Older Adults Want to Give Back to their Communities

MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures sponsored a survey that was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, from March to April of 2005, and involving 1,000 people age 50 to 70. The results are very encouraging and they affirm that people in this cohort not only bring great capacity for community service and kingdom work, but they have a strong desire to do so as well.

Anne Kiehle recently was asked to be the Lay Minister to Senior Adults at Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas. As I read through this report I couldn’t stop thinking about Anne and what she is doing. She recently retired from her job as a Superintendent of Public Schools in San Antonio. She has PhD from Texas A&M in Leadership and Educational Administration. Oak Hills is a church of about 4500 and 900 of them are over 55. In a recent email I received from her she wrote, “About a year and a half ago, I retired as a public school administrator—the last 8 as superintendent of schools. It was a wonderful career and I feel like I was able to touch many lives in a positive and caring way. But, I also heard the Lord call me to ministry and here I am for now. Frustrated at times, but confident the Lord will move in the direction he wants for his kingdom.”

When you look at the results of this survey, it is heartening to know that there are a very large number of people like Anne with training, expertise, and a sense that God is calling them to what may well be the most significant years of their lives.

If you download these files, you can read (pp.6-8) a good executive summary of the survey results. I will pull a few things from that and mention a few other bits of information that might connect with what we are doing with churches.

“The survey finds that this group of boomers, age 50-59 is thinking seriously about giving back to their communities, as are their contemporaries who are just a few years older”

“The relationship between work and retirement isn’t what it used to be, i.e., mutually exclusive. This new survey of Americans age 50 to 70 finds that they do not expect to, or want to, put their feet up and not work at all in retirement.”

“Fully half of all adults age 50-70 say they are interested in taking jobs now or in the future to help improve the quality of life in their communities. Leading edge baby boomers are especially interested; with 6 in 10 (58%) indicating they would consider taking jobs now or in the future that would serve their communities. Twenty-one percent say they are very interested in taking a paying job in one of seven types of organizations or programs that serve their communities (and 37 percent say they are somewhat interested).” The seven types of organizations cover education, health care, helping those in need, working with youth, civic activism, arts and culture, and the environment.

“These findings break new ground, highlighting the broad interest among Americans age 50 to 70—and especially among leading-edge baby boomers—in giving back to their communities through work now and through work in retirement. Despite critiques suggesting baby boomers are self-centered and focused on material things, these findings expose a vein of commitment to service that stretches from now through the end of their lives.”

“There is overwhelming interest in finding specific types of work in retirement that would serve the community and people in need. Among Americans who may work in retirement (53% of all adults age 50-70):

· More than three-quarters (78%) are interested in working to help the poor, the elderly, and other people in need.
· Fifty-six percent are interested in dealing with health issues, whether working in a hospital or with an organization fighting a particular disease.
· Fifty-five percent are interested in a teaching or other educational position.
· Forty-five percent say they are interested in working in a youth program.

“After working lives that stretch 35 years and more, why would Americans age 50 to 70 want to continue working? The incentives are varied, from personal satisfaction to the need for additional income, from the desire to help their community to the desire to help those in need. Four aspects of work are very important to most adults age 50-70 who are considering working in retirement:

· Six in ten (59%) say staying involved with other people is very important in attracting them to a job in retirement.
· Fifty-seven percent say the job giving them a sense of purpose.
· About half (52%) say the job providing additional income.
· Nearly half (48%) say the job providing the opportunity to help improve the quality of life in their community.”

There is a collection of commentaries from a broad range of perspectives on this downloadable report, but the one that I think has the most value for the church in America is the one written by Robert Egger of D.C. Central Kitchen. I have excerpted some of what he says in his commentary entitled, “A Silver Lining in the Graying of America.”

“In the minutes just past midnight on this upcoming New Year’s Eve, the oldest of America’s baby boomers will begin to celebrate their 60th birthdays. Over the next 18 years, the rest of the nation’s 77 million baby boomers will reach the same milestone and begin the latter phase of their life’s journey”

“We can plan to capitalize on one of the greatest transfers of wealth in the history of the world—the wealth of experience that this generation has and is willing to share through active volunteerism in communities big and small throughout this country. Retired or semi-retired boomers will have much to contribute, but, to be frank; most non-profits aren’t ready to make the most of their experience. To get ready—and there’s no time to waste—nonprofit organizations must:

Conduct a complete review of current volunteer opportunities.
Stop and really think about how to adapt programs, strategies, outcomes, and even hours of operation to boomers’ needs.
Invest in a new kind of employee—a volunteer manager.
Prepare for a future when nonprofit managers are full-time or part-time volunteers.
Rethink nonprofit leadership opportunities for this coming wave of talent”

“Boomers, particularly those who came of age in the 1960’s, will seek to finish the job that was heralded by the giants who called them to action in their youth. Whether it was President Kennedy’s challenge for them to “ask not,” Dr. King’s inspirational dream, or John Lennon’s call to imagine, boomers’ long and often self-focused sojourn can lead them to a great destiny.”

“This is the richest, most educated generation in history. Thanks to the sacrifices of those who went before, boomers have benefited handsomely from being raised in one of the freest and most open societies in history. Now is their chance to assume the mantle of ‘the greatest generation.’ The nonprofit sector can be the conduit. Let us be ready.”