“Until now word of mouth worked, we easily obtained the number of mentors necessary to accompany vulnerable young people on their path to emancipation, but since the covid it no longer works, which is why we have had to hire a company that has carried out a communication campaign , we have set up several information sessions that have lasted for eight weeks and in the end we have achieved the necessary hundred volunteers. Now it costs much more,” emphasizes Rita Grané, director of Punt de Referència, an entity specialized in caring for boys and girls under care and formerly under care, most of them immigrants, and to a lesser extent asylum seekers. The situation that Punt de Referència faces is the same as that faced by other social organizations, such as Arrels or the Casal dels Infants.
Thanks to having European funds, Punt de Referència has been able to organize more actions to add the 100 new mentors it needs each year. “After the pandemic, personal and work situations have become more complex, there is also a need to have a collective perspective and it is not easy for citizens to assume long commitments, of at least nine months. On the other hand, because of racist messages and the culture of fear, it is more difficult for people to join projects to support immigrants,” adds Grané.
From the Catalan Federation of Social Voluntary Affairs (FCVS), its director, Eulàlia Mas, demands that administrations consider volunteering a “major” issue and that more awareness campaigns be undertaken to seek the complicity of people of all ages. In the absence of concrete data, Mas senses that there are fewer citizens who dedicate part of their time to some social cause and that they are more fickle. “There is concern in the sector, it is difficult to involve people and retain them,” she says. But paradoxically, a survey that will be published next week indicates that the percentage of people who consider themselves volunteers is around 13%, a figure that has not changed much in recent years, adds Eulàlia Mas. The explanation for the fact that there is no decrease is that perhaps citizens believe that dedicating one or two days to supporting an organization already counts.
But he understands that the culture of immediacy, that of “I want it all and now”; the confusion of a “fatigued” society; Having to be on several fronts at the same time, and the impact of the pandemic, which caused many people to stop collaborating with entities and now it is not easy to recover them, explain the causes of this demobilization, but more research should be done.
Foundations with a long history, such as Casal dels Infants or Arrels, also express their concern. The first was born thanks to the action of a group of citizens eager to improve the living conditions of the children of Raval, remembers Anna Oró, the director of Human Resources. “We are witnessing a gradual decline that already began before Covid, but that was accelerated by the pandemic. In 2014 we had 1,000 volunteers; in 2019, 730, and in 2022, 600. 75.5% are women,” she points out. It is worth adding the between 200 and 250 people from universities, schools and institutes who, through internship programs or through other formulas, also collaborate each year with the Casal. Another relevant fact is that young people remain committed for less time.
In 2019, more than 57% of the total volunteers were at Casal dels Infants for a minimum of twelve months; in 2022, only 43%. Adrián Pineda, 25 years old, is part of this group. “I'm from Burgos, I was already a volunteer there, and when I arrived in Barcelona I wanted to continue supporting a cause. I searched among several entities and decided on Casal. I started in the summer of 2022. I go every Friday afternoon to do activities with children from three to five years old. It makes me happy to see how they are learning,” explains this computer engineer. He says that he is the only one in his circle of friends who has gotten involved in a project of this nature. “Some tell me that they would like to but that..., or they don't have time or little work flexibility.”
"Youth can now get involved in different causes and in multiple ways: from home doing activism through social networks, participating in demonstrations, following a lifestyle... We must take into account that many work and study, the issue economic limits them, perhaps they cannot dedicate a few hours a week to volunteering,” says Oró.
“One of our challenges is to determine how we adapt the Casal's image to get closer to young people. Volunteering is a valuable source of raising awareness among citizens. Their contribution enriches the response we give and helps us detect needs,” he adds.
Arrels faces a shortage of collaborators, which it also detected during the pandemic. “We had very active older people who had been there for many years and who stopped coming, since then we have tried to recover the positions that were left empty,” says its director, Ferran Busquets. It was precisely during the months of confinement when María Vidal, a middle-aged lawyer and mother of two children, joined Arrels. “I started delivering food, I immediately got hooked and stayed. You realize a reality that you previously ignored and, little by little, you become involved. Now I dedicate one afternoon a week to the open center and one morning to go out with the street team to establish links with citizens who sleep rough,” he summarizes.
Like every Friday, María, together with another volunteer, Enric Banqué, toured the Gràcia neighborhood the day before yesterday to contact, chat and find out the needs of the people who have made the street their home. Nelson, suffering from diabetes who has lost part of his feet; Joseph, who requires medical attention for an eye infection; Richard, a great observer who appreciates having someone to talk to... María and Enric help them as much as they can.
Arrels is now looking for 500 people to participate, on the 13th, in the night out dedicated to counting citizens who spend the night outdoors in Barcelona. “In the last count we worked hard to reach this figure while before it was much easier,” says Busquets. With different facilities in place, from the day center on Riereta Street, to the Zero apartments, Llar Pere Barnés or the store and occupational workshop, the role of volunteers is very important for the operation of the entity, Busquets insists.
Since December 2022, the open center, where luggage storage, showers and clean clothes are offered, has been open 365 days a year, but on weekends they are forced to reduce some services due to having fewer collaborators. Globally, Arrels has gone from 400 volunteers in 2019 to 341 today. “Their role is fundamental, homeless men and women appreciate being able to chat with them, they are their friends, perhaps it is the closest relationship they have,” Busquets emphasizes.
Other entities admit that they have also suffered the loss of citizen complicity, but prefer not to express it publicly. Its priority is to analyze the causes, what motivated the demobilization and what actions can be taken to recover lost support as soon as possible.
