Volunteer organizations don’t just need to think outside the box to attract new faces to their cause they need to reshape it, says the head of a provincial volunteer group.

Karen Lynch, Alberta Volunteer Services executive director, said Canada has a strong volunteer community with 12 per cent of Canadians volunteering in some form or another. As well, Albertans contribute an average of 172 volunteer hours each year.

She said there are 19,000 volunteer-run organizations in Alberta and 56 per cent of those are run entirely by non-paid staff.

“Where would be without them? I think Canada would not be what Canada is, nor would Alberta,” said Lynch, after speaking to a group of Town of Okotoks employees on April 21, marking National Volunteer Week.

Melissa Pryor, Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre volunteer coordinator, centre, makes cards with volunteers Judy Pohl, left, and Morna Murran to send out to rural area families of people who have lost loved ones.

The country’s volunteer ranks remain strong, however, she said volunteer hours are decreasing.

Lynch said this is in large part due to the fact most Albertans are now three generations separated from life on the farm.

“The roots of volunteerism is very long, but in Alberta they were demonstrated by what farm families did for other farm families — it’s the whole concept of the barn raising,” she said.

Lynch said volunteer burnout is a reality, but it’s also a factor of a broader societal demographic shift, particularly the aging Baby Boomer. Albertans aged 65 and over volunteer the most hours of any age group.

“The demographics are changing from being the super volunteers who did everything in the province in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s who are now becoming the recipients of volunteer services,” she said.

Compounding the problem is that a small number contribute the most time, as 25 per cent of Canadian volunteers contribute 78 per cent of volunteer hours.

According to Lynch, much of it is the large core of past volunteers who now can’t continue to do so at the same pace.

“What the challenge is for non-profit organizations, whether they have staff or not, is to manage the recruitment, retention and recognition of volunteers in a way that you don’t end up having volunteer burnout,” she said.

Lynch said another factor of volunteer burnout is that organizations haven’t done a good enough job of managing people’s expectations.

She said groups have to continue to recruit new blood and give people who want to volunteer a chance to do so in a way that suits them.

She said groups will also have to change their mindset and not expect people to fit inside their own “box” of expectations, rather to build the box around them.

Failure to do so could impact an organization’s ability to survive in the long-term.

“You don’t have to change your mindset, you can do exactly the same thing you’ve done all along,” said Lynch. “But, what will happen is that organization will have a natural evolution and it will die off.”

She said groups could use this as an opportunity to meet unfulfilled needs.

However, Lynch disagreed there aren’t enough volunteers.

“I say there are,” she said. “We know that 45 per cent of Canadians say one of the reasons they don’t volunteer is because nobody asked… it should be a pretty easy fix to ask how we’re going to engage.”

For non-profit and volunteer organizations, dealing with these challenges is a part of everyday life, but just how they’re affected varies.

Finding volunteers has not been a problem for Melissa Pryor, volunteer coordinator at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre.

She has been successful in recruiting volunteers, doubling the number of names on her roster in the past 12 months up to 140 regular volunteers.

Her focus now is holding on to them and keeping them engaged.

“What I’m finding is if a volunteer is not being placed in a position that is meeting their expectations or fulfilling their desire to volunteer, they’re going to leave and I don’t blame them for leaving,” Pryor said.

She said volunteers also play an important role in the health care system saving money and allowing health workers to focus on other priorities.

Pryor said volunteers cannot take over a paid employee’s position, but can provide an indirect service to enhance client care. She said they play an important role with the centre’s programs, such as the H1N1 flu clinics last fall.

“The primary role is mainly being the warm smile that you see when people walk through the building,” she said.

Myrna Skovoranski, with Foothills Community Immigrant Services, said the organization is unique in what it does and can’t just take anyone off the street to volunteer.

She said federal rules regulate whom they can accept as a volunteer and what a person can do depends on their status.

Skovoranski said volunteers play a crucial role in the services they offer, particularly as interpreters.

“We deal with people who don’t speak English,” she said. “If we can’t communicate with them, we can’t do our jobs.”

She said they face a different challenge with holding on to volunteers as most move on to new opportunities as their immigrant status changes.

The Town of Okotoks currently has a list of more than 300 volunteers at its service. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the Town’s volunteer services co-ordinator Jacqui Fedor at 403-938-8936.

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