Racial Differences in Volunteer Engagement by Older Adults: An Empowerment Perspective

Tang, Fengyan; Copeland, Valire Carr; Wexler, Sandra

doi:10.1093/swr/svs009

Cited by 43 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…For example, Martinez et al (2006), found that social interaction was an important reason for volunteering for many older adults in the sample. Similarly, Tang et al (2012) found that, for the African American volunteers in the study, an important reason for seeking out a volunteer experience was to increase their social network. In addition, the study by Ahn et al (2011), suggests that interactions with the community are important to volunteers.…”

Section: Synthesis Of Best Practicesmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Volunteers receiving stipends reported statistically higher benefits compared to non-stipended volunteers. Benefits included personal, towards the student, and towards the volunteer's family and friends Tang et al (2012). Quantitative (comparison/cross-sectional) Data drawn from questionnaires completed by older adults in Pittsburg 180 Participants Age 60+ 61% African American 39% White 50% Volunteers and 50% non-volunteers Compared to white volunteers, African American volunteers volunteered more often and contributed more hours.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Recruiting and Retaining Older Adults in Volunteer Programs: Best Practices and Next Steps

Sellon

2014

Ageing Int

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The baby boomer generation has begun to reach retirement age. What this highly-educated and racially-diverse cohort does in its retirement years has implications for the boomers, their communities, and society. Formal volunteering has been suggested as a mechanism for engaging older adults, as it has been associated with physical and emotional health benefits. However, older adults from underrepresented groups are not as likely to engage in formal volunteer activities and may miss out on these benefits. A review of the literature identifies seven best practices for engaging older adults, including those from minority groups, in formal volunteer activities. These include: personal invitation, role flexibility, stipends, social interaction, support from staff, meaningfulness, and recognition. Using the framework of the Strengths Perspective, identifying and utilizing the strengths of individuals and communities and volunteer goal setting are suggested as additional best practices that may be particularly relevant in attracting a diverse set of older adult volunteers.

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Section: Synthesis Of Best Practicesmentioning

confidence: 82%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruiting and Retaining Older Adults in Volunteer Programs: Best Practices and Next Steps

Sellon

2014

Ageing Int

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“…Black participants were less likely than Whites to volunteer in formal organizations. Yet, once committed, Blacks in the sample contributed more time and perceived more benefits from volunteering than White volunteers [16].…”

Section: Researchmentioning

confidence: 98%

U.S. Volunteering in the Aftermath of the Great Recession: Were African Americans a Significant Factor?

Carter

Marx

2016

Social Sciences

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Abstract:The Great Recession weakened U.S. families' abilities to make charitable gifts. Although African Americans are generally especially hard hit by these types of economic crises, they have a long and distinctive history of volunteerism and mutual assistance. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine African American volunteering in nonprofit organizations in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 recession. Specifically, we examined race as well as other factors with the potential to influence volunteering in four categories of organizations: poverty organizations, senior service agencies, social action groups, and religious affiliated organizations. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, this secondary analysis produced significant findings regarding volunteerism among African Americans in these community-based organizations.

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“…Racial differences have been observed in the mental health benefits of volunteering among older adults. In an early cross-sectional study by Tang, Choi, and Morrow-Howell (2012) , results showed that African American older adult volunteers had better self-reported health ratings and less depressive symptoms than their Caucasian counterparts.…”

Section: Health Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of Perceived Psychosocial Benefits of Senior Companion Program Participation Among Urban-Dwelling, Low-Income Older Adult Women Volunteers

Hood

Jenkins

et al. 2018

Innovation in Aging

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BackgroundAs the older adult population increases, it is imperative to increase older adults’ opportunities for social involvement, thus maintaining their important roles and contributions to society. While there are known health-related benefits of volunteerism among older adults, a dearth of information exists on the perceived benefits of volunteerism among low-income and ethnic minority older adults.PurposeTo understand the perceived psychosocial benefits of volunteering in the Senior Companion Program and to present findings of focus groups conducted with urban-dwelling, low-income older adult women volunteers.Design and MethodsInductive content analysis and the Dedoose qualitative data analysis software were used for analyzing data obtained from 59 older adult women Senior Companions who participated in nine focus groups.ResultsContent analyses of the focus group transcripts identified four major themes: (1) Reducing social isolation; (2) Improving quality of life; (3) Finding purpose and meaning; and (4) Increasing understanding of aging. The majority of our participants (81%) were African American women, with a mean age of 70 years. Approximately 83.1% had completed high school and 62.7% lived below the poverty line.Discussion and ImplicationsFindings provided data rich in descriptions of positive psychosocial outcomes, finding meaning and purpose, and a better understanding of aging in urban-dwelling, low-income older women volunteers. The findings also provide support for the need for policies and programs that promote civic engagement in this population.

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Racial Differences in Volunteer Engagement by Older Adults: An Empowerment Perspective

Cited by 43 publications

References 23 publications

Recruiting and Retaining Older Adults in Volunteer Programs: Best Practices and Next Steps

Recruiting and Retaining Older Adults in Volunteer Programs: Best Practices and Next Steps

U.S. Volunteering in the Aftermath of the Great Recession: Were African Americans a Significant Factor?

Exploration of Perceived Psychosocial Benefits of Senior Companion Program Participation Among Urban-Dwelling, Low-Income Older Adult Women Volunteers

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