The joy of helping out

CRAIG SIMCOX/ The Dominion Post

WILD ABOUT ANIMALS: Zoo volunteer Delwyn Monk with dingoes Kora, on hind legs, and Burnum.

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As you relax into your weekend, Delwyn Monk is mucking in, sacrificing her spare time for the decidedly unglamorous task of scooping up animal manure without pay.

Despite a busy job as a public servant, every Saturday for the past 3 1/2 years she has headed to Wellington Zoo to get her "animal fix". She is among a growing army of volunteers who make time to help others in her case dingoes, monkeys, sun bears and cheetahs.

Amid the gloom of the recession, record numbers of people are giving up their time, rather than money, to help a wealth of good causes. Volunteer Week, which starts tomorrow, celebrates more than one million people who help others each year.

While others rejoice in weekend brunches, sport or taking it easy, Ms Monk says sacrificing five hours every Saturday is no chore. "I get a lot back from it, I love it. There's never been a day in my 3 1/2 years where I've been, `Oh no, I've got to go to the zoo today and rake up poo.'

"Even in the terrible weather I never get tired of it."

She is one of 66 zoo volunteers and revels in watching visitors react as dingoes Kora and Burnum are led through the grounds.

Ms Monk, who works for the Education Ministry, believes she is making a difference no matter how menial the task. "Even if I had to rake up leaves or clean windows, it makes the zoo look better and lets the keepers concentrate on the animals."

Volunteer Wellington recruits helpers for non-profit organisations and co-manager Pauline Harper says numbers have never been higher since the recession began.

"It's a response to the times. People aren't complaining, they're doing something active. Society is in strife, so they want to do their bit."

Almost half of new volunteers are jobseekers.

Kiwis perform 270 million hours of volunteer work each year, estimated to be worth $3.3 billion.

Volunteering New Zealand executive director Tim Burns said that in tough times people wanted to help out: "Some people say if they weren't there a lot of things would grind to a halt."