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News Releases | July 28th, 2009
Louisiana Top 10 Destination for Volunteers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Contact: Seth Harvey
225) 342-8153, sharvey@crt.state.la.us
STUDY: LOUISIANA TOP DESTINATION FOR VOLUNTEERS
Lt. Gov. Landrieu Encourages Participation in the Louisiana Service Challenge
Baton Rouge - Louisiana is one of the top ten destinations nationwide for voluntourists, according to an annual study released today by the Corporation for National and Community Service entitled, Volunteering in America Report. Voluntourists are defined as individuals whose travel and tourism activities include volunteering in the local community. Since the hurricanes of 2005, voluntourism has had a tremendous impact on communities across the state. According to research collected by the Louisiana Serve Commission, in the New Orleans region alone, more than 250 organizations and 1 million individuals have completed 500 volunteer projects.
"Voluntourism is helping to literally rebuild Louisiana, particularly in hurricane-impacted regions," said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, who oversees the Louisiana Serve Commission. "Voluntourism has impacted thousands of residents who have been able to move out of their FEMA trailers and back into their homes; hundreds of children who now play on new and safe playground equipment; and dozens of teachers who are able to educate their students in mold-free classrooms."
In other good news, Shreveport's volunteer rate surpassed the national average, with 27.7% of its citizens participating in service activities. The study also indicated substantial volunteer rates - over one in four - among Louisiana college students. National Service Projects, such as AmeriCorps, Learn & Serve and Senior Corps, remain strong. The Louisiana Serve Commission reports that more than 24,000 people in Louisiana are taking part in 215 national service projects across the state.
According to the Volunteering in America Report, more than 664,000 Louisiana citizens volunteered during 2008, serving 70.8 million volunteer hours and providing an economic impact to the state of $1.4 billion. With the study's national rankings based on average service rates from 2006-2008, Louisiana's national rankings continue to be artificially low due to reported decreases in volunteerism following the hurricanes of 2005. In the 2009report, Louisiana rank remained flat at 48th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a three-year average volunteer rate of 20.1 percent.
"As we weather these tough economic times, citizen service is more important than ever," Landrieu said. "That's why we launched the Louisiana Service Challenge earlier this year to encourage citizens to volunteer in their communities. We're encouraging folks to register and commit to a certain number of hours of service in their communities."
The Louisiana Service Challenge will culminate with Martin Luther King Day service projects in communities around the state in 2010 and the announcement of the 2009 Volunteer Communities of the Year. For more information about the Louisiana Service Challenge, or to find a service opportunity in your area, visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov or call 1-866-286-3835.
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