It's National Volunteer Week!
Fun fact, each year about 62 million Americans volunteer at their local schools, with NGOs, with disaster preparedness and response groups, and community centers and homeless shelters. From migrant centers to parks, animals to people, education to healthcare there are thousands of volunteer opportunities that span just about every skill and talent.
Currently, 26% of the population donates an average of 52 hours of time (per person) a year -- or about an hour a week [United States Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics].
The most active volunteers are those between the ages of 35 to 44, with women volunteering at a higher rate (29.4 percent) than men (23.2 percent).
Visionlink is pleased to offer volunteer management solutions that are fully integrated across our CommunityOS® platform, serving 2-1-1, I&R, disaster response, immigrants and refugees, aging and elderly, and so many others. We believe volunteers are always part of the solution.
The purpose of National Volunteer Week is to not only thank current volunteers but to encourage more people to volunteer by drawing attention to those who are already helping make the world a better place. To all the volunteers serving today, thank you! You make a real difference for good.
**Fun question: Which president signed the proclamation that established National Volunteer Week? Answer: Richard Nixon.
Follow-up: What's the average value of a volunteer's time? Independent Sector has announced that the estimated value of a volunteer hour in the United States reached $28.54 in 2020, up from $27.20, or 4.9 percent, in 2019. What's the value as of April 2020? Nearly $30 an hour at 29.95!