Community Service

When you think of school employees, you typically think of caring people with a strong sense of commitment. These activities and character traits do not diminish in the years of retirement, but instead intensify. Given our years of public service and sense of civic duty, it is only natural that we choose to remain active in serving our communities during retirement.

This is despite the alarming trend that organizations across the nation are experiencing a decrease in their number of volunteers. In fact, school retirees volunteer in extremely high numbers and have continued to grow where others have diminished.

  • More than two-thirds of PASR’s membership has reported being involved with some form of volunteer activities.
  • 19% give at least 21 hours a month. In fact almost 10% of our members are giving enough time to warrant a full time 40-hour workweek!
  • Only 37% have no involvement with charitable organizations such as meals on wheels, a food bank or the American Heart Association.
  • Approximately 67% of PASR’s members volunteer, with each member averaging more than 350 hours a year.
  • The general hourly rate that would be required to hire individuals to conduct the activities being done by volunteers in 2002 was $16.53 an hour.
  • This means in 2002, PASR’s members volunteered for a value of more than $151 million given freely to the Commonwealth.
  • This is just based upon PASR’s membership. What might this value be like if figured upon all school retirees?
  • Benefits provided to school retirees are paid for in full at the time of retirement, any additional benefits given during retirement such as COLAs could be considered an investment in the future of the Commonwealth. The returns far exceed the expenditures.

Are they involved? More than a quarter of our members sit on a local board or committee or are involved with a local organization such as a fire service, red cross or office of the aging.

Have we left the schools and our educational backgrounds behind? No way — less than half of our members stated they are not involved with an educational organization, tutor, or work to promote literacy.

PASR serving it’s Members. PASR serving the Community. PASR serving Pennsylavnia. Join us today!