Baby Boomers And The National Service

Some interesting facts about baby boomers

Before we start discussing the facts about baby boomers, let us discuss who these baby boomers are. Baby boomers are those who were born between 1946 and 1964. There were 78 million babies born in America during these boom years of 1946 to 1964. These baby boomers turned 60 in 2006, and they are expected to live till a ripe old age of 83. Interestingly one out of four Americans is a Baby boomer. This means that 28% of the total population of the United States of America is that of baby boomers.

Baby boomers as volunteers

Volunteering is something that baby boomers seem to be inclined to do. Almost one third of all the baby boomers, nearly 25.8 million people have become volunteers for some organization or the other. An interesting fact to observe here would be that baby boomer volunteers form the highest group of volunteers at 33.2% and that is more than the national average of 28.8%. The rate at which baby boomers are volunteering is increasing steadily and gradually. It was 25% in the year 2002 and reached 30% in the year 2004. Now the reason why so many baby boomers are volunteering is because they feel obliged or out of a sense of duty. It is because they want the kind of social interaction they would not otherwise get because most baby boomers are retired. Volunteering gives them a sense of social and self-development and motivation, it also helps to build their self-esteem.

Baby boomers and National service

Baby boomers should not be viewed as a cost to the economy; in fact they are an asset to the economy and the community and an underutilized asset at that. In fact, the conference on ‘Aging of 2005' was completely based on promoting the volunteering of baby boomers for national and community service. It was also centered on changing the infra structure, so as to enhance the volunteering and the conference even put forth some policies to benefit the volunteering by baby boomers.

These policies and initiatives were:

- To change the way the non-profit sectors think about how to use the volunteers and to make a cultural shift that would encourage the baby boomers.

- To offer flexibility to the older volunteers like the baby boomers and to encourage a feeling of better corporate citizenship.

- Handing a more prominent and appropriate role to the government, which includes involving the baby boomers in civic activities.

- Promoting the need for volunteers and services and civic engagements by baby boomers and retired adults.

- To encourage educating the public and the promotion of health benefits.

Before getting these already capable baby boomers to volunteer in the field of national service and community it is important to change the image of age. These baby boomers are going to be attracted to programs that do not use words like old, seniors or retired. It is also necessary to reflect volunteer work as not something only retired people can do; it needs to be portrayed in a way that appears challenging to the baby boomers

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From Anna D Banks, Certified Mind Scan Business and Personal Coach.