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Idaho volunteers among top in nation |
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December 21, 2016 |
By U.S. Senator Mike Crapo
The quiet service and giving spirit of Idahoans
are among the many blessings I am counting this
holiday season. A recently released study from
the Corporation for Community and National
Service (CNCS) further confirmed the prevalent
service in Idaho communities concluding that
Idaho ranks fifth in the nation for volunteer
service.
In its annual Volunteering and Civic Life in
America report, CNCS estimated 382,200
volunteers in Idaho provide 53.42 million hours
of volunteer service with an estimated value of
service of $1.1 billion. Further, more than half
of Idahoans donate $25 or more to charity, and
Idahoans devote an average of more than 37 hours
to volunteering per person.
Additionally, the report indicates Idahoans eat
dinner with other members of their household,
frequently talk with neighbors, participate in
groups and organizations and engage in “informal
volunteering” (for example, doing favors for
neighbors) at rates exceeding national averages.
The CNCS also reported, “More than 180
AmeriCorps members and 2,500 Senior Corps
volunteers are meeting local needs,
strengthening communities, and increasing civic
engagement through national service in Idaho.”
Tutoring and teaching; mentoring youth;
assisting with general labor; collecting,
preparing, distributing or serving food and
fundraising are among the top activities of
Idaho volunteers. The corporation is a federal
agency engaging millions of Americans in service
through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social
Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund
programs, and leading the President's national
call to service initiative, United We Serve.
More information on the report can be found on
the corporation’s website,
www.nationalservice.gov.
At a national level, CNCS concluded that one in
four Americans volunteered through a formal
organization and more than 138 million--an
impressive 62.5 percent--also volunteered
informally within their communities. This
translated to nearly 7.8 billion hours of
service with an estimated value of $184 billion.
Each November, with the assistance of area
veterans’ organizations, I recognize outstanding
veterans and volunteers in our communities with
the Spirit of Freedom Award. Together, we
highlight specific accounts of the remarkable
spirit of compassion and generosity throughout
Idaho.
This past October, I had the opportunity to
present volunteers, concerned citizens and
residents in Idaho’s Clearwater, Lewis and Idaho
Counties with Spirit of Idaho Awards for going
above and beyond the call in rebuilding homes
lost to wildfire last summer. Presenting this
award to these outstanding Idahoans helps
highlight the numerous, little-known examples of
devoted and selfless community service.
I am not surprised by the numerous acts of
kindhearted Idahoans recognized by CNCS, but I
am continually impressed by the scale of
Idahoans’ service-minded focus. Idahoans
dedicate countless hours to helping others, and
inspire giving actions through thoughtful
examples. We can take great pride that our state
is leading in the area of service to others. |
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