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Aroha Mai; Aroha Atu—Love Received; Love Returned
New Zealand is a nation of volunteers with a long history of ‘mucking in’ and getting the job done. More than 50 percent of Kiwis volunteer in some capacity to make a positive difference in our communities. They account for more than 159 million hours of volunteer labour each year. As we honour volunteers during Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu—National Volunteer Week from 16 to 22 June, SALT delves into the crucial and invaluable role volunteers play in supporting The Salvation Army to live out its mission.
WORDS Kelly Cooper
William and Catherine Booth founded The Salvation Army with the help of volunteers, who generously devoted their time and skills to assist East London’s most marginalised and vulnerable people. Volunteers played such a crucial role in the movement, that early on The Salvation Army earned the name ‘The Volunteer Army’ from observers. Today, volunteering remains at the heart of our movement as The Salvation Army continues to provide practical support which is only possible because of the effort and dedication of our volunteers.
The New Zealand Charities Service defines volunteers as ‘people who provide their time and services to charity free of charge’. Volunteer work within The Salvation Army encompasses a range of roles including corps (church) and volunteers, Community Ministries, emergency management, Family Stores and annual appeals as well as many other ad hoc roles.
Who are our volunteers?
A ‘Review of Volunteering’ conducted for Community Ministries in 2023 revealed that The Salvation Army boasts over 3200 dedicated registered volunteers nationwide, as well as countless others who volunteer in less formal capacities. Volunteers come from all age groups, with retirees making up the largest portion: more than half of our volunteers are 65 years old or older. Volunteers are not just individuals, they come with their schools, their whānau (families), their marae and their communities.
‘The Salvation Army is dependent on volunteering,’ says Principal Advisor for Social Mission Kate Misa. ‘Our volunteers support our social service delivery and enable income generation. Without volunteers, The Salvation Army would not achieve its mission and we would not exist as a movement.’ Workforce Development Coordinator for Social Mission Davina Plummer adds, ‘Many volunteers help in multiple places and are connected and serve in lots of different ways.’ She also acknowledges the many volunteer hours that Salvation Army employees contribute above and beyond their paid hours.
The scope of volunteer work within The Salvation Army is vast. Volunteers at Family Stores across the country receive, organise and shelve merchandise. ‘Family Store volunteers account for our biggest human resource and their work literally funds parts of our mission,’ says Davina. Te Kai Mākona is the largest point of engagement with the public for volunteers within Community Ministries. Volunteer roles include wellbeing workers, food shoppers, food collectors, community meal helpers and drivers.
‘Our nationwide Red Shield Appeal is significantly contributed to by volunteers. There are people who collect bread from Bakers Delight for our social supermarkets every day of the week,’ says Davina. ‘In many corps people volunteer to make barista coffee, maintain buildings or organise flowers on a weekly basis. There are many opportunities to contribute in different ways as a volunteer.’
Love received; love returned
A recent study published by American Psychological Association Journal found that in addition to making an immeasurable difference in the lives of others, volunteering also contributes positively to the health of volunteers. Spending time in service to others provides a sense of purpose, increases self-esteem, strengthens connections with others and is linked to improvements in mental health.
‘Our volunteers love contributing to their communities. They gain significant personal benefits, although this is not why they do it,’ says Kate. ‘Volunteers are motivated by wanting to do good, to give back and make a difference,’ adds Davina.
Dan has been a volunteer at the Newtown Salvation Army Centre in Wellington since January this year. He volunteers almost every day, in addition to studying, and carries out a range of responsibilities. ‘I do a bit of everything, and I really enjoy the variety. I do the bread run, cook food, help in the foodbank, spend time talking to people in the drop-in space and do some work at reception,’ says Dan. He describes his volunteer work at The Salvation Army as transformative. ‘Being a volunteer here honestly saved my life. I did the Bridge programme and that’s what led me here. I’ve got so much empathy with our clients because I have been where they are. I know how important and empowering it can be to have a conversation with someone and to feel like you belong. I feel really supported here. Volunteering gives me purpose; it gives me hope.’
Retiree Marie Thérèse is a volunteer at Hamilton City Community Ministries. Drawing on her background as a health professional, she supports customers to make healthy choices with their food shopping. ‘Volunteering makes me appreciate the fortunate life I have,’ says Marie Thérèse. ‘I can’t solve all the brokenness of the world, but I can still make a difference and be the hands and feet of Jesus in this role.’
Stacey also volunteers her time serving as a welfare worker at the foodbank at Hamilton City Community Ministries. She enjoys supporting her clients to identify their needs and the opportunities to form relationships with families. ‘It can be really difficult to ask for help. I try to be a friendly face when people walk in the door,’ says Stacey. After undergoing spinal surgeries and experiencing a decline in mental health, Stacey began volunteering to regain a sense of contribution. ‘Volunteering gave me something to wake up and to be excited about. To help another person during your own struggles can give you hope and purpose,’ she shares.
Athanasia volunteers as a kids church leader at The Salvation Army Johnsonville. As a corps member she enjoys working with children and supporting them to learn about Jesus. ‘I love being able to disciple and teach the children and to watch them grow deeper in their faith. Through my volunteer work, I get to connect with the younger members of our church and to learn alongside them,’ says Athanasia.
‘Volunteering opens doors and opportunities and is a way for people to develop skills and to gain work experience before moving on to training or employment,’ says Kate. ‘People volunteer for different reasons. Some want to return the kindness that was extended to them during a rough patch, some want to give back to their community and some can see the difference The Salvation Army is making and want to help.’
Chris Fulford is Community Ministries manager at Hamilton City Corps and has grown his volunteer team from just five last September to 57 and counting. ‘Many of our volunteers need more love than our paid staff. The reasons why some people want to volunteer are different from those seeking paid employment. Some have been through recovery. They can be here as volunteers and learn to function and relate to people again in this capacity. They are valued here, they are loved here, they are our mission,’ says Chris.
‘There is a wonderful connection of humanity in just being together. It has to be experienced to be understood. There’s a transformation that happens in you when you give yourself to helping other people. To stop, breathe and be a human with another human is such a rewarding and soul-filling experience,’ continues Chris.
Volunteers of the future
Davina says, ‘We know that the future of volunteering in New Zealand is changing. Advocates for volunteering across the country have noticed that people need to spend more time in paid employment and that our retired generation are often busy. So, the discussion becomes, how can we invite busy professionals to do micro-volunteering or corporate volunteering? How can we engage people to assist us in ways we might never have considered before?’ Dwindling youth engagement in volunteer activities, an ageing population and declining corps numbers have all contributed to decreasing volunteer numbers in recent years.
While the ‘Review of Volunteering’ celebrated and recognised the importance of volunteering within the Army, it also highlighted a need for structures and resources to support those who manage volunteers. Corps and Community Ministries centres manage volunteers depending on the size of their team and budget. Locations that do not have a designated volunteer manager seldom have time to prioritise volunteer recruitment and training.
In response to the review, the ‘Mahi Aroha Volunteering Framework’ was created. This framework provides a structure for volunteer managers within The Salvation Army to understand, engage, enable and celebrate their volunteers. Although this is a Community Ministries’ initiative, other teams have been included in its development to ensure the content is relevant to as many mission expressions as possible. ‘There are many people who support and celebrate their volunteers. Our hope is to build a common understanding and language around volunteering within The Salvation Army,’ says Kate.
The whakataukī (proverb) that supports this framework could not be more fitting. It reads: Aroha mai; aroha atu—love received; love returned. ‘There’s a reciprocity of love in volunteering,’ says Davina.
Volunteer appreciation
This year, The Salvation Army is supporting two national campaigns to celebrate, appreciate and honour our volunteers. Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu—National Volunteer Week from 16 to 22 June, and The Big Shout-Out campaign that runs for the month of June.
‘We want to say a massive thank you to all our volunteers and we want them to know that they are valued and appreciated,’ says Davina. ‘National Volunteer Week is about celebrating our volunteers and the amazing work that they do. It’s also about recognising that they are the heart of our organisation,’ adds Kate. If you are considering volunteering and want to get involved, please contact your local Salvation Army corps, Family Store or Community Ministries.
Get involved
Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu—National Volunteer Week, 16 to 22 June
This week honours the collective energies and mana of volunteers in Aotearoa. They grow our people, open minds, open hearts and create joy.
#aotearoaofkindness
The Big Shout Out campaign to celebrate volunteers runs for the month of June
The Big Shout Out encourages people to give social media shout outs or a morning tea shout to volunteers.
#thebigshoutout
