« Fred Thompson Takes Another Hit | Main | Dancing with the Devil »

July 09, 2007

We Volunteer Here

When I read today that Portland, Oregon ranked 6th out of the 50 top cities in America for volunteering, with 35.8% of residents ages 16 and older giving of their time to help a worthy cause, my response was, "But, of course!" Volunteers are everywhere here. Seattle edged Portland out for the number 5 spot in the rankings, with 36.3% of the population volunteering, and Minneapolis-St. Paul topped the list at 40.5%.

Volunteerism tends to spring from a population that feels connected to its community, and Portland has worked long and hard to build community through its Neighborhood Associations, community planning process, and numerous festivals and community events. Other factors affecting volunteerism include home ownership, education, and commute times, all of which are linked with personal opportunity to give and are signs of a healthy community. Oh, and volunteering is good for your personal health, too!

Posted by Becky at July 9, 2007 01:16 PM