Volunteers are becoming harder and harder to find, and local organizations are feeling the burn.
The Dufferin Historical Museum has seen a decline in volunteer numbers recently, and keeping the museum going without them is becoming increasingly difficult.
The museum is currently operating with around a dozen regular volunteers, but without additional support, vice president Lori Keith fears they will burn out.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, national statistics often showed people born before 1945 were the most active volunteers. In November 2022, Statistics Canada revealed more than 65 per cent of non-profit organizations are experiencing a volunteer shortage and having trouble recruiting new ones.
The museum is one such organization — along with the Carman Country Fair, Carman Wellness Connections and many more.
The museum is completely volunteer run with seven executive board positions and one paid administrative position when it is open in the summer. It operates thanks to grants and fundraising dollars. During the summer months, volunteers keep the museum open, covering for the summer administrator and assisting them as needed during group tours and activities. Keith said in an ideal world, the museum would have at least one volunteer in each of its buildings.
Volunteers with the museum are also needed for special events like the upcoming Halloween Carnival and Christmas at the Museum event, and for odd jobs here and there. The board is also in need of a treasurer, the position is currently being split between multiple people with other tasks.
“We need to have new volunteers all the time to take over as previous volunteers leave,” Keith said. “Without volunteers, the museum would not be able to operate.”
The same goes for the Carman Country Fair. This past year, it had only four volunteers in the general fair area, president Bernie Townsend said. Even after going to Carman Collegiate to recruit the senior students, only two volunteered from the entire class — with more than 12,00 fair at-tendees, that simply wasn’t enough.
Townsend said on the Friday of the fair, they had to order more garbage dumpsters because they didn’t have enough people to keep up with all the garbage being generated. The fair has a lot of moving parts, too, and most of them saw the same volunteers from years past, with not enough people.
“It just got so difficult,” said Townsend. “I think what happens is that people no longer feel that they want to volunteer because so much goes on in life now. And COVID made people realize they can do things at home and they’re choosing to stay there.”
The pandemic is widely blamed for the national shortage of volunteers. Whatever the reason, though, the problem remains: there aren’t enough people volunteering to keep community organizations going.
The Carman Country Fair has worked hard to grow the event and keep it exciting for attendees. It has changed the fireworks show to a drone light show, added events and activities, and is planning to add more. But Townsend worries if the group can’t get volunteers, it will have to go in the opposite direction.
“We’d have to pay people and we can’t afford to pay people,” he said. “So, some things that attract people would then have to go.”
Carman Wellness Connections has seen a similar trend. The group has around 40 volunteers, but with six working groups and never-ending work to be done, it’s just not enough.
A spokesperson from Carman Wellness Connections said it is currently working with the Tamarack Institute, an organization that helps develop volunteer recruitment strategies for non-profits.
Townsend said he saw a local fair have a successful volunteer recruitment campaign by scheduling volunteers for two-hour blocks, instead of all day. He and the team at the fair are considering something like that for this next year’s event.
Keith said the museum is trying to use social media more and host special events to promote the museum and show the community what it’s all about. They’re hoping that will spark interest and attract volunteers.
Volunteering is a way to give back to the community, said Townsend. Keith agrees. She said volunteers provide people with activities they usually take for granted — like the fair, the museum, sports, churches and more.
“It is a great way to contribute to your community,” she said. “Even in small ways. If you have an interest, there is probably someone who can use your skills.”
For high school students, volunteering reflects well on scholarship and post-secondary applications. It opens younger people to a new world and teaches life skills on helping others. Volunteering forms a community and is vital to the success of countless local organizations.
To get involved with a community group, contact them directly.
