Volunteering in pandemic. The responses of Third Sector organisations and bodies
With this research, the Regional Headquarters of Eurispes and the “Sardegna Solidale” Volunteer Service Centre, under the auspices of the Regional Planning and Budget Department, aimed to analyse the difficult and delicate situation in volunteer associations following the dissemination of Covid-19.
The health emergency, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, changed habits, activities, perceptions and every aspect of daily life, not only during the lockdown period; these changes went far beyond the duration of the government regulations and, inevitably, transformed our lifestyles in a unique and, in some ways, unrepeatable way.
Given the continuing pandemic and the consequent distancing measures, many associations struggled, first and foremost, for their own survival, others had to modify part of their activities, and some were unable to continue their work: their offices were closed to the public and their activities, in some cases, were reorganised within a short period of time in order to provide remote services where possible.
The purpose of the study, therefore, was to detect the needs and criticalities that the Voluntary Associations and Third Sector Organisations encountered during the pandemic, in order to identify possible resources and alternative paths that would allow them to continue carrying out the important activity they perform in the social framework.
The survey took into consideration a representative sample of the associations connected to CSV Sardegna Solidale, divided proportionally by geographical area on the Sardinian territory. The questionnaire, in digital form, was made accessible through a link provided by the Institute. A total of 96 questionnaires were completed and analysed.
The analysis of the results showed, first of all, that the vast majority of the associations, 84.4%, continued their activities even during the emergency period due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Associations that had to interrupt their work, however, did so, for the most part, as a consequence of compliance with government regulations. Only in 3% of the cases, in fact, was the suspension of activity due to the lack of adequate safety conditions and/or equipment.
The difficulties encountered by the associations in carrying out their activities range from an insufficient number of volunteers to a lack of economic resources; however, the problems identified in this survey did not present significant percentages in this regard.
Among the needs that have become a priority, which volunteers have had to deal with, emerged those related to distribution and, in general, food delivery services to vulnerable social groups and fragile persons. In fact, 38.5% of those interviewed declared that their volunteer work was mainly for the distribution of foodstuffs to weak sections of the population, and 32.3% worked to deliver basic necessities, also in collaboration with local authorities.
The activities carried out during the health emergency mainly concerned the elderly, who were immediately identified as being among the weakest segment of the population. Volunteers, in 22.9% of the cases, supported quarantined citizens or single people, in 13.5% of the cases people with risky diseases and in 11.5% of the cases families with disabled or mentally ill people.
The survey also revealed another very important aspect for the purposes of the research, namely that in the complex and varied world of volunteering, operators often and in most cases come across needs and requirements that go beyond the activities that are commonly carried out. In 20% of cases, this happens only rarely, but in 16.7% it happens all the time.
In the opinion of the majority of volunteers, there is also a comforting fact: 53.1% of the total sample believes that the association’s activity will grow further in the future; 32.3% thinks it will remain the same, while just under 15% believes it will decrease.
Remarkably, the vast majority of those interviewed, 81.2%, hence 8 out of 10, would consider it useful to have new volunteers, suitably trained, within their association. Therefore, the need to create a new team of people with specific skills, who can cope with the condition created by the social-health emergency, assumes great importance. Considering that volunteers, as emerged from the survey, mainly deal with the needs of the weaker segments of the population, meaning that they have frequent and direct contact with people who are not autonomous, the elderly or lonely, their professional training would be fundamental and necessary.
As a matter of fact, volunteers make an essential contribution to fostering the psycho-social well-being of those who, for the most diverse reasons, find themselves in a condition of hardship. They are, in a way, the ones who reintegrate into the social fabric people who would otherwise risk being relegated to the margins.
There is, therefore, a need to provide, where they are lacking, or implement, when necessary, training courses for people wishing to enter the world of volunteering, targeted courses, in particular, aimed at operators who will come into contact with the weak, and therefore particularly sensitive, segments of the social structure.
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