Worker shortage hits Fort Smith nonprofits, leaving those who help, needing more help

Since the start of the pandemic, nonprofits have been on the front lines as food insecurity, housing insecurity and other needs have increased for the most vulnerable.  

Yet, the same crisis putting a strain on the resources of nonprofits has also led to a shortage of volunteers for organizations across the River Valley.  

At Antioch for Youth & Family, the needs of thousands of families have remained high since it started weekly curbside food distributions in July. The “Pop-Up at the Curb” happens each Wednesday outside the organization’s building at 1420 North 32nd St.  

Charolette Tidwell, founder and director of Antioch for Youth & Family, said the organization serves around 2,000 individuals each Wednesday, not including distributions to area schools and families in crisis at other times during the week.  

However, the number of volunteers serving at the distributions has decreased, leaving those who serve shorthanded in passing out food to the line of cars wrapped around the block. 

"A lot of our volunteers are trying to reconnect with us, but since the stimulus stopped and school has started, our volunteers have dropped,” Faith Forte, an Antioch volunteer, said.  

She later explained how many parents have needed to return to work due to a loss of income and students have returned to the classroom – each preventing them from volunteering during the day. 

Forte expressed concern for many of the older volunteers, and she has seen people decide not to volunteer due to the organization’s coronavirus vaccine requirement. 

"Everybody that comes in now has to have a COVID shot because most of our seniors we can’t compromise. If we get sick, that’s it,” she said. 

As employers across the nation have struggled to recruit people back into the workforce, organizations are facing a similar crisis in the nonprofit sector. 

An August 2020 study conducted by Fidelity Charitable found 66% of donors “decreased the amount of time they volunteer or stopped entirely due to the pandemic.” 

WestArk RSVP faced a drop in volunteers due to being an organization that connects adults 55 years of age and over with service opportunities.  

“At one time, we had close to about 16 to 18 people. I’m down to four,” Trish Walker, director of volunteers services at WestArk RSVP, said, speaking on the number of volunteers for the Medicare program.

Through the program, volunteers help clients evaluate the effectiveness of their current Medicare plans and decide if they need to switch to a new one.  

Walker offers reassurance for hesitant volunteers and says they are still taking precautions due to the pandemic, including six-foot distancing, requiring masks and hosting one-on-one training rather than groups for some programs. 

WestArk RSVP is also looking for volunteers for tax season. 

"We’re still in September, but I’ve got to start looking for people who are willing to come in and do training in December and also January,” Walker said. “We will do group training there, but everybody will be six feet apart.”  

She shared how other nonprofits have contacted her about shortages including the Sack Lunch Program, which serves free lunches six days a week at 317 North F St.  

Jean Kolljeski, co-director of the Sack Lunch Program, said, “COVID has kind of shut down my volunteers from the youth population. We are trying to get that going again.” 

The organization attended the Campus Picnic and Block Party at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to recruit volunteers, and they have also reached out to high school students.  

“The kinds of things I need are like picking up bananas and doing the restocking and taking the recycling out … Getting those kids back is important,” Kolljeski said. 

While all nonprofits need a helping hand, Kolljeski reminds potential volunteers while it might not be glamorous, the work needs to be done.  

“Sometimes people volunteer for socialization, and they get gratified by doing the lunches, but what is the gratification by going and throwing out the garbage?” she said. 

Catherine Nolte is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. She can be reached at cnolte@swtimes.com. Southwest Times Record and Report for America are working to place a new generation of journalists in community news organizations across the country. Will you support this effort today?