Since the recession set in earlier this year, more and more people have become interested in volunteering, and many nonprofit groups are taking advantage of this renewed interest.

Nonprofit groups are expecting more volunteers to help this spring than in past years because of President Barack Obama’s call for citizens to give back to their communities and because the recession has forced many businesses to lay off workers, said Kathy Gillig, president of the Community Resource Network.

The Community Resource Network is an online search engine for volunteer opportunities within the Chicago area. Agencies list volunteering needs on their websites and people looking to volunteer can be matched up with the agency that suits their interests.

Volunteering is on the forefront of peoples’ minds because the president is directing attention to it. It has become a major part in the daily lives of youths, said Melissa Cooper, people resource manager for the American Red Cross in Chicago.

The American Red Cross in Chicago has seen an increase in high school and college-aged students interested in volunteering, but they have also noticed a lot of  “skill-based” volunteering from professionals who were recently laid off, Cooper said.

“They want to give back to the community and do something productive and keep their skills sharp while they are in search of additional employment,” Cooper said.

Chicago’s volunteering rate ranks 37th out of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., and 44th out of 50 for the amount of volunteer hours donated, according to a study by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In July 2008, Obama delivered a “call to service” campaign speech that focused on expanding volunteer opportunities through major organizations like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps.

Obama’s speech also encouraged community participation in volunteer activities, which is the main reason more youths and laid-off workers are donating time to nonprofit organizations, Cooper said.

“[Volunteerism] has been growing steadily with all groups,” Gillig said. “Now we are going to see more students who are more aware of the opportunities and the needs that are out there.”

Volunteerism has had its ups and downs throughout the years and was most popular during wartime. These ideologies have been passed down from generation to generation and have become more prominent than ever since November, Gillig said.

Areas with lower homeownership rates and lower education levels typically have fewer volunteers. Additionally, the study concluded that high commute times and poverty rates affect volunteer rates negatively, which could be a reason why Chicago is ranked lower than other large cities.

Chicago’s volunteer rates have spiked three times since Obama’s speech—in November, December and January—and the high rates are expected to continue, Gillig said.

Since interest in volunteering has heightened, agencies are coming up with more creative opportunities for volunteers, instead of the standard activities like tutoring, cleaning and assisting with special events, Gillig said.

The Chicago Park District has been adding volunteer programs and becoming more creative with their job duties because of their recent spike in youth involvement.

Beck Schillo, volunteer stewardship coordinator for the Chicago Park District, said they are expecting a record number of volunteers, especially students to help out with their spring park activities.

“I think especially in the spring a lot of people want to volunteer in the Park District because people have spring fever in Chicago,” Schillo said. “People are excited about getting outside and they have a renewed interest in volunteering. But, I think this year there have been a lot more volunteers and interest.”

In Chicago there are 570 parks and more than 7,600 acres of parkland that anyone can help with, so there are no limitations to a volunteer’s contributions, Schillo said.

Schillo said people are more aware of the need for volunteers and what to contribute because of news on the recent recession.

“People want to help,” Gillig said. We see all of the news reports and we gather around and say: ‘What can I do to help in my own way as an individual?’”

Pat Greenwood, disaster services volunteer for the American Red Cross, has been volunteering once a week for nearly a year since  she retired from a “corporate America” job.

Greenwood said she had always wanted to volunteer, but never had the time. She wanted to help across the Chicago area at a well-known organization, so she went to the American Red Cross.

Cooper said Chicago’s Red Cross chapter is the second largest in the country and has a 96 percent volunteer workforce. They depend on people donating time. The Red Cross is always looking for more people, she said.

“As an organization we have strived to utilize volunteers in every aspect of our organization because we have a larger influx of volunteers and volunteers that have specific skill sets,” Cooper said. “We are thinking more about having volunteers do projects that we perhaps would have had a paid staff member do.”

Cooper said they have several new people come who in weekly who are between jobs and looking for an organization to donate time to as a result of Obama’s speech last summer.