Naomi...not all volunteers are sweet, church going, salt of the earth, older middle England types. ( ok...thats a bit ott, but you know what I mean). The majority of ours have been thtough some pretty rough times, and may still be recovering. Sometimes volunteering is a stepping stone to eventually working. They still need help...so it's given. Its not a perk in those situations.
We thank the volunteers at Christmas with a meal we cook for them.