As the bad economy costs jobs and requires people to cut back on spending, more people seem to be eager to give their time and energy — instead of only sending checks — this holiday season.

United Way of Snohomish County received 84 calls from those who are interested in volunteering within two days before Thanksgiving, said Deborah Squires, a spokeswoman for the organization.

“That’s very much higher than usual,” Squires said.

Some people seem to be volunteering because they have more time than money amid the recession, Squires said. Others are responding to the rising need for help at nonprofit organizations such as food banks.

“We are hearing a variety of reasons, which include the economy and wanting to do something that feels tangible,” she said.

Diane Allvin Beach, of Lynnwood, teamed up with her friends to do a food drive before Thanksgiving in King County. About 17 people collected and donated approximately 2,500 pounds of food to Food Lifeline, a hunger relief agency that serves Western Washington.

“We were kind of looking at the need in the community,” Allvin Beach said.

Over the last two years, she and her friends had conducted a toy drive, but they switched to the food drive this year, Allvin Beach said. Many people are struggling to secure the essentials such as food, as the economic downturn continues.

“We felt much more satisfied with the food drive, we would do another food drive next year,” she said.

The Volunteer Center of United Way has limited staff and money, Squires said. The center is trying to handle as many phone calls as possible, and it’s also referring people to go online at www.uwsc.org and search opportunities by themselves.

Volunteering could help the unemployed, as more people lose jobs because of the recession, said Squires, who was a volunteer with United Way before getting hired in 2004.

Snohomish County’s unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent in October from 5.1 percent in September, according to the state Employment Security Department. The county lost about 400 jobs in October. Jobs in retail, construction and other fields have been lost.

Volunteering could help people brush up their skills, network with others to find a new job or identify what they want to do, Squires said.

“It’s a way to try on different types of jobs,” she said.

Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.

Find ways to help

United Way of Snohomish County encourages those who want to volunteer to go to www.uwsc.org. The Web site helps people search volunteer opportunities. More info: 425-374-5534.