With the steady increase of women entering the workplace, fewer volunteers may be able to give time to Extension programs. In today's busy world, how do some people find time to volunteer. My research suggests that part of the answer lies in the way volunteers look at their personal time resources. Those who volunteer perceive they have more time for helping others than those who don't. Previous Research Research says of American volunteers that married women with children and retired people are most likely to be volunteers.1 Conversely, women employed outside the home and with children aged 16 to 18 are more likely to drop out of volunteer work than those with younger teens or those not employed.2 Volunteers are likely to have education beyond high school.
Men are less likely to be involved in volunteer work than are women.
This study examined perceived time availability of a group of 43 people who were volunteering substantial time for one agency compared to 192 non-volunteers from varied neighborhoods, occupations, church groups, and organizations. Members of the volunteer group were spending a minimum of about 15 hours each month on the telephone providing counseling and information to callers. Many were also volunteers for church, youth groups, and other programs. Members of the two groups ranged from 21 to 61 years of age. The volunteers were somewhat older than the other group.