(Washington, DC, Thursday, December 20, 2018) – Volunteer service is woven into the fabric of our nation and more Americans than ever are stepping up to help their fellow citizens and keep our nation strong. Nearly 77.4 million Americans served more than 6.9 billion hours in 2017. Nationally, almost one in three Americans volunteer and their service has an economic value of nearly $167 billion.

This data is part of a new study from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that leads volunteering and service efforts in the United States. The most comprehensive data on American volunteering ever assembled, the Volunteering in America study has provided a comprehensive picture of the nation’s civic health for the past 15 years, demonstrating the impact volunteers have in our communities. Data includes volunteer and civic engagement rates, trends, and demographics for the nation, and rankings for all 50 states, and major cities across the country.

Barbara Stewart, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service, explains more.

SOUNDBITE #1:

VOLUNTEERS ARE “SUPER CITIZENS” – THEY DONATE TO CHARITY AT TWICE THE RATE OF AMERICANS WHO DON’T PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS TWICE AS OFTEN AS THOSE WHO SIT ON THE SIDELINES. I ENCOURAGE ALL AMERICANS TO MIRROR THEIR EXAMPLE OF GENEROSITY AND COMPASSION AND COMMIT TO VOLUNTEER THROUGHOUT TWENTY-NINETEEN.

SOUNDBITE #2:

WHILE VOLUNTEERING MAY BE TOP OF MIND DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITIES NEED VOLUNTEER SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I CHALLENGE ALL AMERICANS TO MAKE TWENTY-NINETEEN A YEAR OF SERVICE, STARTING WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY ON JANUARY TWENTY-FIRST. EACH YEAR, THE MLK DAY OF SERVICE EMPOWERS INDIVIDUALS, STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES, AND MOVES US CLOSER TO DR. KING’S VISION OF A “BELOVED COMMUNITY.” YOU CAN RISE TO THE CHALLENGE AND SIGN UP TO SERVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

Go to Serve.gov to find your year-round volunteer opportunity.