Volunteer Service by Americans Increases
Volunteer Service by Americans Increases
Bureau of Labor Statistics and US Census Report
"About the New Volunteer Service Indicator"
Assistant to the President and Director of USA Freedom Corps John M. Bridgeland welcomed today’s news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that significantly more Americans participated in volunteer service in the past year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today that both the number of volunteers and the volunteer rate rose over the year ended in September 2003. About 63.8 million people did volunteer work at some point from September 2002 to September 2003, up from 59.8 million for the similar period ended in September 2002. The percentage of the American population who volunteered has increased to 28.8 percent, up from 27.4 percent the previous year.
“This significant increase in the number of volunteers shows a strengthening of America’s civil society - the fabric of our nation,” Bridgeland said. “We know there was an increase in Americans participating in volunteer service in the aftermath of 9/11. There was a surge of interest and activity. Americans wanted to do something—they wanted to contribute to their communities and their country.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates that even more Americans are stepping forward to serve in their communities, which is what the President and his USA Freedom Corps set out to do – work with nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions and the government to foster a culture of service and citizenship that would last,” Bridgeland said.
The response to the President’s call to service has been enthusiastic and strong for every program and category measured. Through USA Freedom Corps, more than 900 local communities have formed Citizen Corps Councils, doctors and nurses in 170 communities are now part of a new Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood Watch programs have doubled, programs providing volunteers to police departments have increased 900 percent, and Community Emergency Response Team training has more than tripled, expanding to 635 communities in 51 states and territories. The Peace Corps received its largest budget ever and has grown to nearly 7,600 members while the President’s new Volunteers for Prosperity initiative is enlisting more American professionals to volunteer abroad to support global health and prosperity. The Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps also are on track to receive their largest funding increase in history.
Forty-four percent of those who volunteered reported they did so because they were asked. Teenagers showed the greatest increases in volunteer service.
The data on volunteering was collected through a supplement to the September 2003 Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information on employment and unemployment among the nation’s civilian non-institutional population age 16 and over. For more information, visit: http://www.bls.gov/cps/
The volunteer service indicator is an annual national measurement of volunteer behavior developed by the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics with the USA Freedom Corps.
President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster a culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to volunteer service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find opportunities in their own neighborhoods through the USA Freedom Corps web site at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.
