Wrapping Hispanic Heritage Month: A Look at Latino Volunteering Trends

By Amy Yowell, Communications & Marketing Committee

Latino is the largest ethnic group in the US but has the least amount of active participation in volunteering efforts according to data collected by Americorp. Why is volunteering so low within this community and what are the trends in Latino volunteering?

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Women’s Impact Fund investigated the correlation between the Latino community and volunteering, gathering insights from studies, and from our non-profit partner, Camino. There are two types of volunteering, formal volunteering, such as volunteering with an organization that records participation, or something called informal helping. Informal helping includes activities such as helping neighbors and family, or any work that is not coordinated by an institution.

We spoke with Camino, one of our non-profit partners about volunteering in the Hispanic and Latino community. Camino, a bilingual and multicultural nonprofit located in Charlotte, provides support and services to Latino families, including a health center, an upward mobility program, thrift store, church, research institute, and university. All of Camino’s programs are offered in both English and Spanish, so it is important they find volunteers fluent in both languages. A study conducted by the university of Illinois found that Hispanics /Latino are more likely to formally volunteer through secular organizations serving children/youth and religious organizations, but that there is no official data on informal volunteerism.

Kathy Sanchez, Grants and Contracts Manager with Camino, shared that Camino is very fortunate to have over 70% of their staff speak both English and Spanish. This fluency is especially vital when providing medical services, as often medical terms are a language of their own. Camino is known as the trusted partner in the community for over 25 years, and as such, can get the support of volunteers and the Hispanic/Latino community. It is vital that Camino continues to bring in new bi-lingual providers, they often work with immigrants who are medical professionals in their home country, who are working to get full certifications within the United States.

Camino is fortunate to have such strong staff and volunteer support, so why do the statistics show volunteering is down? Kathy suggested that one reason could be due to immigration status. A study conducted by Arizona State University discovered that “educational attainment, citizenship/immigrant status, and religious attendance are the most consistent and significant predictors of Hispanic formal volunteering.” If an individual is not a full citizen, or is even here without documentation, it would be much harder to participate in formal volunteering. Camino’s success is proof of the Latino community’s passion for volunteering and giving back, either formally or informally, despite what the official statistics may say.

Take time this Hispanic Heritage month to volunteer, invest in the Latino culture and connect with the people whose passion far exceeds the data.