Did Covid disrupt the parent volunteer pipeline

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Covid exposed even more inequity but also slowed it all down and allowed people to focus inward and not on their community. I see this in the PTA. We have 40-50 parents who volunteer out of a school of 400 families and most of these parents can just put their kid into a paid activity or go to a fun paid festival on weekends instead of setting up for a festival on school grounds. Free to all students and benefitting all the families that cant volunteer or financially contribute due to multiple jobs, many kids etc. We are all burned out now but not many new families are stepping up.

Can you really blame those people for not wanting to burn themselves out for others who can’t or won’t pitch but want to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor? People felt taken advantage of in these largely thankless roles. There wasn’t much upside for people who would like to enjoy their weekends with their families too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, covid school closures definitely made me never ever want to volunteer at school unless it was something to directly benefit my kid like chaperoning a field trip. Maybe this trickled to other activities.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Covid exposed even more inequity but also slowed it all down and allowed people to focus inward and not on their community. I see this in the PTA. We have 40-50 parents who volunteer out of a school of 400 families and most of these parents can just put their kid into a paid activity or go to a fun paid festival on weekends instead of setting up for a festival on school grounds. Free to all students and benefitting all the families that cant volunteer or financially contribute due to multiple jobs, many kids etc. We are all burned out now but not many new families are stepping up.

Can you really blame those people for not wanting to burn themselves out for others who can’t or won’t pitch but want to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor? People felt taken advantage of in these largely thankless roles. There wasn’t much upside for people who would like to enjoy their weekends with their families too.

Based on what I've heard/seen in multiple volunteer run organizations, the upside is when your friends volunteer with you. Then you're hanging out with your friends (and your kids are likely in a pack hanging out also with their friends) and it works. But on the flip side, you may be less likely to invite in other volunteers and people accuse your PTA/leadership team of being cliquey and not friendly so you get fewer volunteers. Catch-22.

[Anonymous]

The next generation of parents are extremely self-centered and all about their own “wellness” and “family time” — hoping they figure this out fast because they are harming their communities, which they also somehow miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I blame phone addiction. The fractured attention makes people feel frazzled and like they have no time. They are also constantly fed useless garbage content that breeds entitlement.

I buy all of this as at least a contributing factor.

The funny thing is, all of us phone addicts would probably feel better if we put down the phone and did something for others + actually accomplished something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s more related to showing up, needing 2 people but expecting 6 and standing around doing nothing for hours because it’s so unorganized.

100% agree. I don’t volunteer if they already have 2 or 3 people. I have no desire to just stand around because you think your activity requires 10. It doesn’t. The organizers are always a mess and way overestimate how many people they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not still mad about school closures or anything, but when the schools barred parents from entering the building (when the kids first went back in person), I was like “ok, fine!” I never really enjoyed my volunteer experiences. Happy to have an out.

While I am Back to volunteering at school, I had this thought too. They wouldn’t let anyone volunteer for at least that whole first year back.

Also, though, I think there is a longer term decline… for example, our church didn’t have vacation Bible school this summer for the first time due to lack of adult volunteers. Many other churches have also stopped or reduced vbs to one or two days. After at least a couple of decades of hosting vbs. Fewer parents available and/or interested in helping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I blame phone addiction. The fractured attention makes people feel frazzled and like they have no time. They are also constantly fed useless garbage content that breeds entitlement.

I agree with this except for the last sentence.

Will add to some of us different experiences during Covid that we’re still coming down from. It was a very stressful time for everyone not everyone had a pod or wfh situation and some of us were really struggling. I’m guessing that’s where a lot of the teacher burn is coming from too.

The impact of covid on society is long. We have more freedom than during deep pandemic but not everyone has recovered. Also some school cohorts were impacted in ways that are still getting worked out.

To the topic though, thank you for the reminder to make more time for pta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Covid exposed even more inequity but also slowed it all down and allowed people to focus inward and not on their community. I see this in the PTA. We have 40-50 parents who volunteer out of a school of 400 families and most of these parents can just put their kid into a paid activity or go to a fun paid festival on weekends instead of setting up for a festival on school grounds. Free to all students and benefitting all the families that cant volunteer or financially contribute due to multiple jobs, many kids etc. We are all burned out now but not many new families are stepping up.

Can you really blame those people for not wanting to burn themselves out for others who can’t or won’t pitch but want to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor? People felt taken advantage of in these largely thankless roles. There wasn’t much upside for people who would like to enjoy their weekends with their families too.

Based on what I've heard/seen in multiple volunteer run organizations, the upside is when your friends volunteer with you. Then you're hanging out with your friends (and your kids are likely in a pack hanging out also with their friends) and it works. But on the flip side, you may be less likely to invite in other volunteers and people accuse your PTA/leadership team of being cliquey and not friendly so you get fewer volunteers. Catch-22.

Well, it works but given the choice of doing other things, many people would rather do other things with their free time. It’s not like they can’t gather and hang out outside of school with friends. And this goes back to the job being thankless. People will criticize the job you do. Not inclusive enough, bad decorations, food not up to par (why no vegan, gluten free, dairy free, etc etc choices?!), prizes not good. Have you ever helped run these things? It’s not some amazing time with your friends and kids all running around. It’s a headache and people wonder why they’re banging their heads against the wall bothering at all given the grief you get.

[Anonymous]

Are the student participant numbers down too or just the parent volunteer numbers? Some families may have decided that life was more enjoyable when their kids weren't overbooked with activities. But, that would mean both parent and student numbers would be down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s more related to showing up, needing 2 people but expecting 6 and standing around doing nothing for hours because it’s so unorganized.

100% agree. I don’t volunteer if they already have 2 or 3 people. I have no desire to just stand around because you think your activity requires 10. It doesn’t. The organizers are always a mess and way overestimate how many people they need.

This. Also, the folks that are burnt out, don’t utilize us as well. I showed up to a teacher lunch event and the other volunteers were late and treated me like staff. I’d already cleaned the entire space and they over compensated by delegating jobs to check that had already been done. Cool. A check list could have saved you the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Covid exposed even more inequity but also slowed it all down and allowed people to focus inward and not on their community. I see this in the PTA. We have 40-50 parents who volunteer out of a school of 400 families and most of these parents can just put their kid into a paid activity or go to a fun paid festival on weekends instead of setting up for a festival on school grounds. Free to all students and benefitting all the families that cant volunteer or financially contribute due to multiple jobs, many kids etc. We are all burned out now but not many new families are stepping up.

Can you really blame those people for not wanting to burn themselves out for others who can’t or won’t pitch but want to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor? People felt taken advantage of in these largely thankless roles. There wasn’t much upside for people who would like to enjoy their weekends with their families too.

Based on what I've heard/seen in multiple volunteer run organizations, the upside is when your friends volunteer with you. Then you're hanging out with your friends (and your kids are likely in a pack hanging out also with their friends) and it works. But on the flip side, you may be less likely to invite in other volunteers and people accuse your PTA/leadership team of being cliquey and not friendly so you get fewer volunteers. Catch-22.

Well, it works but given the choice of doing other things, many people would rather do other things with their free time. It’s not like they can’t gather and hang out outside of school with friends. And this goes back to the job being thankless. People will criticize the job you do. Not inclusive enough, bad decorations, food not up to par (why no vegan, gluten free, dairy free, etc etc choices?!), prizes not good. Have you ever helped run these things? It’s not some amazing time with your friends and kids all running around. It’s a headache and people wonder why they’re banging their heads against the wall bothering at all given the grief you get.

PP here and yes. I've run things for the PTA, been a board member in a rec sports organization, done the training-required volunteer roles for swim team, led things for church, and done a variety of other volunteer roles. Still am. After all, the people who volunteer for one thing usually are the ones who run everything. I know it's thankless. I also know when people have been complaining about it being thankless they've mentioned what could make it better, and it's usually having more fun with other volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the student participant numbers down too or just the parent volunteer numbers? Some families may have decided that life was more enjoyable when their kids weren't overbooked with activities. But, that would mean both parent and student numbers would be down.

I do think in some areas people are fleeing to more expensive pay-to-participate opportunties (ex: club sports over rec, classes at studios or gyms over other kinds of activities). But not everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Covid exposed even more inequity but also slowed it all down and allowed people to focus inward and not on their community. I see this in the PTA. We have 40-50 parents who volunteer out of a school of 400 families and most of these parents can just put their kid into a paid activity or go to a fun paid festival on weekends instead of setting up for a festival on school grounds. Free to all students and benefitting all the families that cant volunteer or financially contribute due to multiple jobs, many kids etc. We are all burned out now but not many new families are stepping up.

Can you really blame those people for not wanting to burn themselves out for others who can’t or won’t pitch but want to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor? People felt taken advantage of in these largely thankless roles. There wasn’t much upside for people who would like to enjoy their weekends with their families too.

Based on what I've heard/seen in multiple volunteer run organizations, the upside is when your friends volunteer with you. Then you're hanging out with your friends (and your kids are likely in a pack hanging out also with their friends) and it works. But on the flip side, you may be less likely to invite in other volunteers and people accuse your PTA/leadership team of being cliquey and not friendly so you get fewer volunteers. Catch-22.

All. Of. This.

I’d like to help. Please communicate what’s needed to smooth out the event, instead of rehashing softball practice gossip.

Also the need to control everything can make volunteering difficult. We participate in a group where the lead won’t split up tasks or has a very specific order. They’re chasing their own tail exhausted and the volunteers are checking email until we’re allowed to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not still mad about school closures or anything, but when the schools barred parents from entering the building (when the kids first went back in person), I was like “ok, fine!” I never really enjoyed my volunteer experiences. Happy to have an out.

Does that keep you from Scouts and rec sports and stuff too though?

DP, I got more involved with our local rec club. They did everything possible to stay open while schools were doing everything possible to stay closed

PP here and that's how we felt about our rec club, but I haven't met anyone else in person who would say anything like that.

I will also note to the OP's point that HS sports were plenty active while my ES kids were stuck at home on computers. So it doesn't seem like booster clubs should be suffering on that logic. Just there's been a general disruption.

My kids were in elementary during covid and HS now. I went from coaching to being a coordinator and board member