| The Pulse |
Welcome to May's edition of The Pulse. This is the second of a series of updates planned for release this year.
Checking our pulse is essential in monitoring our Vital Signs. The Pulse highlights a specific indicator of human well-being that is contained in United Way of Central Oklahoma's Vital Signs report or is being noticed through United Way's work in the community. |
| Factors Influencing Rate |
Oklahoma City had an estimated 365,000 volunteers serving more than 50 million hours in 2007, increasing the volunteer rate from 29.4% in 2006 to 34.9% in 2007.
 In metropolitan areas, certain factors have been found to influence the rate of volunteerism.
Indicators such as homeownership and population density can represent a resident's long-term commitment to the community which results in higher volunteer rates. In 2007, 62% of Oklahoma City's residents lived in owner-occupied households. However, communities with many apartment complexes are likely to have a lower volunteer rate because they attract a more transit population.
Correlations have also been found between education, commute times and poverty. As education levels increase, the likelihood of volunteering also rises. Shorter commutes to work lead to an increased volunteer rate as well. In 2007, Oklahoma City's average commute time was 19.7 minutes. The influence of poverty has been hard to determine; either a high poverty rate decreases the amount of available volunteers or a high volunteering rate reduces the problem of poverty, either way there is a connection.
Volunteer retention and volunteer management also have been found to affect rates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Volunteering in America |
