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Perhaps you moved to Panama recently and all your time and energy have been invested in getting set up and settled. Of course, once all that is finished, what will you do with all the time on your hands? How will you meet new people and get involved in your community? Does volunteering in Panama pull your heartstrings in any way?
It’s easy to think that your retirement will simply be about finishing working at a corporate job or having more time for travel and the family. Unfortunately, most people don’t realise the shock that happens when you no longer have a routine to keep to.
Unless you have a purpose you are walking into retirement, you could find the same emptiness you felt the day you finished college without a job lined up to walk into. Retirement can be the moment that you finally explore and find your purpose, and sometimes volunteering has a large role to play. Moving to Panama might be about the beaches, fishing, and golf because you are looking for warmer weather.
Finding something meaningful in your local community
On the other hand, retirement could also be about finding something meaningful to build for your new community. Retirement might not be about all the free time you will have, but rather discovering what is significant and how others will recall your life.
- What will others remember you for in Panama?
- Will they speak about how the world is a better place because of the contributions you made to it?
Perhaps more importantly, does your legacy and purpose actually reflect what you value and perceive as important?
Has all your work and effort so far in life been about meeting other people’s expectations? Conceivably, retirement is a moment to turn that on its head and actually speak to your personal values.
- What makes you happy?
- What brings you joy?
Volunteering in Panama during retirement
Have you considered that if you retire at 65, you probably have at least 20 more years of life and value to give to your family and community? If you took earlier retirement, you have more time and energy to invest.
That’s more than enough time to sit down and write a book or to find another way to share all those years of experience and knowledge that you have accumulated.
Preparation for old age should begin not later than one’s teens. A life which is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled on retirement.
Dwight L. Moody
Of course, if you haven’t done so when you reach retirement, consider using the first two or three months after settling into your new home in Panama to look around your new community and notice the needs. Believe me, they shouldn’t be hard to find!
Your life circle: why volunteering in Panama might add to your life
Look at your values and what you consider is important as a legacy. This is a great time for deep reflection and getting clear: how do I want to invest my next 20 years? What is your personal mission statement and values for retirement?
If you consider that your life circle has 12 sections, retirement only removes ONE of those sections “work”.
- Work
- Play
- Health
- Environs
- Life Purpose
- Self Esteem
- Spirit
- Diet
- Exercise
- Stress Mastery
- Finances
- Relations
Of course, you might decide that in retirement you will simply choose a new “life work”.
- It might be something as simple as a program to keep the roads and sidewalks of your community garbage-free.
- You might notice that families need help with budgeting and financial planning.
- Children need help with their pronunciation of English.
- Animal rescue operations, coordinated with Spay Panama.
- Sewing or handcraft lessons for women/men so that they can set up a side hustle for extra income.
There are so many possibilities for volunteering in Panama that I can think of, and you can probably come up with more!
Find your purpose working with a charity
For many people, retirement is a time when they can dedicate more time and energy to a charity or cause that they are passionate about. What social or ethical issues are important to you?
What touches my heart?
Have you considered establishing your own charity and setting things up for this? Setting up a private interest foundation in Panama is very simple and many people choose to use their personal resources in this way.
However, this is not a typical nonprofit structure that can accept donations from others with tax-exemption status. If you want to set up a proper nonprofit organisation, then you will need to fulfil the minimum legal requirements for getting this setup, including having members and a board composed of the members. You can ask us for more information on structuring this.
Making a difference by putting your life skills to use
There are many ways that you might put your life skills to use. One possibility is mentoring or coaching youth in your community. These might be your youth with social challenges. Perhaps they lack any type of entrepreneurial background or skills, and you can get involved with them through some type of community program. If one doesn’t already exist, it’s also possible to work with local organisations to set it up.
Your local representante or city council
One of the overlooked resources in the community is the Representative’s office. He is a member of the City Council, and especially in small towns has a lot of sway. With recent changes in tax policies, city councils now have bigger budgets and resources and are typically at a loss as to how to put these to the best use in their communities.
In bigger towns, the Representative’s office will have a social worker assigned to them, who can provide you with much information regarding the needs and challenges that they are facing.
You local city council might have ideas of what would be useful in their community, and they simply don’t have the knowledge, experience, and manpower to make it happen. Yes, there’s a possibility of corruption and nepotism in local politics (there always is), but you can find your way around it if you tread carefully.
One part of community life that you could get involved in might be sports and coaching. Most communities have a basketball court or football (soccer) field. If you have the skills and the energy, why not invest your time in the youth through organizing weekly games for them?
English as a second language
Alternatively, there might be programs in which you could teach or become a tutor. For example, could you speak with the English teachers at the local school to run an after-school program in English, so that the children can practise speaking and pronunciation?
What special talents do you have that you could share?
Make sure that in your retirement, you know what your reason is to get up every more – how will you stay active and engaged? Moreover, what will keep your mental and physical agility
Giving back to your community
If you take money out of the equation of your “legacy” – what’s left? While you were focused on your career and professional development, it’s quite possible that you got your sense of purpose and meaning from the commitments and responsibilities of your position. Now, you get to choose what those commitments and responsibilities will look like.
There are so many opportunities if you are looking for them!
The real question to ask yourself:
It’s not what am I retiring from – WHAT AM I RETIRING TO?
For help in setting up a not for profit organization rather than simply volunteering in Panama, why not contact our lawyers?