Charities Say President’s Call to Service Prompted Surge in Volunteers

Charities around the country have been inundated with volunteers as the economy has worsened.

In a spot check of charities, all but one of the 17 groups contacted by The Chronicle reported that, in the past two months, more Americans have been inquiring about volunteer opportunities and attending volunteer orientations.

The officials attribute the jump to a number of factors, including President Obama’s call to service, concern about growing hunger and homelessness in the United States, and the higher unemployment rate, which has left many people with more time to volunteer.

“Certainly, having the president of our country reflect the importance of service, coupled with people being very aware of the needs during these difficult times, has meant that more people are coming forward and are looking to help,” says Holly Reed, director of the United Way of Chittenden County, in Burlington, Vt.

In January of this year, Ms. Reed’s charity referred 259 people to volunteer opportunities, compared with 140 in January 2008.

Another 200 people expressed interest in volunteering during the first three weeks of February.

Other charities reporting an increase in volunteers are Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which had registered 32,000 volunteers in January, 7,000 more than the same month in 2008; the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada, in Las Vegas, which has attracted so many people who want to lead volunteer efforts that its orientations are full until April; and Union Rescue Mission, in Los Angeles, which had 2,000 volunteers in January compared with 1,000 in a typical month.

The United Way of King County, in Seattle, referred 1,496 people to volunteer opportunities in January compared with 807 in January 2008.

Some groups saw an increase specifically around the Martin Luther King holiday and the Inauguration. Volunteers recruited by Hands On Greenville, in South Carolina, logged 6,000 hours that week, compared with 727 during the same week in 2008, according to Robin Applewhite, the group’s executive director.

Making Accommodations

Charities that coordinate volunteerism say they are trying to find ways to accommodate the growing number.

HandsOn Greater Phoenix has seen between 20 and 30 percent more volunteers registering for orientations, so service opportunities are filling up weeks and sometimes even months in advance.

“People are only going to try a few times with you, and if they don’t find something they want to get involved with they will look elsewhere or give up altogether on the notion of service,” says Rhonda Oliver, the charity’s president. “We don’t want that to happen, so we’re trying to steer people to our day of service in April or point them to specific organizations.”