After retirement, you may find yourself with the opportunity to engage with the community in a way you may have not had time for before. Keeping connected with your community can provide you with a sense of purpose as well as help your community thrive. Here are some ways for you to keep engaged in your community.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to give back around you. Many programs in Vancouver are only available because of the hard work of volunteers. Want to get involved with the food bank? Get involved with Meals on Wheels? Teach a child how to read? There are so many opportunities. Take a look at the following links to get you started.
Go Volunteering – Go volunteering connects people with volunteer placements in Vancouver.
The City of Vancouver has a list of organizations that you can volunteer for:
http://vancouver.ca/people-programs/volunteering.aspx
Continuing Education
Learning is a great way to engage your mind and keep social. Ever want to discuss literature in a classroom? How about learning some new recipes in a cooking class? How about learning a new language? Find a class near you. Here’s a list to get you started.
Senior Classes at UBC:
https://cstudies.ubc.ca/seniors
Senior Classes at SFU: http://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies/programs-and-courses/area-of-
study/liberal-arts/courses-and-events/adults-55-plus.html?gclid=CKyPnNq9kscCFcdhfgodOtwIzQ
Langara Continuing Studies Program:
http://www.langara.bc.ca/continuing-studies/index.html
Seniors Organizations
Local community centres have recreational activities catered to seniors. Check out the following links to lists of recreational activities for seniors!
Recreational Programs on City of Vancouver website: http://vancouver.ca/people-programs/recreation-programs-and-centres-for-seniors.aspx
55 Plus Games
Play sports with other 55+ people. Annual competitions are held in a variety of sports.
Getting involved can help you meet new and like-minded people, while also enriching the community at large. Find a program near you to get started!