In my original book proposal for Volunteerism Among Older Adults, I proposed interviewing and writing the stories of ten older volunteers who serve in specific, organized ways. After completing seven of those interviews, I realize that the individuals I’m talking to are “Super-volunteers,” or as a writing friend calls them, “Olympians.” She’s right. I’m in awe of these people’s depth of commitment to serving others.
But there are millions more older adults who volunteer as they are able. Informally. Intermittently. As needed, short-term. Their stories are worth telling too, and I intend to find them. I suspect they are much more common than the Olympians. Consequently, some categorical definitions might be helpful in organizing and developing my argument that volunteering benefits the volunteer as well as the community or population they work with.
Regardless of the type or quality of volunteer service, I think the impulse to help other people arises from the same altruistic instinct. I covered this concept last month in “Is There a Volunteer Gene?” There are several indications that humans are all born with this tendency, but that it can be encouraged—or discouraged, unfortunately—by parents or trusted adults.
Put simply, a volunteer is a person who willingly contributes time and skills in performing tasks or supporting causes without being paid. It’s a broad term, which may fit a myriad of tasks or causes. For example, the woman who opens the post office door and motions for me to enter before her is doing me a favor without expectation of pay. Is she a volunteer? Are unplanned, ordinary courtesies and kind acts examples of volunteerism? I believe they are, but they don’t necessarily make people volunteers.
Not every kind act can be considered volunteering, however. It depends to a certain degree on the commitment involved and who the favor or kindness is extended to. Caring for my children or spouse without pay falls into the obligation category, I think. It’s not exactly voluntary. However, caring for a family member after an illness or surgery may not be strictly obligatory. That might be considered voluntary service. Walking my own dog is a responsibility; walking a neighbor’s dog is voluntary. Maybe I’m just splitting hairs.
I consider formal volunteers to bethose who commit time and energy to a specific cause or organization, often after being trained by the organization and agreeing to provide specific services at specific times with a specific group. Some well-known organizations in this category are Meals on Wheels, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. There are thousands more local, national, and international organizations that provide formal guidelines and oversight of volunteers.
Informal volunteers typically work on an individual, ad hoc level. They babysit their grandchildren, bring a meal to a friend, or spend an afternoon keeping a lonely neighbor company. Opportunities to informally volunteer pop up often and require a wide variety of skills and time commitments. For many older adults, performing these kinds of service is preferable to being locked into a formal volunteer schedule, but their services are just as valuable. One of the freedoms of a retired person is the flexibility to choose when and how to serve their families and friends.
What about Intermittent Volunteers? I’ve coined this term to describe a volunteer who may act informally or formally or who may also volunteer only occasionally, whether or not they work with a formal volunteer organization or cause. It’s a bit indistinct, but I think it encompasses a vast number of volunteers. People who prefer not to be pinned down, but who appreciate a well-ordered process or an organization that provides structure.
A 2014 article published by the NIH assessed what they call episodic volunteering, in reference to public health volunteers, but I haven’t seen that term used elsewhere. It sounds more like a limited response to a specific episode, a single catastrophic event, perhaps. I’m going with intermittent volunteers.
I’ve participated in a few Habitat for Humanity projects over the years. I also recently backed off from Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a local organization that delivers meals to unhoused people in Austin. Instead of serving with them once a month, my husband and I have signed up for only three dates this year. Both of these jobs could be considered intermittent, I think.
This last group of volunteers is one I’m giving a lot of thought to lately. Do they derive just as much satisfaction from their service as those who spend a half-hour every Wednesday afternoon reading with the same two struggling readers at a local elementary school? That’s what I hope to find out over the next couple of months as I engage with a wider circle of volunteers.
I’d love to hear from you. What do you think of my definitions? Do you consider yourself an intermittent volunteer, or do you know someone who is? Let me know in the comments.
Janice Airhart 