Rosanne and Mike Holton
Traditional wisdom says that when you’ve worked for 30+ years, you’re probably ready to retire and take it easy. Like many other baby boomers, Rosanne and Mike Holton aren’t buying that idea.
The Grand Rapids couple have embarked on their third careers, each having spent more than a decade in public school systems and another decade-plus in education-related corporate work. Now they’re working for local nonprofit organizations—and enjoying the flexibility of part-time employment, along with new opportunities for learning and exploring new paths.
Soon after leaving an international training job that kept her away from home too much, Rosanne discovered a Heart of West Michigan United Way volunteer position that piqued her interest. The position, as a front desk receptionist, soon turned into a part-time job coordinating the agency’s volunteer receptionists, supporting United Way’s Schools of Hope program, and working on special projects.
After Mike’s job in the educational technology field ended, he landed part-time work with the Congregational Partnership Program (CPP), a collaborative effort of the Grand Rapids Area Center for Ecumenism and the Coalition to End Homelessness. CPP engages congregations and other groups in supporting people experiencing housing crises. Mike’s role includes recruiting congregations—a good match for his years of sales experience—and working on communications projects.
Mike got his first real exposure to the issue of homelessness as a volunteer project manager for his church’s work on housing with the Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF). Working with people facing houses crises, “You learn how hard it is if you don’t have a home and how fortunate you are if you do,” he says. “If a person has a home, everything else becomes more manageable.” It was the opportunity to be involved in addressing homelessness that appealed to Mike when he learned about CPP.
For Rosanne, becoming involved with the United Way was an outgrowth of her long-term support for the organization. “The United Way has always been my charity,” she says after years of supporting the agency through payroll deductions. She cites the organization’s accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness. “I feel very good about being a part of the United Way.”
Both Rosanne and Mike are firm believers in the benefits of volunteering. “It’s the best way I know to try out something that you’re interested in,” says Rosanne, who also volunteers as a wayfinder for Spectrum Health. And neither has ruled out the possibility of another full-time position, should the right opportunity arise.
“We don’t envision retiring,” says Mike. “This is living.” He adds, “I play golf, but I can’t do it all the time.” As for Rosanne, “I have no plans ever to retire, as long as I’m capable [of working]. When your whole week is nothing but Saturdays, Saturday isn’t fun any more. Work is fun to me.”
