Eight youths, aged between 12 and 17 years, have written an open letter to Otago Daily Times columnist Gordon Parry, defending the efforts of young volunteers in Dunedin.
Their move followed claims by Mr Parry in a column last week, suggesting today's "sloth and selfishness" was hurting clubs and other organisations.
The claims also prompted a quick response from the Dunedin Council of Social Services chief executive Sue Russell, who yesterday said Volunteering Otago statistics showed 525 people had offered to do volunteer work so far this year.
Of those who volunteered, 50% were aged under 20, and another 26.7% were aged between 20 and 29, she said.
Only 15% were aged 60 or older, with the remainder aged between 30 and 59.
"I think we are incredibly lucky in Dunedin, we have got a very civic-minded population," Ms Russell said.
"It may not be the way we used to volunteer, but we are definitely still very much a volunteering community."
A co-author of the open letter, Sarah Orchard (25), was a University of Otago student who volunteered as a telephone counsellor at Youthline Otago.
She and Volunteering Otago youth co-ordinator Lani Evans (30) had discussed Mr Parry's comments with the group taking part in a holiday programme of volunteer work organised by the pair.
In the past week, the group had undertaken revegetation work at Brighton beach, walked dogs for the Otago SPCA and baked for the Presbyterian Support Otago food bank, she said.
The young people had decided to write the letter to Mr Parry after becoming "a little bit upset" about his column, she said.
"I guess the young people wanted to say they are very passionate people who are connected to their community, work really hard and love volunteering," she said.
Ms Russell said groups struggling to attract volunteers "do not know how to engage the younger generation", but believed Volunteering Otago or other youth-based organisations could help.
Ms Russell said she would be prepared to take Mr Parry on a tour of volunteer organisations in the city to "see the work they unselfishly do for this city".
Contacted yesterday, Mr Parry said he was "delighted" to hear of committed young volunteers in the city, and would happily take such a tour.
"It's very heartening to think here in Dunedin this sort of effort is continuing."
