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Volume II, Issue 4, July 2002

Mandated Volunteering: Oxymoron or Opportunity?


Points of View
By Susan J. Ellis and Steve McCurley

Susan and Steve explore the question:

Are people who are required to do unpaid service really "volunteers"?

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Comments

Jean A. Snyder, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Coord., ERAU Volunteer Network, Daytona Beach FL USA

July 19th, 2002, 10:50am

Mandated Volunteering: Oxymoron -- in this I agree. It can, however be called "Community Service". In this definition no mention is given to volunteering your time. It means, in fact, that you are giving service to your community.

To place the word mandated and volunteering together is to lessen the entire quality of the volunteer. This person, for one or more reasons believes that he/she may benefit from or give support to an activity or agency, by giving time/talents, freely; and because either he/she wants to or is willing to work, with a group to volunteer.

Lisa Coble, Newport Hospital, Manager of Volunteer Services, Newport RI USA

August 22nd, 2002, 10:49am

I agree with Susan Ellis on this topic... It is more important that a volunteer be reliable and commited to completing their assigment, than how they are referred. I've tried to erase any stigma that comes with an applicant that is required to perform volunteer service either for school credit or the legal system. There doesn't appear to be a pattern that would prove either category of applicant (required or altruistic) to be more effective.

Colleen Kelly, Volunteer Vancouver, Executive Director, Vancouver BC CANADA

October 2nd, 2002, 10:48am

As part of the listening of the Canada Volunteerism Initiative, I heard enough evidence to convince me that my formerly purist attitude needed updating. It IS possible to involve new individuals. These people would never have found a way to be involved if it weren't for the community service requirement. There are many caveats in the practice of involving "mandated" volunteers, but I am now convinced there is not a "one-size-fits-all" answer.