Volunteering gets top grades from retirees: survey

So you’ve been a saver, taken advantage of any workplace pension program you have, and have arrived at the finish line – retirement!

But without the need for a commute or transit ride to work, seeing the gang there for lunch and coffee, and then noodling through the day on the way back home, what’s a person to do with all the free time?

According to a recent article in the Financial Post, the answer may be to become a volunteer.

In a recent survey of members of the group ROTERO, the Post reports, “62 per cent of… members agreed that volunteering contributes to the enjoyment of retirement life.”

ROTERO, the article explains, “has been a voice for teachers, school and board administrators, educational support staff and college and university faculty in their retirement. The organization promotes healthy, active living in the retirement journey for the broader education community. Its vision is a healthy, active future for every member of the education retiree community in Canada. Volunteerism is a big part of that.”

Some of the other findings the Post reports from the survey of ROTERO’s 81,000 members are:

• 64 per cent of members volunteer regularly, compared to “the Canadian average for this age group, which hovers at around 40 per cent according to Volunteer Canada.”
• Most who volunteer average 20 hours per month.
• Asked why they volunteer, “members cited things like a desire to give back and make a difference (71 per cent), the social interactions related to the volunteer role (66 per cent) and the chance to make new friends and meet people (60 per cent).”
• A total of 72 per cent of those surveyed said they also volunteered before they retired.

“It gives a sense of purpose, an opportunity to meet and interact with others, and to contribute to the well-being of our neighbours however we can,” states one RTOERO member in the article. Or, as another member put it in the Post piece, “It feels good to help.”

Save with SPP has been embedded among the retiree population since leaving full-time work eight years ago and concurs with the views of the Post article. Most of us, while working, were part of a team and an organization that had some sort of purpose or goal that everyone played a part in. It’s not the same once you log out for the last time, but volunteering can provide you a new set of downs in terms of goals, objectives, teamwork and meeting new people.

If you want to volunteer in retirement, you’ll need to be sure you have enough income to afford to quit working! The Saskatchewan Pension Plan offers you a nice way to save for retirement – or to augment any savings you already have. With SPP’s voluntary defined contribution plan, you can contribute up to $7,000 a year towards your future – and you can transfer in up to a further $10,000 a year from other eligible retirement savings vehicles, such as a registered retirement savings plan. You’ll be amazed how your account balance can grow. Check out this made-in-Saskatchewan marvel today!

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