At UC Santa Cruz, retirees have a wealth of opportunities to volunteer and make an impact. Whether it’s sharing time and expertise, helping those in need, or building stronger community ties, UCSC retirees are finding meaningful ways to stay engaged and make a lasting difference. See how UCSC retiree Elaine Kihara is making a difference in her community.
Every Thursday and Friday morning, Elaine Kihara gets up before 7 am to drive to the Grey Bears Warehouse. Kihara is here to bag produce. Every week there’s a new assortment of fresh veggies and fruits to prepare. There’s never a dull moment in the assembly line. Music plays at one end of the room, where folks dance while waiting to carry bags to trucks and cars.
“I think most of the volunteers are retired, but certainly not all. One of the wonderful things is that there is such a mix of people who volunteer,” Kihara said. “There are working and retired nurses, social workers, teachers, UCSC staff, tradespeople, cooks, and service workers from all over the world. You never know who you will be working next to and chatting with or laughing with about the antics of some of the characters in the group.”
Grey Bears Healthy Food Program was established in 1973 to provide bags of fresh food to people over 55 years at a reduced cost, delivering nutritious food 48 weeks out of the year. Kihara found the opportunity through a friend who told her of its joyful atmosphere. And when Kihara started a year and a half ago, she was convinced.
Kihara has spent most of her life helping people. After graduating with her undergraduate degree from UC Davis, she went to Guatemala to provide support for indigenous farmers in the aftermath of the 1976 Guatemala earthquake.
When she returned to the States, she worked with English as a Second Language students, and at UC Davis as an advisor for the Afro-American Studies department. In 1987, she moved to Santa Cruz for love and decided to apply to UCSC to be the Oakes provost's assistant. When a job as an Oakes academic preceptor opened up, she filled in, and eventually got the job.
“I really liked working with students. I really liked advising, and I liked making bureaucracy less daunting for students,” Kihara said. “When you’re an academic advisor, you’re getting to know students who are growing into themselves and dealing with a lot of issues.”
Kihara was always thinking of a way to make things better for her students, and up until 2014, she did.
After more than forty years of working, she retired.
“I gave myself a year. I had been working crazy hours, and I had always been busy between political work and community activism. I wanted to see what this unbelievable thing called retirement was like,” Kihara said. “I had this year of clearing out stuff and spending time with family and friends and going on trips when I wanted to. When the year was over, I was ready to get a little structure in my life and start volunteering.”
The first place Kihara volunteered post-retirement was in hospice.
One of the first patients she had, couldn't speak much, but Kihara said he was very funny. They would sit together and people-watch. When someone he didn’t like passed by, he would make funny faces at Kihara, and she would make funny faces back at him.
She met many people nearing the end of their lives, yet it did not scare Kihara.
“I’d lost my parents. I watched my father die,” Kihara said. “It was sad, but not a horrible thing. It was kind of a beautiful thing, and accompanying people when they are towards the end of their lives seemed like a great thing to be able to do.”
She also sorted book donations for Friends of the SC Libraries and staffed shelter nights with the Warming Center. The COVID-19 pandemic forced her to stop but her desire to help people did not wane. Once she felt ready to jump back in she discovered Grey Bears.
The week before Thanksgiving, Grey Bears prepared meals for families to pick up. They adorned the campus with Christmas decorations and set the mood of cheer. Kihara greeted people as they drove up to pick up food.
“One woman drove up and I said hi and asked her name and she burst into tears. And I said ‘Oh are you okay?’ and she said ‘It’s just so nice. People are so friendly and this is so nice.’” Other people, similarly, were so happy to be a part of this occasion, to be welcomed, and greeted warmly. It was so much fun to bring joy,” Kihara said.
Kihara will keep giving back to the community, she said. It’s one thing that brings her gratification in this uncertain world.
“The world is a pretty mean place right now. I think if I didn’t do this, I would be way more stressed, unhappy, and hopeless,” Kihara said. “There’s no end to the number of organizations and good work that’s happening in the community, and there are enough to suit any person.
For me, it’s one of the best parts of retirement, to be free to do all that.”
Learn more about volunteering with Grey Bears or other volunteer opportunities for UC Santa Cruz Retirees.
