Report: Volunteers' efforts valued at $140M
Amid the worst economic recession since the 1930s, the number of Americans getting involved in their communities soared by 1.6 million to 63.4 million in 2009, the biggest single year increase since 2003, according to a report of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Here in Maine, the average volunteering rate rose 2.6% to 34.4% in 2009, with an estimated 366,600 adult Mainers devoting a total of 51.9 million hours to either civic activities or community service. Of the 366,600 Mainers who volunteered, 35,000 reside in Bangor, which ranked 31st within the 75 mid-size cities considered in the study. The nearly 30.8% of Bangor residents contributed $140.4 million of service.
Maine's rate of volunteerism continues to be higher than the national average of 26.8% and ranks fourth in the country in terms of volunteer hours per resident (48.6 hours). "Americans have responded to tough economic times by volunteering in big numbers," said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. "People want to be part of a solution; they want to make a difference."
The recently released report was compiled with help from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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