July 12, 2007

San Jose holds third highest volunteer rate in the state

A new study released today by the Corporation for National and Community Service shows the percentage of residents who volunteer in six largest metropolitan areas across the state vary significantly, from just over 20 percent to just under 30 percent.

"Communities across the state need more volunteers to help address their most critical needs," said Karen Baker, executive director of California Volunteers. "Californians can volunteer once a week, once a year or once in a while to make a difference."

Based on data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this report presents volunteer rates from the past three years and rankings of the 50 U.S. major metropolitan areas as well as average volunteer hours served annually per resident in each city.

The San Francisco Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the east and north Bay Areas, had the highest volunteer rate in the state at 29.6 percent, followed closely by San Diego at 29.2 percent. San Jose and Sacramento fell toward the middle at 27.4 percent and 26.5 percent respectively. In the Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Los Angeles and Orange Counties, 22.3 percent of residents volunteer; and in the Riverside area, only 20.6 percent participate in volunteer activities. Statewide the volunteer rate was 25.5 percent.
The city in California with the highest number of volunteer hours per resident was Sacramento, with 43.3 hours served, ranking 13th in the nation. Los Angeles had the lowest number of hours per resident in the state at 30.5, ranking 44th.

"Many Californians have the desire to give back to their communities, but don't know how," remarked Baker. "CaliforniaVolunteers.org, our newly-launched statewide Web site, can connect Californians with volunteer opportunities in their communities that match their interests."

The report also found that, on average, suburban and rural areas across the nation had volunteer rates around 29 percent, whereas urban areas averaged 24 percent. Communities with higher home ownership rates tend to have higher volunteer rates and those with longer commute times tend to have lower rates.

CaliforniaVolunteers is the state agency that manages programs and initiatives to increase the number of Californians involved with service and volunteering. Through the Web site, CaliforniaVolunteers.org, individuals and families can search for volunteer opportunities throughout the state that match their interests. Today, there are over 25,000 volunteer opportunities available throughout California involving the arts, education, animals, disaster preparedness, the environment and other areas of interest.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is the nation's largest grant maker for volunteering and service. Each year, the corporation provides opportunities for more than two million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America.

Visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/VIA_CITIES/VIA_cities_sanjose.pdf to view the one-page profile for the San Jose Metropolitan Statistical Area.

To learn more about the report and view the one-page profiles on each of the California cities, visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org/news.asp.