Those who volunteer their time and service for a worthy cause usually have a good reason for doing so.

It could be a desire to give back to society or a passion for a particular cause.

I have been a volunteer for many years, and have given my time to different causes.

To date, I have yet to see anyone make a living out of the hours spent as a volunteer (Volunteer with right mindset, not with benefits in mind; April 4, and Benefits in long-term volunteering; March 20).

Most of the time, volunteers are given a transport allowance or a small sum to cover costs.

Recently, volunteers for a project I was involved in were told that they would be given a one-time allowance of $10.

This was hardly enough to cover the costs incurred in the process of volunteering.

Nevertheless, some volunteers will even use small allowances like these to buy food coupons for a needy family or give the money to the family to enjoy a day out at, say, Sentosa.

Of course, there may be some volunteers who may need the money, and we should not begrudge them the allowance.

Vivien Tan (Mrs)