Is volunteering on the rise?

Has there been a boom in volunteering over the past 18 months? According to USAToday and Parade magazine, there has and they have named it the "compassion boom."

USAToday reports that HandsOn's national project "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day." has reached its goal of 1 million volunteers in three months. USAToday reported some of the other projects completed across America:

What types of projects have been completed so far? Here's a short list to give you an idea:

Boston: Volunteers served meals to people in need, knitted and crocheted scarves and mittens for children afflicted with life-threatening illnesses and helped as caregivers at an animal adoption center.
California: San Francisco Bay-area volunteers helped with basic English lessons, painted park benches and planted flowers.
Jacksonville, Fla.: Volunteers painted murals and spruced up rooms at a home for women and children, while in Pittsburgh they tookIn Athens, MLK Day and other projects were a part of the program. on construction tasks – tiling, sanding, staining and painting – to help create affordable housing.
Puerto Rico: 500 volunteers cleaned the beaches of Vaciatalega and La Perla located in the vicinity of Old San Juan.

Why are people volunteering more? Parade reported 60 percent of volunteers polled wanted to help other people, 57 percent wanted to make the world a better place, and 49 percent want to improve their local communities and neighborhoods. About 91 percent of poll participants have volunteered in the past 18 months and 87 percent have given financially. How have you given in the past 18 months? Are you still looking for the perfect volunteer opportunity? Check out our Web site to find the opportunity you are looking for. If you are a business owner, be sure to check out our Be the Change campaign to find out how you can give back to the community in a big way!

We are always looking for new projects. What has been your favorite project so far this year (or ever)? What projects would you like to see more of?

Upcoming events

First, MLK Day 2010 is next Monday, Jan. 18. This year, over 800 people are expected to volunteer! If you have not signed up for a project, follow this link to register. Volunteers will work at sites from 9-noon, then from noon-3 there will be food, live music and other activities to help celebrate the day of service.

MLK Day will also provide volunteers with the opportunity to participate in Disney's Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. program. Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. gives volunteers a FREE one-day pass to one of Disney's theme parks. Volunteers MUST register for their projects at DisneyParks.com in order to register for a ticket. For a list of approved projects, click here.

HandsOn is also encouraging everyone to pledge to volunteer in 2010. If you fill out the pledge form before Jan. 31, you will be entered to win two tickets to Taste of Athens and a free 12 oz. hand-made beverage from Jittery Joe's. Be sure to get your pledges in!

Remember: check out our calendar for ongoing projects and even more volunteer opportunities.

Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.

To celebrate the New Year, Disney and HandsOn are partnering to give volunteers one day free admission to any themepark at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland. Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, go to www.disneyparks.com to search for participating opportunities.  Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. program was developed to help gain more volunteers by celebrating good deeds with a trip to Disney. Tickets through the program are limited, so the earlier you volunteer the better your chances to win a ticket. Children over the age of 6 are also welcome to participate. Make your volunteer project a family affair and win the whole family a day at Disney! For more information on the program, visit http://www.handsonnetwork.org/disney.