Journal of Urban Health

, 83:941 | Cite as

Engaging Older Adults in High Impact Volunteering that Enhances Health: Recruitment and Retention in the Experience Corps® Baltimore

  • Iveris L. Martinez
  • Kevin Frick
  • Thomas A. Glass
  • Michelle Carlson
  • Elizabeth Tanner
  • Michelle Ricks
  • Linda P. Fried
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Engagement in social and generative activities has benefits for the well-being of older adults; hence, methods for broadly engaging them in such activities are desired. Experience Corps Baltimore, a social model for health promotion for older adult volunteers in public schools, offers insight to such successful recruitment and retention. We report on data over a 4-year period in Baltimore City, Maryland, and describe a five-stage screening process implemented to recruit a diverse group of senior volunteers who would remain in the program for at least 1 year. The sample consisted of 443 older adults expressing an interest in and screened for volunteering. Comparisons were made with Chi-square and Fisher’s t-test between those who entered the program and those who did not and those who were retained in the program. Gender, race, age group, and prior volunteering were significant in ultimate volunteer service in the schools. Overall, 38% of 443 persons recruited entered the schools; 94% of participants were over 60 years (p = 0.05) with a mean age of 69 years; 90% were women (p = 0.03), and 93% African-American (p = 0.005); 57% had not volunteered in the past year (p = 0.004). Ninety-two percent were retained in the first year; 80% returned a second year. Among the latter, 83% had <12 years of education (p = 0.001). Participants remained in the program for a second year of volunteering regardless of baseline MMSE score, self-reported health, and motivation for volunteering. In conclusion, it is possible to recruit and retain a diverse pool of older adults to participate in a high-intensity volunteer program, including non-traditional volunteers. Of special note is the success in recruiting African-American women and those with lower education, who may particularly benefit from health promotion.

Keywords

Health promotion Recruitment Volunteerism 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

This work was supported, in part, by funding from the following sources: the Retirement Research Foundation, The Erickson Foundation, the State of Maryland, The State of Maryland Department of Education, the Baltimore City Public Schools, The Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education, The Johns Hopkins Prevention Center, and the Corporation for National Service. We would like to thank AARP for crucial support with recruitment, as well as Sylvia McGill, Director of Public Education Programs of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Robin Parsell, Project Director of Experience Corps Baltimore, and Don Baughman, Data Manager. George Rebok co-designed the cognitive screening criteria. Joel Hill led initial recruitment efforts, assisted in the design of the training, and aided in data collection. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the contribution made by recruiters who have worked with ECB.

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Copyright information

© The New York Academy of Medicine 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • Iveris L. Martinez
    • 1
  • Kevin Frick
  • Thomas A. Glass
  • Michelle Carlson
  • Elizabeth Tanner
  • Michelle Ricks
  • Linda P. Fried
  1. 1.Center on Aging and Health, Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins Medical InstitutionsBaltimoreUSA

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