Engaging in solidarity projects is not reserved for students or young adults.

In France, 20% of volunteers are between the ages of 50 and 64, while 31% are over 65, according to a 2019 study by France Bénévolat.

Whether in the field of health, social, education, culture or international humanitarian work, there are plenty of good reasons to give your time for others when you are retired. .

More time for good deeds

Does the idea of ​​not doing anything worry you or do you finally manage to free up the time you want to use for a good deed?

Retirement is the ideal time to get involved in a cause and invest yourself humanely.

No more schedules to respect, no more accountability to a boss, a new freedom is offered to you.

You are still in good shape to bring your energy and your know-how to people who need it, so take advantage of it to do what is important to you.

To feel useful

After a life spent working to build yourself a situation or support your family, giving your time, while bringing your experience, can be very beneficial.

Getting into volunteering as an activity seems to be a real source of personal fulfillment for many.

When one feels useful to society and to others, by acting in a concrete way, this brings a feeling of gratitude towards oneself, even of pride.

Thus, when you become a volunteer, you are doing a good deed, while doing good to your self-esteem.

Keep an active social life

Retirement is a big life change and can sometimes lead to withdrawal and isolation.

By volunteering, you continue to socialize with people, meet new people and become interested in various things.

Not staying locked up at home and keeping a regular "physical" activity allows you to stay young and proves to be as good for the body as the mind.

Cross the line

Once you've made the decision to get involved in a cause, think about how much time you want to devote to this new activity.

Whole days or just a few hours?

For occasional or regular missions?

It's up to you to decide how and how often you want to get involved, without neglecting your private life and your loved ones.

Proximity missions…

Then think of a cause that particularly affects you: taking action to combat animal abuse, bringing meals to the homeless, offering tutoring classes to underprivileged children, leading introductory workshops (cooking, sewing, drawing, etc.) to elderly and isolated people, picking up waste and promoting ecological actions… The possibilities are numerous and the needs very real.

Find out about the associations near you (not always known on a national scale) or get closer to the local branch of a large group to discuss their needs.

… or international humanitarian missions?

If going to the end of the world does not scare you and you want to meet the populations in distress of Africa, Asia or South America, the international humanitarian missions (whether they concern the agriculture, literacy or basic needs) are constantly looking for volunteers of all ages.

This type of volunteering is an economical way to travel and enrich oneself humanly through contact with new cultures.

The adventure tempts you?

If you wish to move towards a long-term mission (from 6 months to around two years), consider international solidarity volunteering (VSI), a system open to anyone of legal age (including seniors) which gives rise to a real contract and allows you to receive a small compensation from the State.

Finally, several organizations such as the General Association of Retired Workers, Volunteer Actions for Cooperation and Development (AGIRabcd), offer short international assignments, lasting from 15 days to 2 months.

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Ideas for causes to embrace

Do you want to help others but don't know which cause to turn to?

There are many associations in the field of humanitarian aid (Emmaüs, The French Red Cross, Les Restos du Coeur, The French Secours Populaire or Doctors Without Borders, Action Against Hunger, Unicef ​​internationally), the protection of nature (SPA, associative shelters, LPO…) or culture (most often local organizations) which gladly accept retirees.

  • Volunteering

  • Retirement

  • Economy

  • Association