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Big Society Volunteerism

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More than one hundred years ago, the American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC) was founded in New York City at a time when a cancer diagnosis meant certain death. The goal of the organization was to raise public awareness about the disease. Eventually, the name of the organization was changed to the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the mission evolved from solely awareness to also include research, programs, and fundraisers. The modern ACS is a “nationwide, community-based health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem,” according to its website.

Through its fundraising and community educating mechanisms, the society hopes to eradicate cancer and celebrate more birthdays. As one of the world’s …show more content…

“The rewards of individual engagement in volunteering: a missing dimension of the Big Society” notes that motives for volunteers vary by age group. Younger volunteers, like teenagers, are inspired to volunteer in order to gain benefits for a career.

According to “The Motivations to Volunteer: Theoretical and Practical Considerations,” there are six main motives for volunteerism, and of the six the most important for young people — besides career — are values, understanding, and enhancement. A study of corporate volunteerism found that between one third to one half of the people participating who volunteered in their field improved in key areas of their job.

The international study in “Motivations, Death Anxiety, and Empathy in Hospice Volunteers in France” shows that people with high death anxiety are less likely to succeed and less likely to stay committed to hospice volunteering. While volunteers with low death anxiety are more likely to commit long term to the hospice volunteer

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