BY CONNIE McDOUGALL
Volunteering at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo comes with some cool safari vibes, where the rewards seem to outweigh the dirty work, says volunteer Rick Hyatt, 69. “After a three-hour work party cleaning up poop behind the penguin exhibit, we got the opportunity to feed them.”
Another effort, removing unwanted bamboo from Lemur Island, ended with the fun of feeding the big-eyed, ring-tailed animals, a unique behind-the-scenes privilege.
For Helen Muterspaugh, 78, volunteering at Bainbridge Island’s Bloedel Reserve offers a welcome refuge. “It harkens back to a quieter and gentler time before all the chaos of social media, TV, and cell phones invaded our space,” she says. “Even if people are stressed when they drive in, by the time they get here, they’re at peace. They speak in quieter tones.”
Greeting visitors in the original residence of founders Prentice and Virginia Bloedel, Muterspaugh is part of a volunteer engine that keeps the 140-acre nature preserve running.
“Volunteering here reinforces the good in the world,” she says. “It makes me happier, calmer, and more positive about the future.”
People give their time to the reserve for different reasons, says Volunteer and Tour Coordinator Kate Sunderland. “Some are here for connection and community, others to learn something new,” she says. “Beauty is a big draw for many volunteers. And people find a sense of well-being just being here.”
While volunteers clearly benefit from time spent at the reserve, so does the organization gain from their efforts. “As a nonprofit, we can’t run this place without them,” says Sunderland. “We need volunteers. This is a huge space requiring lots of attention. That’s a lot of weeding!”
Like the Bloedel Reserve, AARP Washington finds volunteers essential to its mission, says Christina Clem, associate state director of communications for the organization. “If we didn’t have our amazing volunteers, it would severely curtail what we can do across all kinds of efforts, including tax services, driver-safety programs, community events,” Clem says. “Our volunteers are often trusted members of their communities who help us spread the word and give us important feedback. None of these things would be possible without our volunteers.”
That beneficial relationship is reciprocal. “The studies don’t lie,” says Clem. “Study after study touts the benefits of volunteering. They point to an increase in brain function, a decrease in blood pressure, less depression, and more social engagement.”
Some benefits are more abstract but just as important. “People who volunteer often report a new sense of purpose that may be lost after retirement,” Clem says. “Often people revive old passions or develop new ones. They also enjoy connecting with generations other than their own.”
Teenagers provide that function for retired attorney Sandra Driscoll, 73. Registering high school kids to vote gives her a jolt of teen spirit every time. “I get pure joy from their energy, enthusiasm, and optimism,” she says. “Plus, volunteering through the years, I’ve made enduring friendships with people I would never have met otherwise.”
Penny Fuller, 81, didn’t know she’d find new friends and a new vocation when she took up pickleball a couple of years ago. Now she volunteers as an assistant coach to beginner players learning the game and helps at tournaments. “I really enjoy giving little tips I learned along the way. It’s a lot of fun.”
Finding your volunteer tribe is a journey of its own and sometimes members of that tribe may not even be human. Rick Hyatt, the zoo volunteer, has forged a bond with a siamang ape named Sam. “He’s older, 38,” Hyatt says. “I go visit him when there’s not a lot of people around and sit at the window. Often, he will come and sit by me. We just sit like that until the female gets jealous and pulls him away. He’s special.”
Hyatt’s primary duty as a roving zoo ambassador is to walk the grounds and answer visitor questions. “Anything from ‘where’s the bathroom’ to questions about the animals,” he says. “Volunteering at the zoo is perfect for me. It makes me happy. I meet people from all over the world. Most people are really nice and it just makes me feel good.”
It does society good, too. According to the most recent federal statistics, Americans volunteering through organizations contributed $122.9 billion in economic value.
Beyond dollars and cents, AARP’s Clem observes, “People who volunteer, they’re just lovely human beings.”
Connie McDougall is a former news reporter and current freelance writer of nonfiction and personal essays. A lifelong student and proud English major, she has pursued lessons in flying, scuba diving, tai chi, Spanish, meditation, hiking, and Zumba.
Organizations that depend on volunteers were hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown. Many still struggle to get back to pre-pandemic levels. For people considering a volunteer position but may not know where to begin, AARP’s Christina Clem advises starting with what’s personally important. “What interests you? Most organizations welcome volunteers,” she says. “Almost all have a volunteer component – police departments, the arts, academic institutions, sports.” In addition, here are links to established organizations seeking volunteers:
United Way of King County https://www.uwkc.org/volunteer/
AARP Create the Good – https://createthegood.aarp.org/
Volunteer Match – https://www.volunteermatch.org/
AmeriCorps Seniors – https://www.americorps.gov/serve/americorps-seniors
Finding a Meaningful Volunteer Opportunity during Retirement Years
The Bloedel Reserve: An Ancient Land Offers Fresh Inspiration