MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Laundry, painting, fixing things and playing with the animals. David Service, a volunteer at the Capital Area Human Society walks in to see what his next task will be. Like many other older adults David decided to stay active in the work force and continue to volunteer while he was in retirement.

David explains why he enjoys volunteering, "I thought this was a way to give back to the homeless ones and help get them adopted, socialize them and I foster them in my home."

According to the Administration on Aging generational changes, connections between health and volunteering,improved education and income levels among older adults may be factors explaining an increase of volunteering. Volunteering can improve both physical and mental health in older adults.

"It gives them a sense of purpose. Otherwise before you retire your purpose is your job or your family. Family is usually grown and gone before you retire. So then your job becomes your purpose, and then when you retire and you don't have that, not everybody but some people are looking for a purpose and that is where volunteering comes in" said Cherie Wisdom from the Meridian Senior Center.

For more than ten years David has volunteered at the human society and hopes that more older adults will continue to volunteer.

"I think they have a little more patience, they generally have more time and with those things it is a good outlet for people who want to spend some time and volunteer," said David.