It is extremely likely that every volunteer program manager registered in this workshop also volunteers. The very nature of our jobs leads us to give a few extra hours of unpaid work or to lend a hand where it is needed. We are often the first to offer to help.

However, despite our own willingness to volunteer, many managers of volunteers are reluctant to ask others for help. We might feel that we're exploiting someone's generosity or that we're asking them to do too much. This is certainly the case in Ontario community-based literacy programs where the expectations for volunteers have been changing dramatically since the implementation of program reform.

Recruiting volunteers can also be an intimidating task - developing position descriptions, targeting groups, writing media releases, determining marketing strategies, etc. Of course, it's worth it in the end but sometimes it just seems easier to put up a "Volunteers Wanted" poster!