This week's post is in honor of our over 600 incredible volunteers who drive their own vehicles and agency vans to transport isolated, frail, low-income King County elders to life-sustaining and life-enriching activities.  It is a Huffington Post article entitled "Why Volunteering Is So Good For Your Health."  Just another way that lives are improved by our programs!

Why Volunteering is So Good for Your Health
By Hilary Young

It's one of the first lessons we learn as children -- "sharing means caring." We might not understand why we have to share at first, especially when there are younger siblings involved, but as we grow into adulthood, sharing becomes an essential part of your social and career success.

So does it come as a surprise to learn that research now proves that sharing your time with others for a good cause can improve your overall happiness and mental well-being? It turns out that Baby Boomers give more total dollars to charities than any other generation. According to Forbes, Boomers are responsible for 34 percent of all charitable donations, which amounts to nearly $61.9 billion every year.

And according to the data collected by Volunteering In America, Boomers spent about 3.6 million hours volunteering for organizations or causes they are passionate about.

These generous Boomers seem to have tapped into volunteerism at an opportune time; two new studies have recently confirmed that there are significant health benefits to giving back.
UnitedHealth Group commissioned a national survey of 3,351 adults and found that the overwhelming majority of participants reported feeling mentally and physically healthier after a volunteer experience.

• 76 percent of people who volunteered in the last twelve months said that volunteering has made them feel healthier
• 94 percent of people who volunteered in the last twelve months said that volunteering improved their mood
• 78 percent of them said that volunteering lowered their stress levels
• 96 percent reported that volunteering enriched their sense of purpose in life
• 80 percent of them feel like they have control over their health
• About a quarter of them reported that their volunteer work has helped them manage a chronic illness by keeping them active and taking their minds off of their own problems
• Volunteers have better personal scores than non-volunteers on nine well-established measures of emotional wellbeing including personal independence, capacity for rich interpersonal relationships and overall satisfaction with life.
• Volunteering also improved their mood and self-esteem

For those of us who have spent time giving back to the community or helping further a cause we believe in, you might recognize many of the above findings to be correct. It doesn't seem far-fetched to think that helping others can provide you with a sense of connection, pride, and perspective. But did you know that it can also help you live longer?

Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School in the south of England analyzed data from 40 published studies and found evidence that volunteers had a 20 percent lower risk of death than their peers who do not volunteer. The study also found that volunteers had lower levels of depression, increased life satisfaction and enhanced well-being.

Our huge file of newspaper clippings, many now yellow and faded with age, provides for a fun walk down memory lane.

Throughout the years, the Volunteer Transportation program has often been featured in the local media.  Our office has compiled a large anthology of newspaper clippings, and each article has a slightly different spin on the value of Volunteer Transportation.
Here are some of the standout headlines:

• Working as a volunteer driver has put this stroke patient on a less bumpy road
• Just when they need to see the doctor the most, senior citizens often lose their ability to get there
• Transportation is one of the top problems facing King County Seniors; there’s just not enough to go around
• Have driver, will travel
• Volunteers make time for those who need it
• A Helping Hand—at the Steering Wheel—for Seniors
• It’s a rewarding “round trip” when volunteers take seniors for a ride

It’s no secret that we are in great need of new Hyde Shuttle volunteer drivers in Burien and Des Moines/Normandy Park (and could use additional volunteer divers in Shoreline as well).  I’m hesitant to use the term “crisis,” but the situation is certainly far from ideal.  There are often times during which the shuttles are unable to operate because of holes in the weekly driver schedules-- forcing seniors and folks with disabilities to scramble to find other ways to get to their necessary errands and outings.
 
But we’re working very hard to turn this gloomy state of affairs around!  We recently kicked off our Active Volunteer Campaign to reach new potential volunteers looking for an enjoyable and meaningful way to spend their time.  This recruitment venture highlights the many diverse interests and hobbies of our volunteers.  Brady from Des Moines kindly agreed to step in as our model volunteer driver, and the flyers feature Brady taking part in a variety of activities—from playing tennis, to drinking lattes, to playing Frisbee, to playing his guitar, to riding his motorcycle.  (Residents of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and Shoreline, please look out for them around town!). 

We here at Senior Services’ Transportation Program take our jobs very seriously, but there’s a lighter side to our work as well.   One of my recent enjoyable experiences took place as I braved a full day of heavy rain to represent our organization at the Spokes for Folks festivities in Seattle.

People of all ages did not mind getting wet as they stopped by my booth to learn more about our transportation programs and the myriad of other Senior Services programs, as well as our need for more volunteer drivers.  A few current clients of Volunteer Transportation and the Hyde Shuttles stopped by to express their appreciation for these services, and other visitors entered my tent out of pure curiosity.  In addition, our “Pin the Key on the Ignition” game was a huge success.

This week’s post features another testimonial from a 77-year-old woman who knows are programs well.  Here is what she recently shared with us:

“I use both the Hyde Shuttle and Volunteer Transportation programs.  I don’t know what I’d do without these services.  I used to drive everywhere as a social worker caring for mentally ill veterans, but you never know what shocks life has in store for you.  I got very sick a few years ago.  Everyone thought I was going to die.  After spending 7 months in the hospital, I remarkably survived.  Even the doctors were shocked when I came out of it alive.  However, I was no longer able to work or drive.  I now depend on these forms of transportation and can’t say enough good about them.
The drivers are delightful and have made me feel so much better about losing my independence…  They are absolutely wonderful!”
*Mary Lou B., regular Hyde Shuttle and Volunteer Transportation client

Her story echoes that of many other clients who unexpectedly have to stop driving after overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.  As always, we are humbled and inspired as we learn the stories of Mary Lou and others like her who have beat the odds and triumphed in the face of adversity.

We never require anyone to pay for our valuable transportation services.  However, clients are able to send in donations to give back to our programs, and they often include thoughtful messages of appreciation to accompany their financial contributions.  Here is one such note that we received from 90-year-old Alma:

Clients and volunteers of the Volunteer Transportation program never know what connections they’ll discover through their conversations.  Here is one such small world story that was shared with us by Barbara H., volunteer driver:

“Today I picked up a lady I had not given a ride to before, and she looked familiar.  I asked her if she had worked at the University of Washington (where I had worked) and she had.  Turns out, I knew her when she was the secretary to the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics on the 3rd floor of the RR wing of Health Sciences at the same time I was secretary to the Head of the Division of Neonatology in the same department, located on the 4th floor.  She was a bit more wrinkled but otherwise by golly she was the same!  She remembered me and we reminisced and caught up on all the gossip that we were aware of, even though it had been almost 25 years since we had seen each other!  Made for a very pleasant ride for both of us!”

It’s amazing how many shared experiences, crossed paths, or commonalities can be uncovered in a short trip to the doctor’s!