#volunteering — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #volunteering, aggregated by home.social.
-
@pupplesNbubbles It's wonderful that you and other #volunteers do this important work! :BlobhajHeart:
I often asked myself if it would be something for me after my last dog died. But I fear that I would fall in love with too many (and I can't have a dog now), and more ... that it would be too heartbreaking for me.
-
The Reason Many People Don’t Volunteer (It’s Not Time)
Last week I was sat in a room filled with a load of really passionate people who had come together to discuss creating a Community Newspaper. The ideas were flowing. The questions were flying about and the enthusiasm was there. But when it came to the crunch; “Hands up who wants to be part of the initial steering committee?” all that momentum came crashing to a halt. The hands did not come up.
It’s easy to think “Nobody has the time” and that’s the problem, but there is a bigger issue that holds people back. People don’t like to let other people down. Not wanting to let people down is perhaps a bigger barrier to getting people to volunteer than time.
This morning I got a very similar response talking to a gentleman about a regeneration project in my local park. He was initially reluctant to sign up because he just didn’t know if he could commit the time needed to the project. When I explained that he wasn’t obligated to come to every event and he could pick the ones that suited him, he was happy to sign up.
This is not a new observation to anyone working in this field. It’s called “commitment anxiety” or “anticipatory guilt.”: the fear that saying yes means taking responsibility for others’ expectations. When people worry about letting down their neighbours, friends, or community members who are counting on them, the social cost of failing outweighs the benefit of contributing.
Image via The Tampa Bay Estuary Program on UnsplashOn top of this there are a few other dimensions to this problem.
Social Risk vs. Practical Constraint: The “no time” explanation is socially safer. It’s concrete and feels less personal. Admitting fear of disappointing others would mean admitting vulnerability. So “time” becomes the convenient public reason while the real barrier sits beneath the surface.
Diffused Responsibility Paradox: Ironically, the stronger the group enthusiasm, the harder it can be for individuals to commit. When everyone seems passionate and capable, each person may think “someone else will take this lead.” The momentum of collective excitement can actually suppress individual action because nobody wants to stand out or fail publicly. This feels very much like what I experienced in the Community Newspaper meeting.
Perfectionism in Community Projects: Community initiatives carry emotional weight beyond transactional tasks. People worry they’ll damage relationships if the project struggles, not just that a deadline might be missed. That stakes-raising makes the ask more daunting than a typical volunteer opportunity.
So, is there anything we can learn from this? Are there any tips or tricks to get people to volunteer that sidestep these issues?
Small, time-bound trial commitments: EG “It’s just for 6 weeks, then we reassess” This lowers the perceived risk and gives people a really clear escape route, after 6 weeks. And then they can say “I don’t have time…” Instead of “join the steering committee,” try “come to one planning session next Thursday.” Each micro-commitment builds identity alignment and people start seeing themselves as someone who shows up. Once that self-image forms, larger commitments feel like a natural extension rather than a leap.
Making roles modular rather than monolithic: Let’s people contribute pieces without owning outcomes. Let’s people decide what they do, and when, so they feel like they are in control. Instead of giving people a task, ask them “What do you want to do?” and invite them to commit on their own terms. Also in an established organisation you can create a Shadowing Option so people can understand the scope before committing, offering a “shadow” role first.
Explicitly naming the fear: “I know saying yes feels daunting right now but…” This can reduce its power. Make it clear that quitting in 12 weeks is better than contributing nothing at all. Normalise exit on-ramps. Make leaving frictionless and guilt-free from the outset. Something like: “Anyone who joins the steering committee can step back at any point, no explanation needed.” When people know the door swings open both ways, commitment feels less like a trap. The irony is that making it easy to leave often makes people stay longer.
#Charity #Environment #OurWonderfulGreenFuture #Regeneration #sustainability #Volunteering
So that’s it. I wish I had all that in my head last week! For my Regen project simply getting people onto a mailing list is the big thing. Allowing people to passively sit in the background as potential volunteers until the day comes when they are in a position to volunteer pays off. -
Good To Grow Map
"The place to find and volunteer for community gardens."
https://www.goodtogrowuk.org/map/#SolarPunkSunday #Gardens #GoodToGrow #CommunityGardening #Gardening #Community #Volunteer #HortiCulture #Maps #UK #Volunteering
-
Kristine Baney, Executive Director at Treetops Kitty Cafe, recently joined us on the Start Local Podcast where she talked all about how the lovely volunteers with Treetops Kitty Cafe make the organization the success that it is. 🐱 🫂 🐾
Catch the full episode here: https://startlocal.co/creating-safe-places-and-finding-forever-homes-for-cats-with-kristine-baney/
-
At this morning's working bee our group managed to get this big palm-like plant out of its pot and planted in the ground. We also did lots of weeding and mulching. We had a new volunteer came and he was great.
After the working bee I went to a local community meeting and found another new volunteer and a new street gardening project.
Spring is around the corner so we are going to be very busy as we also need to do another working bee in the same garden we worked in this morning. We re-established that garden about a year ago with around 100 plants (geraniums and various succulents) our group had propagated. It is a big area and we still have a lot more weeding and mulching to do.
We do this because it is enjoyable. It is not a productivity exercise. These working bees are an opportunity to do something good in fresh air and make friends. I loved hearing deep conversations happening while people were weeding. It slows everything down, and that is a good thing.
-
This morning our volunteer group is helping out the local bowls club by weeding, pruning and mulching a large garden we established last year. Yesterday I pruned the succulents on the street garden in front of our place - another garden our group established several years ago. We also did a significant pruning of our lemon tree.
These are some of the cuttings of the succulents we will pot up this morning and either give away to volunteers or keep them for our next gardening projects. Volunteers will also be able to take some lemons home.
A couple of days ago we had a meeting with another organisation to hopefully start another gardening project in a new location. Our group also has another gardening project on the go, but this one is a very tough location so we found a retired horticultural lecturer to give us advice. Hopefully the owner of the garden plots will have the budget for the plants and landscaping required.
#GardenIngAU #volunteering -
EVERY TEN MINUTES | Saving the Aquatic Warbler - videos.trom.tf/w/gcSwpc5G2QNiZ…
If there is a wonderful Peertube channel anyone SHOULD share, because is 100% positive, non-political, and really well made is this one. By @sober_pirate videos.trom.tf/c/soberpirate
Subscribe and support if you can!
#nature #wild #rewilding #lithuania #birds #volunteers #volunteering
RE: videos.trom.tf/videos/watch/7b… -
New to #OpenStreetMap and want to contribute to impactful causes through open mapping? 🗺
We're here to help!Visit the #UNMaps Learning Hub today 👉 https://maps.un.org/learning/
🗺️ Master the basics, editors, and topographic concepts of #openmapping.
🌐 Join thousands of contributors worldwide.
📚 Flexible and multilingual courses, start anytime, anywhere.
🌟 Empower yourself and make a difference!📸Cameroon CityMapper Externship 2026 /Engelbert Modo
-
🚨 New projects alert! 🚨
Join our mission to map vital areas for peacekeeping in the West African region. 🌍🇨🇲🇳🇬
📍 https://tasks.hotosm.org/explore?location=Nigeria&omitMapResults=1&organisation=UN%20Mappers
🗺 Features to map: Roads and Places
👩💻 Open to beginner and expert mappers
⏳ Target completion date: 20 SeptemberBecome a #UNMapper! 💙
#UNMappers #UNMaps #MappingforPeace #OpenStreetMap #UNOWAS #volunteering #UNvolunteering #UNvolunteers #peacebuilding
-
NASA: Volunteer Develops Machine-Learning Tool to Identify Rare Clouds. “Certain kinds of clouds are misbehaving – appearing more often and lower in the sky than they used to. To help identify the factors influencing these changes (e.g. shifts in Earth’s long-term weather patterns), scientists have asked people around the world with cameras to submit fresh images of these clouds as a part […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/15/nasa-volunteer-develops-machine-learning-tool-to-identify-rare-clouds/ -
Memory of late partner blooms in sharing wildflowers
By Chloe Henville and Chris LewisLeonie Aspin shares her wonder of nature and honours the memory of her partner by travelling from New Zealand to rural WA each year as the wildflowers bloom.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-16/new-zealand-to-wa-midwest-wildflowers-tourism/107030124
#Volunteering #Grief #RegionalCommunities #TravelandTourism #Environment #ChloeHenville #ChrisLewis
-
Multi-post thread - please boost!
For anyone that can, I’d wholeheartedly say volunteering is one of the best activities you can do. Regardless of your working or health status, if you have spare time to dedicate to a meaningful cause I can guarantee it is worth it.
For me, the social aspect and feeling valued have been the big ones. Also the boost in confidence and opportunity to be involved in shaping the local community even in a tiny way are such mood enhancers!
1/🧵
-
Volunteering changes lives and fills community gaps across the country
By Cindy Wockner and Kathryn RobinsonFrom planting trees to dementia choirs and early morning cafes for the homeless, volunteering is turning lives around, offering opportunities and filling gaps in community services across Australia.
-
Charity drive charges on despite boggy conditions
By Luke Lay and Jodie HamiltonTorrential rains and flooded roads did not stop more than 70 cars from taking part in this year's Variety Bash, even if major route alterations were needed.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-15/variety-bash-sa-outback-road-closures/107036610
#Charities #Volunteering #HumanInterest #LukeLay #JodieHamilton
-
Grow Casper Urban Farm expanding with help of volunteers | Local & State News https://www.allforgardening.com/1928558/grow-casper-urban-farm-expanding-with-help-of-volunteers-local-state-news/ #CasperCommunityGreenhouseProject #gardening #GardeningWyoming #HungerRelief #Volunteering #wyoming
-
New volunteering goal: Sort more of my saved seeds + seed donations & get at least 100 new seed packets filled by end of August to stock into our #SevenOaksSeedLibrary 💚
#Saanich #SeedLibrary #CommunityBuilding #CommunitySharing #Grassroots #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Seeds #GrowFromSeed #FoodSecurity #Volunteering #CommunityWork
-
‘I’m giving people a happy space’: the man clearing gardens for free – and letting light into strangers’ lives
When he saw a messy yard being criticised on social media, Stephen Jalland grabbed his trimmer and decided to #help. An overgrown garden, he discovered, often hides an overwhelmed owner.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/11/clearing-gardens-for-free-stephen-jalland
-
‘I’m giving people a happy space’: the man clearing gardens for free – and letting light into strangers’ lives
By Emily RetterWhen he saw a messy yard being criticised on social media, Stephen Jalland grabbed his trimmer and decided to help. An overgrown garden, he discovered, often hides an overwhelmed owner
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/11/clearing-gardens-for-free-stephen-jalland
#Volunteering #Socialcare #Society #Gardens #Cambridgeshire #Lifeandstyle #Socialmedia #Mentalhealth #Loneliness #Health #Digitalmedia #UKnews #TheGuardian #EmilyRetter
-
NEW Translation: BURMESE
We are thrilled to share that the #OpenStreetMap courses on the UN Maps Learning Hub are now available in #Burmese 🇲🇲💙
Huge shoutout to the Myanmar OpenStreetMap (My OSM) community #myOSM who have translated the contents to ensure our learning resources more accessible 🙌
Start learning with #UNMaps today 👇
📍 https://maps.un.org/learning/📸Photo credit: myOSM
#UNMappers #UNMapsLearningHub #OpenStreetMap #OnlineLearning #UNLearning #onlinevolunteering #volunteering #opendata
-
Even though son is still traveling, I went to help on an Eagle Scout’s project today. It’s good to support them and give back to the community.
-
Did you know that volunteering can boost well-being in later life? 💛🤝🌱
New research from the Jeckenstudie shows that volunteering can offer far more than social contact. It can strengthen social networks, create a renewed sense of purpose and even make the transition from employment to retirement feel easier. 🧠✨
Details: https://uni.koeln/4VYM7
#DidYouKnow #Volunteering #Wellbeing #HealthyAgeing #MentalHealth
-
Council decides to sell off farm donated 'in good faith' to community
By Andrew WilliamsBoyup Brook locals say they were blindsided by the shire's decision to sell off a beloved farm donated to the community more than four decades ago.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-07/rylington-park-sale-angers-boyup-brook-community/107005122
#RuralandRemoteCommunities #Volunteering #LocalGovernment #SustainableandAlternativeFarming #AndrewWilliams
-
Master Gardener basic training classes begin Oct. 1 | Lifestyles https://www.allforgardening.com/1917335/master-gardener-basic-training-classes-begin-oct-1-lifestyles/ #agriculture #BotanicalSocieties #botany #BotanyOrganizations #garden #gardening #HorticulturalOrganizations #horticulture #MasterGardenerProgram #PennStateCollegeOfAgriculturalSciences #PlantAgriculture #plants #PlantsAndHumans #PrimarySector #Volunteering