The economic recession looks to be bringing the best out of New Zealanders with a dramatic increase in the number of people volunteering in recent months.
Volunteering New Zealand has reported a 50 percent surge in registrations since the recession kicked in last November, with not all applicants out a job.
Volunteering NZ says people in the country are coming in with a community mindset to bind together in the tough economic times.
Shikha Goyal is currently looking for a job, but she is already working full-time doing marketing for five different charities as a volunteer.
Ms Goyal says she is putting her marketing expertise to good use despite being unemployed.
“I work for the museum of Wellington, the Heart Foundation, Cancer Society -Wellington division, Volunteer Wellington and also a one off with Stage Challenge,” she says.
Ms Goyal has a degree in commerce and law but like many recent graduates, no job.
She says her dad was her inspiration for helping with charity. He told her, "Go back to university or do voluntary work."
Ms Goyal says she has found the volunteer work very rewarding and beneficial.
“It's a great way to gain work experience in your chosen field if you have that option and you’re also giving back to the community so it's a win - win situation,” she says.
Volunteering NZ just held a recruitment week to help add to their list of more than one million volunteers.
The organisation says if a dollar value was put on volunteer work, it would add up to more than $3 billion.
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