Ghost of Midnight

Vermonters Volunteer More than Most

The Burlington Free Press picked up the Vermont angle on the study recently released about volunteerism…

Vermont and the Burlington area rank high in a new national study of volunteering rates, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The state ranks ninth in the percentage of the population that participates in volunteer efforts, according to the CNCS’s Web site, www.volunteeringinAmerica.gov…

In Vermont, 35.6 percent of the population volunteered; the national average is 26.4 percent. The Burlington metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and South Burlington, ranked 11th among the 75 mid-sized cities polled for volunteer rates…

A volunteer coordinator at the United Way of Chittenden County said she is not surprised by Vermont’s high rate of volunteerism.  “We have certainly seen the generosity of this community in giving of their volunteer time,” said Holly Reed, director of the United Way of Chittenden County’s volunteer center. “Vermont is a small place, and we are more acutely aware of what the needs are in the community.”…

The study showed 35.6 percent of Vermonters, or about 180,400 people, volunteered in 2008, putting in 20.6 million hours of service, according to the study…

Front Porch Forum is a great catalyst for getting people involved in their local community.  Many local nonprofits have told us of increased volunteer rolls due to FPF… what a thrill for FPF to play a role in this important trend.