Voluntary Organizations Research Articles

Vaccinating The Invisibles, the COVID-19 vaccination of irregular migrants in Rome

Abstract Background The death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been hugely downsized by the advent of the currently available vaccines, at least in high-income countries. Nevertheless, there is a huge gap between countries and within countries with respect to vaccination access and coverage. In June 2021, several non-governmental non-profit organizations responded to a call issued by Regione Lazio to help organize and enrol for vaccination vulnerable people such as irregular migrants and migrants living in temporary or informal settlements. Through a huge effort, non-profit voluntary organizations Nonna Roma and Intersos enabled the vaccination of thousands of immigrants from different countries, age and residence status. Methods We obtained a dataset regarding part of the people these NGOs facilitated in accessing the vaccination booking. We had information regarding age, sex, country of origin, nationality and type of document. Results These populations were from different ethnic backgrounds, in majority males and below 50 years old on average. We found an association between the continent of origin and holding any document and between age and holding any document, both at a significant level (p < 0.05). Coming from Asia, as opposed to coming to any other continent, and being younger, i.e. under 25 years of age, were associated with holding any type of document. Conclusions We reflect on the need of rethinking the services for this population, having in mind article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also, more practically, that often these people work in our elderly homes as caregivers or as cleaners in our offices. Therefore, making it easier to access health services would be in any country’s interest, especially during a pandemic. Policy efforts directed at facilitating migrant access to health services would ultimately help create a safer community for both migrants and residents, for whom migrants often work as strategic employees. Key messages • Irregular migrants have not been included in national vaccination plans everywhere, despite WHO and other entities recommendations. • An integrated national plan for irregular migrants vaccination would be useful for protecting other vulnerable populations such as elderly.

Meta-analysis of Volunteer Motives Using the Volunteer Functions Inventory to Predict Volunteer Satisfaction, Commitment, and Behavior

In 2017, about 30% of all U.S. adults volunteered for a total of 6.9 billion hours. This raises the question, why do so many people volunteer? Extant research has produced highly variable estimates of the effect sizes of various motivating factors, and there has been little to no research on potential moderators (i.e., study-level covariates that might strengthen or weaken the main effect of volunteer motives). We meta-analyzed 61 studies ( N = 38,327) to estimate the effect sizes of six volunteer motivators (Volunteer Functions Inventory [VFI]; Clary et al., 1998) in predicting outcomes (satisfaction, commitment, intention to continue, and frequency). Results demonstrate that all six motivators significantly predicted the three outcome variables ([Formula: see text] ranging from .12 to .44). Values was the strongest predictor by far, based on the largest effect size and a post hoc relative importance analysis. Moderator analyses indicated some differences in effect sizes across gender and student status; there were few differences across geographic location, race-ethnicity, college degree attainment, and employment status. Implications for volunteer managers and organizations on how to best work with volunteers are described.

Performance of Paid and Volunteer Image Labeling in Citizen Science — A Retrospective Analysis

Citizen science projects that rely on human computation can attempt to solicit volunteers or use paid microwork platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk. To better understand these approaches, this paper analyzes crowdsourced image label data sourced from an environmental justice project looking at wetland loss off the coast of Louisiana. This retrospective analysis identifies key differences between the two populations: while Mechanical Turk workers are accessible, cost-efficient, and rate more images than volunteers (on average), their labels are of lower quality, whereas volunteers can achieve high accuracy with comparably few votes. Volunteer organizations can also interface with the educational or outreach goals of an organization in ways that the limited context of microwork prevents.

Social innovation and food provisioning initiatives to reduce food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic

This paper examines food provisioning initiatives that were implemented to reduce food insecurity during the period of the spread of Covid-19. Food insecurity increased sharply during this time, particularly among those who contracted the virus and had to remain in quarantine, and those who suddenly lost their jobs. As a possible solution to alleviate the problem, voluntary organisations collected food from stores with surplus produce (such as restaurants that were forced to close, supermarkets, etc.) and redistributed it to people in need. This redistribution occurred in several Italian cities, including Cremona, which was one of the first towns in Italy to be dramatically affected by the pandemic.Looking through the lens of social innovation theory, this paper analyses redistribution initiatives in this town and assesses their capacity to enhance their impact on social wellbeing and to involve local society in response to social challenges. Thanks to desk research and interviews with several volunteers, it demonstrates that these initiatives are good examples of social innovation, as they address emerging social challenges and generate benefits for the entire society (not just food aid recipients), reconfigure previous aid models, actively involve local population, and assume educational and social assistance purposes.

Determinants of Voluntary Organizations’ Attention on Facebook: The Case of Norwegian Voluntary Organizations

By offering low-cost tools of communication and coordination, social media platforms such as Facebook may constitute a substitute for coordination by means of hierarchical organization. Social media may disrupt, appearing as a “weapon of the weak,” a relationship that has traditionally linked membership to resources and influence. Against such a backdrop, this article investigates the extent to which organizational features and activities as well as the content of Facebook posts predict the reach and audience of voluntary organizations on Facebook. By linking organizational survey data and social media data and harnessing machine learning methods, hypotheses linking organizational features and the reach and level of attention obtained by voluntary organizations on Facebook are tested. The results support the notion that social media may work as a substitute for hierarchical forms of membership mobilization but do not support the “weapon of the weak” hypothesis.

The Measurement of Social Capital in America: A Reassessment.

One of the more successful approaches to the measurement of social capital across US counties relies on a two-step algorithm procedure. In the first step, ten variables accounting for the per capita number of various types of voluntary organizations are averaged to generate an Aggregate Index. In the second step, the Aggregate Index and three other factors are used to extract an overall Social Capital Index. Here, we propose several methodological improvements to this already solid methodology. We replace the Aggregate Index calculated as a simple average with a measure generated with principal component analysis, and subsequently with a formative partial least squares dimension-reduction procedure. We explore variations of these procedures, according to the rent-seeking nature of the organizations that make up our groupings. We illustrate our methodology by using US county data. We find that, even when holding the normative concept and the data constant we generate alternative metrics with different characteristics. This result has far-reaching implications for both the theory of social capital and the public policies that rely on the evidence surrounding social capital. There appears to be an inherent arbitrariness to measuring complex social phenomena using a reductionist analytical framework. At the same time, there are limits to evidence-based policy interventions. These limits need to be mitigated with a balanced approach relying on both analytical tools and qualitative evaluations.

Peran Pemerintah dan Swata Dalam Perekonomian

Government is a system for exercising authority and power in regulating the social, economic and political life of a country or its parts. Another definition of government is a group of people who jointly assume limited responsibility for exercising power. Government can also be interpreted as the ruler of a country or the highest body that governs a country. Basically the government sector can be categorized into the public sector. The public sector is an organization of state economic entities to carry out their duties as controllers of society towards prosperity. This control is in the form of providing useful services to the public. Institutionally, the public domain includes government non-profit organizations and non-governmental non-profit organizations. Government agencies such as the central government, regional governments, and other government work units, are forms of government organizations. While the forms of non-profit non-governmental organizations are volunteer organizations, private hospitals, private high schools and universities, foundations, NGOs, BUMN/BUMD, religious organizations, political organizations, and so on. Qualitative descriptive. that the role of the government and the private sector is seen to be very important in supporting the economy. In addition, the center of economic development is the development of supporting and adequate infrastructure. With limited funds as well as APBN or APBD owned by the government, the role of the private sector in the involvement of infrastructure development is very much needed. The private sector can contribute to the development and financing of infrastructure that has been planned by the government. However, this does not mean that the private sector takes a full role in infrastructure financing, but that the role of the government as a regulator is indispensable in controlling and overseeing infrastructure so that it can be used with the community as well as possible.

“A Ḥarrāg’s Account”: Craftily Narrating and Navigating the EU’s Morphing Borderscape

Neoliberal borders inconspicuously morph, now facilitating the free passage of goods and citizens from rich countries, now violently excluding irregular travelers departing from impoverished and repressive environments. In turn, unauthorized migrants demonstrate narrative and performative craft(iness) by tactically shapeshifting to fit themselves into the highly particular mold of a “worthy refugee.” The 2019 Arabic-language memoir Anthems of Salt, which chronicles its Algerian author’s attempt at clandestine migration to northern Europe via Turkey and Greece, provides a backdrop for recent scholarship on twenty-first-century borders and the so-called refugee crisis. A close reading of Ramdani’s account, in conjunction with examples from fieldwork as a volunteer for asylum aid organizations in Greece, provides a view of what is produced in the interaction between morphing borderscapes and shapeshifting migrants—namely, incarnations of the very essentialized images that states project onto their unwanted entrants. But candid border-crossing narratives like Ramdani’s are produced as well, revealing the many cross-territorial linkages through which borderlines slice. These linkages suggest the potential for alternative cartographies that challenge dominant notions of nation-statehood.

P.168 Observational study: The quality of life in patients with alpha-sarcoglycan, beta-sarcoglycan and gamma-sarcoglycan gene mutation

LGMDR3, LGMDR4, LGMDR5 are recessive autosomal diseases, there are no specific treatments, except for some physical therapies that prevent worsening of muscle contractures and therapies associated with cardiac and respiratory problems. In 2013 the volunteer organization named Family Group of Beta-sarcoglycanopathy (GFB ODV; www.lgmd2e.org) was established to stimulate and support basic and clinical research on these diseases. Since 2012, families of the GFB ODV funded a research project of gene therapy for LGMDR4, under the supervision of Prof. J. Mendell, at the Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio, USA). The first clinical trial, conducted by Sarepta Therapeutics, is currently underway. In 2018 GFB Odv promoted a natural history study on Italian patients "Clinical Determinants of disease progression in patients with beta-sarcoglycan gene mutations", led by Prof. Yvan Torrente, of the University of Milan, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan, Italy. Since 2021 GFB Odv has started an ongoing observational study on the quality of life in patients with beta-sarcoglycan, alpha-sarcoglycan, and gamma-sarcoglycan gene mutation, again in collaboration with Prof. Yvan Torrente. The study is aimed at international GFB patients. At this time 139 patients from 45 countries have joined the Project: in particular, 68 with LGMDR4, 32 with LGMDR5, 39 with LGMDR3. 201 questionnaires have already been filled out. The ACTIVLIM, ABILHAND, EK, PEDSQL and PROMIS scales are used in the study, both in paper and electronic format. The study will run for 3 years and the scales will be given to patients every 6 months.

Prioritization of Districts in terms of Disaster Preparedness Planning: A Case Study for the Expected Istanbul Earthquake

Preparedness is the second among the four phases of disaster management after mitigation. In big cities with a crowded population like İstanbul, development of a single holistic disaster preparedness plan would be too complex. At this point, prioritization of districts is needed because of the existence of limited amount of available resources (time, staff, money, etc.) plan development stage. This decision can be affected by several factors, so this decision can be defined as a multiple criteria decision-making problem. The main aim in this paper is to develop an analytic approach to obtain the priority rank of districts of the city for disaster preparedness plan development. To do so, a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making model based on SWARA (Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and WASPAS (Weight Aggregated Sum Product Assessment) is proposed. A case study on earthquake preparedness planning in districts of İstanbul is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. Obtained results of the model would be helpful for policy making in volunteer organizations, municipality, and government level.

Synthesis of the Evidence on What Works for Whom in Telemental Health: Rapid Realist Review.

BackgroundTelemental health (delivering mental health care via video calls, telephone calls, or SMS text messages) is becoming increasingly widespread. Telemental health appears to be useful and effective in providing care to some service users in some settings, especially during an emergency restricting face-to-face contact, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, important limitations have been reported, and telemental health implementation risks the reinforcement of pre-existing inequalities in service provision. If it is to be widely incorporated into routine care, a clear understanding is needed of when and for whom it is an acceptable and effective approach and when face-to-face care is needed.ObjectiveThis rapid realist review aims to develop a theory about which telemental health approaches work (or do not work), for whom, in which contexts, and through what mechanisms.MethodsRapid realist reviewing involves synthesizing relevant evidence and stakeholder expertise to allow timely development of context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations in areas where evidence is urgently needed to inform policy and practice. The CMO configurations encapsulate theories about what works for whom and by what mechanisms. Sources included eligible papers from 2 previous systematic reviews conducted by our team on telemental health; an updated search using the strategy from these reviews; a call for relevant evidence, including “gray literature,” to the public and key experts; and website searches of relevant voluntary and statutory organizations. CMO configurations formulated from these sources were iteratively refined, including through discussions with an expert reference group, including researchers with relevant lived experience and frontline clinicians, and consultation with experts focused on three priority groups: children and young people, users of inpatient and crisis care services, and digitally excluded groups.ResultsA total of 108 scientific and gray literature sources were included. From our initial CMO configurations, we derived 30 overarching CMO configurations within four domains: connecting effectively; flexibility and personalization; safety, privacy, and confidentiality; and therapeutic quality and relationship. Reports and stakeholder input emphasized the importance of personal choice, privacy and safety, and therapeutic relationships in telemental health care. The review also identified particular service users likely to be disadvantaged by telemental health implementation and a need to ensure that face-to-face care of equivalent timeliness remains available. Mechanisms underlying the successful and unsuccessful application of telemental health are discussed.ConclusionsService user choice, privacy and safety, the ability to connect effectively, and fostering strong therapeutic relationships need to be prioritized in delivering telemental health care. Guidelines and strategies coproduced with service users and frontline staff are needed to optimize telemental health implementation in real-world settings.Trial RegistrationInternational Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO); CRD42021260910; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021260910

Social Network Analysis of Nonprofits in Disaster Response: The Case of Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has created complex problems that require organizations to collaborate within and across the sector line. Social media data can provide insights into how nonprofits interact for the pandemic response from both social network and geographical perspectives. This study innovatively investigated the connection and interaction patterns among 74 National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) nonprofits and three government agencies based on structural analyses and content analyses of their Twitter communications during the long-term global COVID-19 pandemic. The daily tweeting quantities of all nonprofits were generally consistent with the pandemic severity in the United States before July 2020 and remained stable afterward. Nonprofits’ tweets can reflect their purposes of sharing information, building communities, and taking actions for disaster response. Government agencies played leadership roles in providing COVID-19 guidelines and information. Human services, International and Foreign Affairs, and Public and Societal Benefit nonprofits, especially American Red Cross played central roles in the nonprofit communication network. Possible explanations include the following: (1) Geographically, connections and interactions among nonprofits are more likely to happen within the same city or in neighboring states. (2) Both mission homophily and heterophily contribute to connections and interactions among nonprofits, depending on their subsectors. The findings not only help the public better understand how nonprofits are collaboratively fighting the pandemic, but also provide guidance for nonprofits to plan for better interactions and communications in future disaster response.

Civic Integration through Commissioned Communities: On the Cross-Sector Co-Production of Conditioned and Clientised Participation

Policymakers across Western welfare states increasingly make full citizenship contingent on refugees adapting to liberal democratic values and practising active citizenship. Simultaneously, the New Public Governance paradigm has reinvigorated policymakers’ belief in civil society as a needed partner for tackling societal challenges, such as integration. Consequently, cross-sector co-production of civic communities is being perceived as a model for increasing the participation and integration of refugees. The practices and outcomes of cross-sector co-produced integration remain underexplored. Based on a three-year qualitative study of four cross-sector integration projects in a Danish municipality, this paper contributes knowledge on the matter. We explore how volunteers and municipal agents practise the co-production of civic communities to enhance participation among refugees. We find that a recurrent way of co-producing communities is through public agents commissioning communities from voluntary organisations. Next, we identify two recurrent forms of participation available to refugees through the commissioned communities. In the first form, termed conditioned participation, the commissioning of communities is characterised by inter-sectorial distance and knowledge gaps, making participation conditioned on the resources of each refugee. In the second form, termed clientised participation, the inter-sectorial collaboration resembles a commissioner/service-provider relation, with refugees as clients being referred to voluntary services.

Availability and content of clinical guidance for tobacco use and dependence treatment – United States, 2000–2019

Evidence-based treatments for tobacco use and dependence can increase cessation success but remain underutilized. Health professional societies and voluntary health organizations (advising organizations) are uniquely positioned to influence the delivery of cessation treatments by providing clinical guidance for healthcare providers. This study aimed to review the guidance produced by these organizations for content and consistency with current evidence.Documents discussing healthcare providers' role in treatment of tobacco use and dependence produced by US-based advising organizations between 2000 and 2019 were identified in both peer-reviewed and grey (i.e., informally or non-commercially published) literature. Extraction of variables, defined in terms of healthcare provider role and endorsement of specific treatment(s), was completed by two independent reviewers.Review of 38 identified documents sponsored by 57 unique advising organizations revealed deficits in the direction of comprehensive care and incorporation of the most recent evidence for treatment of tobacco use and dependence. Documents endorsed: screening (74%), pharmacotherapy (68%), counseling (89%), or follow-up (37%). Few documents endorsed more recent evidence-based treatments including combination nicotine replacement therapy (18%), and text- (11%) and web-based (11%) interventions.Advising organizations have opportunities to address identified gaps and enhance clinical guidance to contribute toward expanding the provision of comprehensive tobacco cessation support.

Civic engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and the system of public support to non-governmental organisations

Civil society organizations and grassroot initiatives have not stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept Poland voluntary organizations and spontaneous civic initiatives have demonstrated huge potential of solidarity embodied in the Polish society and its readiness to genuine, creative and effective responses. The article highlights the irreplaceable role of voluntary organizations and spontaneous citizen led activities during the pandemic and before 2020 in mobilizing social support, providing frontline help and essential services and to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Civil society organisations and grassroot initiatives provided food, personal protection equipment and essential sanitary items, often filling the gap when public administration was slow to respond. The article outlines the central and local governments policies aimed at creating an enabling environment for the work of civil society to respond to the spread of COVID-19.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) health charities are central to ALS care: perspectives of Canadians affected by ALS

Objective Expert consensus guidelines recommend referral of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to ALS health charities for support. Limited research indicates that patients and families value interaction with these volunteer sector organizations. We investigated how patient support from Canadian ALS health charities (ALS Societies) is experienced by those affected by ALS, and whether patient-centered outcomes validate recommendations for referral. Methods Data were drawn from the ALS Talk Project, an asynchronous online focus group study. Patients and family caregivers were recruited from regions across Canada. Seven groups met online for 14 weeks between January and July 2020. Seventy-eight participants made statements about ALS Societies. Data were qualitatively analyzed using directed content analysis and the constant-comparative approach. Results Participants viewed ALS Societies as integral to the healthcare system. The Societies acted as patient navigators and filled perceived care gaps, including psychological support. They provided critical practical assistance, particularly equipment loans and peer support groups; comprehensive disease-related and real-life information; and personal connections. They facilitated knowledge of research, emerging therapies, and research opportunities. Delayed referral to ALS Society supports and information resources was a concern for some participants. Conclusions ALS Societies provide patients with critical practical, informational, and emotional support and play an overarching role as patient/research navigators. Patient-centred outcomes support patient referral to ALS Societies. Communication about the services provided should be a standard component of clinical care, with choice of access left to individuals. Clinical conversations should be supplemented with information resources developed by these voluntary sector organizations.

Toronto’s Francophone Voluntary Sector Under Pressure: The Challenges of Immigrant Integration in a Linguistic Minority Context

The neoliberalization of Canada’s immigration and immigrant integration policies has impacted how Francophone communities in English dominated provinces outside of Québec can develop and thrive. This article examines the challenges faced by Francophone community organizations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in their efforts to successfully integrate Francophone immigrants. The GTA’s Francophone voluntary sector has been affected by a “community government” mindset, which limits its ability to support the integration of Francophone newcomers into the local French-speaking community. We use public documents and interviews with representatives of key Francophone community organizations to document these challenges. Keywords / Mots clés : community government, Francophonie, immigration, Toronto, voluntary organizations / gouvernement communautaire, Francophonie, immigration, Toronto, organismes bénévoles

Depression in Patients on Hemodialysis: A Dilapidated Facet.

IntroductionEnd-stage renal disease (ESRD) has increased in India due to the growing load of non-communicable diseases. The most prevalent psychological issue among these patients has been identified as depression, which may have an impact on treatment success. Around 20% to 90% of hemodialysis patients experience depression. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression among patients undergoing hemodialysis as well as the relationship between this condition and the sociodemographic and clinical parameters of the patients.MethodsBasic demographic information and particulars of chronic morbidity, duration, and the number of cycles of hemodialysis per week were noted. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score was administered to screen for depression.ResultsA total of 92 participants were enrolled in the study; 69 (75%) were males. The mean age of participants was 52 years. Hypertension (100%) was the most common co-morbidity followed by diabetes mellitus (38%). The mean duration of chronic kidney disease was 3.9 years. The majority (68.5%) had hemodialysis twice per week. Forty-one percent (41%) screened positive for borderline clinical depression or more. The mean BDI score was 17.07. The number of hemodialyses per week had a significant relation with depression with an odds ratio of 4.16 and 95% CI of 1.4-12.38.ConclusionDepression is prevalent among patients with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis. The management of this preventable illness demands a repertoire of measures such as launching a program for the detection and treatment of depression combining psychiatric professionals and social volunteer organizations.

Russian practice in the field of state support for volunteering

The development of volunteer activities among citizens, especially young people, is one of the priority tasks of the state»s social policy today. And it is no coincidence that volunteer or voluntary activity, in the article is considered as synonyms, has long been socially oriented and is designed to solve those problems of society that the state has to solve completely. Or partially unable. Volunteer organizations often act much faster than the clumsy bureaucratic state machine, and this is their indisputable advantage over state structures. Which certainly makes the development of volunteer organizations within the country on an even larger scale relevant. Within the framework of this article, an analysis of the modern practice of developing volunteer activities in our country was carried out. The main directions of the development of volunteerism in Russia in the modern period are revealed. The main directions of state support for volunteering at the regulatory level and steps for their practical implementation are identified. Recommendations are given for further improvement of state support for volunteering.

The quality of civil-state dialogue in Russia

At the present stage, civil society in the Russian Federation is at the stage of formation and development, the more interesting and relevant it is to study, identify and analyze the ongoing processes, try to predict trends and trends in the development and effectiveness of civil interaction. In recent years, Russian civil society has demonstrated its readiness for a permanent and effective civil-state dialogue. The creation of socially oriented NGOs, voluntary (volunteer) organizations of the «third sector», their constantly developing civic activity are increasingly becoming an example and the activation of their activities are an example of the active development of the possibilities of free self-organization of Russian citizens. The formation of a mature civil society largely depends on the relationship between civil society institutions and the state. This article defines the activities and characteristics of the «third sector» on the modern legislative basis in the Russian Federation, analyzes the state support for socially oriented NGOs in the Russian Federation, the participation of socially oriented NGOs in the provision of social and socially useful services, the state of digitalization penetration in the field of socially oriented NGOs.