Comments (24)

1. I am active with the Girl Scout council (and not because I have a daughter, just really believe in the organization and purpose), my professional organization (regional V-P), and my church. Plus I participate in work days sponsored by my employer such as with Habitat, Special Olympics, etc… A few years back, my mom got me a t-shirt that said: “Help! Stop me before I volunteer again.” I have gotten better since then, but my husband still gives me a hard time about it.

   posted by Kansas Girl on 8-1-2007 at 5:48 am

2. We in Austin Tx are a benevolent people…heh…

   posted by donner on 8-1-2007 at 6:49 am

3. Wooo MSP!

   …does giving blood count as volunteering?

   posted by Dave on 8-1-2007 at 6:58 am

4. In the heartland – OHIO – Girl Scout leader for lo these 9 years.

   posted by KJ on 8-1-2007 at 7:57 am

5. Columbus, OH – Boy Scouts of America – 17 years in the uniform!

   posted by Shrack on 8-1-2007 at 8:14 am

6. People do tend to step up in this part of the country, and my theory is that this trait is tied to the agri-culture. Farmers and ranchers need lots of help for relatively short periods of time. They have come to realize that if they help their neighbor, their neighbor helps them when they need it. Plus, it’s always more satisfying to focus on one’s neighbor’s problems than on one’s own.

   At all other times, of course, ag operators pride themselves on their fierce independence. Consequently, they’ve been lousy at getting good prices for their products in the past.

   posted by Tom on 8-1-2007 at 8:27 am

7. I don’t know how it is in the rest of the country, but for me to graduate from high school I had to complete a certain amount of community service hours. I did habitat for humanity.

   posted by Sally on 8-1-2007 at 8:48 am

8. I’m from Omaha by the way.

   posted by Sally on 8-1-2007 at 8:48 am

9. I live in the twin cities, currently volunteering for the Restorative Justice Program. As a community member I get to sit in a class that is modeled after native american talking circles and talk to underage drinkers about the consequences of drinking and driving. Restorative Justice is an extremely fulfilling volunteer op!

   posted by lulu on 8-1-2007 at 8:55 am

10. I live in the twin cities, currently volunteering for the Restorative Justice Program. As a community member I get to sit in a class that is modeled after native american talking circles and talk to underage drinkers about the consequences of drinking and driving. Restorative Justice is an extremely fulfilling volunteer op!

    posted by lulu on 8-1-2007 at 8:55 am

11. it’s not like there’s anything ELSE to do there.

    posted by ex-Ohian on 8-1-2007 at 9:31 am

12. I’m in Austin and I still volunteer with the PTA despite both my kids being “grown”. I was also a Girl Scout leader for 14 years. Both wonderful organizations that have taught me so much as an adult. I believe that I’ve gotten more than I’ve given. I wish everyone would realize how much they stand to gain from volunteering in addition to the wonders it can accomplish in their community.

    posted by Larriann on 8-1-2007 at 11:01 am

13. Once again, Minnesota kicks ass!! We rule at everything. ;)

    posted by Abbasmurf on 8-1-2007 at 1:31 pm

14. It’s not that we have nothing else to do – I think it’s a combination of things. Like how life moves just a bit slower in the Midwest, or the religion and morals pounded into us at a young age. Also, when people are already faring well, I believe they tend to try to help others, and I also believe that Midwesterners are well off and happy with themselves – therefore they want to share happiness with others. Personally, I was brought up to always be helpful to others and to share whatever I could manage to. If I didn’t volunteer when I could, it would just feel wrong.

    posted by Lindsay D on 8-1-2007 at 2:44 pm

15. Do you have any links to this government study?

    I wonder how this survey would skew if they went smaller than the 50 largest metropolitan areas. I know there is a lot of community outreach and volunteerism in my metro area, but we are definitely not in the top 50 in size…

    posted by Jason! on 8-1-2007 at 4:36 pm

16. My youngest daughter lives in St. Paul and she is a volunteer foster mother…for animals. Her biggest problem, though, is that she fosters an animal and then doesn’t want to give it up. That is how she got her LAST cat! I told her she has to quit–they don’t have room for any more pets.

    posted by cmk on 8-1-2007 at 4:48 pm

17. yet another reason to hate las vegas. we’re pathetic.

    posted by jill on 8-1-2007 at 7:10 pm

18. I live in the Twin Cities, and volunteer doing environmental education in elementary schools. Hurrah, Minnesota nice!

    posted by MacStudent on 8-1-2007 at 7:23 pm

19. I agree with the whole of Lindsay D’s statement. It’s ridiculous to infer that us Midwesterners have nothing better to do with our time other than selfless acts of service for our fellow man. Believe me, it’s not like we sit around and think, well I got a few hours to kill……..suppose I could go sponge bathe the elderly. C’mon, I’d rather go to IKEA just as much as any east/west coaster.
    By the way, I’m from Salt Lake City where neighbor means more than just the people who live near you :)

    posted by InsertNerdyNameHere on 8-1-2007 at 10:56 pm

20. I also read that people in the midwest donate more money to charities than people in other parts of the country.

    Oh, and I live in Omaha and volunteer teaching English to the non-English speaking population in a small town outside Omaha.

    posted by Kate on 8-1-2007 at 10:57 pm

21. Dave, giving blood certainly counts as volunteering. I work at a blood center occasionally and I can’t express how much it’s appreciated. It’s necessary to save lives, and it can’t be bought or manufactured. No one gives for the tax write off, only out of the goodness of their heart.

    I’m from Charlotte, and I have a theory that most people work for banks here, and the banks encourage volunteering to offset the fact that they walk all over the backs of the less fortunate. I’m glad that it gets done though. But we are a shallow, shallow city in general – much more than that study would show. As for myself, I am very involved with Save Darfur, I am a member of Women’s Club Service league, and several organizations that promote arts education to underpriveledged kids.

    posted by Allison on 8-2-2007 at 10:51 am

22. I’m from a small town in Ohio and now I live in New Jersey and I can honestly say that the opportunities for volunteering are much more numerous here in NJ than they were at home. Could be that there are just more people here in need of the services provided at organizations that utilize volunteers. Back home, I can’t remember anyone volunteering for anything except perhaps candy-stripers?

    Maybe I just wasn’t as aware of it… [shrug]

    posted by Rachel on 8-2-2007 at 1:30 pm

23. I understand this study is based on the 50 largest metropolitan areas, but based on population where do these ten cities stand?

    Austin is the largest on the list with 709,893 followed by Charlotte with 630,478 based on the US Census website for 2006,

    Not wanting to sound mean but 700,000 pepole isnt a huge amoun, is it fair to base a study where there the difference in population is over 1million?

    posted by loaf on 8-2-2007 at 3:25 pm

24. Loaf, your numbers look like city populations, not metropolitan area populations. A metro area can be bigger than the city limits of the city it’s named after.

    Here’s some metro population numbers:
    http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_metropolitan_areas

    posted by Jason! on 8-3-2007 at 7:26 pm

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