25th Annual Marin Senior Information Fair

Tomorrow, October 20th is the Marin Senior Fair's Silver Anniversary! Seems like just yesterday when we celebrated the Fair's 21st and 22nd anniversary with nickle and copper. What a difference a few years can make!

That's our theme at this year's Fair anyway: it's all about experience. We've been going to the Senior Fair for years, and this year we're especially excited because we've just launched a new initiative targeting older adults called "Volunteer Marin - Share Your Lifetime of Experience." We believe that older adults in Marin have a lifetime of valuable experience to offer in service to their community. Whether it's serving on a nonprofit board for a cause they've long been passionate about or getting their hands dirty at a community garden they've long wondered about, we want it to be clear: the possibilities for older adults to make a real impact in their community are endless.

So Tomorrow we'll have a booth set up with information on our new initiative and the many ways to get involved. Fair attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for the program/opportunity that fits their interests and schedule - right on the spot! Keep an eye out for our very capable volunteer outreach team, Holly Bearden, Liz Rottger and Sarah Van Dine.

The Fair will be held at the Marin Exhibit Hall, at 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael, from 9am-3pm.

Volunteer Recruiting Drive Launched

Skilled volunteers meet to discuss their current projects with Marin Nonprofits.  Featured from right to left:  Tom Batty, Jane Soloman, Judith Saffron, Stan Green, John Kichuci, Julie Burk (Volunteer Services Director) and Bob Kopelman.

From the Marin Independent Journal, Thursday, October 14th, 2010

The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin has launched an initiative to recruit more than 1,000 new volunteers ages 50 and older.

The center will recruit volunteers online and will send representatives to senior centers, clubs, businesses and special events, Executive Director Linda Davis said. It also will tap an increased number of "matchmakers" to meet with seniors and find volunteer opportunities for them, Davis said.

The initiative, titled "Share your Lifetime of Experience," will target both retirees and workers in the later stages of their careers, she said.

"We see a future where community engagement is a part of growing older," she said Wednesday at a press conference announcing the project.

The center already runs a number of programs to match volunteers with organizations and volunteer projects, and to advise groups on using volunteers. In addition to recruitment the new initiative will include consulting with other groups to help them take into account the needs of older volunteers, such as more flexible schedules, Davis said.

A key goal of the recruitment is to improve the quality of life for seniors by giving them a sense of purpose, Davis said. Volunteering can also help reduce people's need for medical care and other services in the future, she said, citing studies that show a connection between social connections and physical health.
Marin County Supervisor Judy Arnold said the initiative is well-timed to address a reduction in services provided by the county, which has eliminated about 180 positions over the past three years to help fill a $25 million budget hole.
 

"That's just the first wave of what the economy and this state budget is doing," Arnold said at the press conference.

Also appearing at the event was volunteer John Kikuchi, 54, a former technology marketing executive who retired early last year after losing his job. After a few months of golfing and working around the house, Kikuchi said his wife handed him a flyer for the volunteer center and said, "'You need something to do.'"
Now Kikuchi is volunteering for Marin Advocates for Children, the Marin Human Race -- a project of the volunteer center -- and the Canal Welcome Center.

"I'm one of those that basically gave money and never thought of volunteering my time," Kikuchi said. "I was always too busy."

Kikuchi said volunteering has given him "something to wake up in the morning for," which was lacking in the months after he stopped working.

"Playing golf, you meet people and say hello, but you don't follow up in any way, shape or form," he said.

For more information, visit www.volunteermarin.org or call 479-5710.

Contact Will Jason via e-mail at wjason@marinij.com

Thank you to all  of our wonderful volunteers who have and are making this Volunteer Initiative a success!  If you would like to "Share your Lifetime of Experience" go to www.VolunteerMarin.org today.