volunteering – YoungRetired.ca

Grandmothers helping Grandmothers

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 18:34:52 +0000

When Stephen Lewis was the envoy to Africa on AIDS realized that the grandmothers of Africa were stepping into the empty shoes of people in the family and the communities who had died from AIDS. His foundation set up a campaign to connect Canadian grandmothers to African grandmothers.

Jean Altemeyer describes how Grands ‘n’ More in Winnipeg helps grandmothers in Africa to cope with the impact of AIDS on their families and communities.

More information; grandmotherscampaign.org

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CUSO developing aboriginal projects

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 13:48:32 +0000

Lloyd Axworthy, recently appointed Chairman of CUSO International, outlines plans to develop projects with aboriginal organizations in Canada, and to involve aboriginal people as volunteers.

Link: CUSO International

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Mens’ Sheds

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:15:52 +0000

John Evoy founded the Mens’ Sheds association in Ireland, where guys spend time together building things, fixing things, and chatting. He describes his experience, and how to start a mens’ shed in Canada.

More: Winnipeg men’s shed

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Become a part-time prof

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 20:41:38 +0000

Post secondary schools need experienced people to teach a wide variety of skills.

Debra Wutke, Program Manager for Business Management in the Continuing Education division of Red River College describes the paid and volunteer opportunities for retired people in her college:

Many retirees get satisfaction mentoring young people in their field; an ideal place to pass on your experience is at colleges and universities that hire skilled people on short-term contracts to teach continuing education students, and in some cases, full-time students as well. Alternatively, colleges often invite experienced people to volunteer as guest lecturers once in a term.

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Sticky: Elders’ advice on working in retirement

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 17:38:29 +0000

When Lyndsay Greene, author of You Could Live a Long Time, found that many experienced retirees had “worked” well past the end of their traditional careers. They said work — not necessarily paid work — provides purpose and social networks in retirement.

They emphasized that, in the post-career phase of work, you shouldn’t expect the same level of responsibility and authority as in your career.

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Volunteering abroad with Cuso International

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 04:20:51 +0000

Cuso International arranges hundreds of volunteering opportunities for skilled Canadians each year in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. About a third of the people they send abroad are retired or near retirement. Erin Bateman, manager of recruitment, describes the kind of people they are looking for and how to apply:

Going on a Cuso International mission can be a very rewarding experience for the right volunteer.

Anne and Andy Joyce describe how volunteering in Namibia affected them:

A few years ago, I interviewed Doreen Spence who described her experience volunteering with in Africa:

Erin recommends checking the Cuso International volunteer placements page to see if there are any opportunities which fit your profile, and apply using the forms available on their site. Even if you don’t find something that fits, you can send Cuso an application to keep on file in case a suitable opportunity opens up.

CUSO has produced videos to describe their programs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ghS73boQoQ

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International volunteering with Uniterra

Sat, 01 Mar 2014 18:04:05 +0000

Uniterra sends 450 Canadian volunteers abroad each year, a quarter of them retired, or near retirement. Chris Eaton, CEO of WUSC, describes how they select volunteers to work with partner organizations in Africa, Asia and South America, and how to apply for their international volunteering opportunities:

They are looking for people with a variety of management and technical skills to help NGOs or government agencies for periods ranging from three weeks to two years. They post their openings at Uniterra.ca. It’s best to apply for specific volunteer opportunities, but you can also send in your resume for ongoing consideration.

To find out more, go to: Uniterra.ca

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Voluntourism

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 23:07:48 +0000

More →]]> Every year, Cross-Cultural Solutions sends 2,500 people of all ages to their volunteering centres in Africa, Asia and Latin America. They offer a well structured experience allowing guests to experience living in the country and helping out as volunteers in social & educational roles. Alexandra Rabb describes the volunteer experience, how to get involved, and what it costs. Apologies for the bad video/audio quality.

Going abroad as a volunteer with CESO

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 20:56:15 +0000

CESO is the leader in providing volunteering opportunities in developing countries for retired Canadians. It has been a while since I interviewed them about volunteer opportunities. When I spoke to Jennifer Filson, CESO’s volunteer recruitment manager, she told me CESO is once again active supporting First Nations communities, so they offer opportunities for skilled volunteers both at home and abroad. We spoke via Skype, and unfortunately the video and audio in the recording became unsynchronized.

To learn more, go to CESO Volunteering

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Men’s Sheds in Canada

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:26:54 +0000

I visited a group of men in Winnipeg who are setting up a “Men’s shed”, based on the model developed in Australia, which has also been successful in Ireland.

It is based on the idea that men like to get together around projects that can be done in a workshop with tools and sharing of skills. Men’s Sheds are groups established around a shared space which facilitates working together while enjoying each others’ company. Doug Mackie describes the Winnipeg group:

Doug invites anyone in Canada who is interested in talking about setting up a Men’s Shed to e-mail him at dmackies(at)mymts.net, or to call him at 204 832 0629.

There is an excellent documentary on-line about the development of Mens’s Sheds in Ireland. It is 25 minutes long, but it is a nice story.

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