NCoC: Who is Volunteering and Engaging in California?

Create an
Account Sign-In to
NCoC.net

Home About Programs Media Research Discussions Solutions

Who is Volunteering and Engaging in California?

California 2009 Civic Health Index

November 24, 2009

Print Page Email Friend

Downloads

California Civic Health Index 2009Click to Download PDF Document

While nearly three in four Californians say they have cut back in the past year on the time they spend volunteering, participating in groups, or doing other civic activities, this pullback is not necessarily reﬂective of the state’s overall engagement. There is more to volunteering, after all, than simply donating time or money.

A surprisingly large number of respondents who said they had not “volunteered” also acknowledged providing food and shelter to a friend or relative who was in need. Baby Boomers, in particular, a group that typically makes up a large percentage of community
volunteers, have found themselves pulled in several different directions this year. With the economy in freefall, they have been forced to decrease their volunteer time to return to the workforce, help adult children and their families (ﬁnancially or otherwise), as well as support their own parents.

In spite of these pressures, more than 40% of Californians gave food or money to a relative
in the last year and over half gave food or money to someone who is not a relative.
Some 14% of those surveyed, meanwhile, allowed someone who is not a relative to live
in their home or property, while another 17% allowed a relative to live with them.16

This sort of helping behavior seems to be disproportionately true of low-income
Californians, who have been among the hardest hit by the recession. Only 37% of
those with household incomes of less than $50,000 a year said they had volunteered,
compared to nearly half of those in households that earn over $50,000. But this apparent
engagement gap is not quite as clear-cut as it may seem. Low-income Californians were
far more likely to serve in more personal ways—opening up their homes to relatives
or feeding neighbors—as opposed to more formal forms of engagement. More than
one in four said they had provided shelter to another person in the last year, and 61%
provided food, shelter or money.17

After the Election: Historic Turnout, But No “Civic Awakening” • Immigrants: A New Wave of Participants?

If you like this kind of content, sign up for an NCoC.net account and we'll customize your homepage recommendations based on your interests..

Find More Articles About...

Service, Volunteering

NCoC on

View Timeline

Tweets by @NCoC

My Six Month AnniversaryMay 2, 2013 Michigan Releases its 2012 Civic Health Index TodayApril 24, 2013 N.H. Ranks High in Civic Health, UNH Carsey Institute FindsApril 17, 2013

Dave DelucaJune 21, 2012 Jacob SoboroffApril 11, 2012 Dev AujlaFebruary 28, 2012