WHEN her search for a full-time job stretched to three months, Miss Felicia Chng, 25, decided to make better use of her free time - by volunteering with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
She joined earlier this month and helps sell fund-raising merchandise on days when she's not job-hunting or going for interviews.
Ms Chng, whose last job as a copywriter on a six-month contract ended last December, wanted to do something meaningful now that she has the time.
She said: 'I decided to start while I didn't have anything on my hands.
'I just wanted to do my part. I choose to invest my time in volunteering. It's crucial for everyone to make his or her life more meaningful.'
The recession has sparked unexpected good news for a handful of charitable organisations.
Some are reporting an increase in the number of volunteers in recent months from the ranks of the unemployed - those who recently lost their jobs or are unable to find one in the tight labour market.
SPCA's executive officer Deirdre Moss said it had been swamped in the last two months, with new volunteer sign-ups jumping to 150 a month from the usual 80.
She estimates that about 30 per cent of these are young adults who have graduated and are looking for jobs.
The Habitat for Humanity Singapore also experienced a surge.
When it held a fund-raising project last month, its staff were surprised by the number of volunteers during weekday afternoon slots.
It turned out that some were ex-banking staff who had lost their jobs in the downturn.
'One of them came to our office a couple of daysto help us with post-exhibition admin work too,' said Ms Felicia Oh, Habitat's resource development manager.
And this volunteer put her flair with numbers to good use, meticulously compiling massive amounts of orders and figures.
The Singapore Red Cross has seen close to a 20per cent monthly increase since the last quarter of 2008, with the highest increase in February.
While there are several reasons for this, it has encountered some cases where applicants approached the charity for volunteering opportunities while they are in the midst of job-hunting after being retrenched.
The effects of these unemployed volunteers is just starting to trickle down in Singapore.
But in the US, where the job market has been worse hit, it's happening on a much larger scale.
The New York Times reported on Monday that many non-profit organisations have been marvelling at the sudden flood of laid-off professionals like bankers, marketing managers and accountants who have walked into their offices to lend their skills.
Their motives are mixed - to do some good, to network, to fill in the hours they used to spend in the office, or, in some cases, to open doors in case a job vacancy opens up at the charity.
The Red Cross said unemployed volunteers do express concern over the expected level of commitment, and if they are able to contribute as much once they get a job.
But new volunteers are always welcome to buffer those the recession has taken away.
At the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), the number of expatriate volunteers (and their spouses) has dropped as some are returning home with the downturn.
Some volunteers also have to work longer hours at the office due to retrenchment and extra work commitments and they are finding it hard to volunteer as regularly.
SOS said that its total number of volunteers remains unchanged.
More volunteers welcome
But it needs more volunteers during these tryingtimes.
Said its spokesman: 'During an economic crisis, there is sometimes a greater demand for services.'
A Red Cross spokesman said that volunteers who have been retrenched can contribute in areas of their expertise. More volunteers can also help to raise more money.
Charities like the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) and the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped have reported a definite drop in donations.
But they are not cutting back on their programmes.
The SCS, for instance, is looking for more volunteers to help out on flag days.
Generally, the 15 charities contacted by The New Paper on Sunday are optimistic about volunteer numbers despite the economic gloom.
All reported constant or increased number of volunteers.
City Harvest Community Services Association, for example, has seen more than 600 people sign up in its current recruitment drive.
Many were moved to act to provide financial and emotional support to those affected by the downturn.
Said Lions Befrienders manager Alwyn Chia: 'I believe that people at large still have a heart to serve and thus volunteer to help the less fortunate in society, be it during an economic boom or during an economic recession.'
