"Potentialist" is not a word that has made it into the dictionary, but it probably won't be long since the number of potentialists--people embracing the notion of living more enriching lives--is on the increase in Canada.

An Angus Reid Public Opinion survey, commissioned by American Express, found that 82 percent of Canadian adults want their lives to be full of new experiences. More than a quarter of these people are seeking ways to enrich their lives by engaging in activities that make a difference in their lives--such as volunteering. While in days gone by volunteering was thought of mostly as a way to help others, it is now one of the many ways Canadians are choosing to enrich their own lives.

When Vern Halverson survived emergency open-heart surgery at Vancouver General Hospital 16 years ago, he had no idea his experience would, down the road, lead to a rewarding volunteering experience. Retired for 12 years, he has spent the last 10 as a volunteer with the non-profit organization Pacific Open Heart Association (www.pacificopenheart.org). He visits people who are waiting and ­recovering from open-heart surgery.

For the past five years, Halverson has organized the volunteer group at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. Aside from offering hope, information and advice to heart patients, Halverson says, "It's great work. You meet a lot of nice people, all of them interesting." He says he feels he helps ease people's minds because he's been there and survived. "Since people come from all over the province they are often alone and I can help them through," Halverson says with pride.

Bernice Davidson, at age 75, has also been retired for 12 years, and is actively involved in her community through volunteering. "I found meaning in volunteering long before I retired, but now with the freedom from making a living, I have the time and opportunity to accomplish and experience things I might never have otherwise."

When Davidson was younger, she was a palliative care volunteer. "My training was so useful to me when I went to stay with my sister who was dying in Toronto," she says. "I knew how to comfort her and I felt confident in a situation where most people do not."

In her working career, Davidson owned a Vancouver-based business that did media for small non-profit groups. Today, through volunteering, Davidson uses her skills to do the publicity for the Vancouver Women's Musical Society (www.vwms.ca), which raises funds to present young musicians and vocalists in the classical music field. She says she has no background in classical music, so is learning new things while using her skills. "It's a lot of fun, a really great experience and I'm really appreciated in the group," she says.

When speaking with both Halverson and Davidson their happiness and vitality are obvious and impressive. Many people feel a loss when they leave work or wonder what to do, but for them, volunteering has brought many benefits.

"It's no coincidence that those who volunteer, who give of themselves and who take an active part in their ­community end up, on average, healthier and happier," says Dr. David Butler Jones, chief public health officer, Public Health Agency of Canada.
Volunteer Canada says volunteering promotes health and wellness, ­reduces stress and increases one's skills. They also recognize that "the work of volunteers is essential to our communities and to our social fabric."  Their organization specifically encourages baby boomers, those born from 1946 to 1964, to volunteer. Many of Canada's older volunteers are in their 70s. "As they step down and become fewer in number, a whole new generation of volunteers needs to fill their places," Volunteer Canada states.
A 2004 report from the Center for Health Communication, Harvard School of Public Health, titled "Reinventing Aging," says, "There is a tremendous ­opportunity on the horizon to tap the time, energy, skills, and experience of millions of boomers to strengthen community life."

One of the barriers, according to Volunteer Canada's research, that baby boomers face when it comes to volunteering is that they don't identify with the traditional image of a volunteer. "The clichéd image of a kindly, white-haired volunteer clashes with the way baby boomers see themselves--they are more youthful and dynamic than their parents."

With a shift in thinking, aging volunteers can combine a skill, interest, passion or cause they care about with volunteer work. According to Volunteer Canada, 12.5 million Canadians volunteer each year and say it offers many, "individual rewards."

With more than 161,000 non-­profit community organizations in Canada running on volunteer time and commitment, it seems a perfect opportunity for Canada's aging potentialists--a wonderful opportunity for people to realize their potential while increasing their health and the health of their community.

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