WHAT WOULD MOTHER TERESA DO?
When Boomer types are flush with cash, they give, they tithe, they donate some more. How is that changed in the recession of 2009?
By Chris Shogren-Thompson
The All-American dream: Marriage, a double-income, children, two cars, a luxury home, a healthy retirement fund, a college education, and let’s not forget the family pet. We’ve understood the power of plastic, purchasing the normative want on credit, worrying about the accrued bills another day. We’ve given our donations to a favorite charity, knowing we can freely give our money without it impeding our life of ease. We’ve volunteered with company co-workers at the annual Habitat for Humanity project, displaying our ability to be a team player and to care for our community. We do it all because we can. We are the All-American family.
Wealth and prosperity of the past 20 years allowed the tentacles of the all-mighty dollar to not only reach into the depths of self-actualization but also to drop down into the coffers of the agencies and organizations striving to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Achieving the All-American dream gave people the sense they could afford to donate their resources and to volunteer within their local church, school, hospital, park district, or other organizations.
According to www.volunteeringinamerica.gov, the government arm that provides volunteer opportunities in nearby communities throughout the nation, Baby Boomers volunteered at a 33.5% rate in 2003. In 2008, the volunteer rate decreased 4.1% to 29.4% which equates to 3.6 million less volunteers over a five-year span.
Then came the current economic downturn – or as the bold will say – A RECESSION! Either one spouse or both received a pink slip. Now, the ‘I HAVE IT ALL’ couple feels the squeeze of the credit crunch. Credit card bills are overdue and making the house payment is nearly impossible. The All-American dream appears to be slipping into the abyss as the reality of “For Sale” and “Foreclosure” is knocking on the door. The 401K is in a double-digit loss and the savings account is dwindling quickly. Then to top it all off, a favorite charity calls and asks if they can count on the annual $100 donation and help with the next charity ball.
The All-American dream is in crisis for the All-American family. “Life as we knew it” will no longer be the lifestyle of tomorrow for many; instead, it will be yesterday, if not yesteryear. According to the Sept. 4, 2009 U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau report, 4,778,000 individuals, ages 45 and older, are currently unemployed. The national unemployment rate reached its highest level since 1983 at 9.7%, which is three-tenths of a percentage point rise since July and a 3.7% increase since 2003.
As cutbacks and the tightening of the financial belt equate to a recession proof lifestyle for the All-American family, communities, the underprivileged, and non-profit organizations have needed to tighten their own belts, requiring a greater dependence on charitable donations and volunteer services.
The Corporation for National & Community Services, a division of the U.S. Government, calculates every volunteer hour at $20.25/hour. Every hour given by a volunteer allows an organization to have a greater effect with the limited resources available, especially during this vast economic impact of lost dollars.
The temptation is to focus on our own despair. The reward, however, is to meet the need of another person despite our personal loss of material wants and sometimes needs. There’s a first grader that still needs extra help decoding words. The school couldn’t afford to hire another teacher this year, so the class size is up to 30 students. Without a volunteer, she may fall through the cracks. And what about the immigrant who wants to learn how to speak English? Or the nursing home resident who could use help eating a meal?
Mother Teresa encouraged us with her life to be counted as one who gave of self. She said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
Unemployment and financial uncertainty unequivocally has a profound effect on the heart and soul of our altruism. The rising unemployment rate directly correlates to the decreasing number of volunteers. In the past five years, the unemployment rate has increased 3.7% while the volunteer rate has dropped 4.1%. As the All-American family struggles to put food on their table, the likes of Mother Theresa worry about the 3.6 million needy people who won’t be impacted by the good deed of just one volunteer. As the All-American dream fades and the All-Mighty dollar disappears, the All-Powerful volunteer and charitable donation becomes ever more essential to surviving this economic downturn, the recession of 2009.
Author Chris Shogren-Thompson is a four-term elected School Board member, currently serving as Vice President of the Winthrop Harbor School District. She has volunteered full-time for the past 16 years , working with children and women in her community. Shogren-Thompson resumes her career as a contributing writer to www.watchboom.com and www.REELChicago.com.
