Editor, Gazette-Journal:
Whatever happened to volunteerism? For centuries, the United States was a nation of volunteers—military, civic organizations, volunteer rescue squads and fire departments, etc. Sadly, with notable exceptions, we have become a nation of takers, not givers.
We now rely on an ever-expanding government to take care of our needs, instead of relying on our own self-reliance and ingenuity, traits that molded our country into the greatest nation on earth. What, if anything, can we do to reverse this devastating trend of thinking only of me, me, me? Since Mathews has an aging population, maybe the following study will encourage all of us to get more involved as volunteers.
A new study, released in the January issue of Social Science & Medicine, found that volunteering, even for just an hour a week, can lead to slower biological aging, especially among retirees. Biological age measures how old your cells and tissues are and reveals how slowly or quickly you’re aging,...