History of Volunteer Work
In the United States today, 83.9 million adults volunteer, according to Independent Sector. Their contribution is worth $239 billion to those they help. Although the word "volunteerism," volunteer centers, and websites to find volunteer opportunities are all relatively new, the basic idea---helping others by choice, without pay---has a long legacy.
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How Volunteering Began
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In the early 19th century and before then, few formal charitable organizations existed to help people in need. Because the wealthy were not obligated to give back to the poor, in Tudor England the government began to charge a tax on landowners and used this to help the poor. Farmers would also pitch in to help each other with large projects like raising a barn.
19th Century Volunteers
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In the early 19th century, America experienced the Great Awakening, a religious revival. As part of the Great Awakening, people became more conscious of the disadvantaged. This was one cause of the movement against slavery. Young people, especially, began to help the needy in their communities. In 1851, the first YMCA in the United States opened its doors, followed seven years later by the first YWCA. During the Civil War, women volunteered their time to sew supplies for the soldiers.
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Early 20th Century Volunteers
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In the first few decades of the 20th century, several volunteer organizations were founded, including the Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Lions Club and the predecessor to the United Way. The Great Depression saw one of the first large-scale, nationwide efforts to coordinate volunteerism for a specific need. By 1940, 28 cities had volunteer bureaus. During World War II, thousands of volunteer offices supervised the volunteers who helped with the many needs of the military and the home front, including collecting supplies, entertaining soldiers on leave, and caring for the injured.
Post-War Volunteering
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After World War II, the passion of volunteers to help others shifted focus to other areas, including helping the poor and volunteering overseas. A major development was the Peace Corps in 1960. When President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a "War on Poverty" in 1964, new volunteer organizations formed to help the poor. Over the next few decades, volunteer opportunities continued to expand and the process for finding volunteer work became more formalized, with more volunteer centers forming and new ways to find volunteer work appearing on the World Wide Web.
Volunteering Today
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Today, volunteers help with a variety of organizations, including religious, health, social service, arts, sports, political and educational. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists almost a dozen different activities that volunteers help with, including fundraising, distributing food, coaching and mentoring. To find volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.volunteermatch.org/ or call 1-800-VOLUNTEER (1-800-865-8683).
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- Photo Credit stevekrh19, www.sxc.hu
