Volunteers Margaret Plank, 95, and Sandy Pizzuto, 90, can attest to that fact. They have volunteered at the John J. Kane Regional Center in Scott Township for the past 25 and 20 years.
This week through May 3 is National Volunteer Week. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 60.8 million people, or 26.2 percent of the population, volunteered at least once in 2007.
While persons age 35 to 54 were most likely to volunteer, those age 65 and older volunteered the most hours annually - approximately 96.
A 2007 study by the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C. showed volunteers had higher functional ability, lower rates of depression, less incidence of heart disease and greater longevity.
Plank volunteers two days per week, for around five hours each day.
Born in the South Side of Pittsburgh, Plank moved to the South Hills when she married in 1957. She now lives on her own in an apartment in Mt. Lebanon.
Plank began volunteering at Kane after her mother passed away. On her first day she couldn't stop crying as everyone there reminded her of her mother. She didn't think she would be able to go back, but changed her mind.
Plank wakes up at 6:30 a.m. and braves any kind of weather to walk the three blocks to the bus, which takes her to to the center if she is not able to find a ride.
Plank assists residents with laundry, letters and menus. Sometimes, she simply visits or escorts residents to church.
Plank also is an active member of Our Lady of Grace Church in Scott Township. She has led the rosary for the past 19 years and attends Mass daily. As a member of the Ladies of Charity, Plank visits other area nursing homes. She also helps in the kitchen for church functions.
In March, Plank marked her 95th birthday with a Mass at Kane. When her family offered to throw a party, she declined, instead opting to stretch out her celebration. She has been taken to lunch and bingo and is looking forward to the horse races and Meadows casino.
"Kane is part of my life. It gives me a reason to be here," Plank said. "I like what I do and thank God I can still come."
Pizzuto's call came 21 years ago when she went with a friend who was a Kane volunteer. Extra people were needed to help with wheelchairs.
"When I pushed the first wheelchair, it broke my heart," Pizzuto said. "There was no turning back after that. I just had to do it."
Born in lower Manhattan's "Little Italy" in New York City, Pizzuto moved to the South Hills in 1954 with her husband and children. At 90 years of age, she lives on her own in Scott Township and still drives, enabling her to volunteer up to four days every week at Kane.
Pizzuto helps residents play bingo, escorts them to church and leads sing-a-longs.
She also dresses in costume to entertain the residents. For Christmas, Pizzuto dons a red pantsuit, matching hat and black boots to play Mrs. Claus, something she has done for the past 20 years.
She has worn a grass skirt for a Hawaiian luau, dressed as a fairy godmother, and generated laughs at summer barbecues with her custom-made clown costume.
Pizzuto's daughter, Maryanne Magulick of Bethel Park, said her mother feels loved and needed at Kane, and thrives on the attention she receives. She has heard her mother say many times that she is a different person at Kane and volunteering gives her a purpose for waking up in the morning.
While good genes have certainly contributed to Plank's and Pizzuto's longevity, their volunteer work is what keeps them going and continues to inspire others.