AMERICA IN CRISIS

RECORD HOMELESSNESS AND THE LOWEST LEVELS OF VOLUNTEERS

According to a HUD January 2023 Point-in-Time Count Report, United States Homelessness has reached its highest numbers since data collection began in 2007. Volunteers for charity work have also significantly decreased at an alarming rate. Formal volunteer participation was 23.2%, a drop of 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2021. That's the most significant decline since the survey began in 2002, as stated in a recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps (the federal agency for national service and volunteerism). Pre-pandemic volunteer numbers have steadily lowered over the past few decades, with post-pandemic volunteers growing lesser still. Many older people no longer feel their health will be safe. In comparison, younger people are more focused on working to pay off debt with little to no time to contribute to volunteer work, leaving many organizations that rely on these workers struggling to achieve their goals.

HUD Releases January 2023 Point-in-Time Count Report (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 12-15-23)

Volunteering and Civic Life (United States Census Bureau)

Homelessness is at a record high in America. Volunteerism is declining. (The Washington Post, 12-21-23)

Nonprofits need more help than ever. Why aren’t Americans volunteering? (The Washington Post, 12-11-23)

Volunteering have been declining for decades but the pandemic and economic struggles made it a lot worse: ‘This is a wake-up call’ (Fortune, 4-17-23)

Volunteerism Decline Straining Local Nonprofits (U.S. News, 4-10-23)

Americans Are Volunteering Less. What Can Nonprofits Do to Bring Them Back? (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2-14-23)