“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” – Luke 10:33-34
The date was December 7th, 1736, and the location was Philadelphia, PA. His call to action was this: “We need the citizens of this great city to come together to establish a much-needed fire company.”
Thirty men showed up that following day. And with that, the Union Fire Company was established. In the coming months, several more fire companies would evolve in neighboring towns. It was through the effort and encouragement of non other than Ben Franklin that led to what is commonly known today as the volunteer fire company. He understood the vital need for community involvement and volunteerism.
Today, 0ver 2/3 of the firefighters in the United States are volunteers. But in the state of Pennsylvania, that percentage increases to nearly 97%. All but roughly three percent of our state’s fire fighting teams are everyday volunteers who live in the communities they serve.
And yet there are very few people interested these days in signing up. And not just in PA, but all across the US. In recent weeks, in big towns and small across the country, dire warnings have been expressed in the local news. Places like Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio. I could list at least a dozen more, but you get the picture. They’re all saying the same things: We need help, we are majorly stressed. Volunteers have been declining for years. We’re in desperate need of young people. Our teams are getting old and can no longer keep pace with what’s required. And that must change. Otherwise, our communities will become largely vulnerable and unprotected from fires.
But the problem goes well beyond the local volunteer fire department. Lack of manpower is impacting nearly every aspect of the American culture today. Hospitals across the nation have increased nursing pay considerably, and yet they can’t meet the needed demand. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a recent national survey reports that 79% of nurses surveyed reported that their units are inadequately staffed (2023). It is estimated that within the next two years, there will be a shortage of approximately 450,000 bedside nurses in just the US alone. What’s more troubling is that most believe this trend will not begin reversing itself until 2030, when the Baby Boomer generation begins dying out.
Our nation’s military isn’t immune. In fact, it’s even more troubling. Recruiting numbers for this year have been the worst going all the way back to when the all-volunteer status was endorsed in 1973.
Teaching shortages in our public schools; pilot shortages in the airline industry; driver shortages in both public and private transportation sectors: these are just a few of the critical areas that are reeling from a reduction in the workforce. And these are PAID positions, and most are offering record-high compensation and benefits.
But there were signs of this “Great Resignation” coming. Back in 2021, nearly 4 million people were leaving their jobs every single month. Eventually the effect catches up with the cause.
The “experts” are quick to cite a myriad of factors. The pandemic, retiring employees leaving the workforce, government stimulus money, toxic work environment, the inability to work at home, etc.
So the nationwide labor shortage, as bad as it is, looks a lot more promising than the nonprofits and volunteer organizations that are tasked with looking after the care and welfare of the marginalized in their respective communities. The Social Services sectors are likewise dealing with labor shortages, and that suddenly puts enormous additional stress on the already-stressed nonprofit organizations that offer community assistance to women and children. Where are the volunteers?
In the town where I live, the public sentiment seems unanimous. “People just don’t want to work these days. The work ethic of our parents and grandparents seems lost forever.”
Lost is a fitting description; our culture today has never been more disoriented. An unwillingness to work, no interest in serving the community, no desire to help their neighbors, and the loss of what once made us a great nation – our collective dependence on God.
Jesus: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
Today’s culture: “That man is not my problem.”
Former Blackout Artist 