Volunteer shortage highlights the value of time, talents to area organizations

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 ~ Updated 11:10 PM

Charitable organizations impact the very fabric of our lives every day, but they can't do it without you! Through individual contributions, each of us can have a positive impact on the work of these nonprofits and, as a result, each of us can make a significant difference in our communities. Although financial donations are important, you might be surprised at what a difference you can make by sharing your time, your knowledge, and your skills.

In a recent conversation with several nonprofit leaders in the Southeast Missouri region, these professionals shared the many and varied contributions made by volunteers at their organizations. And the information they provided make it clear that charities cannot function without the generous gifts of time and expertise from many dedicated volunteers.

At Saint Francis Foundation, Laura Propst is the senior development officer -- foundations and annual giving and works with dedicated volunteers who help with fundraising and special events, but the hospital itself uses many more volunteers through the Saint Francis Auxiliary and Volunteer Services.

"Saint Francis has so many faithful volunteers who give of their time each day to staff the information desks and assist patients and their families throughout our hospital," Propst said. "More than 448,000 volunteer hours have been recorded since they began tracking. Not only do these volunteers provide important services, but their work also has a financial impact. In calendar year 2022 alone, 90 volunteers provided 15,000 hours of service to Saint Francis, which equates to $225,000 in savings to the Healthcare System."

Similarly, Southeast Missouri Food Bank's chief advancement officer Sarah Garner shared the financial impact their volunteers have had at their main office in Sikeston.

"The volunteer hours given to help the Food Bank saves more than $180,000 per year," Garner said. "Approximately 1,500 individuals volunteered in 2022, and with our new branch office in Jackson, more opportunities are available so even more people can positively impact our work in Southeast Missouri. Our volunteers are performing jobs that are critical to providing food to the neediest individuals in our 16-county service region. They pack more than 5,600 food boxes that meet the nutritional needs of our senior citizens each month and 1,200 backpacks each week for needy students in schools throughout the region."

Kristen Pind, supervisor of volunteer services at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, told us how important it is to have volunteers to provide services to those who have selflessly served our country in the military.

"Volunteers provide an improved quality of life for our veterans that they deserve," Pind said. "We rely on volunteers to assist with group activities, to staff our Canteen, and to visit with residents who don't have family in the area. Without volunteers to help with these things not as many veterans are served."

Pind said some volunteers also provide professional expertise.

"Some individuals with experience in landscaping and construction have helped with beautification of our facility. Also, residents benefit from the generosity of a local accountant who volunteers her time to prepare tax returns for our residents."

Your time and talents are needed, and there is no age restriction! Many volunteers are retired and find more time to give back in this special way. Also, more and more businesses encourage employees to give of themselves by providing community service hours during the workday.

Opportunities for younger community members are available through youth organizations and volunteer programs. For example, Propst shared, "Saint Francis Healthcare System has a Junior Volunteer program for youth between the ages of 14 and 17 to work part-time on weekdays for a minimum of four weeks in the summer."

What better way to raise active citizens with a heart for service than to provide opportunities for our youth to start giving of their time at an early age.

During the past several months, articles and editorials in the Southeast Missourian have shared the concern that volunteerism has been greatly reduced since spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began and has not returned to pre-COVID levels.

Initially, it was not possible for charities to facilitate volunteerism during the height of the pandemic.

"From April of 2020 through December of 2020 when the Southeast Missouri Food Bank was without volunteers and the boxes still needed to be packed," Garner explained, "the Missouri National Guard was called in to pack our senior boxes."

Of tremendous concern in our communities is that the number of people who want to volunteer has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Propst shared that the number of volunteers with Saint Francis is only 72% of what they had before March of 2020. And Pind shared, "While the Veterans Home benefited from more than 100 people who volunteered their time each week before COVID, only 18 individuals have returned to regularly volunteer since the Veterans Home reopened to volunteers. This has seriously impacted the services we can provide to our veterans."

So don't hesitate! Look for causes that you care about and consider the ways you are most comfortable serving. Many people volunteer individually while others serve as part of groups from churches and service organizations.

Consider how you can help with the day-to-day work of these nonprofits or offer to provide your special talents by sharing your expertise or possibly even participate at a leadership level by serving on a board or committee.

If you are interested in becoming more educated about the work of not-for-profits in our communities, Southeast Council on Philanthropy (SECOP) is a group of charitable organizations seeking to advance philanthropy in Southeast Missouri through education of our communities as well as training and networking for not-for-profit staff and volunteers.

Please visit www.secoponline.org and feel free to attend future meetings. The next meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.