Changemakers Over 65 Find Purpose Through Volunteering
- Kathleen Ganster
- Sep 30
- 5 min read
The words “slow down” are not in Doug MacPhail’s vocabulary. Not only does the 72-year-old still work full time as a financial advisor, but the busy senior is also an active volunteer with several organizations including the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, Outreached Arms and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. He is also an emeritus board member of the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Western Pennsylvania.
Somehow, MacPhail also makes time for his passion, hiking. In addition to having completed the Appalachian Trail through section hiking, this past June he was the oldest finisher of the arduous Rachel Carson Trails Challenge, a 37-mile, one-day hike, which explains his work with the Conservancy. MacPhail said, “The trail is a local treasure. I decided after years of enjoying the trail, it was time to give back. I subsequently joined the board, planning and promotion committee, sponsorship chair, and serve as a trail steward.”
Every Tuesday night, you will find MacPhail assisting with one of his other causes. “My assistant introduced me to Outreached Arms. She belongs to the First Presbyterian Church in Downtown, and they support the organization. We serve more than 100 meals every Tuesday evening to the homeless. I’ve been volunteering for six years,” he said.
Why does MacPhail donate so many hours to various causes? “I volunteer to give back to the local community and those less fortunate. I am blessed to have a wonderful family and successful career. Also, volunteering is contagious. One can set an example, be a role model and inspire others to give their time,” MacPhail said. “We can make a difference one volunteer at a time. I chose causes that are important to me — the great outdoors and nature, homelessness, youth mentoring and disease.”
The father of three began volunteering in his 40s, coaching his daughters’ sports teams. As his daughters grew, and he had more time, MacPhail’s volunteer work increased. “In the future, during retirement, I plan to increase my involvement in volunteer opportunities,” he said.
MacPhail suggests other seniors look into volunteering opportunities. “We can receive pleasure by doing things that benefit ourselves. However, doing things for others and seeing the resulting joy you help create is much more rewarding,” he said.
Jim Giel, 73, serves on the board of North Hills Community Outreach, HEARTH, Elfinwild Home Meals Ministry, the Bread of Life Food Pantry and the Shaler North Hills Library. The Shaler resident is also a member of the Shaler 125 Anniversary and the Alumni Council of Westminster. His complete list of current and former volunteer work is lengthy, including serving as a board member and president of the Shaler Area School Board, a deacon, elder and trustee at Elfinwild Presbyterian Church, and member and president of the Shaler Historical Society, just to name a few.
Now retired, the Shaler resident uses his work experience in his volunteer life. “My professional life included 45-plus years in managerial and middle management positions in human resources. My career has provided me with the tools to use the expertise from my professional life to assist the organizations on whose boards I serve. The leadership training that I received during my working days helped me advance these organizations, as well as being involved in the community provided me skills that I used during the professional side of my life,” he said.
Seniors have a lot to offer, Giel said. “Their professional expertise in their careers as well as their life experiences allows them to pass on these skills to others. Volunteering keeps them involved, gets them out of the house, and keeps them engaged with people through activity and being around others. It provides them a reason to get up and out each day and have a purpose in life.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Giel is right. They state that volunteering in adults 60-plus has been linked to both physical and mental health benefits. According to the Mayo, studies show that volunteering reduces rates of depression and anxiety, and volunteers report better overall health.
Tony Nee agreed. The former vice president of strategy at WGL Holdings said, “Volunteering provides a way to form social connections and friendships. It has been proven that social connections are important for a long and healthy life.”
The 68-year-old serves as the Pittsburgh chapter chair of SCORE. “SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. We aim to give every person the support they need to thrive as a small business owner.” It is the perfect match, Nee said, because he worked in public accounting where he worked with small businesses. “I learned so much from the small business clients, and what I learned during that time established a very sound foundation for my future success,” he said.
Like the others, Nee feels his work helps him give back to the community. “There are so many people who don’t have the resources to get the help that they need. Volunteering with an organization such as SCORE or other nonprofit organizations strengthens the community and provides resources to those in need of those resources. In addition, it provides a way for the volunteer to continue to grow and keep busy.”
When Margo Holleran, 65, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2017, volunteering gave her the means to give back to help others understand and navigate this complex disease. “People are overwhelmed with a diagnosis. This gives them the opportunity to have a person that has gone through a similar experience, and advising them on new treatments, clinical trials, and understanding the very complicated lab work and treatments,” she said.
The Ben Avon resident is a longtime volunteer, currently serving with the International Myeloma Foundation MPower Program Council educating the African American community on multiple myeloma, Blood Cancer United, and SCORE. She is also a certified clinical coach for newly diagnosed blood cancer patients for the Health Tree Foundation.
Holleran said seniors are excellent volunteers, but are often overlooked. “Seniors tend to be marginalized. We have so much experience to share, and still have the energy to work, maybe not full time, but for worthy causes. It keeps your brain active, and there is nothing like having someone tell you that ‘you changed their life.’”
Senior volunteers are vital to an organization. NHCO Executive Director Scott Shaffer said of Giel’s contributions, “Jim is an excellent servant leader. He is generous with his time, brings a wealth of wisdom and experience, and is always looking to make NHCO more effective in carrying out its mission. Jim is a living historian, with an encyclopedic knowledge of North Hills history, human resources expertise, and institutional knowledge for NHCO. He is a man of faith who puts his faith into action.”
Shaffer continued about the importance of all volunteers, “Volunteers are what makes NHCO’s mission possible. From answering phone calls from neighbors in need to pushing shopping carts full of food to helping to complete utility assistance applications — volunteers do it all!”
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