ARE VOLUNTEER ORGANISATION LACKING NEW MEMBERS?
Posted by: Hicky
3rd Jun 2022 08:24pm
Are we getting too reliant on Government Services and are no longer helping ourselves and others? Are we as a society waiting for others to do the heavy lifting and don't commit to long term volunteering? Or are we under so much performance pressure that there is no time and energy left for charitable organisations? Or have we become cynical about the value of organisations such as Rotary, Probus, Lion, and Toastmasters as examples?
You must be a member to reply to this chat topic. Click here to sign in.
Help Caféstudy members by responding to their questions, or ask your own in Café Chat, and you will get the chance of earning extra rewards. Caféstudy will match these and donate equally to our two chosen Australian charities.
Australian Marine Conservation Society are an independent charity, staffed by a committed group of scientists, educators and passionate advocates who have defended Australia’s oceans for over 50 years.
ReachOut is the most accessed online mental health service for young people and their parents in Australia. Their trusted self-help information, peer-support program and referral tools save lives by helping young people be well and stay well. The information they offer parents makes it easier for them to help their teenagers, too.
Comments 4
relsforum
I love doing volunteering and I wish more people did it. They are vital in our community. I participate in parkrun on a Saturday morning and without volunteers the walk/run wouldn't take place. It is a free event for the community and anybody to attend.
Caperteewaratah
Volunteering is a valuable thing to do for yourself and your community, and shows children the value of helping others. Even if its only once a year such as Clean up day picking up rubbish in your neighborhood - that's a good thing to do and a way also of meeting others in your community. There is always more you get from giving than taking.
If you cannot be in an organisation on a regular basis, what about helping neighbors or family members? Clean up they yard and mow - if it ever stops raining! Your local community centre could direct you to organisations or groups who welcome helpers. A community garden is a good way to meet people and be part of something good, they usually cook a lunch after a morning of weeding and you get some vegetables.
Or how about baking some biscuits to take into workmates for morning tea as a surprise? It doesn't have to be anything formal, to make a difference, and create a feeling of thoughtfulness towards others.
Look for something local to help.
AdelaideM
I think part of the problem is that most people have to work long hours these days, and you can't survive off one income any more.
Once upon a time, lot's of people used to have regular hours so they could commit to a particular time and day each week to volunteer. Nowdays, lot's of people are working weekends or after hours, so don't have the time.
I also think there's an element of us not recognising the sheer amount of the volunteers that were women, or supported by women, who weren't in paid employment.
All the women in my family used to volunteer, or would organise their husbands lives so that their husbands could volunteer, as well. Most of them were working, at most, part time as they were doing this.
I think in today's day and age, people just don't have the time or resources the way they used to.
kidwithsmurf
I believe personally given the cost of living in 2022 that volunteering isn't viable. We haven't become lazy, we aren't waiting for others to do the heavy lifting... we simply are working more and more to try to survive in the world and just do not have the time to volunteer. This is because volunteering is normally unpaid and people's time is precious.
This said, I believe if you have spare time and or are retired/don't have to work and are looking for something to pass the time... then volunteering should be your go to provided you can find a charity or organisation in which you believe in to volunteer with.
Though, given the high costs of living in 2022... people are overworked and underpaid as it is and sadly volunteering for free is just not as viable as it once was.