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Host Ed Zinkiewicz uncovers engaging—sometimes surprising, but never dull— volunteer opportunities available to retirees. Interviewing volunteers and volunteer coordinators each week, Ed highlights the meaningful contributions volunteers make and also the rewards volunteers receive. Imagining a retirement that matters starts here. Sign up for Ed's free, weekly newsletter at retire-to.com and get listings of coming episodes.
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100 Jan Lockard—Tennessee Respite Coalition That’s What Friends Are For—Tennessee Respite Coalition What’s a friend? Someone with whom you can laugh, someone who helps you with little things and big things, someone who makes you feel special—that’s a friend! Jan Lockard is good at being that friend to two ladies, who happen to be in a nursing home.…
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099 Tom Starling—Mental Health America Before Stage 4—Mental Health America “Before Stage 4!” Tom Starling, the chief executive of Mental Health America (MHA) of Middle Tennessee, explains his organization’s mantra: “People with something wrong with their body wouldn’t knowingly wait until the disease reached Stage 4 before seeking treatment. But w…
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098 Mariah Ragland—The Nashville Food Project Grow, Cook, Share—The Nashville Food Project Think about times you have been hungry. Have you ever missed multiple meals? Have you not known where your next meal was coming from? One in every seven people in Nashville experiences food insecurity every day. Nearly 1,000 volunteers every month have looked…
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097 Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi—Interfaith Dental Clinic Restoring Smiles—Interfaith Dental Clinic Two dentists, members of West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, had a calling to use their professional skills to help the poor. They traveled to impoverished countries on mission trips to serve, but when they came home, they also sa…
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096 Jennifer AbernathyTennessee Respite Coalition A Win-Win-Win OpportunityTennessee Respite Coalition If you've ever flown, you've likely heard the airlines instruction that, in the case of an emergency and the oxygen mask drops, you are to put yours on before assisting someone else. For people whose natural inclination is to help others, the dire…
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095 Johnny Rose—Hummingbirds at the Park Caring for Something Bigger—Hummingbirds at the Park Johnny Rose has always loved nature. After moving to Nashville, he discovered the 3,100+ acres of the Warner Parks and spent many wonderful hours there walking with his dog or with friends. When he retired, he decided he would like to be part of something …
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094 Faye Maynard—Project Connect Nashville Not to Fix, But to Love —Project Connect Nashville Founded in 2013, Project Connect Nashville (PCN) exists “to help disconnected and vulnerable men, women, and their families build relationships with others who will encourage and guide them, providing assistance when needed, educating and equipping them fo…
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093 Cathy Shull—Salvation Army Fighting for Those in Need—The Salvation Army Ask anyone about the Salvation Army and they'll very likely respond, "Oh yes, they're the ones who have the bell-ringing Santas with the big Red Kettles and the Angel Trees. They've been around forever!" The respondents are right, of course. The Salvation Army began in 186…
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092 Paul Fowler—Friends of Warner Parks One-and-Done or Falling in Love—Friends of Warner Parks As urbanization grows, so does the longing for the counterbalance that being in nature supplies. Annually, nearly 1.5 million people in the Nashville area take advantage of their convenient access to 3,200 uncrowded acres in the Warner Parks to feed thei…
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091 Kathy Jackson—Greyhound Pets of America Rescuing Greyhounds From Misconceptions—Greyhound Pets of America As a U.S. mail carrier, Kathy Jackson also carried treats for the dogs on her routes. One of her very special "friends" was a former racing greyhound. When Kathy retired, she knew exactly what type of dog she wanted. She adopted Manny, a ne…
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090 Sue Baumgartner—Senior Ride Nashville Still Going Strong—Thanks to Senior Ride Nashville Ninety-three years old and still going strong—thanks to volunteers at Senior Ride Nashville! Three days a week this lady goes to the Y for exercise, and once a week she goes to her own volunteer commitment at St. Thomas Hospital. She doesn't let her age hol…
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089 John Hisle—Jubilee Jobs Second Chance for a Better Life—Jubilee Jobs Nearly 40 years ago the Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C. stepped into the job market—not for themselves, but for others. A group of members realized their neighbors in a nearby low-income housing project were struggling to find work. So with the call to "love your neig…
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088 Pat Dishman—Full Moon Pickin’ Party The Full Moon Pickin’ Party—A Natural for Volunteers Like many people whose professional life keeps them behind a desk, Pat Dishman longed to be outside. Unlike many people in that circumstance, Pat did something! Ten years before she retired, she began volunteering on weekends with Friends of Warner Parks. O…
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087 Nelson Santos—Volunteer Overseas for Free Spreading Love Through Action—Volunteer Overseas for Free You care about others, and you are adventuresome. Volunteering overseas appeals to you, but not at the price quoted in the fancy brochures! You and Nelson Santos are kindred spirits. Fortunately, he's blazed a trail for you. With his help, you ca…
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086 Amy Bond—Monroe Harding Foster Care Services Disrupting the Disruptions—Monroe Harding Foster Care Services Disrupted! Disruptive! Disruption. These three words are a concise description of the experiences of children who land in foster care. Something has torn apart their family. The trauma may come from within the family or from forces outsid…
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085 Don Schulze—Nations Ministry Center Citizenship Classes Citizenship Classes—No Trivial Matter! "I'm a lot of fun at parties," quips Don Schulze. "I know a bunch of 'trivia.'" Don also makes his classes lots of fun, but his class material is not trivial. As a volunteer for the Nations Ministry Center in Nashville, Tennessee, he teaches citizensh…
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084 Katie Richards—Nashville Neighbors Friends for Good—Siloam Family Health Center Take a moment to appreciate your friends. You know you can count on them for a listening ear when you're trying to figure out things, for good information and advice when you need direction, for help when you're in a bind, and yes, even for fun. Research has documen…
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083 Kate McKinnie—The Next Door Wild Praying Women Create The Next Door They called themselves the Wild Praying Women! Concerned for the sufferings of people, they didn't know what to do, but pray. Funny thing about prayer—it often leads to action, which is what the Wild Praying Women found out. But now they had a clearer vision of where to concent…
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082 George Bone—Memphis Catholic High School Building for the Future—Memphis Catholic High School After more than 20 years of volunteering, George Bone was no stranger to the rewards of giving back. But one reward was a big surprise to him. His alma mater, Memphis Catholic High School, wanted to honor him not only for his academic and athletic acco…
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081 Mita Felman—DC Safe Never Ever Dull—DC Safe When Mita Felman retired from her career in public health administration and counseling, she didn't leave behind her compassion—nor her sense of adventure nor her willingness to take a risk. She brought all of that to her volunteer job with DC Safe, which takes her into areas of her city deemed unsafe…
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080 Chris Lovingood—Nations Ministry Center Huge Challenges/Great Opportunities—Nations Ministry Center They have fled persecution, violence, war, hunger, life in makeshift and overcrowded camps. As refugees coming to America, they have been given a chance for a new life. But now they face a new set of ordeals having to navigate the complexities of…
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079 Bill Martin—Scouting Preparing Better Grown Ups—Through Scouting Laid off and laid up—two unexpected setbacks in life forced Bill Martin onto a different course, one that 18 years later he is still happily following as a volunteer in Scouting. His wife had been helping with their young sons' first two years in the program, but without a job, Bi…
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078 Laura Valentine—Penuel Ridge Away From It All—Penuel Ridge Retreat Center Helicopters, sirens, traffic, deadlines, quotas, to-do lists, demanding devices—noise, noise, noise, pressure, pressure, pressure—the hallmarks of everyday life! Where is the escape, the safe space away from it all, a place to simply to be, to renew, to reconnect? Laura V…
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077 Wayne Schmidt—Special Olympics Coach Scoring a Strike—Special Olympics Looking for a way to connect with his son who was learning disabled, Wayne Schmidt remembered the fun he had bowling when he was growing up. He began teaching his son the sport. Soon the son was playing better than the father—and others were noticing. "Who's his coach?" they…
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076 Jennifer Crews—Desert Sounds Volunteers and Music—Making a Difference for Students A 14 year old voluntarily helping a friend has inspired a movement that now reaches nearly 600 students each year and is growing. Jeremy and his friend played in the high school band until the friend’s parents divorced and he no longer had a trumpet to play. In t…
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075 Mary Katherine Rand—The Mary Parrish Center From Surviving to Thriving—The Mary Parrish Center When women and their children arrive at the Mary Parrish Center, they are survivors. Pummeled repeatedly by domestic violence and sexual abuse, wounded emotionally and physically, they have nevertheless found a place of shelter and hope. They have esc…
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075 Lee Johnson—The American Red Cross Never Resting, Always Ready—The Red Cross When the weather forecast shows the beginning of a hurricane, the whole nation waits. Except the Red Cross. Everyone there is in high gear, preparing. Shelters to line up, food to arrange for, supplies to transport. Relief teams, mental health workers, technology whizz…
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073 Michelle Colee–Be Your Haven No One Dies Alone, Thanks to Volunteers—Be Your Haven The diagnosis is terminal. Efforts switch from cure to comfort. It's time for hospice care. Often in the initial conversations with hospice staff, new patients will express their fears. Not wanting to die alone is a one of their biggest concerns. Be Your Haven, a…
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072 Bruce Kerber—Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Digging Into the Past, Creating the Future—Minnesota Landscape Arboretum After 38 years of helping people grow through his career as a clinical social worker, Bruce Kerber wanted something different in retirement. He found his niche by looking to his past. Bruce remembered playing on his Uncle Tony's f…
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071 Kim Carrier—People and Pets Together Not Just Another Mouth to Feed—People and Pets Together Have you ever been sick or emotionally down and had your pet climb up next to you, loving you completely and easing your distress? Kim Carrier attributes that unconditional love from her two dogs with helping her heal. They were her "saving grace" in ve…
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070 Sara Everett-Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, Inc. (WARM) Warm Hearts, WARM Shelters—Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry When the hurricane blew out, the men from a local church rushed in to begin rebuilding, focusing on the storm-damaged homes of the community's low-income neighbors. But what they discovered changed their mission. The need…
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069 Jeff Hoffman Project Transformation Catching the Enthusiasm—Project Transformation After three summers of listening to his wife's and his children's enthusiasm for their experiences in Project Transformation (PT), Jeff Hoffman took the plunge. He'd been reluctant because he knew his work schedule at the time would not allow him to make a regula…
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068 Ted Dreier Childrens Kindness Network A Little Kindness Makes a Big Difference Want to make the world a better place? Start little. But with a big idea. Start with little children. Help them learn the big value of kindness. Start with a little cowor a big one! Moozie, to be exact. When Moozie speaks, children listen—and learn. The big talking c…
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067 Gail Atkinson—Special Olympics Lead Volunteer Taking the Lead So Others Succeed—Special Olympics With more than 27,000 volunteers in Florida's Special Olympics program, someone has to take the lead! Gail Atkinson began like so many other volunteers—helping out a day here and a day there through the service opportunities sponsored by her place o…
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066 Linda Stalters – American Red Cross The Red Cross—On the Job Every Eight Minutes! I was bringing my stepmother home from the baptism of her great grandson. We rounded the corner to see 12 fire trucks and three ambulances blocking traffic. Her high-rise senior apartment building was billowing smoke from the fourth floor–her floor, her apartment!…
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065 Bob Tigert—Ukulele Kids Club Kids in Hospitals, Music, the Real Deal—What’s Not to Like? Bob Tigert just "sorta fell into" his volunteer position on the board of the Ukulele Kids Club. "When they asked me, I had never heard of it. 'What is that?' I had to ask." A ukulele (and guitar and bass) player, Bob quickly decided the organization was the…
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065B Sheri Kimble—Violins of Hope Music From a Dark Past—Hope for Today and Tomorrow The lilt of beautiful music stirs hope in the hearts of listeners. But like any great gift it can be perverted for evil. The Violins of Hope experience tells the story and brings it full circle through the darkest of times and circumstances to hope again. Sheri Kim…
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064 John and Elaine Berkheiser—Leader Dogs for the Blind Raising Puppies and Opening Doors! If you love dogs, you'll find kindred spirits in John and Elaine Berkheiser, who raise puppies (28 so far)—and give them away! The puppies ultimately go to work, serving persons who are blind, visually impaired, or blind-deaf. How can the Berkheisers give th…
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063 Kim Carrier—Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Sampling the Fruits of Volunteering With more than 900 volunteers each year, Volunteer Coordinator Kim Carrier knows something about what keeps volunteers coming and coming back to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: "Enjoying the beauty of nature is its own lure. Even if they are not working in the gard…
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062 Anne Huffman—Music & Memory Bringing Back What Was “Lost” A hospice volunteer, Anne Huffman, was keeping vigil at the bedside of a dying woman. Seeing the Bible at the patient's bedside, Anne began reading it aloud and then singing "Amazing Grace" softly. The woman, who previously had been non-communicative, responded. The patient died later th…
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061 Ed VanVorhees—The Bootstraps Foundation The Bootstraps Foundation—Providing a Hand Up "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is a part of the American ethos. The culture celebrates people who have become great successes, overcoming major obstacles through their own heroic efforts. Such a man was Bootstraps founder, Ray Danner, a successful resta…
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060 Barbara Bruce—Humane Society Providing Second Chances for Animals and Other Cast-offs The dog was horribly unlucky—a hit-and-run driver sped away leaving him with a crushed leg! The dog was also wonderfully lucky—the life-threatening collision occurred in sight of an employee at the Second Chance Store. He scooped up the injured animal, took hi…
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059 Linda Stalters—Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America (SARDAA) Changing Perceptions—Key to Hope, Treatment, and Opportunity "We can't be everywhere, yet people with the diagnosis are everywhere!" Nearly nine million Americans suffer from schizophrenia and other illnesses involving psychoses. Schizophrenia and Related Disorders …
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058 Liz Martin—General Federation of Women’s Clubs Changing the Power of One to Power to the Nth Degree Liz Martin believes in the power of people—especially women—joining together to make a difference in their community. But she’s also discovered how one person, using her specific skills, can make that power even greater. When Liz joined the Brent…
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057 Fern Albertson—The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum—Feeding Body and Soul Do you have an interest in plants, gardening, bees, butterflies, children, sharing your knowledge, working with like-minded people, having a meaningful and rewarding volunteer opportunity? Check any of the above, and this interview is for yo…
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056 Marci McAdams—Special Olympics Special Olympics—Smiles for Everyone “I get to see their smiling faces—that’s my reward!” Marci McAdams enthusiastically declares with a big smile on her own face. One of her volunteer jobs for Special Olympics in Florida is to hand out the rewards to the participants. Those smiles keep her coming back and taking …
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055 Barbara Winkler—Quilts of Valor Touched by War, Receiving Comfort and Healing Barbara Winkler is not alone in her desire to honor, thank, and comfort men and women who have experienced the horrors of war on behalf of our nation. Nationwide, in 47 states and the District of Columbia, are multiple small chapters of quilters creating beautiful and…
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054 Daisy Jabas—Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance—Providing Hope and How-To Daisy Jabas, Registered Nurse, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and State Director for Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Tennessee, surprises people—not with her credentials but with a statistic: Mental illness is mo…
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68 Hours of Hunger—What Too Many School Children Face Each Weekend Ending childhood hunger in America one school at a time What kind of person would you be if week after week you were without adequate food for 68 hours? Executive director and founder of the non-profit End 68 Hours of Hunger, Claire Bloom tells us how you can join the fight to end t…
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052 Crys Zinkiewicz–Hershey, Here! at Saddle Up! From Rider to Writer—With a Little “Help” Passionate about horses, Crys Zinkiewicz found a great place to volunteer and then she discovered Hershey! Hershey is a go-to horse at Saddle Up!, a therapeutic riding center for children with disabilities. Known for his versatility and willingness, Hershey i…
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