What, stops you from volunteering more in your community besides, the
reasons in #8 above?
(#8 = not feel qualified, no time, think tasks insignificant, think others
better able)
"Not really knowing where to start."
"I did not know I had major problems in my community, I really don't want to, but I guess if there was a genuine need for me as an individual, I would."
"I attempted to volunteer at Deaconess [hospital] and they said that since I wasn't 18 I couldn't. Also lack of transportation."
"I just never have gotten involved. I think if I got started I wouldn't mind. But also, I have so many things to do that community service is just about the last thing I want to do."
"It is sometimes hard to find opportunities available to those under 18, or that are within my traveling capacity."
"I sometimes forget that my own community is just as troubled as any other. I have gone on work teams to different state and countries, but Spokane needs just as much help as any other place."
"The word about doing something or if something is going on doesn't get out. I have no clue what goes on in my community unless it has to do with cops busting someone."
"I don't know exactly what I'm interested in yet. [I would volunteer] if those times can also allow me to do sports [and spend] time with family and friends."
"People won't listen to teenagers."
"Because I don't know what exactly is designed for teens and kids my age."
"I cannot currently find a [volunteering] job which while allows me the freedom to do my things and be active, not sitting behind a desk, that I believe in."
"I don't help out in the community because it doesn't seem like there are many opportunities. I know there are, but often it has to be right in your face before you know something needs to be done and what you can do to help."
"I don't hear about many volunteering opportunities around the area. I have also had bad experiences volunteering."
"I don't know what I can do -- not enough is said about volunteer work."
"I don't know what places need help."
"The things I do aren't rarely appreciated; they don't help anyone or anything else. The work could easily be done by the people I volunteer for if they worked at doing their job and not socializing so much."
"Volunteer things are to hard to find and do."
"Racism-belonging. Too young in adults point of view. Freedom. Not feel qualified. Not enough time." [Last two mentioned are part of Q8.]
"I don't know where to volunteer, or how to get a hold of someone who does."
"Most groups and reasons for volunteering do not interest me. There are too many loop holes and I don't want to waste my time on a wrong cause."
"What is there to actually get involved with?"
"Because nobody cares or will see what I have done or acknowledge it."
"I want to help but time restricts a lot and the opportunities are not easily seen where I can help."
"Feeling that whatever I do, it doesn't help any. That no matter how hard we try some things never will change."
"I am not aware of what needs to be done or if I am eligible to do these things."
"I haven't been given the opportunity."
"Most of the time I would like to help out, [but] I don't know if I'm suitable for the job or how to find out how to apply."
"Mostly nothing, except maybe getting started. It's easy after you have done it for a while, but [it] is hard getting started."
"I don't know where to start."
"I don't know where to begin or how to get involved."
"Some places are difficult to help at (age [requirements], references etc.). Also many places require background checks, not a bad thing, but a hassle to get notarized etc. Also there isn't a lot of promotion aimed at our age group [to entice] us to volunteer."
"Well, I called up four different non-profit agencies and three of them had enough volunteers and one only had hours during school-closed at 3pm. So that sort of discouraged me but I kept at it and now volunteer at a retirement community."
"Can't see any personal benefit in the long run. I know it sounds selfish."
"I don't see many opportunities to make a difference above boring, minimal tasks like sorting through the school garbage looking for paper to recycle for example. My time is limited and I would want volunteering to be fun, stress-free with satisfying results, but I'm not afraid to work hard."
"I feel like I wouldn't know where to start/who to ask about volunteering. Opportunities don't often present themselves."
"I don't know where I am needed. I volunteer through my mom and also through honor society at school, but otherwise would have no resources or knowledge of who/what business needs volunteers.'
"Don't know what to do [and] don't know many people who do."
"I think there is a lack of awareness of programs in which to volunteer (where do I go to get started?)."
"Besides the fact that I just don't have time, it would be kind of scary. It could put a lot of pressure on me emotionally; more than I already have. It's a big responsibility and most kids don't want to take it."
"Because I don't have much time to myself I like to spend all my free time doing something fun. I also need money, so I would get a job before I volunteer anywhere."
"I feel I'm not quite ready yet (age and experience) and I don't want to be alone."
"Volunteering never pans out - expectations hoped for are never achieved."
"I think I need more help getting started. It takes time to work to find out where I can be volunteering. If someone told me I needed to go to a certain place at a certain time I would be happy to do it."
"In order to volunteer, a person must go out and find opportunities. The biggest thing holding me back is both my laziness in finding these opportunities and shyness."
"What stops me from volunteering is the fact that I have no idea where to begin, or who needs help and what needs to be done to organize that."
"Mostly that when I have the free time, I want to do things with my friends or family. But I think that it can be a family thing too."
"I am involved in extracurricular activities everyday after school, every weekend and many mornings before school. That basically takes all of my energy and motivation, along with my rigorous course work in school including 3 AP classes. When I do have time, I usually try to relax and enjoy it." [This student would still volunteer 4 hours /wk--10 hours//wk summer!]
"I don't volunteer because I wouldn't know where to go! I would feel awkward and I hate that."
"Besides the fact that I have no time between work, school and sports, I don't exactly know how to get started volunteering."
"Never asked."
"No advertisement. I don't know where to go."
"Many organizations have a plethora of volunteers so I rarely find the places that truly need me. Volunteering is too large of a sacrifice not to feel needed or appreciated."
"Community projects seem hard to get a hold on. I rarely hear of them and I really don't have enough information to make a decision. Usually community tasks aren't that exciting sounding either."
"I don't know where to sign up [so] that I could make a difference."
"I'm not aware of places that needs volunteers and I've never been interested enough to do research."
"Sometimes the activities are fund-raisers or require money, I personally dislike the monetary systems so I try not to support things such as fund-raisers. Sometimes activities don't appeal to my interest."
"There is nothing I could do that would really make a difference."
"Too many hoops to jump through. If you don't know that what you do will really help someone, you are less likely to act."
"Don't really think about it, and If I did I wouldn't know how to go about doing it."
"My parents tend to think that the government should handle the community."
"It's hard to know where to start because lots of good things are happening but there are also many problems. Perhaps if they were publicized more, I could be a greater help to my community."
"I would love to volunteer more in my community but I don't know where to look. I think availability of options is the problem in my case. Volunteer options need to be more available to youth."
"I have not been approached by any volunteer programs. I would participate in a program that involved the fine arts."
"I don't know what I could be doing. Sure, if someone gave me a list of things, I would do as many as possible but I don't know what's out there."
"My parents discourage me from doing more than I do." [This student offered to volunteer 20 hours during the school year and 90-100 hours during the summer.]
"Because it is not geared to the younger people. Me, I need to be occupied with something enjoyable."
"No point to do it [volunteering] if adults don't listen."
"I don't think I could handle working without getting anything out of it."
"I don't really know where to start. Where to get packets of information and what the jobs are."
"I don't hear about these volunteer things too often. Sometimes teachers will offer extra credit, but I don't care about that. However next month I will be volunteering."
"No one to follow; there are no leaders to lead the army of volunteers to their tasks."
"I would rather get paid than do it for free."
"Not sure how to get started and contact organizations."
"The reasons that I don't volunteer are because I don't have enough information or time."
"Where am I suppose to go?"
"Ignorance to what I could do."
"Volunteer sites are hard to reach if you can't drive and the jobs aren't publicized as much-I don't know what to do."
"That the cause is not good and does not seem like its benefiting that many people and the fact that I'm $700 in debt and if I'm going to work, I need money."
"I would rather work at my job and make money."
"I don't know if other people will be there to help me if I get in trouble. I don't know if I'll have anyone to back me up."
"Not enough good ways to volunteer; should be more positions open."
"I am only 15 years old and I don't think many organizations would want me as a volunteer when they could have someone older and more experienced."
"Most volunteer places only accept 18 and older!!!"
"I don't volunteer in my community because what I might be doing doesn't directly affect me or my family."
"Nothing. I never get any information on volunteering, but I would be interested."
"I don't see or hear about any opportunities to volunteer for the community. If I happen to hear [about] one, the description sounds lame. It [volunteering] needs to sound like fun!"
"Many volunteer organizations don't seem to want help from people my age."
"I don't know who to call or where to go."
"Fear of the people I will be volunteering for and with. It is not, however, a deep fear, but a kind of nervousness that tries to make me not do anything that I don't want to do and I don't have to do."
Q9 What, stops you from volunteering more in you community?
#1 Response = Knowing what needs to be done
#2 Response = Don't want to (no motivation -wouldn't enjoy what's now available)
#3 Response = Worthwhile use of my time; knowing the job really made a difference
There was a three-way tie for fourth place
#4 Response = Unaware of problems
#4 Response = Need friends to volunteer too
#4 Response = No transportation
There was a four-way tie for fifth place
#5 Response = Scared, lack of self-confidence
#5 Response = "I work and so do my friends."
#5 Response = Being able to get whatever they would use the $$ for from volunteering
#5 Response = No interest in the volunteer jobs currently offered in my community
#5 Response = Have better things to do