Teresa Troke

Junior Eve Weifenbach (second from left) sits with fellow volunteers during a food truck load up to hand out groceries to the underserved. She said volunteering has made her more grateful for everything she has in life.

With christmas at its core, December is often thought of as the month of giving back. However, according to a 2015 study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which was released this year on Feb. 25, volunteer rates have actually decreased by about 0.4 percent and are now only about 24.9 percent of the total population.

Junior Eve Weifenbach, who was recently honored for her volunteer service at the Indy Dream Center, said, “I have known that (volunteer rates decreased), and it does bother me because it’s showing how people, more and more, are just not even caring about it anymore.”

On the other hand, Nancy Chance, founder and executive director of the Good Samaritan Network, said, locally, she’s seen the opposite of the national trend.

Chance said, “Well, (volunteering has) been increasing because there’s a huge need for it because the client base in Hamilton County has grown exponentially, so I think people are beginning to realize that people need help desperately.” Young people in particular.

According to the same Bureau of Labor Statistics study, 16-to-19 year old teenagers have maintained a relatively high volunteer rate—26.4 percent—compared to the national figure. Chance said additionally, she believes more and more young adults are coming out to help.

Furthermore, Chance said she believes it is imperative for young adults to not only get involved but also stay involved.

Chance said, “If young people do not volunteer and do not keep this perpetual motion that has been advocated and very active since the ‘40s, since the Baby Boomer era, what’s going to happen is that our community will go into a stalemate.

“You’ll have a lot of organizations that have a lot of commodities and resources that do not have a way to get it to the clients because there aren’t volunteers to help do that co-op,” she continued.

Chance said she also believes students should get involved even if it is for academic purposes. “I believe that they do it; then, they get into the community and see the need … I think it can be a hidden blessing for the kids … (who) have to do so many service hours that it actually helps the kids become more aware of the need in the community,” Chance said.

Yet, Jill Grimes, Key Club sponsor and social studies teacher, said while she understands the benefits of requiring volunteer hours for school, she still does not entirely agree with the process.

“As someone who is a sponsor of a volunteer organization, sometimes it bothers me that it is a requirement, but I also recognize that this is an opportunity (where), unless kids are required to do something, they don’t realize (its importance),” she said.

According to Weifenbach, volunteering has definitely been a rewarding experience.

“(Volunteering) has definitely made me more grateful for everything I’ve had because living in Carmel, everyone thinks we have everything handed to us, and when you get to talk to these people, you get to hear everything they’ve been through and how they’ve struggled in life, and it’s just opened my eyes to different points of views,” Weifenbach said. “It’s awesome getting to see people just smile because someone is willing to talk to them. I just want to make more people smile through the way that we care for them.”