Not to be surprised that volunteering ha fallen since the pandemic?

[antelopevalley]

Since the pandemic ended, volunteering levels are far lower than they were before the pandemic.
I have a personal interest as I used to do lots of volunteering but no longer do and I am not sure I ever will again.
I have just seen a rise in selfishness and self-centredness and I no longer want to volunteer for local community projects to benefit those families who would not give a damn about me and my family.

I've done many courses over the last couple of years for free to then volunteer in a particular sector. I can't afford to volunteer now with the cost of living rises so I've got a national minimum wage job to tide the family on. Gutted

Why not volunteer for an animal charity instead?

Everyone is so angry.

so much anger. Just bubbling away.

I’m a volunteer for a small local charity and most of our volunteers are of retirement age.
Following Covid lockdowns several volunteers decided not to return due to health worries. One unfortunately passed away with Covid.
People in their 60’s who have recently retired appear to be too busy looking after grandchildren to volunteer, so we are short at the moment.

I don’t know about post pandemic but I think most people are just too busy and worn down to volunteer.

Maybe because people who were are furlough or unable to work are now back in employment too?

Forced charity is no charity at all.
It’s a good thing you’re not volunteering. You sound very bitter tbh.
How do you know these people are selfish and feel this way?

I used to volunteer before the pandemic and all through the pandemic as well. I delivered food during covid. I have since reached volunteer burn out and just don’t have the enthusiasm for it anymore. It was needed during the pandemic but when restrictions lifted people were still pushing for deliveries. I felt that the pandemic made some people over dependent on charity and they were unwilling to give it up. Overall I think volunteering is a good thing and I will probably go back to it at some point. Volunteering with very needy people can be tough. It’s made me quite cynical about how much charity helps. A lot of giving is about making the giver feel good. Sometimes I feel like we do more damage to people with charitable acts.

I volunteer at a place that needs lots of volunteers to run efficiently, ie six volunteers per day. Since covid we are down to 2 per day, maybe 3 or 4 if we're lucky. I just looked at the schedule and there's no one down for Thursday pm, so paid staff will have to fill.

I think many former volunteers have suffered greatly during covid - fear, loneliness, illness, and they've become withdrawn and fearful as a result. Also I think the older generation are more focused on helping out their aged parents or struggling offspring.

Life is harder. Not just because of pandemic stuff, energy crisis, inflation, cost of living. So many people are really struggling with it. Is it really any wonder that we're seeing a battening down of the hatches.

I gave up volunteering. I can't justify spending either my possible earning time or the price of fuel on something non essential. As much as I would love to.

I used to volunteer before and during the pandemic, but when restrictions were lifted I just wanted to enjoy my freedom. Now I need to do something during the winter but will probably look for paid work to cover the drop between pension and inflation.
There are more part time opportunities around now than a few years ago!

Some charities have lost income and I notice less recruitment. Retirement age is later and retirees may help with childcare or have their own parents still alive.

I don’t think we are inherently more selfish, just circumstances have changed, less thinking of early retirement. I wonder whether some may increase if volunteering in spaces is that will be warm - if the bus is free (pension age) then saving.

A number of the activities for which I volunteering pre-pandemic simply haven't resumed.

In my particular volunteer role...

It can be hard to leave. The break meant people could leave without the guilt of letting people down.

I volunteer a lot, but I see it as a hobby that I really enjoy and that happens to help some people out, rather than a worthy duty. I suspect the availability of part time work since Brexit has taken quite a few volunteers out of the market. The organisation I volunteer with is also spectacularly bad at “marketing” the role which doesn’t help with recruitment.

I volunteer and I’m struggling right now with it, but that’s mainly my own life stress, trying to fit it round my paid job (taking on more hours to try and keep up with the rising cost of living) and people I support being more demanding than ever. It’s not their fault; they’re also struggling but sometimes I just want to withdraw.

I can understand why less people are volunteering right now. It’s hard to give your time to others when you’re massively stressed out yourself.

I'm not sure ... I manage a charity shop and obviously rely entirely on volunteers, a few left during/after Covid but I have also recruited new volunteers. I do think that as there are so many opportunities for volunteers it is (rightly) up to the organisation to make sure they are offering a really good, interesting and rewarding volunteering opportunity - and reimburse any reasonable expenses. Without wanting to sound arrogant I don't find it that difficult to recruit volunteers for my shop ... but I do see every other charity shop in my town with huge signs up looking for volunteers....

My DH has recently retired and looked around for an opportunity & has been very impressed with the organisation he joined ... proper induction, training, mentoring and then 'autonomy' to get on with the role himself.

Separate to my job I do quite a bit of volunteering in the community - if anything I do more now as I find it a really fulfilling way to spend my time.

I think lots of people who volunteered before simply can't afford to now and have had to take up paid employment instead.

It sounds like you volunteered for the gratitude of those less fortunate though which is a strange reason to do it.

I volunteered pre pandemic, but now need to spend my 'spare' time working to be able to afford to heat my house!! I imagine that cost of living increases have made volunteering a less viable option for many people.

I volunteered pre pandemic at a central London food bank but since the pandemic I’ve had two children and moved out of London so have either been on mat leave, had a long commute or been WFH. While I know it’s not like everyone will have done that I know my old food bank are struggling as lots who used to volunteer after/before work are now wfh or have commitments they need to get back to (lockdown dogs etc).

but when restrictions lifted people were still pushing for deliveries

There are still about 500,000 people who are still advised to remain in protective isolation, because they are severely immune suppressed. So the need for deliveries hasn't gone away. It's not anxiety or selfishness, it's an ongoing need for those who are just as vulnerable as everyone was at the start. And lets not kid ourselves that we have low case rates.

Many are itching for this to change, but until the government reverses its decision about provision of Evusheld, they're stuck.

I did used to volunteer pre pandemic. But no one answers emails now and moans there's no one volunteering so I just gave up. I have better things to do than chase up emails.

I work full time so my volunteering is limited as I have to fit it around my work. I'm.in my 50s and used to imagine that I would do loads of volunteering when i retire. However, I cant retire until I'm 67, and I honestly now think I won't have the energy or inclination to volunteer by then.

And/or exhausted

I've volunteered most of my adult life and will continue to do so, although admittedly my volunteering activities are not in the 'feed the hungry' type categories, more in the running events and activities for community groups etc.

There may have been a rise in people being selfish and self centred, but there has also been a rise in people calling everyone else selfish and self centred, and those are just as likely to put me off volunteering if I'm honest. I don't much feel like doing anything for those either.

Perhaps it's become very easy to create divide and adversarial situations where there never needed to be any.