As a new retiree, I am beginning to consider volunteering. I have read through a vast list this morning and I’m just not ready to take on something “heavy”. So…I submitted an “application” to be a bingo caller in an assisted living facility. LOL. I mean that’s clean and fun and as the ad said “it frees up a staff member” for other duties.
I’ll see if they respond.
Yes. A lot. In our school district, serving on lots of committees.
Just one day a week in the front office of the high school. It’s nice because since I’m not a paid employee I don’t have the deal with any BS, I don’t have to stay late and they can’t fire me. 
I don’t volunteer now but would like to again sometime. When my daughters were younger, I helped out regularly at their elementary school, as did my husband. The teachers and students seemed to appreciate the assistance, and some of the little boys especially liked it when my husband helped.
Until they changed the hours so I couldn’t make it anymore, I was a trained dog walker/socializer at the humane society. I also worked in the school library one morning a week.
Yes! Most Monday’s I deliver meals for a “meals on wheels” type program, my wife is working at our local soup kitchen today, I also volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem. That does occasionally get “heavy” and at times requires a greater time commitment. I have cut back on that recently. Wife and I just started in a reading program where we go in and read to kids at an elementary school. It is one measly hour per week and they treat us like we are saviors. When my kids were in school and I was working at night I used to work at the school library once per week. Followed the kids from elementary to middle to high school. Kids’ friends thought I was a paid employee. 
I did a lot of volunteer booster club-type work when my kids were in HS. Now that I’m an empty-nester, I would really like to find a non–profit that I can totally get behind. I’m a lawyer, so most of the “interest” I receive is interest in me either writing a big check, or asking people I know to write big checks. I would like to be truly involved in a great cause. I lean left, and the community at large leans right…I’d like to be able to tell clients and acquaintances about my “cause” without them bristling.
Many communities have “college access” nonprofits that work with first generation, disadvantaged students. They often need volunteers to help kids write essays and fill out financial aid forms. Some of them need board members and would probably love to have a lawyer on their board (@missypie).
I still work full time, but as a new empty nester am finding I have a lot more time on my hands. I have signed up for an orientation session next week for a mentoring program for foster kids at the local Y. Volunteers are paired one-on-one with the kids. The basic idea is that the mentors become a stable presence in the kids’ lives even if they have to change foster families. It required a minimum time commitment of 4 hours a month.
In the past, my daughter and I volunteered with our local animal shelter, playing with dogs and cats.
I volunteered extensively during my SAHM years and continued doing some volunteering through S’s HS years. I am now taking a break from any sort of regular volunteering and volunteer for a few one time a year events at church or in the community.
I volunteer at a local rose garden as well as for a heritage seed project at a local museum. Both are very rewarding.
It’s taken me a while to find a volunteer activity I enjoy. I teach recent (and not so recent) immigrants English as a Second Language once a week for two hours. I enjoy the people I’ve met.
Yes I do. When S2 left for college and I became a “retired stay-at-home-mom” (a title my older son lovingly bestowed upon me) my first order of business was to find a regular volunteer position.
I volunteer every Tuesday morning at one of the world’s foremost medical research facilities (didn’t want to specifically write the acronym but you can prob figure it out!) and, although it can be “heavy”, it really puts life into perspective. Which, for a worrier like me, is a very good thing. Most everyone there is very sick and hoping some new clinical trial or study will help them or their child and their positive outlook and strength never ceases to amaze me. It is very rewarding.
I manage a group of volunteers at the church where I work. The lead volunteer is 100 years old and two others are in their 90’s. A third is “only” in her 70’s. Every one of them say that the volunteering is what keeps them alive and healthy. They do a great job, too.
When I become an empty nester next year I plan to fill some of my time with volunteering either at D’s school or the foundation that runs it. When I retire someday I plan to devote even more time to them. The work they do is amazing and they help kids who would never even think to go to college winning awards and scholarships and inventing things-I would love to be a part of that.But right now most of my time is taken up by being D’s sherpa. I “volunteer” to drive her all over the place 7 days a week.
I’m not retired, but I do volunteer as a Reading Pal through our local United Way. I have been reading with the same girl since she was in 2nd grade and she’s now in the 7th grade. The continuity with one child has kept me involved since some weeks it is a real challenge to get away from work and make the time. It’s fun to see both her growth and the growth of the other kids who have been in the cohort since the original 2nd grade class. Only a few have kept their pals all these years.
I am working with a friend on a project to make quilts for a women’s shelter. Get to scratch the creative itch, learn new skills and make a small difference. Also am much more involved with our synagogue now, esp since we are now running almost entirely by volunteers.
We also cook for the women’s shelter every couple months.
I’m a volunteer HIV test counselor. I used to test a few times a week but now I mostly just do big events like festivals and pride events. I do other sexual health and advocacy events related to that too.
In busy seasons, I volunteer as a phoneline crisis counselor at a local teen crisis center.
It’s a nice break to work outside of academia
I volunteer two mornings a week at a food bank sorting donations.
I don’t have a regular volunteer stint right now, but for the past two years I volunteered twice a week for a program called Reading Partners (part of Americorps) at an elementary school in the next town. Each Reading Partner is assigned a student (or students) in 1st through 3rd grade who has been identified as a struggling reader and works with them through the entire school year using a program that has already been developed. It wasn’t too difficult, since you just had to follow instructions and basically work through packets with the students in a systematic way. It was a very satisfying thing to do, especially when you could see the kids progress, even though it didn’t always seem they were. I didn’t continue it this year, because I had too many other things going on, but I will probably pick it up again in the future since the demand is pretty constant.
I’ve been looking into this as well. I think the first step is to discover your passion or what interests you. A friend of mine is a politician and I’ve worked on that campaign over the years. I’ve even testified for some bills which was pretty cool.
I always circle back to issues surrounding poverty and how to help people help themselves. To that end I focus on kids in school and hunger.
Just today on behalf of my company I made a large donation to a local food bank, put up a link on my company website and challenge employees to participate through donation or volunteering. I picked a place in particular for how they handle those in need. Most places require ss #, income statements, etc. I know we’ll enough there are times people come up short on bills. It is humbling enough to need help without feeling like you need to beg for it. They also work with local farmers and have lots of fresh produce available as well. It’s all volunteer so every penny goes to buying food in bulk. I probably will continue financially support them, but not go in person. They have lots of volunteers and groups. I think I’d like to focus on reading and education. I am going to explore the local schools and see what is available.