The effect of reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses on low income volunteer leadership participation

A study was conducted to determine the effect of reimbursement of expenses on the recruitment, training, and holding of volunteer leaders in the youth phase of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program in Kansas City. The experiment was conducted at six program sites during the summer and spring program operations, which consisted of showing eight short films on nutrition on the educational television channel. Volunteer leaders were recruited and trained to organize viewing groups of children and conduct followup activities such as demonstrations, games, and field trips. Volunteers at three of the sites were reimbursed during the summer and at the other three sites during the spring. Volunteers and dropout volunteers were interviewed after the first phase concerning their attitudes, background, and reading and television viewing habits. Training for the second phase was improved, after which more interviews were conducted. Among the findings were the following: (1) Volunteers do not like to be pressured into volunteering and do like adequate training; (2) reimbursement reduced the dropouts of volunteers and encouraged them to involve more children in viewing; and (3) the organization which most in low-income areas participate is in the church, which could effectively be used in implementing programs for low-income people. An appendix contains announcements and folders used in promotion, a handbook for volunteers, and nutrition games and activities. (Km).

University of Minnesota