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Blog Entry 8 of 9 Still Rockin'

Being born in 1954 makes me a charter member of a pretty explosive group - the Baby Boomers. We survived the British invasion, clackers, disco and parachute pants and lived to tell about it. With a background cocktail of Depression logic and It's All About Me entitlement, we are a mixed bag and hopefully, a vocal one. I'll be turning the spotlight on some of the folks who remember when gas was a quarter a gallon and had little space men riding on their utensils when they ate Spoon-Sized Shredded Wheat.

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Contributed by: Carol Rock on 9/20/2007

That work ethic our parents tried desperately to instill has apparently taken, at least among baby boomers, when it comes to volunteering. According to national surveys and local experts, pro-bono workers between the ages of 43 and 61 are swelling the ranks of volunteer programs and making a difference.

A 2005 survey by MetLife Foundation found that people in their early 50s are shifting their energies from career to pursuits that improve the quality of life in their communities. These unpaid "jobs" are often the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

Once the life changes start for boomers - kids grow up and move away, retirement arrives or interests change - their involvement grows, reflected in the amount of time contributed. Volunteermatch.org reports that workers age 55 and older contributed 100 hours more than those between the ages of 30-39, the prime child-rearing, career-pursuing years. It's not a slam on those working to raise their families or ensure their financial stability, rather, boomers tend to take their available time and put it to good use.

The Internet has also contributed to the increased activity, with both organizations and workers crediting the web for making recruitment and volunteering easier. The three most successful recruiting sources named by the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles: organizational websites, social and professional networking and print media.

One such website is the city of Santa Clarita's (www.santa-clarita.com), where getting involved takes just a click or two.

"Baby boomers definitely make up the largest percentage of my volunteers," said Volunteer Coordinator Susana Campbell, who oversees a database of 2,660 unpaid workers who do everything from handing out water to marathon runners, wrangle visitors at the Cowboy festival, provide clerical help and some of the heavy lifting for city functions, work the polls on election night and clean up the parks and riverbeds.

"Forty percent of my volunteers are between the ages of 50 and 62," Campbell said. Teens between the ages of 12-17 make up the next largest group, followed by seniors. Volunteers between the ages of 18 and 50 make up only five percent of the workforce.

"They (boomers) have a different work ethic and attitude. Their motivation is different," she continued. "I think they want to set an example for their children and their community. Seniors want a connection with each other; boomers want to work. They're driven and they don't want to stuff envelopes."

"I have a great job. I work with people who want to work and it's such a positive experience," Campbell said.

Surveys conducted by Volunteermatch.org found three keys to a successful volunteer program: focused job descriptions, written policies and procedures and public volunteer recognition.

Along with the city, a resource center formed to support nonprofits in the area has now refocused its efforts and changed its name to the Volunteer Resource Center for the Santa Clarita Valley.

"Older baby boomers are definitely a unique group," said Sharalyn Hamilton, the center's executive director. "They are retiring young and are committed to setting new trends. They want to continue to use the talents and skills they've developed in their lives; they're not happy at the end of the line stuffing envelopes."

Hamilton said that several volunteers in the boomer age group have expressed a desire to really make a difference. To them, it's like an intangible reward.

"They don't want a parade or that kind of recognition," she said., "But they tell me 'If I'm going to volunteer, I want to feel like I contributed and made a significant difference using my skills and talents.'"

The new center is an affiliate of 1-800-Volunteer.org, a national clearinghouse for those wishing to donate their time. The Santa Clarita center is one of 27 volunteer hubs in California where people can register, search for projects, maintain a log of their hours and input their interest, skills and availability into a database used by thousands of volunteer causes around the state and nation.

Campbell said that many of her boomer volunteers are couples who use their service hours as time to spend together.

"A lot of them really enjoy working side by side," she said, referring to several couples who work the annual Cowboy festival. "They call me before I even put out the roundup notice for the festival to tell me they want to work and at which event."
She added that boomers aren't afraid to speak their mind about their volunteer jobs.

"They tell me when something needs to be changed, or something goes wrong," Campbell said. "They take ownership of an event and are proud of their work. And they're also the ones who send me e-mails thanking me for the opportunity to get involved."

At the city of Glendale, people are encouraged to visit city hall (613 E. Broadway) and submit applications if they want to help out with a city function.

"We're a big city, with 2,000 employees," said Ando Vardanyan, who works in the Human Resources department. "We have a lot of people who volunteer at the libraries, with our recreational programs and even in our finance department."
Vardanyan agreed that boomers made up the biggest percentage of helpers, mostly because of their outlook.

"They are more active because they choose to stay active," he said.

If you would like to volunteer in your community, visit these websites:
In the San Fernando Valley: Volunteer Center, Los Angeles, www.vcla.net
In Palmdale: City of Palmdale website: www.cityofpalmdale.org
In Santa Clarita: www.santa-clarita.com or volunteerinscv.org

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