Surge in volunteer spirit amid jobs crisis

PEOPLE whose job situation has been affected by the recession are becoming increasingly likely to volunteer, according to research.

The study, carried out by Volunteer Ireland in advance of the National Day of Volunteering on September 30, found that, among people who are either not working or working less now, almost 70% said the change in their employment had made them more likely to volunteer.

The research also found that what people most wanted from the organisation they volunteered for was to ‘be accepted as a valuable team member’ (48%), followed by receiving ‘feedback about their contribution’ (19%).