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Volunteer Boom Becoming a Burden

Charities overwhelmed by would-be free workers

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 16, 2009 9:48 AM CDT

(Newser) – As more people lose jobs, they’ve got hours to fill—and many are turning to volunteer work, looking to do good and perhaps network, the New York Times reports. But organizations have been so flooded that many have had to put would-be helpers on waiting lists—and for some, it's becoming a burden. "The irony is that sometimes it’s almost more work to find something for a volunteer to do than to just turn them away," says the United Way's VP.

Smaller organizations often lack a volunteer coordinator, and many have had to cut back in the face of lighter donations. “Can you make them stop calling?” asked a nonprofit executive, who noted that “everybody’s inspired by Obama,” who has urged public service. "They also don't have any jobs."

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Jane Elliott washes a homeless man's feet at the Common Ground Church in Atlanta, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Neighborhood residents receive free bread from Hunger Network of Cleveland volunteers in a church basement on the city's west side, Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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We’re thrilled to have all of these volunteers. But now organizations are stuck not being able to take advantage of it because they don’t have adequate funding. - Lindsay Firestone, Taproot Foundation

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Volunteer Boom Becoming a Burden