Hamilton Journal News
November 10, 2010
Workers volunteer more than the unemployed and those in poverty. By Richard O Jones, Staff Writer 3:00 AM Wednesday, November 10, 2010 HAMILTON — A new report by Miami University Hamilton’s Center for Civic Engagement finds that the recession has had a negative impact on Ohioans’ level of volunteerism, but there has been no significant drop in the last year. “On the other hand, we can also point to the fact that Ohio’s volunteer rate — like the national rate — has not returned to the levels we saw after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,” the report states. Created in conjunction with the National Conference on Citizenship, the report examines the overall civic health of Ohio’s communities. Using indicators such as time spent volunteering, participation in neighborhoods and communities, and social connections, the study measures Ohioans’ commitments to civic engagement, political knowledge and community service. Kelli Johnson, director of the Center for Civic Engagement at MUH, co–wrote the report with Annie B. Miller and presented the “Ohio Civic Health Index” at a conference in Columbus earlier this week. Key findings of the report include: • Civic engagement is about participating. Nearly 40 percent of Ohioans participate in a group. • Ohioans have strong assets in their community leaders. The NCoC reports that 11.3 percent of Ohioans serve as officers or committee members in a group or association. • Volunteers establish essential networks in Ohio’s communities. Employed Ohioans volunteer at a higher rate than unemployed, and people living in poverty are less likely to volunteer. • Educational attainment is strongly correlated to all types of political and civic engagement. “The primary finding is that we are poised to increase our civic health in Ohio,” Johnson said, “but we need more leaders from more groups.” The report also includes three recommendations: • The Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Board of Regents should create statewide service learning standards in the education systems. • The state should create programs that foster volunteerism by establishing a cabinet–level position for service initiatives, requiring municipalities to create community service plans and expanding nonprofit organizational capacity for citizen engagement. • Increase the educational attainment of Ohioans through accessible, affordable and meaningful degree programs and educational experiences. “Everyone has heard about the $8 billion budget shortfall that’s coming, so we as the citizens of the state are going to have to be the ones to face the problems that the state no longer can address,” Johnson said. “This is something we’re going to have to do together.”