Volunteering in America Is On the Decline

The article above brings light to an important issue that many may not see. Volunteering is on the decline in the United States. As honors students, (I myself coming from the Central Michigan Honors Program) we understand the importance of volunteering in our communities. How can we expect others to have that same value in volunteering when they are dealing with issues of the economy and personal life that we might not feel the stress of in our lives?

If volunteering is so important and it provides so much work ($175 billion according to the article) why isn’t more being done to prevent the decline? My position as a VISTA is all about volunteer coordinating and from my perspective this issue is very real, and while it may not seeming as pressing to some when considered our current state of affairs, I believe it is quite important to American society.

Thank you for all you sevice,

Jake P