1.1M Volunteers in Atlanta Metro, With Work Valued at $2.6 Billion

ATLANTA, GA -- More than 1.1 million volunteers in the Atlanta metro area donated 25.1 hours per capita last year, contributing the equivalent of $2.6 billion in services. Those figures and more were released this week by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service.

The Atlanta metro ranked 36th in the rate of volunteering when compared to other major metropolitan areas. Twenty-four percent of residents volunteered in 2015, according to the report out this week titled Volunteering and Civic Life in America.

Top-ranked hubs for volunteers included Minneapolis, at 37 percent, followed by Salt Lake City, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.

Among states, Georgia ranked 39th, with 23 percent reported volunteering. That's down from 37th a year ago, when the rate was at 24.8 percent.

But, more than half of metro residents report donating $25 or more to charity. Those who reported volunteering were nearly twice as likely to have made donations to charity in 2015.

On Thursday, nearly $4 million was raised in the state through Georgia Gives Day.

Across the country, 62.6 million adults volunteered through an organization last year, and 138 million Americans volunteered informally in their communities. Americans volunteered nearly 7.8 billion hours in 2015, worth an estimated $184 billion, according to the corporation.

"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," said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Image via NationalService.gov