When representatives of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) reported on their volunteer activities to the Teachers' Retirement Board, they showed only a small portion of the impact on the state and its communities.

CalRTA President Susan Dixon and Government Relations Chair Dr. Kathy Kinley presented a check to the board for $39,461,421, symbolizing the value of a year’s worth of volunteer hours by retired educators in non-school volunteer hours.

CalSTRS retirees’ pension payments allow them to infuse those dollars into the state and local economies.

The volunteer hours show how retired educators continue to have an invaluable presence even after they are no longer daily fixtures on campus.

That is one of the reasons CalSTRS works hard to secure the financial future and sustain the trust of California's public-school educators and their beneficiaries. Retired educators continue to enrich and improve the world around them.

Be sure to check with CalSTRS before volunteering or returning to work at a CalSTRS-covered institution to ensure it does not impact your benefit.