I'm Not ‘just a Volunteer,' It's My Job

I'm so over people being flippant about volunteerism because they aren't being paid. I want people to commit to volunteering.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, volunteering is on the decline. In 2016, 24.9 percent of the population volunteered, down from 26.8 percent in 2011. Any guesses on the least likely adult generation to volunteer? You got it — millenials, with just about 22 percent of that population volunteering in 2015, compared to almost 29 percent of Gen Xers."We're just volunteers." That's the response I've received many times in recent years when I've reminded younger volunteers of their duties, time commitment or importance of being punctual. To me, that phrase sounds like nails on a chalkboard: "Just volunteers."  Continue reading...