Giving Back and Volunteering

I worked in non-profit organizations (NGO’s) for over three decades and, for the most part, enjoyed the time spent with the volunteers that came in to help. I believe that anyone who provides their time and intelligence to an NGO, without financial…

Becoming more altruistic or “others-focused” during the second half of life is not only a natural course of human behavior, but is remarkably healthy for our mind, body and spirit. A 2005 study called “Altruism, Happiness and Health: It’s Good to be Good…

One of the most startling images of the pandemic was the common sight of health professionals working around the clock treating the victims of COVID. Banging pots, musical tributes, and other forms of gratefulness probably did not touch the depth…

Not everyone has the time, money, or inclination for international travel. If you are leaving home with grandkids in tow and including any kind of volunteering along the way, your trip qualifies as voluntourism. You don’t have to go far from home…

I previously wrote about voluntourism here, touching on some of the necessary considerations. If voluntourism is something you’ve decided you’re passionate about, doing it with your grandchildren can be a way to not only enjoy skip-gen travel…

Over the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in the number of travelers who wish to contribute in some meaningful way as part of their travels. To meet this demand, there have sprung up innumerable “volunteering” organizations…

As a retired financial planner, I admit that my favorite clients were those whose goals included generous charitable giving. One couple comes to mind. Not only did they make generous donations to their alma mater and favorite non-profits…

I bet you have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but are you familiar with Giving Tuesday? Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It encourages people…

As discussed in my previous blogs, there are so many perks to reaching this wonderful milestone, and I finally have the time and the means to follow through in earnest on one of the most pressing items that has remained flickering on my back burner: volunteering.

In 2003, the heartwarming movie Calendar Girls premiered. It was based on the true story of a group of middle-aged Yorkshire women who teamed up to create a sexy calendar to raise money for blood cancer research after one of their husbands died…