Volunteerism in America on the rise

The Corporation for National and Community Service released its annual U.S. volunteerism stats today. Details can be found at www.VolunteeringinAmerica.gov. The study contains lots of rich data, including insights about volunteerism for each state and major city and trends by age cohort.

Several points from this year’s report popped out at me:

• An additional 1.6 million people volunteered in 2009, compared to 2008. This means 63.4 million Americans volunteered in some form or fashion last year—and this occurred during a recession—when time and resources were tight for everyone. This represents 8.1 billion hours of service—a quantifiable measure of the American spirit to lend a hand and help your neighbor in tough times.
• Working women are leading the charge. The greatest increase in number of volunteers comes from married, employed women ages 45-54. Children under the age of 18 have one of the highest volunteer rates as an age cohort.  This could indicate a few things: families are making a greater effort to “serve together,” the Millenial “can do” attitude is inspiring moms and kids to get engaged in the community, and women are responding to the effects of the recession by addressing community challenges, such as fundraising to support important community services and collecting, preparing, serving and distributing food.
• Where you live impacts if and how you serve. Volunteer rates are lower in cities with high unemployment and high foreclosure rates. People who have longer commutes to work/school are less inclined to spend free time volunteering. And communities with a higher percentage of homeowners have a higher participation rate of volunteerism.