It’s a Bull Market for Volunteerism

Arkansas Morning News

October 18, 2009

It’s A Bull Market For Volunteerism By Anna Fry THE MORNING NEWS Retired Marine Mark Slaughter got a job with Wachovia Securities and became a financial adviser. Then the market collapsed. He struggled to find clients. Slaughter left Wachovia in March 2009 and spent three or four months out of work. During that time, he stepped up his volunteerism, taking into consideration the opportunity to network. He attended area networking events to promote the ALS Association. As the job-hunting story often goes, someone Slaughter knew from networking events knew someone who knew someone. Slaughter landed a job through a contact he made volunteering. Slaughter is one of the changing faces of volunteerism in Northwest Arkansas in the recession. Volunteer managers throughout the state report seeing shifting volunteer demographics as retirees return to work, professionals take second jobs and the unemployed volunteer to keep resumes current, said Sherry Middleton, director of the state Department of Human Services’ volunteerism division. Northwest Arkansas volunteer coordinators said they’ve seen the same shifts. Many also said their volunteer numbers have held steady or increased despite a national survey showing Americans have cut back on community service. “We have a lot more volunteers than we’ve ever had,” said Marge Wolf, executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. The American Red Cross Northwest Arkansas chapter’s volunteer numbers have tripled in the past four months, said Jeff Patrick, director of school and community programs. The organization typically has two to four volunteers go through orientation monthly. Fifteen people are signed up for next month, he said. People are cutting back on charitable giving in the economic downturn, but still give through volunteering, said Teresa Smith, manager of community impact for the local United Way. Increased volunteerism in the area means agencies that rely on volunteers can continue to provide services, she said. The Red Cross’ volunteer increase allows it to provide services in rural areas where offices don’t exist, Patrick said. The chapter serves 19 counties but has only a handful of offices. However, volunteer coordinators said the recession has placed a greater demand on their organizations’ services. For example, the Samaritan Community Center in Springdale has seen a 50 percent increase in the people it serves over the last half year, Executive Director Debbie Rambo said. Volunteer numbers at the center, which provides meals and food, have increased about 20 percent over roughly the same period. Several volunteer coordinators attributed the increase to more recruiting as the need for assistance has grown in the down economy. The Red Cross has increased its Web presence and worked to follow up with volunteers, Patrick said. The Samaritan Community Center has become more flexible with volunteers to find ways to accommodate people’s schedules, Rambo said. The center now opens one night a week so working professionals and families have the opportunity to help behind the scenes. The most recent statewide statistics compiled through the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Volunteerism are for 2008, Middleton said. They showed an increase in volunteer hours from 2007. So far this year, volunteer managers in the field say new volunteers and those quitting volunteerism balance out, she said. The University of Arkansas’ Alumni Association has seen an increase in volunteer interest from unemployed people, said Anthony McAdoo, senior director of alumni programs. State officials encourage the unemployed to volunteer to keep their resumes current, Middleton said. Arkansas law requires that volunteer experience receive the same weight as paid experience in applications for state jobs, she said. On the flip side, the Samaritan Community Center has lost some retired volunteers because they had to return to work or couldn’t afford to spend the gasoline money, Rambo said. Volunteer coordinators noted an increase in young people volunteering and families volunteering together. But coordinators say the volunteerism increase among young people is due to students recognizing the difference it can make on college, scholarship and graduate applications. The University of Arkansas’ Center of Leadership and Community Engagement has seen a groundswell of students interested in volunteering, assistant director Angela Oxford said. The center worked with nearly three times the volunteers in 2008 than it did the year before. Hundreds of University of Arkansas students participated in volunteer projects Saturday as an early commemoration of Make a Difference Day, which is this Saturday. The annual day, created by USA Weekend, is dedicated to helping others. A volunteerism program through the Teen Action and Support Center has doubled the number of students it works with, said Rachel Osborn, program manager. Some of the teens in the program must participate because of traffic, misdemeanor or juvenile probation violations, so the increase may not result solely from self-initiated volunteerism. Northwest Arkansas volunteerism is seemingly bucking the national trend. A survey for the National Conference on Citizenship conducted in May found 72 percent of Americans said they cut back on civic activities including volunteerism. Civic engagement has historically declined during economic downturns, said John Bridgeland, chairman of the conference’s advisory board. This recession is similar to past downturns because people are pulling back from civic involvement to survive financially, he said. But, surveyed citizens reported helping in other ways. Half said they gave money or food to people in need who were not relatives. As the economy improves, people who have started volunteering will continue, Middleton said. Studies show people tend to keep volunteering once they’re exposed, she said, and the younger people start, the more likely they are to volunteer throughout their lifetimes. That’s referred to as the “halo effect.” “I like to think people get addicted to volunteering,” she said.