Giving Back After Retirement

Before retiring, I spent over 20 years as a teacher. It was my passion, and it gave me a strong sense of purpose and pride. But once I retired, I realized I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was for what came next—especially the part where that daily purpose suddenly disappears.

Don’t get me wrong: the freedom, the slower pace, and the ability to breathe again? All wonderful. And still… I felt a little disoriented. I had made the decision to retire and followed through, but I hadn’t really planned for how much I’d miss feeling needed. I started to crave a new sense of purpose.

So I began looking for meaningful ways to fill my time, and that’s when I found JustServe (https://www.justserve.org). In their “About Us” section, they describe their organization this way: “JustServe is a global volunteerism movement that empowers individuals, families, and groups to make a positive impact in their communities. JustServe offers a free platform that connects people with meaningful volunteer opportunities while providing community organizations a space to post projects and attract potential volunteers.” That site opened the door for me and introduced me to two ways of giving back.

One is through an organization called Creative Kindness (https://www.creativekindness.org). You can volunteer with them by making handmade cards. Their Cards for Kindness program is a worldwide initiative focused on uplifting others—offering encouragement, comfort, and a reminder of how cherished someone is.

Volunteers from all over the world create greeting cards, and Creative Kindness partners with organizations to make sure those cards reach people who could really use a boost. Recipients include cancer foundations, retirement homes, children’s shelters, and similar organizations. Nurses, doctors, counselors, teachers, parents, and volunteers often add handwritten notes before giving the cards to someone who needs a little extra hope.

Here are a few examples of cards I’ve created and sent to Creative Kindness. I personally love doing artwork on mine, but you can truly make them any way you want—stickers, lettering, scrapbook supplies, simple notes… it all counts.

The other way I’ve enjoyed giving back is through Knots of Love (https://www.knotsoflove.org). In their mission statement, they share: “Our mission is to serve Christ Jesus by serving others, as he calls us to do. We do this by providing free, premium, lovingly handmade knit and crochet beanies (chemo caps) to people going through chemo and NICU blankets to babies in neonatal ICU incubators.”

Their site includes everything you need to get started, from patterns to shipping details. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you’re helping someone through a difficult season.

Looking for ideas on how to give back? Explore Just Serve to uncover all the possibilities.