As volunteer coordinator with Awesome Ottawa, a registered charity that enriches the lives of children with autism through sports and recreation, Van Aert had a harder-than-usual time recruiting volunteers for the organization’s annual “Trot or Treat” Halloween event. . The event, which took place Sunday at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, allows children on the autism spectrum to make crafts, brave obstacle courses and even practice knocking on a fake door to reduce stress around the trick or treatment. Van Aert said the event, and others like it, can only exist with the help of volunteers. But Awesome Ottawa lost about three-quarters of its volunteer base during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its talent pool of about 400 has dwindled to just 100 at its lowest point this summer. “We’re not the only ones. So many other organizations need the volunteers,” Van Aert said. “It’s almost a race for that small group of people who are willing to volunteer their time.” Kids grab candy before leaving Awesome Ottawa’s ‘Tot or Treat’ event at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility on Sunday. The organization’s volunteer numbers have begun to recover after dropping to around 100 over the summer. (Ben Andrews/CBC News) Christine Trauttmansdorff, executive director of the recruiting association Volunteer Ottawa, said the problem is being felt widely across hundreds of its member organizations. “The numbers are less than we’d like to see right now,” he said. “We’ve had, obviously, two very difficult years. A lot of programs have closed, they haven’t been able to welcome volunteers into their programs and services, and now they’re ready to welcome them back.” However, several local organizations in various sectors told CBC News that it was difficult to convince these volunteers to return. These organizations include The Ottawa Hospital, Montfort Hospital, Loisir Sport Outaouais, Shepherds of Good Hope and the Therapeutic Riding Association of Ottawa-Carleton.
Older volunteers are less likely to return
However, not all operators are struggling. A CHEO spokesman said the children’s hospital doesn’t have the same difficulty attracting volunteers as other hospitals in the area. But for many, the deficit is significant. According to Trauttmansdorff, the volunteer force at The Ottawa Hospital has dwindled from about 1,800 active volunteers before COVID-19 to about 700 today. At Montfort Hospital, that number went from about 300 to less than 100. Similarly, the roughly 200 Ottawans who volunteer at Shepherds of Good Hope are a fraction of the 500 who did so before the pandemic. Dierdre Freiheit, president and CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope and the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation, said that while the organization has not cut any services, it has had to modify the way it provides them. They now serve some meals in biodegradable containers, for example, because there are not enough staff to wash dishes. Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Deirdre Freiheit says they are now serving meals on disposable plates as a lack of volunteers means they don’t have enough workers to wash dishes. (CBC) Many of the organizations interviewed by the CBC said older volunteers were the most likely to leave during the pandemic and remain the most reluctant to return. Although young Canadians are more likely to volunteer, older volunteers contribute more hours of their time, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada.
“Part of the human makeup”
However, Trautmansdorff is optimistic that the volunteers will eventually return. “I think volunteering is part of the human makeup,” he said. “I think people want to go out and reconnect and feel like they’re contributing to their community.” Through a recent recruiting effort at local high schools and universities, Awesome Ottawa has partially replenished its ranks from its summer slump and now has about 150 regular volunteers. Van Aert said about 60 of them helped run the Tot or Treat event on Sunday. “Volunteering is what people do when they feel comfortable and have extra time to fill,” he said. “Right now they’re still trying to get comfortable.”
