In Praise of Volunteers

We were thrilled to have NEWS CENTER Maine pop by and spend some time with our lovely volunteers! Did you know Maine ranks in the top five states for volunteerism? We treasure our volunteers at FCS, we couldn’t do all that we do without your generous donation of time.

Freeport Community Services remained fully equipped to carry out its many programs due to strong volunteer contributions in 2022, our year end statistical data showed.

Despite the rocky economy and difficulty with employers finding workers, the ability for Freeport Community Services (FCS) to attract and retain volunteers remains strong and has allowed the organization to meet an increasing demand for services.

In 2022, FCS averaged 940 volunteer service hours per month, with approximately 110 active volunteers each month. In total, volunteers donated approximately 11,283 hours of service in 2022. 

“We simply could notfunction as an organization and serve the community as we do without the participation of our volunteers,” said Sarah Lundin, executive director of FCS. “We are fortunate to have our service needs fully met despite national trendsof lower volunteer participation.”

Many local and national community groups and organizations have experienced a steady decline in volunteer participation, leading to the closure or scaling back of programs that many vulnerable community members have depended on, according to recent analysis by the Future of Good.

“We are fortunate to report that all of our volunteer positions are filled at the current time,” said Susan Adams, FCS volunteer coordinator. “I encourage anyone who may be interested in volunteering to look around their communities for organizations that have volunteer needs.”

The volunteer service hourly data includes volunteers working in transportation, the food pantry, the thrift shop and other FCS programs.

According to the national Independent Sector report on Volunteer Service, the value of a volunteer service hour in Maine in 2021 was $26.77 per hour, which calculates to over $300,000 worth of volunteer service in 2022 for FCS.  

The monthly average of 940 volunteer service hours at FCS translates roughly to 6 full-time employees, working 40 hours per week. 

FCS’ annual total of volunteer service is very similar to the total in 2021, largely due to the way we organize our volunteer needs. The day-to-day needs of the organization have remained fairly constant over the past 2 years, so the annual totals of volunteer service are comparable.