Recently I contacted a head office volunteer group to support other people. I explained I had volunteered with a similar local group for over 10 years (and we have done a lot) and I wanted to spend more time helping others and being able to do so more, as they were a national group.

After getting a "no" response back, it was very patronising. I felt this was based upon the group wanting government funding (to employ a person), which can't be guaranteed, is very unlikely and this is not what I consider volunteering.

Not everyone wants to photocopy, or put the rubbish bin out, and too many large charities have become far too corporate or big business.

A lot of local groups are dying off (membership wise) and yet people are supposedly "volunteering" with larger 'brand name' groups (if they can even get in) and those who do are in many cases only involved for potential "employment" down the track.

Dear Nathan,

Ross Gittins wrote in the Age on 8/7 that the
wellness of our community can't be measured by
economic figures, "We're paying a high social price
for material success."

Dan Simpson of Northcote agrees that "You can be employed
but unfulfilled, own a home but be lonely, and have
access to credit but feel marginalised." Simpson tells us
that "True success is supporting people to reach fullness
of life, and that is never the outcome of a financial
transaction. It comes from knowing that someone trusts
you will repay a loan despite a poor credit history;
and that your repayments mean someone else
will have access to that money.
It comes from being treated with dignity and respect."

I agree with Simpson that financial circumstances shape our
lives, but they don't need to define us.

As Simpson points out - It is our sense of community and
interactions with our neighbours, friends, and family
that leads to a sense of wellbeing.

I recently heard on radio a person (with a visual impairment) had applied for a (paid position) for a call centre job - and had been denied this job by the government.

They had excellent university qualifications and yet they'd not been allowed to work in the office job, upon applying.

They are going to the Equal Opportunity Commission on that matter. What are these people expected to do "not work?"

Other people (volunteers) are also being 'used and abused' as cheap labor. I know of one case, where a person had walked out of a venue - after being "a volunteer" at an event and had to stay at a festival from around 6pm until midnight and left at around 11pm as they were exhausted.

She had, had enough and went home. I was volunteering at the same event and I even gave tickets back, as I couldn't fit in with their long hours around my personal timetable, as the volunteer hours were too long. The event went for about 10 days.

All of the 'paid positions' with rest/relaxation time, went to the paid staff. Volunteers were getting second class treatment.

Hi Nathan, its great you do volunteer work. Don't be disheartened and try not to read things into situations where you don't really know what is behind the other side of the story.

The corporate size volunteer program that turned you down possibly already had enough people; the blind person who was not employed was possibly not selected because there was a better candidate with better skills.

If you choose to volunteer, its your responsibility to let the organisers know how much time and what hours you can devote. The organisers are not mind readers. Personally I think your friend who went home an hour early, should not have. She should have stuck it out or at least let the organisers know she when she arrived to work, that she could not stay until midnight. Once you commit to something its your duty to see it through.

Good on you Nathan, for offering your time to serve other unselfishly.

After was pushed out of paid employment I needed something to do so volunteer at number small organisations including local community radio 2MCE FM. Actually my last paid employment, Lithgow High School, was a totally misery due to sustained workplace bullying.
Volunteer work, but no pay, is much preferrable, more rewarding and fun than previous life.
So keep putting hand up someone somewhere will recognise your value.

It's amazing that Nathan's offer of help was refused. However, volunteering for anything is pretty dopey, given that you are probably working away to help paid organisers in a cushy job they have set up for themselves.

Then, of course, there is the theory (not mine, but that of psychologists and the like) that volunteers are volunteering not for others, but for themselves - makes them feel good, superior to others, they are busy-bodies, there is a black hole in their lives or personalities, they are control freaks, and so on; volunteerism is the result of a pathology. Given the comments that volunteers are sometimes "exhausted" and "used" seems to bear out the pathology theory.

The old army maxim "never volunteer" is the best way to go.

It is true that some charities make poor use of the skills and experience of volunteers, especially the skills of older people.

I am reminded of the many talented older people who have volunteered to assist indigenous and under whatever direction is thought required. It has been reported in the media from time to time, but I am not aware of the outcome. Some (possibly NGOs and activists) imagine volunteering might affect the flow of Guvvy dollars received, but that is fanciful and probably only a knock-back excuse. There is a lot of defending of territory in some quarters and unnecessary conflict/redundancy among helping bodies. -Unhealthy competition for Guvvy dollars.

For myself, I am content to volunteer at the sharp end, delivery. If the available opportunities dried up for some reason I would simply do something elsewhere.

There are hundreds of older people who live alone and forgotten by their relatives. Take a packet of scones (I can cook) and have a cup of tea and a chat with them. Most appreciated. Local churches always have something in place to help people. Growing fruit and veg and dropping off some of the abundance on Sunday is another thing I do. I am not a church goer. The churches play a vital role they play in the community helping folks.

Volunteering doesn't have to take place in any formally organised setting either. There are plenty of opportunities to take part in the cooperative endeavour that is your local community. Maybe start by helping out cleaning the local creek surrounds when scheduled.

ConservativeHippie,
I live very close to two NFP charities that have enormous national flavor. One is the Cancer council and the other a medical center for indigenous patients.
Both receive massive incomes from both the general public and government sources.
It is a regular event to see them parading their new cars (all take homes with removable magnetic ID emblems) all with fuel supplied and judging by their clothing and attire generally well paid.
I also see the thin edge hard core volunteers at the coal face working hard to gather in enough to pay these hanger ons.
A recent statement by Tim (whatever his name is, ex dep. prime ministers brother) says that they spent upwards of 40% (hundreds of millions of dollars or advertising, promotions and fund raising events chasing more donations.
Mate if you are going to volunteer your time do it with someone like Meals on Wheels or your local soup kitchen feeding then street kids and derelicts and stuff the organized multinational charities.

There's a lot of changes going on recently with jobseekers and 'Work for the Dole', and I'm sure it's having an effect on traditional volunteering areas.

A lot of these charities now have a lot more people able to assist them.
I have a housemate who went to a church to do work for the dole a few months back and they were actually complaining that they had too many people helping.

Many jobseekers choose to go to churches and places like Salvation army stores to do work for the dole as the only other work for the dole options are also "Community Service", where people are ordered by the courts or chose to do community service in place of a fine..

Some of these jobs are terrible and don't do anything for the dignity of the unemployed person or help them gain better skills or paid employment - which isn't that bad in the case of community service but not appropriate for work for the dole.

Imagine working in a paralysis-tick infested swamp using roundup (known carcinigen) to kill weeds around large high voltage power lines, with known criminals, and this is the price of not gaining employment.

The system needs to be overhauled.

You can always rely on the bigoted redneck to "see" and "know" whats going on in the indigenous community. Must see it all from his front porch.

There are a lot of worthwhile charities doing good work here in Australia and overseas. It is a two way street, volunteering can also give one a great deal of satisfaction, where seeing the end result.

Tim Costello (Brother of Peter) is the name of the fellow you couldn't put his full name too Chris. Tim is the CEO of 'World Vision' and one of Australia's finest individuals.

Example of search charities and not for profits,

http://www.acnc.gov.au/RN52B75Q?ID=8DD83DD0-F1AF-4168-8973-624339B8C744&noleft=1

It is to be expected that anyone who considering a donation should be able to make an informed choice, part of which would be being able to access information of how much of the donation might finally reach the claimed clientele of the charity.

Also, some charities are vastly over-subscribed when compared with the priorities in the subject field. One might wonder for instance, if donating to a charity affecting women's cancer health is the goal, whether it is better to put the dollars into (say) broader gynaecological health (cancer) research, than the common fall-back of breast cancer, which must be embarrassed by the success of it marketing campaign.

Unfortunately the Australian government site does not seem to provide the coverage and depth of useful information of Charity Navigator, US,

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

Thinking of the comments of Armchair Critic, I am not sure what the future of more unemployed as a result of technology and globalisation might bring. Where people want to remain engaged and useful in the community they may well have to consider developing skills in demand. Any who slack off during their younger years will find it difficult to break out of deep ruts of their own making.

Just talking about things generally and not reflecting on anything others have said, there is plenty of the dangerous, dirty and disgusting work usually performed by men such as farmers, that is rejected outright by the unemployed and definitely out for prisoners, who have expensively protected rights of course.

Whoops, my editing often fails when I am in a rush.

With the woman going to the Equal Opportunity Commission, it can be very difficult for people with a disability/medical condition to get work, because they cannot drive. So many "higher quality" jobs for employers, simply want people with a drivers license, even if not really needed.

I was also hearing a person speaking on radio today, that the best charity to support, on the ABC (financially) was the Salvation Army, as 5% of their costs went to administration and 95% went to support people in need.

New registrations bring the number of charities eligible for tax concessions to 60,000, about 10,000 more than in 2007.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/surge-in-charities-prompts-warning-over-donations-20140103-309t1.html

Also with the film festival (the event I mentioned, and about people being used) the event had a "volunteer coordinator" and yet whilst volunteering at the event, some films went for three hours, we had no seating and had to stand up (outside cinema doors) for three hours straight and some people were sitting on the floor. It was an "out of touch" situation, despite the so called "information session" we had to attend.

Nathan, I'm sure they were not requiring you to stand at attention for three hours, but I agree, its not something I would enjoy doing.

Stick with the Salvos or another local op-shop. St Vinnies or Lifeline are good organisations. Food banks can also be rewarding.