LAST week we Australians celebrated National Volunteer Week which is an annual event to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation's volunteers.
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused the celebration to be much lower in profile than is normally the case and right at a time when volunteering needs as much attention as it can get.
Volunteering Australia has published the findings of research it commissioned through the Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Social Research and Methods on the impact of COVID-19 on volunteers and volunteering across Australia and the results are cause for concern.
The research indicates that between February and April of this year nearly two-thirds of the country's more than four million volunteers have stopped volunteering. This equates to about 12.2 million hours per week of volunteering that is just not happening.
In Volunteering Australia's reaction to this research data, they express not only concern for the areas of the community that bear the brunt of this reduction in volunteering but also for the volunteers themselves.
The research shows those who continued to volunteer had a significantly and substantially smaller decline in life satisfaction and psychological distress than those who stopped or who never volunteered in the first place.
The emphasis is now on getting the nation's volunteers back into action as the research findings emphasise the power of the volunteer workforce and its contribution to the economic and social well-being of Australia.
Still, over a third of our nation's volunteers remain hard at it. Locally, service clubs such as Rotary and Lions have been at work supporting the Mid North Coast community as much as COVID-19 restrictions have allowed.
The need for the care of sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife has not diminished so WIRES MNC carers across the district have continued to conduct wildlife rescues and care for animals until they are able to be released.
Volunteers in the emergency response sector, such as Marine Rescue NSW, have not been able to continue with hands on training however have remained on call and readily able to spring into action to deal with maritime emergencies.
While veteran support organisations such as RSL Sub Branches are concerned by the lack of contact with veterans because of the restrictions on being able to hold meetings they have been able to provide emergency assistance when required.
COVID-19 restrictions have meant that veterans in hospitals and aged care facilities have not been able to receive their regular face to face visits from RSL Sub Branch welfare officers however welfare officers, who are volunteers, have been reaching out where they can via telephone.
There are many other volunteer based organisations across our community who continue to work hard within the imposed restrictions.
Ironically although COVID-19 has forced great restrictions on the volunteer sector, the need has never been greater and this is because of COVID-19. The veterans community and indeed the broader community should see the current crisis as a type of 'call to arms' and, if you are not doing so already, get out there and volunteer.
Last week Ceri Wrobel from Nambucca Valley Radio, 2NVR, interviewed Adrienne Picone, CEO of Volunteering Australia. Ceri asked Adrienne what are the volunteering opportunities that people can sign up for. Adrienne detailed that there are a range of volunteer positions that are directly linked to supporting the community in the fight against COVID-19.
Telephone volunteering, delivery drivers, mentors and many more. Adrienne also stressed that as restrictions ease and volunteer organisations begin to re-open, many previous volunteers may not be able to resume their volunteering thus presenting positions needing to be filled by new volunteers.
If answering the 'call to arms' to be a volunteer appeals to you, find more information on www.volunteeringaustralia.org. C'mon, be a volunteer, your country needs you.
