Volunteers

We always need volunteers. Volunteers keep the lights on. They cement the community together. Volunteers often help keep the doors open and enable organizations to deliver vital programs and services. They lend their expertise, to fundraising campaigns and special events.

Volunteering for a good cause changes lives and doesn’t just benefit the people you’re helping. Beyond the obvious benefits of helping out in the community and making a difference, volunteering can both further a career and improve your life. Everybody wins.

Did you hear about the knife thrower who started using volunteers as a part of his show? Yea they’re a part of his target audience

Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity.

By volunteering, you’ll meet people you otherwise never would have met. The bonds formed between volunteers are strong, and friendships quickly form. These friendships could be a big benefit by expanding your network of contacts. It’s a nice side effect of the work you’ll be doing. What do you call an elderly person who volunteers their time? A dentured servant.

Unemployed volunteers are more likely to find work than non-volunteers. Volunteers have a 27 percent better chance of being hired than people who don’t volunteer, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

A LinkedIn survey found 41 percent of hiring managers view volunteer work as equal to a paid job. This is especially beneficial to anyone who has been unemployed but volunteered while searching for a job. What do you call a volunteer bricklayer? A Freemason.

Every new skill you pick up is a chance to improve and expand your personal branding. You won’t be paid, but you’ll receive valuable hands-on experience that you can take ownership in.

Volunteering makes most people happier in life and improves their mental health. A study found volunteers have a 20 percent lower risk of death than people who don’t volunteer. Being happier in life can have a huge impact in your “real” job and ensure you don’t get burned out.

Your disposition and energy levels will improve, while the risk of burnout decreases. Happiness makes the day-to-day work more enjoyable.

Self-confidence goes a long way in furthering your career, and volunteering provides the outlet to improve this valuable trait. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as it gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

A man buys a paint factory in a small town. He visits the local volunteer fire department to see for himself if they’d be able to handle a fire at his plant. What he finds convinces him they could not... The whole fire department consists of one old pumper truck and a bunch of volunteers he finds less than reliable. He tells them “Boys, I’m sorry to tell you this but I’m not confident you could handle a fire at my plant. I’m going to contract with the nearby big-city fire department”.

A few months later the unthinkable happens and the plant catches fire. The owner calls the big-city fire department, and when they show up the fire chief decides that it’s just too dangerous to approach the plant. He decides to set up a roadblock to prevent anyone from going near it, and they begin to wait it out. Just then the local boys come barreling down the road, fire bell clanging and siren blaring. The driver is waving his arms to get the big-city firemen to move out of the way, and crashes right through the barricades. They smash through an overhead door into the plant, set up a few hoses and start fighting the fire. The guys without hoses grab shovels and start flinging dirt onto the fire.

The big-city fire chief sees this and shouts “C’mon boys, let’s get in there and help ‘em out!” After a few hours their efforts pay off, and they manage to save a large portion of the plant. The owner is happy as he can be, and tells the local fire chief “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen! Thank you! I’m going to write you a check and donate $10,000 to your fire department! Do you have any idea how you’re going to spend it?” The local chief thinks for a moment and says:

“Well, I don’t know what we’re going to do with the rest, but first thing tomorrow morning that fire engine is getting new brakes!”

Did you know that over 1 billion people volunteer worldwide? The number of volunteers exceeds the number of unemployed people in six out of ten of the world’s largest countries. Moreover, it’s three times the number of people employed in financial services or mining industries. The effect of their labor is equal to over 109 million full-time workers.

One in four Americans volunteer. People in the States spend an average of 52 hours a year volunteering. Women are more likely than men to volunteer. And Baby Boomers are more likely to be volunteers than any other generation.

Covid caused 11% of volunteer organizations in the US to cease operations. Almost 75% of Americans think that volunteering will be more important after the pandemic. In the US, 15% of people support hunger and homelessness causes. Most volunteers in the States are between 35 and 44 years old.

Volunteers are crucial for charities and nonprofits, many of which would not survive without their volunteer staff’s dedication. Beyond nonprofits, many other organizations also benefit from volunteer work, including schools, nursing homes, medical care facilities, prisons, and government programs like animal shelters.

My wife volunteers every week as a school crossing guard. I tell everyone she’s into human trafficking.

In the US and Canada, 38% of people donate between $101 and $999. The next largest segment is the $1,000–$4,999 range, with 35% of people donating this amount. Moreover, 18% of people give more than $5,000, with 11% giving between $5,000 and $9,999 and 7% giving more than $10,000. On the other hand, approximately 9% of people donate $100 or less.

Don’t ever question the value of volunteers. Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals.” ~Dave Gynn.

70% of volunteer work is done informally. One of the major global volunteering trends is that most volunteer work happens outside of organized charities or businesses. It’s usually driven by people’s involvement in religious, social, or political groups. In non-industrialized countries, the gap between formal and informal volunteering is even bigger.

Volunteer time in the States is currently valued at $28.54 per hour. This calculation is based on hourly earnings released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s estimated that volunteers contribute nearly $200 billion in value to US communities. The value of volunteer time in 2020 was up 4.9% from 2019.

“Here’s to all volunteers, those dedicated people who believe in all work and no-pay.” ~ Robert Orben, speech and comedy writer.

Around 30.3% of Americans volunteer. Approximately one-third of adult Americans formally volunteer at least once a year. Moreover, 35.97% of the time spent volunteering is dedicated to fundraising. Finally, 34.22% of volunteering activity goes to collecting, prepping, or distributing food (34.22%).

In the US, 15% of people support hunger and homelessness causes. Hunger and homelessness causes are the most supported in the US. The next leading cause for volunteers is health and wellness, with 13% of Americans donating to those causes. According to volunteering statistics, other top causes are religion-based and charities for animals and wildlife, with 12% and 10% of Americans supporting them, respectively.

Help celebrate Volunteer Recognition Day. “There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say, ‘what happened?’” ~ Casey Stengel.