Volunteering online – today’s challenges

The article examines the issue of online volunteering in Ukraine and the world as a whole. The concepts of volunteering and e-volunteering are defined. Current data is presented on the state of volunteering in Ukraine amidst the pandemic according to the survey «Volunteering during quarantine», which took place in August 2020. 4148 respondents from all over Ukraine took part in the survey. The study was conducted by U-Report - an international youth project of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The focus is on available online resources for potential volunteers in response to the challenges of volunteering activities that have arisen on quarantine restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following online opportunities are described: Ukrainian Volunteer Service, Ukraїner, National Holodomor Museum with the initiative to digitize the history of eyewitnesses to the events of that time, the #FINDWAY project. One type of remote volunteering is considered to be hotlines; the My Telephone Friend project, the Children's National Hotline of the La Strada-Ukraine International Women's Human Rights Center, the free Legal Aid Hotline, and others. The «Fundamentals of Volunteering» course of the all-Ukrainian Public Center «Volunteer» is analyzed, which has online lectures in the format of picture-links: volunteering, who a volunteer is, the skills and abilities of a volunteer, volunteer opportunities. The English-language book The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook by D. Kravens and S. J. Ellis is examined, which addresses how to successfully lead online volunteers and develop virtual volunteer assignments, from microvolunteering to long-term projects. The content of the report «Are technologies capable of opening access to volunteering instead of creating new barriers?», which was considered during the Global Technical Meeting 2020 on Voluntary Activities, is analyzed.

Older Adults’ Attitudes Toward Virtual Volunteering During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explored older adults’ technology use patterns and attitudes toward virtual volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 22-item survey was administered to 229 volunteers in the St. Louis region who tutor children through the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program. Although most respondents are familiar with technology and expressed that they are likely to volunteer virtually, their responses varied significantly by age, education, gender, income, and school districts. Some tutors expressed that virtual volunteering may eliminate barriers to in-person volunteering, while others were concerned with establishing a personal connection with students online. These findings suggest that tutors anticipate both benefits and challenges with virtual volunteering and that efforts to engage older adults during the pandemic should factor in prior use of technology and ensure that different subgroups are not marginalized.

Wellness Through Volunteering

Beginning in 2004, long before the CSR Act 1 ushered a new spirit in corporate contribution in social development, iVolunteer has worked with over 100 leading Indian and multinational companies across a range of volunteering types from one-time episodic volunteering to more recently virtual volunteering. Our programmes have the potential to engage a range of employee motivations to volunteer. In this article, we examine the perceived notions about volunteering impact on well-being and if it can make a difference to work life? We share our experience over the years and will examine the impact of volunteering on wellbeing and positive mental health of the volunteers. There are almost no known Indian studies that explore this in detail. Individual companies do report higher satisfaction among employees who volunteer, regarding their work life. The article will draw upon insights from the HR community as well as from those executing volunteering in corporates in addition to some conclusions that we will draw based on some research studies. We hope to provide some possible ways forward for corporates to play a part in greater citizen engagement while creating pathways for mindful volunteering benefitting their employees both from a work and a societal perspective. The aim is to create a strong action plan to increase volunteering to both serve a social purpose and sustain the same by drawing out the positive impact that it can have on the individual.

Older Adults’ Attitudes Toward Virtual Volunteering During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explored older adults’ attitudes toward virtual volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 22-item survey was administered to 229 volunteers who previously worked with children through the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program in St. Louis. Questions focused on technology use patterns and attitudes toward virtual volunteering. Most respondents have used a computer, a smartphone, and the Internet before at home (90.3%), but 22.8% of respondents feel uncomfortable or very uncomfortable when using the Internet. Video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype was not used before by 14.0% of the respondents, the top reasons being because they prefer other forms of communication (48.4%) or find it too difficult to keep up with technology (19.4%). If tutoring becomes virtual-only, 60.6% of the participants responded they were somewhat likely or very likely to participate, with significant variation by school districts (X2 = 21.92, p < .05, Cramer’s V = 0.33) ranging from 42.6% to 96.0% (Bonferroni post hoc p < .05). Tutors from school districts that were less likely to tutor virtually had lower levels of education and higher levels of discomfort when using the Internet. The respondents also voiced that while virtual tutoring may eliminate barriers to in-person tutoring, such as commuting to schools and inclement weather, they were concerned about establishing a personal connection with their students online. These findings suggest that tutors anticipate both benefits and challenges with virtual volunteering and efforts to engage older adults virtually should factor in prior use of technology and variations by geography.

Virtual volunteers: the importance of restructuring medical volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic

Healthcare systems have postponed medical volunteering services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, much of the aid provided by these volunteers is crucial to patient care and hospital functioning in the American healthcare system. The adoption of online video conferencing platforms in healthcare—telehealth—offers a novel solution for volunteering during this pandemic. Virtual volunteering can alleviate pressures on medical workers, enhance patient experiences, reduce the risk of viral infection and provide a sense of normalcy for patients and families. Although further study is required, this should be an avenue considered by health systems.

Online Volunteering, A Way to Reduce Health Inequalities: A review study

Introduction: Volunteering is a way for community participation and involving local social capital. Volunteering has potential to enhance wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of online volunteering on people well-being and reducing inequalities. Methods: In this narrative review, using related keywords 326 studies found in the initial search in PubMed, Sage, Springer, Google Scholar, Elsevier, PsycINFO and finally 57 studies selected for review. Results: The study found that virtual volunteering in organizations is a combination of offline and online volunteering, and fewer volunteers are online volunteering. One of the main features of online volunteering is the maximum use of time, and reduces travel time; this type of volunteering can be done 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Online volunteering can involve all people, including young people, the elderly, people with disabilities and disadvantaged groups and minorities, and one of the main benefits of this type of volunteering is that many people who cannot attend the organization can participate this way, volunteer services will be provided, as well as racial and ethnic discrimination in this type of volunteering can be reduced. Conclusion: Although online volunteering is developing globally, volunteer-based organizations have not yet adopted their strategies, rules and procedures for new volunteers. It seems online volunteering will also enable different groups to participate in activities and promote the health of different groups. Keywords: Online Volunteering, Volunteer Organizations, Online advocacy, Health Inequality