Idahoans Are Among The Most Helpful People In The Country
Since 2008, Idaho has steadily climbed up the volunteerism ranks, landing in this latest ranking as the second most civically engaged and volunteer-ready state in the country.
Corporation for National and Community Service
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The annual Volunteering and Civic Life in America report from the Corporation for National and Community Service measures things like total volunteer hours in each state, the number of people who volunteer, the percentage of people who eat dinner as a family, and percentage of people who spend time talking about political issues.
Idaho, ranked just behind Utah, logged 68.7 million volunteer hours in 2011. The report says Idaho’s volunteerism rate is 38.8 percent, only Utah’s is higher at 40.9 percent. The national rate is 26.8 percent.
Volunteering and Civic Life in America Report:
- 38.8 percent of Idahoans volunteered in 2011
- 58.4 volunteer hours per Idahoan
- 72.9 percent of Idahoans do favors for their neighbors
- 92.8 percent eat dinner with their family a few times a week or more
- 58 percent discuss politics a few times a month or more
- 455,920 Idahoans volunteered in 2011
- 68.7 million hours of volunteer service logged in Idaho in 2011
- $1.4 billion of service
The report shows most people, 46 percent, who volunteer in Idaho do so through religious organizations. Twelve percent of Idahoans volunteer in the educational realm.
The report also found that volunteering on a national level, as well as in Idaho, is going up. Nationally, volunteerism is at its highest level since 2006. The 2011 report shows 64 million Americans donated 8 billion hours last year.
Here’s a closer look at the top ten volunteering states:
Data: Corporation for National and Community Service | Chart: Emilie Ritter Saunders
