Session Description:
Engaging the 50+ year-old-volunteer is a mutually beneficial relationship for your organization and the individual. Senior volunteers have a wealth of experience, skills, and extensive “real world” experience to share. They also tend to have more time to give and are eager to explore their passions. While what you know about general volunteer engagement can apply to the senior volunteer, there are some critical differences. In this presentation, we will discuss what is unique in engaging the senior volunteer. We will take a brief look at intergenerational volunteering and share the experiences of several volunteers – and volunteer managers – in our community.
Session Goals:
By the end of this session, participants will have learned how to:
- Identify what is unique about recruiting, training or retraining, motivating, engaging, and retaining your senior volunteer;
- Reveal volunteering barriers to overcome for both the senior volunteer and your organization;
- Look at the benefits of volunteering for the senior volunteer and for your organization.
Resources:
Biographies:
Marc A. Boyd is a retired New Hampshire educator with over forty years of Administrating and Teaching at the Elementary, Middle, High School, and College levels. He is a nationally and state recognized Elementary School Principal, New Hampshire 2004 Elementary School Principal of the Year, AARP-NH volunteer since 2013 and State President of AARP-NH, April 2016 – Present.
Mary Roberge is the Team Lead Volunteer for the AARP NH Greater Manchester Planning Team and on the Leadership Team for the AARP NH Tri Community. She is involved in the legislative work for AARP NH, the Speakers Bureau, fraud prevention, and various projects. She is a 2016 Senior Leadership Alumnus and recipient of the AARP NH 2019 Advocacy Volunteer of the Year and the AARP NH 2020 Andrus Award. Mary has always been involved in community volunteering and is currently a SHIP counselor with ServiceLink and an usher for The Palace Theatre.
Iris Altilio is a transplant to NH, semi-retiring here in 2014 from Staten Island, NY. After a career of over forty-five years in banking and technology, Iris uses her knowledge and experience as a volunteer with several NH nonprofits including the Friends Program, where a six-year stint with the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness became a part-time job in 2021. When not working at CCEH, Iris volunteers with AARP NH, OLLI at Granite State College and Granite State Ambassadors. Sleep is overrated so Iris is also the Chair of the Supervisors of the Checklist in Pembroke, NH.
Ashley Davis is the Associate State Director of Outreach and Advocacy at AARP NH. Ashley has had a career spanning over ten years in non-profit engagement, public health and senior management. Ashley currently works to support engagement across the state.