How Volunteering Impacts Well-Being of 50+ Adults & Communities

Volunteering is good for you - and our community! 

The Early Childhood Service Corps (ECSC) amplifies the power of older adults to strengthen our communities. We connect adults over 50 to an innovative, intergenerational program that recruits, trains and deploys older adults to serve in the Early Childhood Field in the state of Colorado. Now, thanks to a multi-year study conducted by a University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work evaluator, we know how great our impact is. 

Evaluator and PhD candidate Andrew Steward has conducted 62 surveys and 36 in-depth interviews with Fellows, Volunteers, Early Childhood Education (ECE) Volunteers, and the managers of the organizations they have served since 2019. Surveys included 28 Fellows, 26 Volunteers/ECE Volunteers, and 8 Host Site Managers. Interviews included 11 Fellows, 11 Volunteers, and 14 host-site managers.

What we've learned is that our programs benefit both the individuals who participate in them, and the organizations serving our community. 

Volunteers and Fellows report strengthened mental health as a result of their work with ECSC's former parent organization, Experience Engaged. 

Managers at organizations that host Volunteers and Fellows report that they add value to their organizations, providing labor and networking that help them achieve their goals. 

Social Connectedness 

A feeling of belonging and a sense of being embedded in a network of social ties. The Volunteers and Fellows participating in the study report a greater sense of connection to community since they began serving with Experience Engaged. 

"Particularly since the shutdown I think that connection to the community has come into sharper focus for me...I just see community connections all over the place, and it makes me feel really happy!" 

- Experience Engaged Fellow

Meaning & Purpose 

Having goals in life and a sense of directedness, feeling there is meaning to life, holding beliefs that give life purpose, having aims and objectives for living. Volunteers and Fellows report an increased sense of meaning and purpose. 

"We develop relationships with [the people we help]... In a lot of cases too you see that what you’re doing is really getting them to a point where their health is going in the right direction, and, ya know, you feel good about that." 

- Experience Engaged Volunteer 

Self-Efficacy 

How well one can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations. Volunteers and Fellows surveyed report feeling a greater sense of self-efficacy as a result of their service. 

"Even though I started out thinking ‘what the heck am I doing?’, very quickly I realized that I was feeling successful at helping them be  successful, and that’s a tremendous feeling.” 

-Early Childhood Education Volunteer 

Adding Economic Value 

Volunteer time is valued at $30.31/hour in Colorado, according to Independent Sector, a nonprofit that advocates for the charitable community. If a host organization hired someone to work 10 hours per week at $30.31, they would pay them $1,212.40 per month. In other words, our Volunteers and Fellows add significant economic value to the organizations they serve.

Beyond the Money 

The value of their service extends far beyond money. Volunteers and Fellows have helped start and manage new programs and made connections that have led to additional funding for the organizations they serve. 

"I would say what [Experience Engaged Volunteers/Fellows] bring, is that level of commitment.... You know you can depend on them." 

-Host Site Manager

To read the full study, please contact researcher Andrew Steward at astewa57@gmail.com.