The Indispensable Volunteer

by Robert E. Bondy

Director, Disaster Relief, American Red Cross, Washington, D.C.

The volunteer is the foundation and assurance of successful effort in remedial and preventive social activities. He touches the problem as a community leader; he speaks for the community; he sponsors and interprets the movement; he secures support; he carries forward the socializing and preventive programs. He must be present if social effort is to go forward—and in large and increasing numbers. True, the professional worker is the other half of the partnership—the hub of the wheel. He must discover; he must lead; he must interpret; he must execute, but he most not dictate. He must be truly a partner, bearing his own responsibility, the volunteer carrying his. There must be proper balance, for overbalance on the one side has often resulted in a technical perfection that has left the community far behind in its understanding and support, and has postponed for many days the desired social program and progress.

       The American Red Cross glorifies the volunteer while recognizing the essential place of the professional worker. The tasks of the Red Cross have required many hands. Its services have been nation-wide. Every county has needed its service, and its scheme of service has needed every county’s support and participation. War time; the rehabilitation days for the disabled veteran; the period of great drought, flood, or other disaster; the time of national unemployment—all these have required an army of workers. The professional workers of the world were not enough alone. When Government wheat and cotton distribution reaches all of the counties but 17, a great system of volunteer participation is necessary. This participation of the layman and laywoman must be recognized as vital. There must be that recognition first of all.

      Social work activity will never go forward in full measure as long as the professional social worker views the volunteer as a nuisance, as one who takes the social worker’s time, as  a sentimental interloper. For there’s too much to be done. A whole nation’s problems cry for a solution. Would the professional worker solve them all? Or would he be statesmanlike; would he use the leadership of the communities and the country; would he tackle the job with an army at his back—or as one of a band of guerrillas?

      Now, the Red Cross recognition of the vital place of the volunteer has had its counterpart in big tasks to be done—and just as big, and bigger, tasks face social work everywhere today. Having and knowing you have a big job to do is of the essence of success in recruiting the volunteer. We are asked, “How do you get 80,000 workers to be personnel in a drought relief operation in 1,057 counties in 23 states?”

       Well, the job must be defined—its circumference must be described. Clearly the job must be known to exist. If the harvest is known to be great, then the workers need not be few. For, the places for labor are then known. And when there is need for the worker in human service—for a definite, specific task—the response is prompt.

       Volunteers are not recruited by just setting out to recruit with a “Hurrah, now let’s recruit a lot of volunteers.” Volunteers are recruited by envisaging a great duty, and by calling directly to Mr. Lawyer, Mrs. Housewife, and Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, “Come and help, here’s your place, your part in the cause.” Mrs. Jones, you are to arrange for the women of your church society to produce garments from cloth. Mr. Brown, you are to find shelter for 1,000 families made homeless by a flood. Mr.Smith, you are to visit the Thompsons up the hollow to learn their losses and needs in the drought. Miss Henry, you are to solicit memberships in your block. Mr. Lawyer, you are to draft an ordinance for rezoning the river front so that homes will not be flooded again. Mr. Planter, you are to encourage through your committee a crop diversification and home garden program so that cotton will not be planted at every doorstep and food needs for man and beast go unmet when the one cash crop is lost. And so on, specific assignment of a part of the great program is made for each of thousands of volunteers.

       And through it all, instruction and guidance for the service to be rendered. The volunteer brings his individual qualifications, his special knowledge, experience, and training. This is built upon. Techniques are adapted to the situation. A handbook for serving the disabled veteran may be put in his hands. Traveling field representatives visit him. Institutes of a week are organized for his peculiar problems. He must be guided, nurtured, encouraged; and yet his own initiatives, skills, experiences—often the essence of his contribution—utilized and drawn out.

Source: Bondy, Robert. Box 1, Folder 6, Social Welfare History Archives, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN., www.lib.umn.edu/swha