Just Keep Holding On: Lending a Hand During the COVID-19 Pandemic

It’s no secret that the pandemic has changed how many people live, work, and look at the world. It seems that we are more willing to adapt to accommodate the needs of others and ourselves. With evolving schedules and priorities, people are beginning to see the importance of being involved in their community.

According to the UN Regional Information Centre in Brussels, a wave of volunteerism has spread across Europe; French platform Tous Bénévoles saw a doubling of volunteers, and the International Committee of the Red Cross reported hundreds of thousands of new volunteer sign ups in countries like the Netherlands and Italy. A study from the UK found that ten million British adults began volunteering during the pandemic both formally with a recognized organization, and informally as an individual or group independent of an organization. Over 75% stated that they planned to continue their efforts after the lockdown. Globally, Google searches for “volunteering” spiked in the early months of lockdown.

In many cases, the pandemic has opened the door for individuals to establish their own groups and goals rather than volunteer formally. Canada saw a rise in informal volunteering during the pandemic, with nearly three quarters of Canadians representing this volunteerism shift. From grocery drop-offs to mask sewing, “caremongering” is a unique concept used to describe the altruistic efforts of individuals as a result of the pandemic.

How does a global crisis encourage more people to volunteer? There are a multitude of reasons. Similar to many disasters, the pandemic has incited “spontaneous volunteers” to step in during this time of crisis. Virtual volunteering also provides new opportunities to those who could not or would not be involved before. Those with disabilities can participate from wherever they are, and youth can gain experience despite a lack of employment due to the pandemic. Overall, people had more time to participate and be more active members of their community. 56% of active Canadian volunteers reported that they have more flexibility in their schedule to lend to volunteering.

But there are challenges to this rise in volunteerism. For one, there is a larger question regarding if this can be sustained beyond the pandemic. While searches for volunteering spiked in the early days of the pandemic, data shows a sharp decrease in the following months. Once restrictions ease and people return to in-person work and activities, how will that impact non-profit organizations and community projects that relied on them? What are those spontaneous volunteers find something new to focus their attention on? There is also an issue of volunteer diversity. Existing research highlights that there are much lower rates of volunteerism among marginalized racial and ethnic groups. With the pandemic, there is a small chance this has changed. Members of marginalized racial and ethnic groups are more likely to be working lower-income, front-line essential jobs with a limited ability to work from home or take time off. They are also more likely to contract the virus. Where can they find time to volunteer when trying to support themselves? With the directive, strict leadership needed to guide volunteers during a pandemic, there are a lack of diverse opinions that may slow the movement to make volunteering more inclusive. New perspectives and backgrounds are needed to provide culturally appropriate services to those in need.

It is clear that we need more chances to get involved in our communities. The work of non-profit and grassroots community organizations was crucial to aiding the most vulnerable populations during the pandemic. The fact that lockdowns and restrictions forcing us to stay home finally highlighted this to the world is wrong. Based on what we’ve seen since 2020, changes are inevitable and necessary among the volunteer sector.

So, what does the future of volunteering look like in the next few years? Expect to see more informal volunteering; in the case of spontaneous volunteers in Austria during the European refugee crisis, individuals were empowered by the ability to self-organize and create their own agendas due to the ever-changing nature of the issue at hand. Holding autonomy can help keep the passion of volunteers alive. Organizations and volunteers may also virtually connect with the community. According to Volunteer Canada’s fall 2020 COVID-19 survey report, 48% of organizations indicated virtual volunteer roles will remain that way for the foreseeable future, and 50% of new virtual volunteer roles will also stay online. This has the potential to make volunteering more accessible and diverse for those who were unable to give their time to the community before. Staying connected through social media and virtual promotion by sharing “good news” can also influence and inspire volunteers to continue their work. With this switch, there may also be a change in the demographic of volunteers. Seniors, who made up a majority of volunteers before the pandemic, were forced to stay home due to health concerns when lockdowns and restrictions began to be put in place. Younger people may step in to fill some of these shoes as volunteerism begins to adapt.

Community and volunteers are a powerful source of assistance during times of crisis. However, the question of how we sustain this involvement looms large. Changes to the volunteer sector will need to occur to make it more diverse and impactful in the long run.