Volunteers no longer fit a stereotyped image. They may be elementary school children who volunteer as a group to pick up litter, or active individuals in their eighties, with both knowledge and experience to share with others. They may be doctors, lawyers, carpenters, or biologists who may or may not want to use their professional skills in their volunteer jobs. They may be skilled people seeking to learn new skills, or people who come to you without any specific training.
Volunteers come with different backgrounds, abilities and desires to interact with other people.
Some may prefer working alone. Others may prefer an opportunity to work with other people, or look at volunteering as a way to make new friends with similar interests. Socializing among volunteers and between volunteers and staff is an inherent part of any volunteer program. Groups constitute a special category of volunteers. Through group involvement, projects requiring large numbers of people, such as the maintenance of a long segment of trail or the handling of a special event, can be accomplished.