ICYMI: U.S. Volunteers Provide $184 Billion in Service; How Tampa Bay Stacks Up

Volunteers across the country provided an estimated $184 billion in service last year. Throughout the Tampa Bay area, folks also rolled up their sleeves to lend a helping hand, according to data released by the federal government Wednesday.

In its annual Volunteering and Civic Life in America report, the Corporation for National & Community Service revealed that one in four Americans volunteered through an organization last year and nearly two-thirds reported helping neighbors. The estimated number of adults who volunteered through an organization last year came in at 62.6 million. That amounts to about 7.9 billion community service hours, worth about $184 billion. On the national level, it’s estimated about 24.9 percent of the population volunteered last year.

"When we stand shoulder to shoulder to serve with others, we gain another perspective on the lives we share, while using our time and talents to build a stronger nation," Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, said in a statement announcing the report’s release. "Each year, millions of Americans do extraordinary things as volunteers; this is America at its best. As we enter the holiday season, we are calling on all citizens to unite in service as a way to unify our country and keep our communities strong.”

Researchers behind the report ranked metro across the country based on pooled volunteer data from the past three to four years. The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area came in first place with about 37.1 percent of its population volunteering. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area ranked 43rd out of 51 metro areas included in the “Large City Rankings.” The Tampa Bay area's volunteer rate was 21.8 percent.

Jacksonville beat out Tampa Bay, earning 26th place with a 26.1 percent volunteer rate. Orlando came in 45th place with 19.9 percent of its population volunteering. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach area came in dead last in 51st place with 13.4 percent of its population volunteering.

While Tampa Bay didn’t top the list, volunteers still made a big impact in their communities. The report estimates the region had about 485,888 people volunteer last year. They worked about 80.8 million hours, which adds up to $2.4 billion in service contributed. The report also noted that some 44.4 percent of residents donated at least $25 to charity.

Mid-sized cities were also broken out in the report. The Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice area ranked 47th on that list of 75 with a 25.7 percent volunteer rate. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah, came in first place with a 50.9 percent volunteer rate. The Lakeland-Winter Haven area earned 58th-place ranking with a 23.1 percent volunteer rate.

On the state level, Florida came in 50th out of 51 areas ranked. The “state” rankings also included the District of Columbia, which came in at 14th place with a 31.7 percent volunteer rate. Florida had an estimated 2,984,727 volunteers in 2015 that pitched in 459.70 million hours of service. Even with a 19.1 percent volunteer rate, volunteers contributed an estimated $10.5 billion in service to the Sunshine State.

The report is based on the federal government’s Current Population Survey and two of its supplements: the Volunteer Supplement and the Civic Engagement Supplement. The Current Population Survey is a monthly survey that targets about 60,000 households across the country. It is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To read the full report, visit the Corporation for National & Community Service online.

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