Exclusive Interview with Executive at AmeriCorps
As we celebrate World Volunteer Day today, Dec. 5th, we want to recognize the vast numbers of people across the globe who volunteer their time and talents in service to others. This day, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on what we’re accomplishing at home – how men and women in the U.S. are making a difference in their communities. In 2010, volunteers devoted nearly 8.1 billion hours in the United States -- giving time, expertise and “sweat hours” valued at nearly $173 billion!
Volunteers are working to tackle some of the nation’s toughest challenges: tutoring students, preparing and distributing food, providing disaster relief, and helping veterans and families of active military. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), is the federal agency for volunteering and service and they have released new data on volunteerism. Volunteering in America is the most in-depth report on national service – spotlighting: who volunteers, which cities have the highest rates of volunteerism, and how Americans are serving their community.
VolunteerSpot recently had the opportunity to chat with Robert Velasco, II, who was designated Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) by President Obama on May 27, 2011. CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in results-driven service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
- When it comes to service, we learned 62.8 million adults from all walks of life, from a variety of organizations and public and private businesses volunteered to address community needs. We learned service also took place informally when people worked with neighbors to address or fix a community issue. In 2010, 8.1 percent of Americans, or 19 million individuals volunteered informally.
- When it comes to ratios, we learned women play a critical role in using service to solve pressing problems in their communities. Women continue to lead men in total number of volunteers (36 million to 27 million) and percentage who volunteer (29% to 23); women dedicated nearly 4.7 billion hours to helping their communities in 2010. We would encourage everyone to go to Serve.gov to volunteer in their area. Regardless of how much time you have, or what your interests may be, there’s a service opportunity that’s right for you.
- We it comes to parent volunteering, we learned busy moms and dads who volunteer aren't just improving their neighborhoods, but they also are strong role models for their children. Exposure to volunteerism at an early age instills compassion, empathy and the initiative to be part of the solution. Parents are vital to volunteering in the United States, with more than a third of parents volunteering last year. That’s roughly seven percentage points above the national average.
- When it comes to the specifics, we learned the leading service activities for women are fundraising (29%), food collection and distribution (27%), and tutoring and teaching (20%) - according to this year’s “Volunteering in America” report authored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Men topped women in general volunteer labor activities (25%) and represented lower numbers in fundraising (23%) and food collection and distribution (18.6%).
- When it comes to paying it forward, we learned, people stick with volunteering when they can see first-hand how their service is making a real difference on an issue they care about. Women most often volunteer through a religious institution (35%), in education (28%), with a social service organization (14%) or at a hospital (10%). Parents are – perhaps unsurprisingly – most likely to volunteer at an educational institution (44%) than elsewhere in their community.
Although the number of volunteers declined slightly from 2009 to 2010, the number of hours per volunteer actually increased– showing a strengthening commitment among those already engaged in service. Many people mistakenly think of service as selfless, but it’s often as valuable for the participant as it is for the direct beneficiary. Once people find the project, group or issue they can relate to, service becomes an enriching and fulfilling part of their life.
We invite you to CNCS on Facebook and Twitter, or learn how you can volunteer in your community at www.serve.gov! And for even more information about Volunteering in America 2011, visit: www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
