The First Motivation: Giving Back
Retirement allows you time to give back and serve, but is every volunteer role right for you?
Serving others is noble—but if your work doesn’t also meet your own needs, you may end up burned out instead of fulfilled.
What’s In It for You?
Does a volunteer role you’re considering meet your needs? In addition to a motivation to give, you also need to choose a volunteer option based on what needs it will meet for you.
As retirement expert Celia Dodd says, “Choosing the right volunteering role: questions to ask • What’s in it for you? There’s got to be something that goes beyond the warm glow you get from helping people and doing something worthwhile.” Not Fade Away: How to Thrive in Retirement.
Why Your Needs Matter Too
Asking “what’s in it for me?” in volunteering isn’t selfish—it’s practical. If your role doesn’t also meet your needs, you risk frustration, fatigue, and walking away. Sustainable service is about both giving and receiving.
We can both meet our needs and others’ needs at the same time. If you’re not meeting your needs, you may find it becomes a burden and eventually quit.
Volunteering/Working as a Ranger
Volunteering as a ranger with the National Park Service has been deeply meaningful for me. Wearing a uniform connects me to my Air Force past, and sharing my missile field experience with visitors gives me purpose. It also satisfies my desire to keep learning and teaching.
Because this role meets my needs and allows me to serve others, I’ve stayed with it.
By contrast, when I tried a part-time ranger job, the long commute and exhausting schedule clashed with other needs in my life. After seven months, I stepped back.
Asking the Right Questions When Considering Volunteering
The best volunteer roles are a win-win—they benefit others while giving you purpose, growth, and joy. As you consider your options, ask yourself the following questions:
• Does this role align with my values and passions?
• Will it give me opportunities to grow or learn?
• Does the schedule fit with the rhythm of my retirement life?
• Does it energize me—or drain me?
The answers may help you find a role that lasts.
AI Note: I wrote this blog post myself, using my own words and thoughts for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, and text improvements.
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