By Robert Bulman

The Short-Term Emergency Aid Committee is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting low-income residents of Davis and Yolo County with basic necessities such as food, clothes, and financial aid for rent and utilities.

Two years ago, my wife and I decided we wanted to do more for STEAC than just write a check now and then. In addition to helping out in a variety of ways with their annual Holiday Program, we collect vegetables for their food closet at the Saturday Farmer’ Market and I spend some time packing food for clients in the food closet.

Why did we decide to take this extra step in supporting STEAC as volunteers? Why do any of the approximately 60 regular STEAC volunteers take the time to help low-income residents in Davis? To answer these questions, I interviewed 40 of the regularly active STEAC volunteers.

About three-quarters of the STEAC volunteers are women. STEAC volunteers range in age from 21 to 81 with a median age of 60. About half are retired, and about one-third have full or part-time paid jobs. Most STEAC volunteers describe themselves as middle-class or upper middle-class. They mirror Davis in general with a high average level of education.

Religiously and politically, the volunteers are a diverse bunch. Devout Christians, committed atheists, conservative Republicans and far-left liberals all work cooperatively toward a common goal of helping local residents living in poverty.

The amount of time volunteered per month varies from one hour to 40, with a median of six hours. More than 40 percent of STEAC volunteers first learned about the organization by reading about it in The Davis Enterprise!

Why do they volunteer? Several of the retired volunteers referenced the desire to keep busy. After retirement, they were looking for something to occupy their time, provide some structure to their days and to find a meaningful way to contribute to society. As one volunteer put it bluntly, “(volunteering) is better than sitting around eating bonbons and watching television! You’ve got to do something and you might as well help other people.”

In addition to the need to keep busy, the motive for most volunteers stems from an awareness of their own privilege and a moral duty to give back to society. One woman told me, “I volunteer because I know that I’m in a very fortunate situation. I have a stable life. … I always felt like I should help. … I feel like people who have something to share should share it.”

STEAC is a secular organization. At the same time, it relies heavily on the labor and donations of many religious institutions in town. Nonetheless, the majority of STEAC’s volunteers are decidedly not very religious. Only one-quarter of the volunteers attend religious services regularly and only one-third describe religion as important in their lives.

Nevertheless, I found that religious or spiritual sentiments animate much of the rationale the volunteers gave me for their work with STEAC. The motive of the typical volunteer stems from a belief that we are all humans in community, that there is a purpose to life larger than ourselves, and that as part of the human family we are obligated to each other.

While not as prevalent a theme as religious or moral motives, several STEAC volunteers referenced political beliefs as a partial reason for their volunteer work. More than two-thirds of those I spoke with describe themselves as politically “liberal” or “very liberal.” This is not surprising given the liberal political reputation of Davis.

What was surprising, however, was how few of the STEAC volunteers explicitly cited any political belief as a reason for their volunteer work to help the poor. I had expected to learn that many Davis liberals volunteer to help the poor out of frustration with a political system that does little to alleviate poverty. Instead, I heard very little about politics. To be sure, there were some volunteers who took this angle.

The following quote nicely summarizes the position of several volunteers: “Politically, I’m very concerned about the increasing gap between the poor and the rich in this country and what it does to people and families, but also what it does to our society and our possibilities to continue a democracy. … It’s the same concern that motivates me to work for STEAC.”

At the same time, a couple of the self-described conservative volunteers cited their politics as a reason for their work with STEAC. As one man told me, “Everyone should chip in and help others, not just leave it to the government.”

For the most part, however, the political attitudes of the volunteers were of secondary importance. As one volunteer said, “I do believe my political beliefs are more along the lines that the haves should help the have-nots, but that’s not what motivates my volunteer work. It’s just what people should do.”

There are many opportunities to volunteer in town. Why do these people choose STEAC? STEAC appeals to them because of its mission to help the poor. Whether the volunteer is politically liberal or conservative, traditionally religious or a secular humanist, STEAC offers a chance to put their time and money toward a cause they feel good about — they can exercise their privilege in a way to help those who are suffering economically.

Furthermore, there was an overwhelming desire expressed among the volunteers to help out an organization that is local and that has minimal bureaucratic overhead. The volunteers like that their money and time help those who need it with a minimum amount of bureaucratic entanglement.

They like that with the exception of only one part-time staff position, STEAC is an all-volunteer organization. When a volunteer gives their time or gives their money they can see what their efforts accomplish. This is deeply satisfying to these volunteers.

As one volunteer told me, “I feel comfortable with STEAC. It’s home-grown. It’s a real community organization. It has low overhead and you can see directly how your work helps.”

For most of the STEAC volunteers, the time and money they give to the organization is not a burden or a sacrifice. They do it willingly, lovingly, and with a strong sense of dedication.

It is heart-warming to see how the volunteers, regardless of their political orientation, religious views (or lack thereof), or economic status all work well together toward the common goal of providing low-income Yolo County residents with basic assistance.

Almost universally, the volunteers I spoke with expressed a great deal of satisfaction with the work they do at STEAC. Volunteers benefit from the work psychologically. It makes them feel happy to help others.

Many volunteers spoke of the way in which their volunteer schedule helps structure their week, of how it gives more meaning to their lives. Other volunteers benefit from the social connections they have made in STEAC. All of these positive outcomes are not a surprise.

Research on volunteerism has shown that volunteers enjoy a higher sense of well-being compared to non-volunteers. One volunteer told me, “Oh, I love it. It feels great. I don’t think of it as something that takes away my time. I feel like I get as much out of it as the clients. I think it’s something I’ll always do.”

Another said, “It’s one of the things that I do, that I put into the package of my life. And the rewards come back to me in the sense of accomplishment, in the gratitude that others feel for the work that I do. I feel good about what I do.”

Some volunteers express a hint of guilt for enjoying the work or getting so much out of it personally. A question that many struggle with (and a question I had myself as a volunteer) is, “who gets more out of this relationship — me or the client?”

After all, the clients get food for a week or some clothes or temporary financial assistance. The volunteers get psychological well-being, pride, social connections, and a new appreciation for their own lives. Should volunteers feel guilty for getting so much out of their volunteer experiences?

This tension was nicely resolved by a volunteer who put it in these eloquent terms: “A volunteer can’t come in week after week and day after day if they are not getting something positive out of it. And if you aren’t getting something positive out of it you aren’t fair to those you are helping. They would certainly sense immediately that maybe you resent spending time here having to help these people day after day.

“It has to be something good for both sides.”

That is when volunteerism works best. It is a win-win situation.

— Robert Bulman is a Davis resident and STEAC volunteer.

steac closetW

STEAC volunteer Lee Pilon tells Davis Waldorf School seventh-graders how the food closet works during their recent visit. Courtesy photo

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