HY 07/06: Put Those Career Skills Back To Use

Retired? Share your skills and experience!

Are you a retiree wishing you could pull those hard-earned career skills back off the shelf? Organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley offer a variety of ways to keep your professional self alive and help others in the process.

“Working after retirement helps you stay connected,” says geriatrician Catherine Glew, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “And you can use the same skills you’ve developed over many years.” Retired people have a tremendous breadth and depth of experience to share, she says. “Using those abilities keeps your mind sharp and allows you to give back to the community in ways you may not have had time for until now.”

What’s more, post-retirement employment or volunteering offers you something a full-time job often can’t—choice. “You can decide when you go to work and how many hours you’d like to put in,” Glew says. “People working 40-plus hours a week don’t have that luxury.”

To inspire you, here are three local people who found new and satisfying ways to plug in their career experience.

Want to Know More? Click below to learn about the benefits of volunteering, social aspects of volunteering and the full stories of the people listed below.

Volunteer Opportunities in the Lehigh Valley

The Children's Center

Al Bonnici Alfred “Al” Bonnici brings computers to children
After a career in data processing and information technology, Bonnici was ready for a change in 2003. The 67-year-old Allentown man started working at the Volunteers of America Children’s Center there. “I’d heard they needed updated computers,” he says.

Bonnici contacted Air Products, PPL and Harleysville Bank, all of which donated computers to the center. “Once they saw the good work the staff does, they couldn’t wait to help,” he says. The children (like Anthony, above) use the computers to learn, and they’re quick to grasp a new program, Bonnici says: “I show them once, and that’s all it takes.” Staff members also benefit from the upgraded equipment. After three years, Bonnici still loves being at the center. “I’m having more fun at work than I ever have,” he says.

Jim Baer James “Jim” Baer is a new-business mentor
Baer, a 75-year-old Palmer resident, had worked as a manager at several large companies and owned a number of successful businesses before joining SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) in 2004. “SCORE volunteers are active and retired business executives and owners who counsel small business owners and help people start new businesses,” he says. “I now use my business skills to help others.”

As a SCORE volunteer, Baer met with a graphic artist who wanted to purchase a weekly ad magazine. Baer helped him evaluate the pros and cons of buying the business, provided questions to ask the seller and gave him pointers on planning. “Working for SCORE is mentally stimulating,” Baer says. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, too.”

Pieta Lair gives comfort to surgery patients
Lair, a native of the Netherlands, came to the United States as a newlywed in 1956. She worked as a nurse, then a full-time mother. In 1972 she became a breast cancer survivor, and her outlook on life changed. “I felt so grateful,” she says. “I needed to give something back.”

As soon as she was back on her feet, Lair began volunteering for the American Cancer Society as a “Reach to Recovery” counselor for other breast cancer patients. The 75-year-old now lives in Kutztown, and has volunteered in the recovery room at Lehigh Valley Hospital for nearly 20 years. “Some people feel anxious after surgery,” she says. “I’m there to hold their hand or pat their forehead.”