08/28/2026
What happens when a community stops showing up?
Across the country, volunteerism is changing.
A 2025 U.S. Census Bureau working paper examined the decline in volunteering and found that economic conditions can play a significant role in whether people are able to volunteer. Communities experiencing greater economic disadvantage and inequality tend to see lower rates of volunteering.
And while national volunteering has begun to rebound since the pandemic, there’s another challenge: people are giving less time. The Census Bureau reported that the average volunteer served about 70 hours in 2023, down from 96.5 hours in 2017.
That matters.
Because behind every volunteer hour is a person, a family, a classroom, a child, or a community member who benefits from someone choosing to show up.
At Windsor County Mentors, we believe that showing up consistently can make a lasting difference in the life of a young person.
Mentoring doesn't require you to have all the answers.
It doesn't require you to be a professional.
It doesn't require hundreds of hours.
It requires you.
One conversation.
One activity.
One hour.
One relationship.
And we're not asking for hundreds of hours.
We're asking for a one-year commitment and just 4–6 hours of your time each month.
That's just 48–72 hours over an entire year.
48–72 hours to build a relationship.
48–72 hours to listen.
48–72 hours to encourage.
48–72 hours to show a young person that someone believes in them.
In a time when volunteer hours are becoming harder to find, choosing to invest your time in a young person may matter more than ever.
Windsor County needs people who are willing to show up.
Could that person be you?
Learn more about becoming a mentor and being the person who makes a difference in a young person's life.
