Many area nonprofit organizations that rely on volunteers have faced a numbers crunch in recent years as the need for services has escalated while the number of people volunteering has yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels.
So the La Grange Area Business Association tried to get the word out via a volunteer forum last week at the La Grange Public Library.
Representatives from 17 organizations participated, including BEDS Plus, Pillars Community Health and Community Assisted Rides.
“I think what we’ve seen everywhere, in the community and elsewhere, is that since COVID there’s been a reduction in people volunteering,” BEDS Plus development manager Erin Molek said. “We’ve had a lot of people moving into the community that are new and really don’t know about the volunteer opportunities. … We’re really hoping to get new people engaged with their families or their children.”
Molek is also the head of the Business Association’s nonprofit committee and said not only has volunteerism dropped off, but at the same time, the need for services had soared, especially in addressing homelessness.
“Our services have just exponentially expanded and changed,” she said. “We’ve diversified our programs, they’ve evolved differently … the face of shelter has changed. We used to do rotating shelters, and we have fixed shelters now, the one in Summit and one in Cicero.”
Cathy Domanico, executive director of the La Grange Area Business Association, said a main priority of the group was to get people involved in La Grange’s Week of Service, Sept. 21 to 28.
“The LGBA has the opportunity to give back to the non-profits in the La Grange area, so this is really a great opportunity for us,” Domanico said. “We can help give back by organizing this event to get volunteers.”
Also among the groups seeking volunteers were organizations helping those experiencing food shortages, such as St. Cletus Food Pantry, Share Love, Share Food, food pantry, and the Community Nutrition Network.
Groups benefiting area children like Child Link, the LeaderShop, Scouting America, and the Legacy Guild had booths, as did environmental advocates Go Green, La Grange’s Community Diversity Group and the La Grange Area Historical Society.
Other group representatives echoed Molek’s comments regarding the drop-off in volunteerism, including from Community Nutrition Network, which operates Meals on Wheels.
“It’s been a pretty significant decline, and from what I understand, it’s not just our organization, but across the board,” said Karyn Fisher, volunteer and outreach coordinator for Community Nutrition Network. “It’s really, really slow.”
Fisher said Meals on Wheels uses social media, senior expos and resource fairs, high school service learning fairs, and various Chambers of Commerces to recruit more volunteers.
Representatives from Pillars Community Health said latest figures show a 52% increase in demand for their services in 2023 over the previous year.
Volunteers help with a variety of services. John Dumas, of Share Food, Share Love, outlined some of the ways his group is trying to improve lives.
“We’re actually opening a community refrigerator in the lobby of the pantry which will be open from six in the morning until 10 at night,” he said of the location at 9030 Brookfield Ave., in Brookfield.
Dumas described the kitchen as a “mini-pantry” designed to help with basics until their regular food pantry was open twice a week.
The Volunteer Fair on Thursday attracted over 50 people, many retired La Grange residents.
“I’m looking for something else to do,” retired doctor Ed Garrity, said. “I do some driving for the Interfaith Community Partners, and I’m just looking to see what’s out there.”
Garrity indicated that with his medical background, he could be useful to the clinical services at BEDS Plus.
Another La Grange retiree, Jim Rea, spent much of his career as a business owner.
“I’ve been on the board of a couple companies around here, so I’m looking for board opportunities,” he said. “But there’s other opportunities, things I wasn’t aware of, so it’s nice to come here and see what other opportunities there might be.”
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
