The 4th of July Parade: Teen Volunteering in Today’s World

Just the other day, we had the great pleasure of participating in the
2011 Fourth of July parade! We were deeply honored to be represented not only as a company, but as a contributing member of the community at large. We’d be remiss, however, if we didn’t issue a word of thanks to our teenaged volunteers who participated on our behalf – we’re deeply, deeply grateful for your help, and we’d love to work with you again in the future!

A handful of adults might be somewhat surprised at these youths’ participation, but it’s not exactly a rare thing today. According to the University of Nevada, Reno, teenagers volunteer 2.4 billion hours annually – no, that’s not a typo – and their combined work is worth $34.3 billion. According to the same source, 30% of all youth volunteered “at least once a month” in 2000. Perhaps equally surprising, though, are the effects of volunteering on the youths themselves. According to a Tufts University study of participants in the 4-H program, said participants are “56% more likely” to spend longer periods of time engaged in physical activity. Additionally, the University of Nevada, Reno reports that youth who volunteer for at least one hour per week are “50% less likely to abuse alcohol, cigarettes, become pregnant, or engage [in] other destructive behavior”.

From this data, it’s clear that there is a symbiotic relationship between youth volunteers and the communities they are a part of, with almost-immeasurable benefits to both parties. What are you waiting for? If you’re the proud parent of a teenager, get him or her to start volunteering! The world will thank you, and so will your child.