re looking for adventure and a way to explore new and exciting places, volunteering abroad can be a productive way to spend your newfound free time.

Perhaps you haven’t been out of the country since your semester abroad in college, or maybe you’ve just never had the opportunity. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to explore – and help – the world as a retiree.

The Peace Corps formed in 1961 with assignments in just six countries. Now, nearly 210,000 volunteers have served 139 countries. Volunteers spend two years in their assigned countries, and there is no age limit. There are opportunities for couples to serve together, so you won’t have to leave your husband or wife behind.

Volunteers work in a variety of areas, such as community economic development and education. So, if you are a retired teacher, there’s a place for you.

Keep in mind volunteers aren’t traveling to well-off countries such as France or Spain. However, they are making a difference in the areas they do serve.

Like the Peace Corps, World Endeavors has no restriction on age for its volunteers. Volunteers have more options on how long they want to stay abroad. Most programs range from one week to three months. So if a two-year commitment is daunting, World Endeavors could be a good alternative.

But while the Peace Corps pays for air fare and provides a living allowance, you do have to pay for World Endeavors. Most programs cost about $1,390 per week, with about $300 per additional week. Volunteers can serve in a variety of countries, such as Argentina, India and Jamaica.

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If you’re interested in the Peace Corps but don’t want to serve a full two years, volunteers with at least 10 years of work experience have the option to select assignments for as short as three months and as long as 12.

Check www.peacecorps.gov for additional information and recruitment events in the area.

The Ronald McDonald House

For an option closer to home, the Ronald McDonald House offers plenty of unique volunteer options.

The local Ronald McDonald house is the largest one in the world, and its mission is to assist families who need a home while their children are undergoing treatment at local hospitals. This means volunteers with both homemaking and administrative skills are needed.

About 62 percent of all Ronald McDonald House volunteers are retirees, says Katherine Ziegler, volunteer program director. Programs that tend to resonate with the retirees are the baking and meal programs.

“We have volunteer bakers who come in and make snacks for our families, so it’s one less thing they have to worry about during the day,” Ziegler says.

The snacks are grab-and-go style, and volunteers can make anything their hearts desire, such as trail mix or anything else that fits well in a Ziploc bag. 

With the meal program, volunteers come in during mealtime to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for the families.

“The meal teams provide food for 150 people,” Ziegler says. “(Volunteers) sign up for a date, and they design their own menus.”

Ziegler says the front desk position is popular for retirees who are looking for more traditional business hours. Front desk volunteers answer phones, resolve issues and perform other administrative duties.

“It gives them responsibility they may have lost when they left the workplace,” she says.

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Volunteer hours at the Ronald McDonald House

Meal program: Breakfast, lunch and dinner hours

Baking groups: 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., except Sundays

Front desk: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1-5 p.m., 5-9 p.m.

Be a Tour Guide

There are plenty of tourism-related opportunities for retirees who are fans of public speaking and furthering their education on niche topics.

About 90 percent of docents at the Columbus Museum of Art are retired, says Stephanie Samera, docent programs coordinator for the museum. An education in art history is not a requirement.

Docents serve during daytime hours Tuesday-Friday, but there are also some weekend opportunities available, as well. There is a nine-month training process, and docents commit to providing tours for two years, Samera says. Docents typically contribute about 1-3 hours per week, or two tours a month.

The tour groups are varied. Some are school groups, while others are Alzheimer’s patients.

“(Docents) touch upon a wide variety of audiences,” Samera says.

Docents lead groups through both the museum and special exhibits. Many docents are retired lawyers, businessmen and women, and teachers.

“They get to see another side of learning and engaging the public,” Samera says. “That’s something that’s kept (our docents) interested over the years. People stick with it for a while.”

Animal lovers might consider becoming docents for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Just about 80 percent of all docents are retired, says Volunteer Supervisor Ginger Earley, and many are former educators.

“The zoo attracts a lot of teachers,” Earley says.   

To become a docent, you must be an adult volunteer first. After about a year of serving as an adult volunteer, you can apply for the zoo’s docent class. Docents train for seven Saturdays and shadow three tours before they lead a tour on their own.

The zoo looks for volunteers who are friendly and knowledgeable, but also know how to keep control of a group.

“A lot of (docents) are not really set or ready for standard retirement,” Earley says. “I think that a lot of them can really appreciate the fact they can still come here and be active.”

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The next recruitment phase for Columbus Museum of Art docents begins at the end of summer 2015. Training will span January-June 2016. When available, applications can be found on www.columbusmuseum.org. 

Applications for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will be available in September. There will be a January 2016 open house, and training in February and March 2016. More information, as it becomes available, can be found at www.columbuszoo.org.

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Be a Statehouse Tour Guide

If you’re a fan of local politics, the Ohio Statehouse is always looking for tour guides. Tours are offered year-round, seven days a week. Most volunteers select specific days and complete a morning or afternoon tour, between the hours of 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and noon-4 p.m.

Contact Volunteer Coordinator Dayna Jalkanen at 614-728-2697 or djalkanen@csrab.state.oh.us.

Hannah Bealer is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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