In Australia, the spirit of volunteering is alive and well – but volunteering is dying on the vine. Mark Pearce, CEO of Volunteering Australia, described their impact as leading to a 28 percent drop in formal household volunteers. This continuing trend has been apparent over the last few years. Nearly six million Australians dedicate their time to various causes yearly, contributing significantly to community services, welfare, and emergency response. Out-of-pocket costs and lack of training for volunteers create barriers that prevent wider participation.
Dave Paulsen, a 75-year-old volunteer, interacts with people while helping operate a new mobile laundry van. Inside, he’s talking to other volunteers as washing machines spin and laundry bounces around him. The personal laundry service provides guests with a simple and safe solution to hygiene while on the go. It opens up a safe space for people to connect with each other. Paulsen explains what this service has meant to marginalized folks.
“It gives them that boost for the day, they can come and feel like they’re like normal people who are able to wash their clothes every day, or have a shower every day. Whereas some of these people, at times we’ve had people come who haven’t been able to wash their clothes for two or three weeks.” – Dave Paulsen
The wildfire recovery mobile laundry outreach exemplifies how critical, life-sustaining volunteer service is to meeting basic human needs and building community connections. Paulsen notes that many individuals utilize the service not only for its practical benefits but for the social interaction it encourages.
“While their washing is being done- it usually takes around an hour, an hour and ten minutes. They’ll wash and dry them- they can sit and chat and tell us their story, or just discuss general world events. And quite a lot of people will just sit and talk.” – Dave Paulsen
Rheanca Lincoln, a 19-year-old volunteer from Toowoomba, Queensland, reassures the audience that keeping busy with volunteering helped to eliminate the loneliness. She understands it as integral to uplifting younger generations, too. She argues that volunteering can be transformative, allowing individuals to break free from isolation while creating opportunities for connection within their communities.
“I think loneliness right now is at the highest prevalence in young people, and I think that volunteering can be a really creative way to combat that.” – Rheanca Lincoln
The value of volunteers goes beyond the basic daily services. They serve key roles during times of emergency and natural disaster. Harmandeep Singh Sidhu exemplifies this as he continues to support his community through the Rural Fire Service (RFS). Returning from his service to the Lismore floods in 2022, Sidhu pledged to volunteer for life.
“I joined the RFS in 2020 when I only thought of dealing with the fires around my farm/residence. But later I liked the services that they provide in dangerous and vulnerable situations.” – Harmandeep Singh Sidhu
Stephanie Harvey, a Bidjara woman and leader of Community First Development, asserts that successful volunteer projects hinge on building reciprocal relationships. She points out that in First Nations communities, good volunteering is less about doing charity and way more about doing connection.
“Volunteering in First Nations communities, when it’s done the right way, it’s not about giving, it’s not about welfare, and it’s certainly not extractive.” – Stephanie Harvey
Even with these positive examples of commitment and community connectivity, Volunteering Australia’s results indicate some negative patterns. The reservoir of formal volunteering is drying up. People are engaging in less community service than they have historically. Here are some of the reasons Pearce highlights that are leading to this downturn.
“There’s been a long-term decline in the rate of what we would term formal volunteering,” he noted. He calls on the Federal government and State governments to act by breaking down obstacles that keep citizens from volunteering.
“Volunteering is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of every community. As a consequence, the Federal, as well as State and Territory governments have a responsibility to remove the burdens from people who put up their hands and say ‘I have a commitment to my community.’” – Mark Pearce
Despite all these challenges, volunteers are showing incredible resilience and dedication. In addition to delivering eye-opening services, they build very human relationships that illuminate community life. As the number of available volunteers continues to decline, it is more important than ever for stakeholders to recognize and rectify barriers that affect participation.
