Volunteering motivations in humanitarian logistics: a case study in the food bank of Viana do Castelo

Abstract

The importance of humanitarian logistics has been increasing over time, caused by economic or family crises. Volunteering has a fundamental role at the Food Bank of Viana do Castelo, contributing to the quality of life improvement of disadvantaged families. This way is necessary to understand the motivations that determine to be a volunteer in this kind of entity, to improve the experience and at the same time, increase the number of people that could be potential volunteers. A questionnaire was prepared to determine the motivations that this volunteer experience allows to achieve, namely, the impact that the volunteer experience has on each person’s life. The results obtained show the existence of a positive association between the different dimensions of personal development, establishing ties, collaboration among other volunteers, and also acquiring professional skills with the experience of volunteering.