Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
(UNDATED) - A new report shows young Americans are volunteering at record levels. They’re starting their own organizations and connecting through the internet.
Former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith heads the organization that produced the nationwide report. He says although the huge upsurge in volunteerism after 9/11 has tapered off, it remains very high on university campuses.
The report shows that people volunteer in their community primarily to make a meaningful difference in the life of another person. Goldsmith says when someone has a good one-on-one volunteering experience, they tend to stick with it.
Generally, the Midwest is the best area in the country for the number of hours volunteers work in their communities.
Indianapolis ranks in the top five among cities for the number of hours worked. But both the city and the state are in the middle of the national rankings for the number of people who volunteer.
Goldsmith says his grant-making organization is focusing on the training and retention of new volunteers.
He says people who connect with friends on the internet and go out to do volunteer work is a new phenomenon with great potential.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.