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Volunteers Needed

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By Darcie Duttweiler Friday, 19 December 2008

For local volunteer opportunities, see more.impactnews.com/2801.

Despite worries about the economy, online giving to charities is expected to top $3 billion this holiday season, according to a survey by Convio, Inc. The Austin-based maker of online donation software for nonprofits reported that more than 89 million people plan to give online during the holidays.

This may be an indication that holiday giving could combat the influx of need, especially in a year of economic uncertainty.

“The demand for food has shot through the roof,” said David Davenport, president of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. “Our largest month of distribution in all of our 27 years was this October. We’re seeing more demand and more difficulty to access food and financial donations.”

The “I Live Here, I Give Here” campaign stated that Austinites “give far less to charitable causes than people in other cities,” ranking Austin 48th out of the 50 largest cities in the nation in per capita giving. The local campaign strives to promote nonprofit giving in the city. Although Austinites may give less than residents of other large cities, they do not disappoint in terms of volunteering. Austin is ranked fifth out of those 50 cities with an average annual volunteer rate of 56.6 million hours per year.

During the holidays, volunteering becomes essential for nonprofits in Austin.

“We run 1 million pounds of food during the holidays, and we need volunteers to make that possible,” Davenport said.

While established nonprofits already have a large pool of volunteers, newer ones are still searching for volunteers for their holiday programs. South Austin Cares has been operational since March and already has 100 adult volunteers per month, but director Matthew Hansen foresees a spike in numbers in December.

“During the holidays, we tend to look at our desires, and by volunteering, it gives us a new appreciation of life,” he said. “Everyone has a desire to make a difference. It doesn’t matter what your socio-economic place; [what matters is] your desire to help out another human being.”