If you’re retired and have a cause or two that you feel passionate about, have you considered volunteering? Along with being a great way to make a difference in your community, giving of your time, skills and experience is likely to have a positive impact on your life, too. As International Volunteer Day takes place in December each year, we thought we’d take this opportunity to look at three of the benefits of being a volunteer.

1. You’ll widen your social network
Whether you decide to volunteer at a literacy programme, school, clothing drive, community garden, mentorship programme or animal charity, you’re bound to meet plenty of people and potentially make some new friends. While broadening your social network is a positive step at any age, it can be particularly helpful if you’ve experienced feelings of isolation or loneliness in your retirement.

2. You’ll feel part of your community
If you find that you spend a lot of time at home now that you’re retired, volunteering is a great way to get out of the house and into a space where you can be actively involved in your community. As well as giving you the opportunity to make a difference and be part of something meaningful, it can also provide a wonderful sense of purpose.

3. It’s good for you
Volunteering has long been thought to have a positive impact on body and mind, and there have been several studies which point to these benefits. For example, an article on Harvard Health Publishing cites a Carnegie Mellon University study which found that “Adults over 50 who volunteered on a regular basis were less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers.”

Keen to get started? If you’d like to get involved with a worthwhile initiative but you’re not sure where to start, take a look at forgood.co.za, an online platform which provides details of volunteer opportunities around the country.