Got $50 Million? No Problem... Retired Teachers Are Working for FREE!

Tight Economy Doesn't Stop CalRTA Members from Donating Time

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Though it's worth nearly $50 million, this help is free! The California Retired Teachers Association today announced that its members had tallied more than 2.3 million hours of volunteer service in the past year, valued at nearly $50 million.  Though the economy continues to be sluggish, retired teachers dig deep and give their time, effort, and even money! Members of the Association also funded more than $420,000 in grants and scholarships to schools as well as current and future teachers.

In recognition of the thirteenth annual California Retired Teachers Week November 6-12, 2011, retired educators throughout the state are urging all Californians to find the time for volunteer service.

"The state is going through tough times, but that doesn't mean we should stop giving back to our communities.  Hundreds of our members have tallied more than 4,000 hours in volunteer service—the equivalent of working full-time for two years," noted Joe Dion, president of the California Retired Teachers Association.

Even in these tough economic times, when many are struggling to make ends meet, retired teachers continue to serve as role models for volunteer service.  Since 1998, the California Retired Teachers Association has sponsored Retired Teachers Week as a way to not only spotlight our members' own extensive volunteerism but to encourage others to do the same.

CalRTA's annual tally of volunteer hours, reported by just 12.7 percent of its members, shows that members donated 2,340,666 hours valued at $49,996,625. In addition, more than $421,000 was provided in grants and scholarships throughout the state.

"We cared about our students and our communities while we worked as educators, and that caring doesn't stop at retirement," said Dion.

In addition to benefiting from their volunteerism, California also benefits from teachers' pensions. CalSTRS pensions pump billions into the state's economy. And given that retirees spend their income, they're a built-in stimulus plan for the state's economy.

The California Retired Teachers Association, which was formed in 1929, is the state's leading organization of retired educators, representing nearly 50,000 members. Learn more online at www.calrta.org.

SOURCE California Retired Teachers Association