Demands for services offered by local charities are at disturbingly high levels as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.
Meanwhile, Logan’s charities face plummeting volunteering numbers, creating extra strain on an already overwhelmed industry.
A local service feeling pressure is the Nutcha Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation, which runs variety of services for local indigenous peoples, including child protection, community justice and women’s programs.
“We also do furniture delivery and food hampers – we rely on our community connections,” Nutcha president Aunty Betty McGrady said.
Surviving mainly on government grants, the organisation relies on volunteers to operate.
But a new report from Volunteering Queensland found there was a “worrying decline in volunteers” that was a “direct consequence” of the cost-of-living crisis.
The data shows volunteers contribute more than $330 per month of their own money to volunteer – a 250 per cent increase from 2021.
A growing number of volunteers claimed serving the community was “unaffordable”.
Aunty Betty said people were too preoccupied managing their own struggles to volunteer.
“They are flat-out supporting themselves,” she said.
“Sometimes we’ve had to use organisational funds just to put food on the table.”
Now Aunty Betty is forced to pick up the slack.
“There is a need and I’m keen to do it,” she said.
She said her search for volunteers extended to offering those with fine and penalty debts – Â State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) debts – the opportunity to “work it off”.
“We tell them to come and see us, work for a couple of hours and take it off their SPER debt,” Aunty Betty said.
“But it’s a struggle for these fellas to grasp that… it just keeps impacting them.”
Programs manager of Logan-based charity Defenders For Hope, Kathy Smith said it was important to incentivise volunteers, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis.
“You have to be flexible with your volunterers” Ms Smith said.
“And we have fun – people who are here want to be here.
“On top of that, they see what we do and they love the cause – they know they’re making a difference.”
She said you must care for your volunteers and “treat them like one of the family”.
“If they need anything, we always help them out,” Ms Smith said.
“That’s what Defenders for Hope does, we help the community and that includes our volunteers.”
Queensland charities employ more than double the number of volunteers (370,000) than paid staff (175,000).
For this reason, Volunteering Queensland CEO Mara Basanovic said the government should step-in before the “viability of these charities” is impacted.
“The government is yet to adequately acknowledge that the charity sector is operated for the main part by volunteer staff,” Ms Basanovic said.
“Ensuring that Queensland’s volunteer workforce, which is the same size if not larger than our private sector, is well funded, managed and trained to provide services has been largely ignored.”
