Aging Backwards Tuesday Tips #10: Giving Back

Last week I was invited to participate in a charity event for teenage girls in a group home - an invitation I quickly and gladly accepted. The event was a "beauty night" for 13 lovely girls, ranging in age from 13 to 18. Olay had generously donated skin care products, which I was asked to introduce and demonstrate. There was also a hair and makeup expert and a manicurist, both with more donated products, as well as food provided by Outback Steakhouse and by the woman who organized the event. It was a magical night.

Perhaps it was the intimate size of the group that set this event apart from others. The girls couldn't have been more appreciative and polite, the love and support in the room was overwhelming. On Monday nights I call the bingo numbers at an independent living facility. I love all the elderly residents and have gotten to know some of them fairly well, but it's a large group, usually close to 50 people, and has a different feel to it than the group of just 13 young girls.

In either case, volunteering and giving back feels terrific. In fact, studies have shown that one's health can improve when actively and personally engaged in helping others. People surveyed about volunteering on a regular basis indicated they had more energy and a sense of euphoria called the "helper's high." They even reported that these feelings returned when they later remembered the acts of kindness. More and more, baby boomers with free time are choosing to devote that time to volunteering. Download a report, Great Expectations: Boomers and the Future of Volunteering.

Aging Backwards Tips for Giving Back

1) Volunteer with Meals On Wheels. The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest organization in the U.S. representing those who provide meal services to people in need. Meals On Wheels works toward the social, physical, nutritional and economic betterment of vulnerable Americans.

2) Discover "Voluntourism." Many people are electing to combine their vacation time with giving back. Voluntourism combines volunteer opportunities in your chosen destination along with the traditional elements of travel and tourism - arts, culture, geography, history and recreation - while in the destination. Find out more here.

3) Get involved with your local YMCA. Every hour spent volunteering at the YMCA translates into caring attention a child or teen needs to grow up healthy and resilient. As a volunteer, you can lead an exercise class, read to a preschool class, coach a basketball team, cook for a bake sale, design a program brochure, greet people at the front desk, find items for an auction, serve as a role model for young people, help out in the office or at a special event or be part of a group or committee working on a neighborhood problem.

4) Support your favorite charity. Want to know if a certain charity you're ready to support is legitimate? Charity Navigator was founded in 2001 to help donors evaluate charities they are interested in supporting. Charity Navigator's team of professional analysts has examined tens of thousands of non-profit financial documents, allowing them to develop an unbiased, objective, numbers-based rating system to assess the financial health of over 5,000 of America's best-known charities.

5) Find a volunteer opportunity in your zip code. If you wish to offer your time close to home, Volunteer Match has just what you're looking for. Through their Adopt-A-Zip program, you can type in your zip code and find volunteer opportunities right in your own community. Updated often, you can find short-term and long-term opportunities.

Now that you have these resources, find out how great it feels to give back by clicking any of the links above and experience your own "helper's high."