Neighboring vs. Traditional Volunteering

Traditionally, people who live in low-income communities have been viewed primarily as recipients of service rather than providers. Yet it is increasingly clear that many people who live in these communities volunteer and play critical roles in restoring the health and well-being of the neighborhoods in which they live. Volunteering has been, and continues to be, a source of survival.

Much of the volunteering by people in low-income community’s takes place informally: people help each other when they can, and neighbors come together in times of need. It has happened for centuries, in various ways, in communities of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Community members might purchase food for a neighbor in need, organize block patrols for safe streets, or offer safe places in their homes for neighbors in crisis.

For many residents of low-income communities, the terms volunteering and community service have negative connotations, bringing to mind court-ordered community service. To others, the terms simply do not resonate culturally. Most immigrant and minority communities have a wealth of traditions and values tied to helping others, but the term volunteer does not translate into the terms they use to talk about these activities.

During this initiative, we have decided that the term volunteer is culturally specific and, by definition, excludes many populations. Adopting the terms neighboring and community involvement expands the meaning of volunteering to all segments of society. We recognize, however, that employing new language takes time. Work in low-income communities focuses primarily on educating and shifting the attitudes of traditional volunteer organizations and on raising awareness among other groups that also have shown a commitment to build capacity in low-income communities. We hope that funders, nonprofits, and corporations find the information and models significant to their work in low-income communities and will be inspired to build partnerships.

Traditional volunteerism, which often brings in external resources to under-sourced communities, can be seen as outsiders intervening in to save residents. This model typically focuses on short-term, external support to serve communities, rather than serve with communities. This often relies on external agencies’ perception of what the community needs and not on what local residents identify as their priorities. Programs are typically deficiency focused, and residents are conditioned to see themselves as clients and recipients rather than providers.

Traditional volunteer models may fail to develop community leadership and skills of community residents, and ownership lies with organizations or external volunteers rather than residents. This can make sustainability and long-term impact more challenging.

Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network