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.
From USAToday…
More Americans became engaged in their communities last year as the economy weakened, a federal agency reported Tuesday.“There’s a compassion boom going on,” says Robert Grimm of the Corporation for National & Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and other service programs.
FIND A CHARITY: A comprehensive look at giving in the USA“Instead of people worrying about their own problems,” he says, “they’re thinking of others.”
The number of volunteers increased 2% from 60.8 million in 2007 to 61.8 million in 2008, according to the agency’s 2009 Volunteering In America report, based on annual Census Bureau surveys. Among young adults (16 to 24), the number of volunteers increased 5.7%. On average, 26% of Americans continued to donate their time.
The findings contrast with data from the Giving USA Foundation showing a decline in charitable giving for the first time since 1987.
Two forms of volunteerism jumped sharply: the number of people who worked with neighbors to solve a local problem rose 31% from 2007 to 2008, and the number of people who attended community meetings rose 17% last year.
“This report suggests that Americans are responding to the hardship around them by reaching out in service to others, giving their time when they cannot give their money,” first lady Michelle Obama said in a statement.
More non-profit groups rely on volunteers as 80% report significant economic stress, according to a Johns Hopkins University survey.
Grimm says volunteering helps people develop skills and feel valuable…
Volunteering tends to be highest in midsize cities, particularly in the Midwest.
“We’re at the beginning of a generosity high, a sense that we can make a difference,” says Claire Gaudiani, historian of philanthropy at New York University.
Check volunteering in your state at www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/find.cfm
UPDATE: The Vermont angle… click here.
The urge to build community with those nearby is a strong impule for many people… and lots of folks seem to realize that neighbor connection has declined. Friend Nik just shared this blog post from Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert. He calls it Cheapatopia.
Ghost of Midnight is an online journal about fostering community within neighborhoods, with a special focus on Front Porch Forum (FPF). My wife, Valerie, and I founded FPF in 2006... read more