Each year, the Corporation for National and Community Service releases a comprehensive report on the state of volunteering in America. This year’s Volunteering In America report is the most comprehensive set of data ever assembled – offering detailed information on volunteering trends and demographics from all 50 states including Maine over a three-year period from 2005-2007.
Maine and the Nation:
• Maine ranked second in volunteerism in New England.
• Maine ranks well above the 2007 national average, in the percentage of citizens volunteering, of 26.2 percent.
• Maine residents averaged annually more than 44 million hours of service between 2005 and 2007 totaling over $868 million of service in 2007.
National Service in Maine:
More than 9,100 people of all ages and backgrounds are helping to meet local needs and strengthen communities through 29 different national service projects across Maine. Serving through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve, these citizens tutor and mentor children, build homes, restore the environment, respond to disasters, and build nonprofit capacity. The Maine Commission for Community service targets more than 1 Million dollars in AmeriCorps funding annually to meet Maine’s most critical needs.
As the U.S. faces an economic downturn communities and individuals will need the support of the services volunteers provide now more than ever. Citizens can make a real difference in the community, especially during this critical time, by turning off the TV and swapping just 2 hours of TV time and volunteering instead. To read the full report on Volunteering in America please visit www.VolunteeringinAmerica.gov.
Rochelle Runge is a guest blogger and the Public Relations Representative for the Maine Commission for Community Service.
Makes you proud to live in Maine.