In a piece written a few months ago, I wrote about the benefits of volunteerism. Hopefully this type of dialogue was motivational in nature. Maybe it helped a few people decide to dive in, volunteer and make an impact on our community.

Another question needs to be addressed if we are to sustain the many organizations in our community that rely upon volunteer labor. That question is where have all of the good volunteers gone?

The truth is, they are still in place and doing a fantastic job. The issue is there aren’t enough of these fine people to sustain and grow some organizations that are important for our community. This problem isn’t just found here in Ellsworth County, the problem is being felt across the USA and beyond.

So, why are things different now? Did people suddenly just decide to unplug and stop caring? I believe the answer is no.

The answers can be found in a parallel situation going on in the labor market. Have you noticed that employers can’t find workers? For a moment, let’s view a volunteer job much like a regular job. The only difference is that a volunteer job doesn’t have a financial reward. If we do that, it makes sense that the drop in volunteerism is caused by the same forces that have depleted the amount of people available and ready for work.

The big change in our lives of course was our response to the pandemic. The pandemic forced many people to work and go to school from home. This lifestyle change appealed to many people. They decided to continue on this path even after the pandemic was over. If a volunteer activity didn’t offer this same flexibility, it would make sense this type of volunteer wouldn’t continue to associate with the organization.

The pandemic also caused many workers who continued to work past the age when they could retire, to reassess their priorities. They decided that working was no longer their priority as life was short. The pandemic reminded them of this fact. This group retired and probably also gave up many of their other volunteer responsibilities so they could travel to be with grandkids, etc.

It also makes sense that being home more caused many introverts to become more comfortable. I am not a psychologist or a sociologist, but I could see this becoming a factor. Without society pushing introverts out into the world, being at home could make this personality type happier. This doesn’t help organizations that require their volunteers to do handson work.

Without a doubt, there are other factors to explore, such as the possibility that volunteerism has evolved. If people are helping their kids in competitive youth sports, is that not volunteerism? It is, indeed.

For now, let’s concentrate on continuing to do a great job volunteering and hopefully others will be joining us soon.

Daniel A. Finnegan is the mayor of Ellsworth and can be reached via email at dfinnegan@ellsworthks.net.