by Angelina Davis, Greenville Online
In Greenville, volunteering is not a way to fill free time. It’s ingrained in the way of life. That’s how many folks explain why volunteerism is so prevalent here, even as rates have dropped overall. “The extent of volunteerism in Greenville, in my view, is really cultural and it’s generational,” said Ted Hendry, president of United Way of Greenville County. “By that, I mean, it has been strong for many, many years. As people move into the community and as people grow up in the community, there is just this culture of expectation around getting involved.” And the numbers show that many here do. The annual Volunteering and Civic Life in America study, released by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the National Conference on Citizenship, said the rate of volunteerism in the Greenville metropolitan area is higher than the totals across the state and the nation. Nationwide, 25.4 percent of adults, or 62.6 million people, volunteered through an organization in 2013. Statewide, 25 percent volunteered, compared to 28.5 percent in Greenville. The previous year, 26.5 of adults volunteered nationwide, 25 percent statewide, and 29.9 percent in the Greenville area. Agencies in the Greenville area say the numbers of volunteers they’re seeing is trending up. Last year, United Way of Greenville County, through its volunteer mobilization initiative Hands On Greenville, engaged more than 8,500 volunteers, according to the organization. Those volunteers contributed more than 70,000 hours and completed 539 projects, for a total economic impact of $1.5 million. In 2013, United Way volunteers delivered 59,507 hours of service to the Upstate for an economic contribution of $1,318,564. In 2012, Hands on Greenville volunteers put in 49,892 hours for a $1 million economic impact. The use of volunteers allows dollars to go much further and help more people, Hendry said. But volunteering also benefits those who are on the giving side of the equation. “If we can give something back to our community, it’s really a privilege to do it,” said John Mann, who retired from General Electric 24 years ago and has been volunteering ever since. “We all need help. Without volunteers what would the world be like?” ~1@BODYURL[id=114jbcurl1251]@