Work File 1.3 - Volunteering

Answer the following questions and save your document as an .rtf file. Submit your workfile as an attachment to dropbox 1.3 Volunteering.

1. Visit the website http://independentsector.org/volunteering. Write a paragraph on why, in your opinion, it is important to volunteer in your local community. Do not cut and paste, write your own opinion in your own words. (3 points)

I feel that it is important to volunteer in your community because it is where you live, it’s your community and you should do everything you can to make it a better place to live. Not only does volunteering help the community but it builds character for the individual. It teaches responsibility, leadership, and that helping others is important. Volunteering can be through a well-organized group project, or an individual can go out around their area and look for people who might need assistance. Either way, volunteering is a great way to give back to a community and provide for a worthy cause that may not be able to afford the support they need.

2. Go to the “Value of Volunteer Time” section, (http://independentsector.org/volunteer_time )

2a. How much is an hour of a volunteer’s time worth in New Jersey? (2 points)

An hour of volunteer time is worth $25.33 in New Jersey.

3. Visit http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/ . On the map, click on New Jersey.

3a. About how many people volunteer in New Jersey each year? (2 points)

About 1.68 million people volunteer in New Jersey each year.

3b. How do volunteer rates in New Jersey compare to other states in the USA? (2 points)

New Jersey is ranked 46th of the 50 states in volunteering with 22.9% of residents volunteering.

4. Do you think New Jersey should require community service as part of its high school graduation requirement? Write at least three sentences explaining your answer. (3 points)

I do believe that New Jersey should require community service as part of its high school graduation requirement. Most schools require that you take an economics or life skills course in order to prepare you for life after school. They should encourage your life after school to include volunteer time. There are a lot of good causes out there that are not so mainstream and could use more volunteers. If it was required that students participate in community service a lot of these foundations or causes would get the attention they