It has been said that volunteer work is honorable; you get a pat on your back and fell good about yourself. What's more, studies are finding that volunteer work actually does extend life.

An advocate of community and volunteer work, humanitarian Tina Turbin (http://TinaTurbin.com) says, “People should engage in volunteer work. If people could give a little more of their time with expecting nothing in return, really giving from the heart, they will reap rewards that they didn't expect.”

A 1999 university of Michigan study is in agreement with her statements. It found that seniors who spend as little as an hour a week volunteering are helping themselves as well as others. The study, published in the “Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences”, documents the link between moderate levels of volunteer activity and increased chances of survival.

Everyone reaches a point in life when it's reasonable to ask, “Where did I come from?” In some strange way, the answer to this question will also be the answer to another question, “Where am I going?” Family trees provide intriguing clues about cultural heritage and socio-economic status that can be quite inspirational.

“Wow, look at how the family evolved from a group of potato farming peasants in Ireland to teachers, doctors and lawyers in America,” one person may say. Or “It's incredible how our close ones has always worked in the civic sector,” another person may remark. It takes diligence, patience and resourcefulness to create a family tree online, but it's not an impossible task, given all the preserved historical records available to the public these days.