I see so many different sides of this dice. I've been involved in just about every aspect of volunteerism from a one hour once a year volunteer to organizing a whole team of volunteers through several projects over several years. There is something for everyone and I hope nothing said here will keep someone from volunteering.
As to the original question, my answer is YES! It's hard to keep people coming back and sometimes even coming once. You might get a volunteer who shows up for one hour once a year..it was something I signed up for when I was 9 and even though I wasn't into it anymore, I made a commitment and no way would Mom and Dad let me get out of. I'm glad they didn't. You might get a volunteer that shows up one day for an hour and comes back every day for the rest of their lives.
I've been working with a thrift shop for almost 10 years. I started as a volunteer one day a week. I would come in when I could and they acted like it was the best thing ever when I got there and thanked me immensely when I left for the day. Then I got a full time job and I couldn't work with the hours. Five years later, I lost that job and the thrift shop called me to ask if I could work a few days a week, which turned into a full time job (albeit with terrible pay, I made it work and did some mystery shopping) Got another great full time job where I made a boatload of money but kept working at the thrift store one day a week because honestly I never felt more valued at a job than I did there. I was making more in one hour at my other job than I was making all day at the thrift shop. I didn't care. The thrift shop was there for me..and now, full circle..I lost my "great job" this February and the thrift shop asked if I wanted more hours, more days, etc and here I am..working 3 days a week making hardly any money and honestly I'm ok with it because they have always been there when I needed them and I have other stuff I can do to make life work. If they didn't have money to pay someone (me) I honestly don't know where I'd be. I don't know where the few others that are paid to be there would be. I also don't know what we'd do without the dozen or so people that come in to volunteer..one hour a week or seven hours/six days a week. They make it ok to have a skeleton crew and on some days have all kinds of help and on some days have no help. We're grateful for all the help.
If you want to volunteer and the thing you want to do doesn't work out, ask to do something different, ask to do something different at another place. Find something that needs you as much as you need it. There is a place for everyone.
(I realize I got a little extra there, but volunteerism and community services are something very important to me and I know it is to many others on here)
Shopping the South Jersey Shore