Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Most Utahns don't need to look very far to know that the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in the Beehive State.
The examples are plentiful:
-Last year's flooding in Southern Utah.
-Citizen response to helping victims of Hurricane Katrina.
-Large turnouts for local charity efforts.
The list is long and the examples could go on and on. Suffice it to say, reaching out to others is a significant part of Utah's culture. So it is not surprising to learn that a national study, said to be "the most statistically significant study of volunteering ever conducted in America," has found that Utah leads the nation in virtually every category of volunteering studied.
Utah has the highest percentage of volunteers among seniors, baby boomers and young adults. And among college students, the Utah volunteering rate of 62.9% is a stunning 22% higher than the next closest state.
In KSL's view, Utahns deserve a collective pat-on-the-back for leading the nation in volunteerism. But beyond the statistics and the accompanying accolades are the societal and personal benefits that come from a population of people who selflessly serve others. It is one of those subtle cultural quirks that make Utah such a great place to live, work, and, yes, volunteer.
