Boomer Volunteers: Lessons Learned from the Community We Serve

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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from the
Community We Serve

• Evelyn Jordan, MSW JD
• Miami-Dade Community Action Agency Elderly
  Programs Division

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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• Objectives
• How to recruit boomer volunteers.
• Where to recruit boomer volunteers.
• Are we prepared for boomer volunteers ?
• How are we using boomer volunteers ?

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• How to recruit boomer volunteers
• Volunteer opportunities should be designed and
  marketed for boomers who are invested in their
  neighborhoods and communities.
• Volunteer opportunities should be flexible
• Volunteer opportunities should be targeted
• Area of interest
• Specific volunteer description

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• How to recruit boomer volunteers
• Elaborate on the benefits of volunteering
• Each person bring skills, knowledge and networks
  that they have accumulated throughout their
  careers and lives.
• Expound on how their skills will be utilized in
  your agency/service/program.
• Assist the volunteer to envision how they will
  impact your agency/service/program.
• Provide volunteers the opportunity to form
  relationships that make good use of the skills
  they have accumulated over the years

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• Where to recruit boomer volunteers
• Employees who are retiring from your
  organization, not necessarily from your specific
  program, are extremely valuable.
• Professional, social and membership
  organizations.
• Religious organizations
• Ethnic organizations

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• Are we prepared for boomer volunteers
• Are we prepared to present alternative volunteer
  opportunities for the boomer volunteers?
• According to the
• Boomer volunteers have specific interests and
  ideas.
• Boomer volunteers have specific needs or wants
• Boomer volunteers can and do think out of the
  box, can we?

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• Are we prepared for boomer volunteers
• The sandwich generation.
• Persons from different ethnic backgrounds who are
  also multi-lingual, multi-cultural.

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve

• How are we using boomer volunteers?
• Boomer volunteers interests can be utilized to do
  short-term projects.
• Boomer volunteers interests can be utilized to do
  specific long-term projects.
• Boomer volunteers interests can be utilized to do
  traditional volunteer opportunities.

EJ 4/27/07
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Boomer Volunteers Lessons Learned from
the Community We Serve
Delivering Excellence Every Day
Evelyn Jordan, MSW JD Miami-Dade Community Action
Agency Elderly Programs Division Director 395 NW
1 St. Suite 207 Miami, FL 33128 305-347-4654 ejor
dan_at_miamidade.gov miamidade.gov