Wanted: A Lot More Volunteering Time : Now More Than Ever, Good Causes Could Use You

Each spring hundreds of volunteers shed their workaday suits to spend a Saturday helping nonprofit organizations that need a new coat of paint, or a few windows rehung, or an extra room added. It is called the Orange County Corporate Combined Volunteer Project. It was a good idea when it was founded eight years ago, and it is an even better idea now.

Last month, 400 employees of some of the county’s best-known companies turned out to lend a hand to the Speech and Language Development Center in Buena Park. They constructed a sign, revived a playground, striped the parking lot. By day’s end they had donated the equivalent of $40,000 or so of labor, and donated construction materials as well. It was a job well done.

Orange County residents often have seemed more willing to donate money than time. A study two months ago showed that only 29% of county residents volunteer, compared to a nationwide rate of 54%. A large part of the problem is time pressure, as people juggle jobs, housework and children. Yet we can and must do better.

There are institutions like Orangewood Children’s Home, the shelter for neglected, abandoned and abused children in Orange, that exist because of private donations. The Orangewood Children’s Foundation continues to supplement county funds for the shelter, and has pledged to spend $10 million on children’s programs during the next seven years. That’s just one example of private largess in the county. However, fund-raisers across the country report that donations from corporations have leveled off in recent years, due to the recession. The need for volunteer services to help fill the gap is readily apparent.

One example of how tough things are in Orange County: A county rape crisis center and hot line plans to shut down July 1 due to a lack of funds. Unfortunately, it seems that the center, the Orange County Sexual Assault Network, is being penalized for sparing the taxpayers and facing fiscal realities.

A year ago, the crisis center decided to rely on donations instead of seeking state money. The reason was California’s budget crisis and the resulting uncertainty over how much state funding, if any, would be available, and how long it might continue.

That was wise thinking--in normal fiscal times. But the center’s major sponsors have been defense firms. As the recession has cut into their business, they have cut back on donations. It only costs about $6,000 a month to run the hot line and staff the office, but even that relatively small amount has dried up. So the center is about to fold, leaving the Sexual Assault Victims Services/Prevention Program based in Irvine to handle many of the 300 to 500 calls a month the center now receives. That is unfortunate.

Volunteers can’t do everything to close the gaps, but they can be a big help in tight times. Officials of nonprofit organizations say that while they need cash, volunteers show a special commitment to a cause that goes beyond just writing a check. That extra effort makes them especially welcome. Companies say specific projects can give direction to workers who want to volunteer but do not know where to go.

In a sign of the times, some companies hurt by the recession report that charities in the county know better than to ask for money and are instead requesting volunteer help. One key difference between the types of help is taxes. Cash contributions are tax-deductible, while manual labor is not. Like the 400 volunteers who helped the Speech and Language Development Center, we ought to answer the call.