[Nate Martin]

I believe that the lack of social capitol in many locations is coorelated to less people being volunteers. Cities need to enforce in the elements of their General Plan that housing (subburbs) all have nice big front porches so the neighborhood has more of an opportunity to connect with each other. It seems that neighbors nowadays don't have much of a connection and just do their own thing. I think if their was more social capitol, there would be more people willing to volunteer for a particular cause.

This same idea might apply to the everyday work environment. It certainly does not apply to my office. We have a community services task force all dedicated to various volunteering and fund raising efforts. It is soooooo excellent.

[duffystar]

without cities changing their housing plan, which doesn't seem likely in the near future, how else do you think we can inspire people to start volunteering?

[Nate Martin]

Well, my idea of the lack of social capitol resulting in less volunteering is a bit of a long shot. however, i bet might be a small contributor. actually, there San Luis Obispo already does this (ie porches) and has some amazing results.

Other methods of having more volunteers? I am sure there is a ton, but if it is for a good cause, then there is typically a good turn out. I volunteer for Creek Week where we clean up the river among other things.

[Raptor235]

I believe early education gives people the roots that makes them want to contribute to the future of our planet... I was always interested in the environment and watched a ton of discover channel as a kid and come to think of it our schools didn't do too much in terms of the environment... I remember a few lessons here and there but nothing major.. I think if schools were to take on the environmental change seriously we would have a completely different society within 15 years...

[DeniseJ]

I must agree with Raptor.

If I hadn't discovered environmental causes on my own as a child, I wouldn't have been nearly as informed and active in environmental issues now because of the education I received. I remember a few lessons here and there, mostly in elementary school but afterwards there wasn't a lot being taught in the classroom regarding environmental issues.

[horselover]

I don't know if they teach the 3 "r's" in school anymore, but that's how I learned about recycling when I was a kid.

[Raptor235]

Seems that education is the key for our kids and for third world countries that will find themselves in the same situation in the future, that we're currently in...

[horselover]

Originally Posted by Raptor235

Seems that education is the key for our kids and for third world countries that will find themselves in the same situation in the future, that we're currently in...

*grumbles* Let's hope I can finish my post before this crappy comp goes haywire again.


I was trying to say when my internet crashed that I hope they are educated enough to survive should the same situation hit them.

[cats3]

I agree: the way houses and such are built these days (at least in Essex County, NJ, USA) there is less and less social interaction being promoted. It seems that more people hang out on their back decks rather than a front porch (if they have houses).

Personally, my father used to warn us kids not to hang out on the front porch where we could be seen by others since it "might bring property values down". I think it has something to do with going through poorer neighborhoods where people are hanging out because-lack of employment, stifling apartments, no parks/playgrounds etc.

I love to hang out and chat with my neighbors. We keep abreast of the news and help each other.
I also enjoy volunteering as I learn new skills and meet great people.

Some folks live in neighborhoods that are not safe or conducive to interaction.
Some people prefer to be quite private for a variety of reasons.
I suggest that they can volunteer in the privacy of their homes - for example, by sharing on a sote like this...(if they have a computer and are computer literate). I do have to say, that, around here, the kids are more literate than their parents at leasti n terms of computers...

I do know wealthy people who live in the kind of houses that are spread way apart and folks don't meet at home but they do meet at community events or at houses or worship where they work together...

[Simon47]

The following could be updated by now but we can add the rising cost of fuel as a discouragement to volunteerism. I live in the north and we face the issue of too much need and not enough volunteers. Ours are maxed out. The below are Canadian stats.


The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP), in a 2004 Survey found that; “more than two thirds (69%) of non-volunteers said that they lacked the extra time to volunteer and nearly one half (46%) said that they were unwilling to make a year-round commitment. Other significant barriers were giving money rather than volunteering (38%) and not having been personally asked to volunteer (37%). About one quarter of non-volunteers said that they had no interest in volunteering (25%), had health concerns or were physically unable to volunteer (24%), younger Canadians were far more likely than their older counterparts to say that they did not have the time to volunteer (76% of those aged 15 to 24; 80% of those aged 25 to 34; 39% of those aged 65 and over) or had not been personally asked to volunteer (49% of those aged 15 to 24; 43% of those aged 25 to 34; 27% of those aged 65 and over).”