In Australia, there are more than 5million people who volunteer across a variety of activities including wildlife conservation, social welfare and pro bono assistance. But if you have never volunteered before and wonder if
volunteering will suit your lifestyle, here is a dispelling of some common myths that should help with the decision.
1. Young people don't volunteer.
In fact, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 28% of 18-24 year olds or approximately 534,990 young people, volunteered in 2002. Furthermore, although volunteering has increased across all age groups, the increase was proportionally higher for the 18-24 year old age bracket.
This volunteering trend in young people is also seen in organisations like The Smith Family. Their peer-to-peer learning program, which matches older student mentors with students who need to improve their reading, has grown in popularity over the years. In 2008, almost 1,250 students were involved.
2. Volunteering requires lots of time.
While the whole of Australia contributes 713 million hours to the community or an average of 136 hours per year, this only translates to about 2.6 hours per week. In other words, volunteering doesn't require a lot of time.
For about the same time it takes to watch a movie, you can participate in community
volunteering that will help make a significant difference in someone's life.
3. You have nothing to offer.
Volunteering is more about willingness than expertise. Although businesses and professionals can volunteer specialised skills to non-profit organisations and community members, activities like sorting donated items or packing Christmas hampers are just as important. Everyone can volunteer and has something to offer.
4. It only involves fundraising and collecting money.
While fundraising plays an important part in helping non-profit organisations, particularly in these tough economic times, volunteering can actually involve a diverse range of roles. For example, with The Smith Family, you can take part in supervising a learning group, volunteer your IT or administrative skills, or help pack and sort donated goods for Christmas.
