National Volunteer Week: April 16-22, 2023
From The American Presidency Project, Proclamation 10370—National Volunteer Week, 2022:
“People who volunteer develop new skills, build their personal and professional networks, forge a deeper connection with their communities and service organizations, and experience the joy of serving a larger cause. The opportunities to volunteer are seemingly limitless. Students gain real world experience, workers apply their skills to organizations that benefit from their experience and often develop new skills in the process, and older Americans improve their health and longevity. At every age and stage in life, volunteers experience the profound joy of giving back.
“Volunteerism is also a reinforcing cycle. Volunteers are more likely to become further involved in volunteer groups, participate in civic organizations, attend public meetings, and lend a helping hand to their neighbors. Serving together in common purpose has the power to unite us across the lines that sometimes divide.”
“For the past 20 years, AmeriCorps has collaborated with the US Census Bureau to collect data on volunteering and civic engagement to take the pulse of our nation’s civic health. The Current Population Survey Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement is the most robust longitudinal survey about volunteerism and other forms of civic engagement in the United States.
“The 2021 survey covers volunteering and other civic behaviors from September 2020-2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data informs AmeriCorps’ Volunteering and Civic Life in America report, which examines national rates of organizational volunteering, helping others informally, charitable giving, and other civic behaviors. This research supports evidence-based decision making and efforts to understand how people make a difference in communities across the country.”
For more key stats on volunteering and civic life in America please visit the U.S. Census Bureau.