Now It's Your Turn: A Note from Joan

The Rewarding Next Act

It’s the end of an era: You’ve cleaned out your office and are heading for retirement, taking with you 30 years of experience, institutional knowledge and historical context.

While you may have planned a few trips and a more relaxed lifestyle, you still desire the sense of community your career brought you. Now is the time to add one more item to your retirement routine: volunteering.

The knowledge you attained through years of work outshines anything AI can generate. Your unique experience is a valuable commodity you can share as a volunteer. And you can build a new community of neighbors and fellow volunteers like those below.

Start Sharing Your Skills

Hashem Helmi started volunteering with his daughter when she was in middle school. Volunteering may have been part of her curriculum, but it taught the former College of DuPage network analyst to do the same. He expanded his volunteer options with COD Cares, the campus volunteer corps. “The more I volunteered, the more I felt like my time was best spent helping others. I have been doing that every chance I get,” he said. Helmi used his computer knowledge as a volunteer instructor for a primary school computer class. “It was great teaching younger students how the computer works by using props, computer parts and storytelling. It was one of my favorite volunteer activities.” Helmi said giving back feels great and helps encourage others to share their time. And there is a bonus. “Volunteering keeps me happy, busy and young!”

Head of the Class

When retired attorney Patricia deRosset left her career with the state's attorney's office, she walked back into the classroom, sharing her passion for law, international relations and horses. “I planned to retire, but after two weeks I realized this wasn't for me, I needed a purpose,” she explained. deRosset parlayed her post-graduate teaching experience and degrees in political science and international relations to lead continuing education classes, first at Benedictine University and then at College of DuPage. “I teach two classes a term and lead one or two free lectures through COD’s Lunch Break Lecture Series.” Her topics echo her interests, from constitutional law to Russian foreign policy to thoroughbred racing. Sharing her expertise has given deRosset the purpose she was looking for after retirement. 

It Was A Great Decision

Ask Jerry Zielinski what he did after retirement, and he will ask in reply, “Which time?” After retiring from a career in engineering, Zielinski went into consulting. “After my second retirement, I went to work at Northern Illinois University supporting entrepreneurs with their business plans, including the two-person team behind Grub Hub.” Following his third and final retirement, Zielinski found a new position: He is the volunteer leader of the Great Decisions Series at Oak Trace in Downers Grove. “I attended my first Great Decisions discussion and enjoyed it very much. The leader at the time asked if I wanted to take over.” With his enthusiasm for the topics, Zielinski found that it was easy to get more people involved. “I recruited discussion leaders from the group. We all have so much to share. One of our team had been a reporter for Reuters in Singapore. He presented on U.S.-China relations.” By sharing his interest in current events, Zielinski built a sense of community that has made retirement richer. 

Life’s Rewards

Joyce Abel wore many hats during her career at COD, from teaching computer science to serving as associate dean and finally executive director of the Business and Professional Institute. After 28 years on campus, Abel “did the retirement thing,” traveling, golfing and enjoying busy days in Florida with her husband, Dick. After her husband passed away, Abel found she had a lot of time on her hands. “My neighbor talked to me about volunteering at the food pantry. I needed to do something, so I joined her.” Abel found the experience extremely rewarding in so many ways. “We don’t just hand out groceries. The clients are looking for a connection; we talk about their families and share stories." Abel has a chance to use her computer skills during system upgrades at the pantry and has created a new circle of friends, getting together for lunch with fellow volunteers and sharing community service opportunities. “My days are filled with my grandkids’ soccer games and giving back to my community.”

It’s A Tradition

Vera Humphrey has volunteered with COD Cares each year since its inception in 2014. From decorating a therapeutic day center for the holidays to distributing food during COVID to packing sack lunches for DuPagePads clients, Humphrey has shared her time, creativity and warm laughter with others. As she retires from her career at COD, Humphrey acknowledges that she will keep the tradition of service going. “There was a dual purpose in volunteering with my church and with COD Cares,” explained Humphrey. “I wanted to be useful, and I ended up building a second family.” While Humphrey plans to play more pickleball and do a lot of grandparenting as she creates her regular routine, COD Cares will still be a part of her life. “Gift of Giving and spring service activities are a tradition I plan to continue.” 

Now It’s Your Turn

Share your prowess in the garden, mentor a teen or lend business acumen to a young entrepreneur. Connect with community partners to provide volunteer services. You may have retired from your career, but you have not retired from life.

People’s Resource Center: Share your experience as a job coach, computer trainer, art instructor or office assistant.

Family Shelter Service of Metropolitan Family Services: Train to answer the domestic abuse hotline or assist families in transition. 

The GardenWorks Project: Work in community gardens or share the bounty from your personal garden to improve food security for our neighbors.

Bridge Communities: Mentor a family through financial skills development, budgeting assistance and goal setting, assisting them on their way to housing stability.

Exodus World Service: Help a refugee prepare for the citizenship exam by tutoring them in American history, civics and English. 

College of DuPage People Educating People (PEP): Assist community members in High School Equivalency (ABE/HSE/GED) and English Language (ELA/ELL/ESL) programs as a PEP volunteer.