COMPASSION-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERISM AMONG OLDER ADULTS: A CASE STUDY OF TZU CHI RECYLING PROGRAM

Abstract To promote environmental sustainability and mitigate climate change that causes numerous families to suffer from natural disasters, a group of older residents’ volunteer to recycle usable materials by setting up recycling stations in their communities and transform recycled bottles into eco-friendly blankets for disaster survivors globally. This study examined long-term effects of the peer-led Tzu Chi Recycling Program (TCRP) on older adults’ compassion, psychological and physiological well-being. Using a quasi-experimental design, 1-year longitudinal data were collected from older adults at recycling stations (intervention group n = 36) and community centers (control group n = 36) in rural areas in Southern Taiwan. Findings from two-way repeated analysis of variance show that TCRP significantly improved older adults’ self-compassion, compassion for others, depression, hostility, happiness, and hypertension. Older adults built resilience through environmental volunteering in the TCRP as an environmental sustainability model for health promotion and social good