Can anyone answer honestly why not more people volunteer?

Question

I know there are probably more interesting questions out there but I would really appreciate your thoughts on this one.

I live in London and by chance just started volunteering for a charity which my mate works for, but he was telling me how hardly anyone really wants to volunteer and help out and the only people that do come forward are the usual twinset and pearls brigade.

I've never really given it much thought and I'm only volunteering myself at the moment to help a friend out but it got me thinking, is volunteering really that uncool? or deep down are most people (myself included) quite selfish with our spare time? and what would make make us want to volunteer more or at all?

Answer 1

it depends. if youre talking about full time hours people need to earn money to live. particularly somewhere like london. however if youre talking about a few hours say one or two per week then people should offer help if they have the time to do so. An interest in the charity also helps!!

Answer 2

Some of the people answering don't get that volunteering has NOTHING to do with governments, or political agendas. IT means taking whatever time and abilities you have to better your own community. This is the place where you live, and raise your children. People can help out for just a couple of hours to help at a shelter or another organization, or something that requires more time it doesn't matter. If everyone did just a couple hours a week helping somewhere, where would we all be now? People in shelters maybe running from abuse, or need job skills, need help for a mental disease, etc. Remember as the Genesis song stated "it's just another day in paradise". Someday you or someone you love maybe in that situation, would you want someone help them? I believe that most people want to help, but with work and family it's hard. Maybe they don't know were to start. I don't know how London is, but here in the U.S. most of our fire protection, and basic ambulance service is volunteer, those numbers of volunteers a dwindling as well. Most people don't consider that they can't afford to pay for these services with their tax money, so helping out, or donating money to help run the companies is helping themselves.

Answer 3

well being that i too have a volunteer problem. you see i am a mother of 3, i have always wanted to volunteer for many types of places, but in order to volunteer i would have to pay a babysitter, which i cant afford. they are not old enough to be alone. if we had more free babysitters to help people volunteer we could have more people help.

the other issue is also the fact that people like church goers only stick to volunteering for their churches stuff and don't think of the organizations outside the church unless they either need to ask for something like food assistance or something. like with yourself regarding why you volunteered is actually common. many people only volunteer to get something in return also. weather its volunteer credit for a resume or tax write off or to get some of the stuff at the place they are volunteering at. some volunteer for money(i don't mean getting paid directly, but volunteer to raise money for a trip or item for a purpose. they also don't volunteer because of so many activities after work or school which prevent people from volunteering at that time and they use the excuse that they do enough with their other activities that their spare time is mostly a rest and relaxation time, (which i guess you would call selfish) so there are good and bad ways to get volunteers.

Answer 4

Office politics. If you have money to donate to their cause, you will be welcomed as a volunteer and not be expected to do much work. The folks that volunteer and actually do the work, get burned out quickly and give up hope that their efforts were welcomed or wanted. So, they resist volunteering again. The coordinators for the charitable organizations are usually underpaid and underapprieciated and make sure everyone working beheath them that doesn't have a healthy wallet pays for it in other ways. So, the two-faced, butt- kissing side of the chairities is exposed. People have enough problems at home to walk into other peoples problems just to feel their efforts are empty.

Answer 5

I am self employed but if I have spare time I tried to help with a local group helping children, unfortunately I am made to feel guilty if I don't go every week as they are desperate for volunteers. Maybe if we could committ to one afternnoon, or evening a month to volunteering more people would and share the work load. Due to family illness my time is now taken up elsewhere and there is little understanding from the group.

Answer 6

I think it is a combination of factors. Some people feel they are too busy. Others don't realize how important it is unless they themselves have been affected by something. (For instance, not feeling the need to volunteer in a literacy program until you have a cousin who struggles with reading.) Some don't really feel they have anything to offer--they may not feel they are "qualified" or have any special skills to share. Finally, some may not believe in various organizations. For instance, a person who feels all homeless people deserve to be homeless will not volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen, probably. Finally, I have found MANY, MANY people figure "someone else will do it."

Answer 7

I used to volunteer quite a bit - but I got sick and tired to the coordinators treating me like crap, being verbally abusive, demanding that I stay 2 and 3x longer than I agreed to, making me feel guilty for wanting/needing to be somewhere else, etc etc. Everyone else I knew that had tried said the same thing - the volunteer coordinators were slave drivers.

Here's just one example: I was supposed to meet a group of people to go canvassing door-to-door collecting non-perishable food items. However, as it was winter, the city bus was late and I was nearly an hour overdue by the time I got there. The coordinator said she "knew my type and my excuse held about as much water as a paper bag." She proceeded to announce to everyone that she would appreciate it if everyone else didn't assume she was as stupid as I obviously did. I was not dismissed, instead, she said I could redeem myself by doing her route as well as my own. I did it, because I wanted to earn a letter of reference fr a future employer.

This was in Ontario, Canada. I also volunteered a few years back, in a different city, and was pretty much treated the same way. Several women were "running" the operation and everyone else was expendable. I felt I had better things to waste my time on than fluffing someone else's ego.

I'm assuming this is not your problem, but that's why I'm into chequebook charity now.

Answer 8

I have been volunteering for 6 years with my community association which is a registared charity. We also have problems getting volunteers to come and help, the main reason is that they feel that the local council put on them. We do alot of work with the youth on the estate, our council get good money for this job and offer us no assistance at all, either with detatched youth workers or funding.

Answer 9

That's a great question. Volunteering has to come from the heart. No one can be forced to volunteer. If it's in you to do so, then by all means do it. If not, don't. In today's society, people seem to be more self-centered, and not willing to give their time to strangers. It's a sign of the times!

Answer 10

people on long term unemployment benefit should be encouraged to voluteer as it buikds confidence and skills. I think a lot of people just dont really think about it. There is a big drive to encourage volunteering just now and it is helping a little, and it is popular amongst new graduates and students alike trying to develop skills in their chosen fields. I think that unemployment centres and volunteering organisations should be more closely linked, and rather than trying to force people into dead end jobs should actively be encouraging them to gain voluntary employment in a field they enjoy. When I was unemployed I took up a full time voluntary position and very nearly lost my benefits because I supposedly 'didnt have enough time left to actively seek employment'.