I Wanna help, but my Hands can be a Little Tied: The Challenges and Benefits of Formal Volunteering among Low-Income Diverse Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Volunteering is often considered an important component of productive and active aging. Although there is a rich body of literature on the predictors and outcomes of volunteering among the general older adults in the United States (U.S.), few studies have explored the unique volunteering experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse older adults. Given the growing number of diverse older adults and the importance of optimizing their contributions to society, this study investigates the challenges and benefits of volunteering among low-income diverse older adults. We conducted eight 90-minute focus groups in six languages (English, Nepali, Khmer, Somali, Russian, and Chinese) with 70 older volunteers attending a Senior Companions monthly training in a U.S. Midwestern metropolitan area. Data analysis followed the Rapid and Rigorous Qualitative Data Analysis (RADaR) technique and thematic analysis through an interactive team approach. Three overarching themes highlighted the challenges of volunteering: (1) transportation, (2) community emergencies and workload, and (3) family caregiving; and three themes reflected the benefits of volunteering: (1) stress-relief, (2) training and information, and (3) peer support and socialization. Study findings shed light on diverse older adults’ unique volunteering experiences with implications for recruitment and retention.

KEYWORDS:

• Civic engagement
• productive aging
• volunteerism
• social exclusion/inclusion
• multi-cultural issues
• qualitative analysis

Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude for the support from the volunteer coordinator of Senior Companions Mia Sanks. We also thank the team members of the Age-friendly Columbus and Franklin County program (Ian Murphy, Mi Sun Choi), graduate students from the college of social work (Hanna Haran, Jacklyn Kirsch, Brittany Baker) and a doctoral candidate from the department of city and regional planning (Basar Ozbilen) for their generous assistance with the focus groups.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.