Posted on 03/06/2014 4:43:14 AM PST by Red in Blue PA
Last year, the percentage of people in America donating time to charity hit its lowest level since the government began tracking volunteerism.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statics, the volunteer rate declined 1.1 points to a rate of 25.4 percent in 2013. Some 62.6 million people performed unpaid work through or for organizations from September 2012 to September 2013. The BLS notes that the volunteer rate for 2013 was the lowest since it began tracking the data in 2002, when the volunteer rate was 27.6 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at 790waeb.com ...
Sometimes taxpayers feel like they already gave.
Can't argue with that. I see the same thing.
My son goes to a local public high school, and it appears that school kids now have to do some form of 'volunteer' service in order to graduate and get their diploma, to the tune of 100 hours' worth of time at the local nursing homes, homeless shelter, cat shelter, what have you.
That sort of edict strikes me more as 'mandatory' than 'volunteer', but 'volunteer' sounds much nicer, I suppose.
I wonder: Are these hours being counted in these statistics? Because that constitutes a sizable chunk of free labor.
Bingo......when I see someone begging I think to myself “call obama since you likely voted for him.”
I believe .gov could also be having a ‘crowding out’ effect against charity. When they’re taking away more of my income than ever(at gunpoint) to give to someone else, it sure as hell makes me feel less charitable.
I’d be more inclined to have someone go down to the ‘welfare office’ and sign up for an FSA card, because I already gave to the IRS...
This is not even a little bit surprising.
>>I already gave to the IRS...<<
HA! Love it! I’m going to start using that line from now on whenever I’m solicited for donations.
I tell charities that all of my donations are going to conservative political campaigns and will continue to do so until we have restored free enterprise and our Constitution.
That’s right. When every free penny you have either gets taxed away or eaten up with hidden inflation in food and fuel prices, you can’t get blood out of a stone.
That’s my story and am sticking to it.
My spouse does tons of volunteer stuff and I am proud of her for it.
I’ve helped with animal shelters some when my schedule allows.
Right, the people who USED to volunteer, are now working at part time jobs in ADDITION to their straight boogie, just to get by.
There’s no time left in the day to volunteer!
It’s the same with income... there is no money left to donate as in the past, to your favorite charity. The FED took so much of what you make, because THEY feel they know best what to do with YOUR mone...
FINE... now THEY can take care of the sick, the little old ladies and the orphans, etc., the WE USED to help out when we had $$$$ to spare.
It’s bad for community spirit when the government takes the lion’s share and becomes the source of most charity, especially when that charity is politically manipulated.
That’s something that’s little spoken of in the discourse about societal fairness and generosity.
I used to Volunteer for a EMS back in the 80s. There were so many people you had to fight to get a shift.
Now they struggle for fill in the slots and the people they do get are only there for the uniform.
People need to work two jobs or a lot of Overtime to put food on the table and gas in the tanks.
Thanks to Obama and his people, volunteerism is just about dead.
Biggest reason? (I guess)
The women that moved from being homemakers to volunteer work are older and not as capable to volunteer any more.
The next generation coming up is healthier, can work longer and is of a generation where women work, at least after their children are grown.
How many organizations that look for volunteers are non-profits with CEOs (and others) making huge salaries?
It’s pretty clear to me that there exists a deep-seated collective resentment among the sentient people in the USA. From a variety of causes, starting at the white house.
TC
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.