Americans 45+ adding informal service to their work with established organizations; African Americans extremely active and engaged in communities and volunteering WASHINGTON, -- Though volunteering through organizations has remained stable in the last several years, a new report from AARP finds that informal service work among baby boomers and others 45+ is on the rise. According to the report, the number of boomers and older Americans engaged in self-directed volunteering—volunteering on their own, outside of a formal organization—increased from 34 percent in 2003 to 57 percent in 2009. Additionally, seven in 10 boomers reported they are engaged in volunteering either on their own or through an organization, which is a 20 percent increase over the number of people who say they volunteer through an organization alone. "We have long known that baby boomers stand ready to serve, but this data gives us new information about how they are serving," said Thomas C. Nelson, AARP Chief Operating Officer. "As AARP works to activate Boomers and older Americans, we continue to track these trends so that collectively, the service community can better meet the needs of everyone interested in giving back." The study found particularly high rates of engagement in 45+ African Americans: they are likely to be very involved in volunteer work; helping to solve neighborhood programs; political activities; and working on state or national issues. More than half of African Americans surveyed reported being very involved in religious or spiritual activities. Additionally, nearly twice as many African Americans report being very involved in educational activities compared to non-Hispanic Whites. "African Americans have a long history of civic and volunteer engagement in their communities," Nelson said. "The data is encouraging and tells us that this tradition, which is so important to creating vibrant communities, remains strong." Additional study highlights include: The full survey is available at: http://www.aarp.org/research/surveys/life/lifestyle/volunteer/articles/connecting_giving.html Report results are from an August 2009 telephone survey of several generations of Americans on their volunteering, giving, and civic engagement activities. The survey interviewed 1,475 Americans age 45 years and older (i.e., members of the Baby Boom, Silent, and Greatest generations) and, for comparative purposes, 500 members of Generation X (ages 29 to 44), 470 African Americans and 447 Hispanics. ABOUT AARP AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's nearly 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Island. SOURCE AARP RELATED LINKSAARP Study: Boomers and Older Volunteers Serving on Their Own
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