Alexis Steptoe

HEA 603

Portfolio Part 3 Reflection

The Value Of Volunteerism:

Silver Service in Guilford County
The intended audience for this public health communication is Guilford
County population aged 65 and older, agencies that work with older adults,
and any others interested in the value of volunteerism among older adults.
The main sources of data used for this info-graphic were secondary and
tertiary. Older adults may be considered to have a low reading level due to
changes in cognitive abilities as well as potentially lower levels of
educational attainment. The English language was chosen as that is the
primary language in the US, and words were chosen that are easily
understood and interpreted across all reading levels. The baby boomer
population is growing exponentially, and many adults who are moving into
retirement may be searching for ways to fill their free time. Additionally,
older adults who are still in the workforce may have experienced life-altering
events (such as loss of family/spouses, raising grandchildren, or declining
physical/cognitive function) and could benefit from volunteering. Older adults
often feel isolated or lonely. Volunteering offers a sense of purpose and
belonging. Information that seemed to make the largest numerical impact
was chosen to demonstrate the value of volunteerism to older adults.
This info-graphic served two purposes: to inform and persuade. Many
Americans are unaware of the potential benefits of volunteering for their
communities and their health. The message of the info-graphic was aimed as
a call to action from older adults to consider volunteering not only to reap

Alexis Steptoe

HEA 603

Portfolio Part 3 Reflection

personal growth benefits, but community benefits as well. As older adults

move into a new phase of their life they often feel lonely, little self worth, or
poor quality of life. Volunteering awards them the opportunity to build
meaningful social networks, while staying active to maintain their
functionality. By informing older adults and those who work with or are in
connection with older adults this information may influence them to try
volunteering.
I wanted to go for a minimal easy to read way to inform the population
about the value of volunteering. Knowing that older populations typically
suffer from poor eyesight I tried to make the most important information
stand out the most, and hopefully draw readers in to view the supporting
information around the eye-catching statistics. From our reading in
Communicating Public Health Information Effectively I remembered to keep
my information as concise and reader friendly as possible. I tried to avoid
jargon, busy colors, and confusing patterns while emphasizing the call to
action and wow-factors of the value of volunteerism.
Initially my info-graphic was descriptive of the North Carolina statistics
versus the United States statistics on adult volunteerism. There is a lack of
information about Guilford County volunteerism statistics, so I had to
rearrange my direction of the info-graphic. This presented a few barriers
because I had to redirect my focus, which is something that could likely
happen when Im a health educator and I find that the information isnt quite

Alexis Steptoe

HEA 603

Portfolio Part 3 Reflection

all there. Additionally I struggle with technology so this was a great hands-on
learning experience for me to find tools that were appropriate and enabled
me to successfully complete the assignment. In the future I will remind
myself to not get overwhelmed with how time-intensive making info-graphics
are, and to go with the flow when my research takes me in different
directions.

References
Corporation for National & Community Service. (n.d.). Serve in Your
Community. Benefits of Volunteering. Retrieved from
http://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-yourcommunity/benefits-volunteering
Corporation for National & Community Service. (n.d.). Volunteering and Civic
Engagement in North Carolina. Retrieved from
http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/NC
Saisan, J. Smith, M. Kemp, G. (September, 2015). HelpGuide.Org.
Volunteering and its Surprising benefits: Helping others While Helping
Yourself. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/workcareer/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm

Alexis Steptoe

HEA 603

Portfolio Part 3 Reflection

Independent Sector. (2015). Sector Impact. The Value of Volunteer Time.

Retrieved from
https://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time
Nelson, D. E., Brownson, R. C., Remington, P. L., Parvanta, C. (2002).
Communicating public health information effectively: A guide for
practitioners. Washington, D.C. American Public Health Association.
Population Reference Bureau. (2011, August). Todays research on againg.
Retrieved from
from http://www.prb.org/pdf11/TodaysResearchAging21.pdf
United States Department of Labor. (2015, February 25). Bureau of Labor
Statics. Economic News Release. Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm