Volunteering Rates Dropping? Perhaps...

Hey again, Nick here,

Now, the post title maybe a little worrisome, but I think there is more here than meets the eye.

Kevin recently passed on to me a rather interesting article written by the AP and published on MSNBC.

The gist of it is this: ever since September 11th youth volunteering has been growing, but a recent report released by a Tufts University volunteer research group called CIRCLE shows that in 2005 volunteerism reached its high point with one in three youths volunteering, but in 2006 and 2007 this number dropped to 29 and then 28 percent.

Now, these numbers reflect a variety of conditions, including the impact the current economy has on Nonprofit organizations. In some cases Nonprofits are turning away volunteers because of staff reductions. So it might not be that less people are volunteering, it's that the economy is hurting Nonprofits.

The article also talks about kids and students who once volunteered now having to go find jobs. And the struggle of getting them involved.

A silver lining for Washington at least.

Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, Utah and Washington were among those with the highest percentages of 16 to 18-year-olds (all above 40 percent, when combining the 2006 and 2007 samples).

So read the article, and keep on volunteering, I know that at least up at Mt. Rainier we always have room for more.

Disclaimer: "Room for more" does not necessarily translate into physical space...
:)

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