Volunteerism

According to "Volunteering in America," a report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service in July 2008, 4.7 million Texans volunteered a total of 598.2 million hours of service between 2005 and 2007. This adds up to $11.7 billion of unpaid work.  The need to develop this important element of the State's economy into a better-known resource is an essential goal at OneStar.

In addition, Texas ranked 33^rd within the 50 states and Washington D.C., with approximately 27.1% of the population volunteering and the average volunteer giving 34.7 hours of service every year.  In the story "Volunteer Today, Gone Tomorrow," OneStar examined this trend and posed solutions to the challenging questions facing the future of volunteering.

OneStar believes that volunteerism is a key component to effectively combating the social issues facing Texas. Volunteerism is a core value of good citizenship and that developing diverse partnerships is essential to ensuring the safety, security, and renewal of our Texas communities. We encourage all Texans to become active volunteers, to serve their communities, and to make a difference.

The State of Texas has a 30-year legacy of volunteerism, and OneStar is proud to be a part of this important tradition.

Additional information on volunteerism:

• Volunteer Match 
• 1-800-Volunteer.Org 
• VolunteerResource.org 
• Points of Light 
• Mentoring.org 
• AmeriCorps
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Information on social services, including volunteer opportunities, can be found by dialing 2-1-1 anywhere and any time in Texas, or by visiting the 2-1-1 Texas Web site.