Oregon Ranks Third in U.S. for Volunteering

Team Target takes the prize for youngest volunteer

Portland, OR. Last year more than 1.4 million Oregon residents volunteered, according to a new government report by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The estimated economic value of all of their hours is $4.2 billion. Many, like members of “Team Target,” get involved during the MLK day of service. Oregon follows Utah, at #1, and Minnesota, at #2, in the volunteer rankings.

Here are the highlights of the new study:

1,448,752 volunteers contribute 177.7 million hours of service

43.2% of residents volunteer, ranking them 3rd among states

Volunteer service worth an estimated $4.2 billion

98.9% of residents regularly talk or spend time with friends and family

61.9% of residents do favors for neighbors

32.7% of residents do something positive for the neighborhood

43.1% of residents participate in local groups or organizations

62.2% of residents donate $25 or more to charity

The graph below shows the types of volunteer opportunities people engaged in and their respective popularity.

It is no wonder Oregon had 1.4 million volunteers last year when there are so many different nonprofits from which to choose.

The Dulal Family worked on their new home alongside the volunteers from Habitat for Humanity.

It takes a lot of volunteers from the Human Access Project to manage boaters at the Big Float.

Community volunteers sew blankets for children in need at Binky Patrol. (Photo by Tracy Preston.)

This was a project for the MLK Weekend of Service with NW Natural at The Children’s Book Bank where volunteers cleaned hundreds of books that will be distributed to youth in our community.

Volunteers were out planting at Barrow Meadows in Beaverton, Oregon.

Thorns FC’s Mallory Weber was working alongside community volunteers in Timber Jim’s garden in Tualatin. (Photo: Eric Cech-Portland Timbers)

Andrea Lauer (left) and her team of CCA volunteers were busy their entire telethon shift taking in donations.

Over the past 30 years more than 130,000, SOLVE volunteers have helped with the Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup and removed an estimated 1.9 million pounds of litter from Oregon’s beaches.

Levé volunteers helped out at the Girls Inc. “Rappel for Her” fundraiser.

All Classical Portland and arts partners, Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Portland Piano International, Portland Youth Philharmonic, Portland Symphonic Choir, Oregon Symphony Orchestra, and Portland Baroque Orchestra volunteered at the Oregon Food Bank with Olson & Jones Construction to kick-off the second annual Music Feeds Fundraiser.

If you’re interested in volunteering and need a place to start, Hands On Greater Portland has lots of opportunities.

Hands On Greater Portland Mission:

Everyone can do something for the community. At Hands On Greater Portland, we develop this potential in volunteers. We connect them with opportunities to feed the hungry, teach our children, house the homeless, restore our environment and meet other important community needs.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFO:

info@handsonportland.org

http://www.handsonportland.org

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.