Lifestyle
3 Ways Older Adults Can Pay It Forward: Redefine retirement through community connection
Last Updated on September 21, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Pay It Forward
(Family Features) Everyone benefits when older adults remain engaged, independent and included. Instead of letting age define their circumstances, older Americans are embracing change, pushing boundaries and transforming their communities through creativity, commitment and service.
Volunteering is one way older adults can improve their quality of life through connections with others, and it’s also been proven to make measurable improvements in the mental and physical health of the volunteers themselves. In fact, 84% of volunteers report stable or improving health after one year of service and 88% report lower levels of feelings of isolation, according to a study conducted by AmeriCorps Seniors.
As a first stop for anyone looking to explore volunteer opportunities, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors connect individuals and organizations through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps Seniors matches Americans 55-plus with opportunities to improve their communities through the contribution of time, passion, skills and experience.
“AmeriCorps Seniors is tailor-made for those aged 55 and older,” said Atalaya Sergi, director, AmeriCorps Seniors. “It provides a space for older adults to take charge of their ‘second act’ and use their time in valuable and impactful ways. All of our volunteers share a goal of making a difference in their communities, and many see their involvement as a chance to make friends and form meaningful connections.”
More than 140,000 Americans are matched with volunteer opportunities each year through three programs: RSVP, the Foster Grandparent Program and the Senior Companion Program.
“Our programs offer varying levels of involvement, interaction, time commitments and work with a diverse set of partners,” Sergi said. “We believe there’s a good fit for everyone and many opportunities for volunteers to meet like-minded peers who share their interests or pursue volunteer opportunities that can involve their families, too.”
Consider these ways older adults can get involved in their communities.
Respond to the Needs of Your Community
With more than 115,000 volunteers, RSVP is the largest of the programs. It is a popular choice due to its flexible time commitments and diverse ways to serve. The program partners with national, state and local organizations to offer volunteers a wide range of service opportunities, from building houses to delivering food.
“All the people you meet when you’re a volunteer tell you their stories and experiences,” said Srini Srinivas, a volunteer serving with the RSVP program. “You find that very rewarding and it enriches your life. Doing this service is a way of paying it forward. It supports the community. It keeps me active, which is a good thing. You also feel useful.”
Serve as Mentors
For older adults interested in working with children, the Foster Grandparent Program pairs volunteers with local schools and other programs focused on children, caring for and working with classes, groups or individual students. Volunteers serving with the Foster Grandparent Program serve between five and 30 hours each week based on their availability and may be eligible for a small monetary stipend to offset the cost of volunteering.
“My motto is, ‘There is never a never, you can always accomplish something.’ I’m here to help the kids learn, be there for them and teach them as much as I can,” said volunteer Priscilla Tsethlikai, who has been involved with the program since 2016. “They’re teaching me, and at the same time, I’m teaching them.”
Provide a Helping Hand to Other Older Adults
Fostering relationships with other older adults is also a rewarding, and needed, option. Volunteers serving with the Senior Companion Program give about 20 hours each week and spend time with older adults in need of companionship or help with day-to-day tasks such as grocery shopping, getting to appointments or paying bills. Volunteers may also provide respite to family members caring for loved ones with chronic illnesses. The program may offer a small monetary stipend for volunteers who qualify.
“Volunteering has changed me, it keeps me grounded,” volunteer Carmen Swanson said. “When you help others and do for others, you enrich your life. My favorite part is being available and of service to them. Whatever their desire is, whatever they’d like to achieve – if I can execute the task, follow it through and accomplish it then it makes my day.”
While it may mean different things to different people, the idea of choosing our own paths as we age provides one overarching sentiment: growing older can and should be empowering.
“We know there are stereotypes surrounding older adults, but we want people to shift their thinking,” Sergi said. “See the ways older adults continue to contribute to your life and communities, appreciate their wisdom and lived experiences, and join them in new endeavors. When the older adults in our communities are engaged, valued and genuinely included, we all benefit.”
For more information, and to find volunteer opportunities near you, visit AmeriCorps.gov/YourMoment.
Support Older Adults in Your Community
Though many older adults remain independent and engaged as they age, some may find they are no longer able to complete daily tasks and require assistance. By looking for ways to assist older adults with tasks and engage with them intellectually, you can help them continue to live fulfilling lives. Consider these ways you can make a difference in the lives of older adults in your area:
Offer your services. This may be especially useful if you are a skilled tradesman, such as a plumber, carpenter, electrician or mechanic, or have technical skills and can assist with navigating devices such as computers and cell phones.
Volunteer at an older adult community. Assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care communities often rely on volunteers to host game nights and social events to help residents socialize and stay active.
Assist with household chores. While many older adults choose to age in their own homes, they may require assistance with cooking, cleaning, yardwork and more.
Help with transportation. If you have a car and a valid driver’s license, driving older adults can help them complete their errands more quickly and safely. They may need to get to a doctor’s appointment, go to the grocery store, visit the post office or complete other tasks outside of the home that a driver can assist with.
SOURCE:
AmeriCorps Seniors
Consumer Corner
65% of US homeowners say owning a home costs more than expected. Staying put is getting harder, too.
(Tiffany Miller) For years, homeownership was pitched as the finish line. Save for the down payment, buy the house and build wealth over time. According to new research from Unlock, a company that helps homeowners access the equity in their home, 75% of U.S. homeowners say they have no plan to buy or sell a home this year. That sounds like stability. But as the research reveals, it is starting to feel more like stagnation.
Owning a home turns out to cost more than people thought it would, according to the survey of 2,003 homeowners in the United States, conducted in January 2026. The research found that 65% of U.S. homeowners say it is more expensive than what they expected before they bought. The math goes past the mortgage. Nationwide, property taxes climbed 41% between 2018 and 2025, according to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, with home insurance, maintenance and everyday costs piling on top.
Homeowners are cutting back in places that used to be off-limits. Twenty-two percent of respondents reported putting less into retirement to keep up with the cost of owning their home. Another 33% are putting off bigger purchases, like a car. These are not inconsequential cuts. They are cuts to the financial goals owning a home is supposed to make easier in the first place, like building a nest egg, growing an emergency fund or saving for the future.
The pressure shows up in the present, too. Nearly a third of homeowners have less than $1,000 in emergency fund savings. More than half say day-to-day expenses are causing significant stress in their lives.
It is not only about cutting back or feeling stressed about day-to-day expenses. The survey found 19% of U.S. homeowners say they would rather double their commute time to work than take on another monthly payment. For homeowners already paying a mortgage, insurance, taxes and maintenance, another bill ranks below an extra hour in traffic.
Costs are only half the story. Homeowners are also sitting on real wealth, though they cannot always say how much. The survey found almost half of U.S. homeowners are not sure how much equity they have built up in their home, including 28% who say they are not sure how to find out. The average mortgaged home in the U.S. holds about $299,000 in equity, according to Cotality, a data and analytics company.
Ask homeowners how they feel about having equity in their homes and the answers do not quite line up. Sixty percent say the option to leverage home equity provides an extra level of financial security. Yet 48% say they view home equity as long-term wealth and retirement security, and would only leverage it as a last resort. They want the option there. They just do not want to use it.
The result is a kind of holding pattern. Homeowners are paying more, staying put in homes they cannot easily afford to leave and sitting on wealth they would rather not disturb. The usual options come with a catch. Selling means moving. Refinancing means giving up a low locked-in mortgage rate. According to Realtor.com, 51.5% of outstanding U.S. mortgages still carry rates at or below 4%. Taking out a home equity line of credit or home equity loan adds another monthly payment. Each option asks for something homeowners are trying to avoid. The open question is whether the standard options are still the only options. What used to look like a financial finish line is starting to look more like a treadmill.
Methodology
Unlock commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,003 homeowners in the United States. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted from Jan. 24-30, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Unlock
Protect yourself from the latest online scams with STM Daily News. From AI-powered fraud schemes to consumer safety tips, our Consumer Corner delivers practical information to help you make informed decisions. Visit STM Daily News for more news you can use this moment, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Lifestyle
Saving a Life This Summer: Ways to Step Up Safety Practices
Regardless of where you are, summer is a reminder that emergencies like cardiac arrest can happen anywhere. Take the safety of those around you into your own hands this summer with this checklist.
(Feature Impact) The busy summer season can take you almost anywhere – baseball fields, backyard cookouts, long workdays or road trips across the country. Regardless of where you are, summer is a reminder that emergencies like cardiac arrest can happen anywhere.
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and 90% of people will not survive, according to the American Heart Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to changing the future for a world of healthier lives for all. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anytime, anywhere. People often hesitate to step in. In fact, nearly 2 out of 3 adults believe CPR can only be performed by medical professionals. This mistaken belief can cost lives and contributes to the low survival rate.
Ordinary people have extraordinary power. You don’t need to wear scrubs or have a medical background to save a life – you just need the courage to act.
Take the safety of those around you into your own hands this summer with this checklist.
Plan Ahead
Summer is often a time for welcome disruptions, including vacations, camps, sports and parties. Before traveling or attending events, check if your destination has a cardiac emergency response plan, which establishes specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting, from schools and community organizations to workplaces and sports facilities.
Learn CPR
Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere: at home, at work, in schools, at a soccer game or on vacation. When it happens, the first chance for survival often rests with the people nearby.
Anyone can be the difference before professional help arrives. The power to save a life is in your hands. CPR is a human responsibility, not just a medical skill. When friends, family or even strangers step in during cardiac emergencies, survival rates can double or even triple.
Hands-Only CPR for adults consists of two easy steps:
- Call 9-1-1 or shout for someone else to call.
- Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that’s 100-120 beats per minute, such as “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees.
Share Resources with Your Family and Community
Once you’ve learned simple, two-step Hands-Only CPR, share resources with your community to help expand the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers. Raising awareness with family, neighbors and colleagues can help people feel confident in the face of an emergency.
Families can watch short instructional videos that demonstrate the life-saving steps for adults as well as techniques for infants and children.
Travelers can also get trained in about 5 minutes with a Hands-Only CPR Kiosk, located in many airports and public spaces across the country.
To find more information about learning CPR, visit Heart.org/Nation.
Summer Safety Tips
In addition to learning CPR and sharing valuable resources with your family and community, consider these ways to keep yourself and loved ones safe throughout the summer months.
- Stay Hydrated: High temperatures can quickly lead to dehydration and heat-related illness. Drink water regularly throughout the day, especially during outdoor activities, and pack extra water when away from home.
- Protect Your Skin: Hats, sunglasses and lightweight clothing can protect skin from sun exposure, but it’s important to use broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply every 2 hours.
- Swim with a Buddy: Hopping in a pool, lake or ocean is a hallmark of summer but can be dangerous without precautions. Never swim alone and ensure children are always supervised by an adult near water.
- Identify the Locations of Safety Equipment: When attending camps, heading to a sporting event or enjoying the pool or beach, identify where lifeguards, AEDs and emergency exits are located. Knowing where to find help can save valuable time when every second counts.
- Practice Grill Safety: Some of your most memorable summer moments may happen during a backyard barbecue or cookout, and it’s important to keep those gatherings safe. Use grills away from homes, decks and dry grass. Never leave them unattended while cooking, and be sure kids and pets stay at a safe distance from hot surfaces.
Saving a Life Within 1 Year of Learning CPR
On a chilly Tuesday, dawn was breaking as Matthew Lynch reached his highway exit, but traffic was backed up at a particular intersection. He waited through three cycles before finally getting close enough to see the holdup: a stalled SUV.
While most cars buzzed by, Lynch moved slowly and peered into the vehicle. He saw people inside and parked his sedan, flipped on the hazard lights and ran to the stalled SUV. As he knocked on the driver’s window, there was no response. The doors were locked. Two people – a male driver and female passenger – were unresponsive.
Lynch ran back to his own car and called 9-1-1 before managing to open the driver’s side door. He discovered the driver was not breathing normally, signaling to Lynch he’d need to start CPR – which he’d learned 10 months earlier during a training session he’d helped organize for a work-sponsored men’s group.
Knowing he had to do something, Lynch started pushing hard and fast in the center of the man’s chest. Within a minute, the man gasped for breath.
Just as Lynch leaned over to see if he could help the female passenger, first responders arrived and Lynch backed away, knowing there was nothing more he could do.
“It was just a lot to take in,” said Lynch, a member of the American Heart Association’s 2026 Nation of Lifesavers Class, a small group of volunteers, dedicated to raising awareness of CPR by sharing their own personal stories of survival or rescue. “Mostly I felt an incredible sense of gratitude that I could help someone.”
A strong admirer of the Good Samaritan parable, Lynch is always on the lookout for the opportunity to help others. He learned a lot about himself in that moment and about the importance of learning CPR, along with the confidence that comes from knowing you could be a lifesaver.
“I quickly realized the certification was way less important than the actual CPR training,” he said. “Your ability to help in any capacity is better than doing nothing. If I hadn’t done that training, I probably would not have helped.”
SOURCE:
📰 Thanks for reading STM Daily News – your source for News You Can Use This Moment!
We love hearing from our readers. Share your thoughts in the comments section and join the conversation with our growing community. Your feedback helps us create the stories and features that matter most to you.
Don’t miss the latest news, inspiring stories, lifestyle tips, food and drink features, and exclusive updates. Subscribe to the STM Daily News newsletter and get our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
💬 Leave a comment.
📧 Subscribe to our newsletter.
📢 Share your favorite stories with friends and family.
Stay informed, stay connected, and be part of the STM Daily News community at STMDailyNews.com.
Lifestyle
The degree lost its halo: More US adults now see certifications as the safer, smarter career bet
(Tiffany Miller) For decades, the four-year degree carried an unquestioned authority. It was expensive, but it was the answer. New research from U.S. Career Institute, an online career training provider, finds that authority is no longer going unquestioned.
When asked which education path offers better long-term job security, 26% of adults say certifications or skills-based programs are the safer choice, compared with just 18% who say the same about a four-year degree. The traditional degree path has not gone away, but the certainty around it has started to crack.
The doubt extends to the cost. College was supposed to be expensive and worth it. The expensive part has not changed. The worth-it part is now a more open question. While 38% say paying for college feels like a necessary investment despite the expense, 29% say they question whether it is worthwhile. Asked at what level of student debt they would begin to reconsider, 32% say the threshold is under $10,000.
Artificial intelligence is also adding pressure from a different direction. One in 4 survey respondents said office-based and white-collar workers are the type most likely to be replaced by AI in the next five years. For many, that concern is already part of how they are thinking about major decisions. Fifty-four percent of adults have reconsidered their education or career path due to concerns about job security or automation.
Some have already acted on it. Twenty-five percent say they have already completed a certificate or skills-based program, and another 29% say they have seriously considered pursuing one.
In this survey, stability has replaced prestige as the thing people say they are actually looking for. It is the most commonly cited factor influencing career decisions today, named by 53% of respondents, with prestige and status ranking lower.
It is also shaping the advice people give the next generation. Asked what they would recommend to a young person starting out today, 30% say a certification or skills-based program, while 24% say a four-year degree.
For many, the reconsideration is personal. Twenty-seven percent say they would choose a different path entirely if making their education or career decision today, and 33% say they would look for something faster or more affordable. Knowing what they know now, just 17% say they would make the same choice again. The question of whether college was the right call is one that more U.S. adults are now willing to ask out loud.
Methodology
U.S. Career Institute commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,000 adults ages 18 to 54 throughout the United States. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted between April 22 and April 27, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
📰 Thanks for reading STM Daily News – your source for News You Can Use This Moment!
We love hearing from our readers. Share your thoughts in the comments section and join the conversation with our growing community. Your feedback helps us create the stories and features that matter most to you.
Don’t miss the latest news, inspiring stories, lifestyle tips, food and drink features, and exclusive updates. Subscribe to the STM Daily News newsletter and get our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
💬 Leave a comment.
📧 Subscribe to our newsletter.
📢 Share your favorite stories with friends and family.
Stay informed, stay connected, and be part of the STM Daily News community at STMDailyNews.com.
