Charities Tap Skills of Jobless Professionals
The glut of laid-off volunteers has forced Taproot to stop all marketing and start turning away applicants, Hurst said.
"Can you imagine working for all those years and then offering your services for free only to be told, 'Thanks, but no thanks?' " Hurst said.
"There needs to be some level of investment on the philanthropic and government side so nonprofits can leverage all this surplus of human capital," he said.
Collins, who also found her volunteer job through Taproot, is thankful to have a routine to keep her from the depression spiral. She's spent a lot of time thinking about aligning her passion and her work and has decided she's a better fit in the nonprofit world.
"The exposure volunteering provides is wonderful, and there's always the possibility of 'catching on fire,' " Reda said.
"You find something that really speaks to you, and all of a sudden you find more purpose, value and connection in your life."
Web resources for volunteers
-- Taproot Foundation: www.taprootfoundation.org
-- VolunteerMatch: www.volunteermatch.org
-- HandsOn Bay Area: www.handsonbayarea.org
-- Teach for America: www.teachforamerica.org
-- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area: www.bbbsba.org
