Volunteering During an Emergency: A Life Stage Perspective

The present study examined differences in the volunteering experience during an emergency situation using a life stage perspective. The volunteering experience was examined in a sample of 472 volunteers who volunteered during Operation Protective Edge in Israel, based on their motives for volunteering, satisfaction with the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of volunteering, and intentions to volunteer in the future. The findings indicate that motives of social solidarity and of escape from reality through volunteering are higher among volunteers in late adolescence than among volunteers in middle and late adulthood. No differences were found in the motive of personal empowerment through volunteering. Men tend to express a higher intention to volunteer in the future than women. The findings indicate a need to expand the theory that explains differences in the volunteering experience along the life cycle in routine situations, such that it will also be compatible with volunteering in emergency situations.