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EMPLOYEE
Each year we get a snapshot of “the state of volunteering,” so to speak. The Volunteering in America report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service provides data and trends related to volunteer activity across the U.S., by region, by age, and by category.
The 2010 report was released last month and as always, there are some new trends that we can see emerging. Basically, this data gives us a great look at those that make the world a better place – you, the volunteer.
Check out the link: http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/
Perhaps the most striking revelation is that Generation X (those born 1965-1981) is the only generation volunteering at a higher rate than in years past.
Why the uptick, when everyone else is slacking? The rise in Gen X service hours reflects the arc observed in the volunteer life cycle, where individual involvement increases as they feel more connected to communities via home ownership, having children and more stable employment – the exact life stage many Gen Xers are currently in.
Here are some other interesting nuggets from the report:
35% of volunteer activity between 2008 and 2010 was religious in nature – the largest chunk of any of the volunteering categories.
Despite the fact that retiring Boomers were expected to join the world of volunteering en masse, the Baby Boomer volunteer rate is at its lowest since 2007. (Click here for an article that suggests some reasons why Millennials and Boomers are not volunteering as expected.)
Only 8.1% of the population reported volunteering informally in 2010 (not affiliated with an organization). Logic suggests the actual number is much higher, if everyone thought about the ways in which they contribute to their communities...
Do you feel this report accurately portrays YOU as a volunteer? Check out the data and let us know what you think. Post your comments below.
I’m
inquisitive
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People are giving, goods and services, to help our neighbors in need - from snowstorms, floods, tornados, hurricanes and wildfires... all during an economic crisis. More than ever people want to do something that makes them feel they are making a difference in someone's life.- view 1 more comment
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Sunny Sanguine September 24, 2011 19:24I volunteer all the time, however it's not ever gauged due to I do it on my own, without it being affiliated with any organization...EditDeleteRemove
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JERRY CAMPBELL October 05, 2011 22:41MISSOURI is an outlier state, compromise state, high-free lunch qualified STATE. The story of the highly diverse Central West End, from Washington University to Wellston, north of the Delmar Loop.EditDeleteRemove
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One of the biggest reasons the volunteer rate is so low for baby boomers is a large percentage live below the poverty level and need to stay at least part- time employed just to make ends meet and pay for expensive medicatons. That is a real down side to volunteering. They take jobs away from people and the non-profits only have to pay the administrators and high paying employee's and not the ones most seniors would gladly do for minimum wage. We got paid minimum wage to go to those non-profits to gain experience to try and get a job. Trouble is non-profits will not hire anyone. The Obama Administration cut our funding and hours to twelve and they want to cut the program out June 2012. I know first hand most of those volunteers in gen x are not hurting. They own their homes, businesses, have good jobs and are not in need of finances.They do not impress me at all and contribute to the unemployment rate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Barbara
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Excellent contribution, Barbara. You bring up an important issue. Do you think boomers will have a positive space in the volunteer realm again?
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I was born in 1967--I didn't realize I was a Gen X-er, so I guess I'm on the older end of the spectrum. I live in a town where jobs are not plentiful and my husband earns good money (and we also own our own business) so as a stay-at-home mom volunteering gives me something to do to fill my days while my kids are in school. So this article definitely applies to me!
I started as a comfort-care aid in 2003-08, took off a few years, and then recently returned to it this past summer. Feels like I never left. I love my work.
I suppose it is true that people like me (who do volunteer) may appear to be taking jobs from seniors but I have to disagree. We genuinely want to help, it is healthy for us to be social in this way and get out of the house, but most of us don't give more than 4-8 hours a week because we still like to go shopping, do our hobbies, clean our own houses and we still have kids at home to look after. We deserve opportunities just as much as anyone else.
Comfort Care, for example, is not government funded like hospice, and the community funds the majority of the running of the home. If it weren't for people like me (and all the wonderful retired men and ladies who also volunteer there), we'd not be able to offer the community this blessing. No terminally ill resident is charged any fee, regardless of income.
As a former volunteer coordinator I can promise you that if there was plentiful funding, it would DEFINITELY create jobs for seniors and the volunteer opportunties wouldn't be as predominant--so you are right on about the money. Seniors are more reliable, have a better moral compass and maturity level, and staffing volunteers from week to week is a pain in the you-know-what. No one wants that kind of pressure! A full time staff is preferred. Trust me! It is much easier to pay people because you know they'll be coming in to work and that schedule will always be filled! So...don't take it out on the younger volunteers because it really isn't true.....It's all about money.
Instead, maybe you should keep an open mind and be grateful that people like us who already have so much are still willing to give something back to the community, because we certainly don't have to! If we didn't fill in the blanks many organizations would not be able to serve the communities as well as they do and seniors would still be hurting for funds, regardless! I'm posturing for my children. Don't you want a community with parents who model such good/helpful behavior to our younger generations? (At 15, my daughter just began volunteering as a cargiver also)... -
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Matt Yes the boomers that are financially set. We had quite a few at the non-profit I was at. They all said the same thing " I just wanted to get out of the house; have something to do". My observation was the boomers and older were more consistant coming 1-2 times a week for long periods of time. The gen xers on the other hand were there around big events like Thanks Giving, Christmas, School Supplies and Special Sales to generate funds. That's another thing: people donated goods and instead of going to the needy, they took alot of them and put them up for sale. I'm not talking about antiques and valuables which I can understand, but regular house hold goods. Just thought I would throw that in!
So you need to take in account just what those numbers reflect. A big event and lots of gen exers. Some of the boomers can not do the lifting and physical labor that is needed for volunteer jobs. Oh well! I just thought I'd respond to your question and have a blessed evening. barbara-
Yes, I just mentioned (above) that seniors are more consistnetly reliable. I am 43 and I wish, wish, wish more people my age and younger would stick to it, instead of showing up for the events. That being said, I'll take it!! Whatever people are wililng to give is always a blessing. I would never turn them away. Keep in mind that our generation is materialistic and insecure, so you might THINK they are "set" financially, based on appearance, but they may be in debt or struggling to maintain a lifestyle. Most of the younger volunteers I see showing up at events still have full time jobs, so they simply do not have the time to give consistently. Even at my age I am already being passed over (for FT paying jobs) for the younger generation. I am not going to sit at home and watch life go by!
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I’m
dismayed
Actually there are plenty of Gen-Xers who also live below the poverty level and do so with young children to take care of, as well. As a Gen-Xer, myself, I know this first hand. Statistics show that the largest population of homeless people are children, which implies that their parents (likely Gen Exers) are homeless with them. And perhaps the boomers come more often and stay longer because they are retired and don't have children at home. Why is it so hard for boomers to accept criticism even if it's just mildly implied and so hard to give credit to the next generation for getting involved? In the 80's I thought to myself that perhaps when boomers age they would become less self-congratulatory and more humble. Still wishing.-
Completely agree with all of this!!
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When I was a Gen-Xer in my 20's I was more radical in many aspects of my life - politics, relationships - my entire approach and outlook on life and how to effect change within the world.
Now that I am a Gen-Xer pushing 40 and I have more years of life experience to draw from... my approach and outlook on life is not as radical - its no longer all or nothing, I have learned that there can be victory in compromise.
Now that I feel that I have more of myself to give and more reasons to give back to the community in which I live - I have sought out volunteer opportunities.
I truly enjoy my volunteer time - I meet the best people, have great experiences, smile and laugh often - the rewards are always greater than the time I give and the work that I do while volunteering. Volunteering makes ME a better person and I am way too selfish to give that up.
This is why I think there are more Gen-Xer's out there volunteering. While I am no longer the mover and shaker of my youth, ready to take on the world with fists clentched - the fire within my soul that knows I want to change the world (the fire that burns within all Gen-Xer's) is still there! We are out there, still changing the world, one action / deed / vote at a time...forever trying to do our best and waiting for the world to change and catch up with us Xer's. -
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I’m
sad
I fall in the Baby Boomer group. When I lived in Hawaii, I volunteered regularly with several organizations. About 6 years ago, I moved to the Washington DC metro area and made an effort to be involved in volunteer activities. Right now, I am not actively volunteering.
Reasons? First, it is more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive for me to get around in this area than in Hawaii. Just a fact of geography.
In Hawaii, I loved to volunteer for social reasons as well as to be of help to organizations and people. Here, my volunteer activities were lonely affairs and I never felt like a welcome and valuable addition to the group - only an outsider who was shunted aside to do the less desirable jobs. In my experience, the younger people were more accepted by the group and were given better assignments as well as training. This makes a huge difference in retention and I believe this has also been pointed out in some of the studies on the Volunteering in America website. Just because we are older, it doesn't mean that we are incompetent, computer illiterate, and unable to learn. I find this attitude is more common now in paid employment too. Who would want to show up in this kind of situation unless they had to?
"Why is it so hard for Boomers to accept criticism?" - well, why is it so hard for Gen Xers to accept it as well? We should all be able to work together. It worked for me in Hawaii, so I know it's possible. We Boomers don't know everything - but we are willing to learn, if people are willing to teach us. We also have skills to offer if people are willing to use them. I hope for a time when I can return to giving back to the community and feel a part of the community.- view 1 more comment
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I also wanted to say that though I think it's unfortunate, it is also ironic that the generation whose motto used to be "Don't trust anyone over 30" is now not being trusted by younger generations with responsibility in organizations. Yes, I do suppose having a habit in the past of rejecting the older generation and then later rejecting the younger generation can eventually turn into a lonely experience.
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YC, I'm sorry if you thought I was agreeing with a criticism that you were useless. That was not my intention at all. *Everybody* has a lot to offer and I have found that younger people have wonderful energy, original ideas, and lots of knowledge.
My previous volunteer jobs were not high profile - I served meals at a soup kitchen, helped with literacy and English as a Second Language training, and, yes, even did bulk mailings. I agree with you that the important thing is to help in whatever capacity one can.
Now that we are agreed, it seems, can I explain what I meant? While we can't always do what we want and we often have to do what's needed, it's still very important, at least to me, to feel like a contributing member of the group.
I hope you are successful at your volunteering. And I hope you won't think of all of us as "self-involved and super sensitive" (is that a criticism or attack?) Sorry you have obviously had such a negative experience with older people. -
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here is what I think! Two years ago I--a retired high school teacher--volunteered to help out at a youth center in Phoenix, responding to a request for teachers who could help at-risk youth with academic programs. I was very willing and capable of doing this. Four months later, I called to see what had happened to my application and the director said she was sorry but she had misplaced my file in the wrong file.
It's so sad. I'm energetic and capable, but this is the third volunteer job that hasn't materialized. I went to another school looking for volunteers and the teacher said she couldn't use me that day....same thing happened the next day.
You may think I'm a loser and no one would want me in a classroom. It's not true. I'm youthful, strong, and was a very successful teacher. I hear this story again and again.
MARTY ANDREWS -
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And now my comments can't be recorded because of your sign-in policy. MA
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Hey Martha, things should be back up and running now. Let me know if you still have problems logging in.
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I’m
anxious
I am new to volunteering.... I am 22 years old. I do not have to much insite on whats going on in the volunteer world but I do know that I do want to make a diffrence in helping others. And hopefully my contribute to others will inspire people in my generation to do the same and one day maybe those numbers can change. -
