Best Practice Corner
INTERGENERATIONAL VOLUNTEERING
Intergenerational Volunteering involves bringing together different generations of individuals for general volunteering activities, or activities that are designed specifically to breach the generation gap and foster a cohesive relationship between the generations involved.
Why is a focus on Intergenerational Volunteering important?
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The gaps between generations are becoming more and more pronounced as technology, and societal shifts continue to change the way people interact as families, friends, colleagues and communities. Volunteering provides a unique opportunity to re-connect these generations in a way that reaps sustainable rewards for the communities we live in – the challenge lies in knowing how best to do this! General volunteering programs that can effectively blend all four active volunteering generations (Generation Y, Generation X, Baby Boomers and Silent Generation) have a greater likelihood of sustainability. They draw on the strengths and combined skills of each generation offering innovations for the |
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organisation they support, and the opportunity for personal growth through intergenerational relationships that are formed.
Additionally, organisations are often developing intergenerational volunteering activities that are specifically designed to meet a community need in a way that breaks down stereo-typical barriers between different generations, and result in a positive volunteering experience for everyone involved.
Engaging Youth and SeniorsYouth and seniors feature heavily in many intergenerational volunteering programs and practical resources have been developed by the Department of Communities to assist organisations in engaging both youth and seniors in their volunteering programs. View the Department of Communities resources. |