Volunteerism down, but hours up

A recent report by the Corporation for National Community Services stated that some 60.8 million Americans 16 years and older put in some 8.1 hours of volunteer service in 2007. That may sound high, but this is the second year in a row that these numbers have dropped. In these times when more people are in need, having lost their job or home, etc., there are fewer volunteers to help them in their time of need.

The greatest number of volunteers was found in the Midwest. The state of Utah led the 50 states with its 43.9 percent of population volunteering. The Capper’s Newspaper, a kind of rural national newspaper, recently polled their readers and found that some 60 percent of their readership was volunteers. This seems to follow the statistics as to rural areas showing a higher volunteerism.

As I write this column, there is an article in the San Antonio Express-News concerning a volunteer fire department. Much of the fire protection in the rural area is done by volunteers. They not only fight the fires, but also meet regularly to study and train just how to handle the different types of situations safely.
 
Volunteers are needed in every church, seminary, hospital, school, nursing home, etc. Such organizations need volunteers to truly operate.

With churches leading my list, we should find church members leading in the numbers of volunteers. After all, our Lord told us the second greatest commandment was, “to love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:39)

Father Samuel Heitkamp is pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church in Kirby and was the director of the former rural life organization in the archdiocese.