Nebraska ranks second in volunteerism study

Second-best is a title Nebraska can be proud of.

For 2007, the state ranked second in volunteerism in the United States, according to a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Utah ranked first with a 43.9 percent volunteer rate. Nevada's 17.7 percent volunteer rate secured it last place on the list.

Higher homeownership and educational achievement levels, as well as low poverty rates, seem to increase volunteerism, said Siobhan Dugan, public affairs specialist for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Almost 40 percent of Nebraska citizens, about 538,000 volunteers, donated time and effort in 2007.

Students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln contributed significantly to that number. During the 2006-2007 school year, 10,631 students volunteered, said Linda Moody, assistant director of Student Involvement's Learning and Volunteer Services. In 2007, that number was about 42 percent of the student body.

"We have a highly engaged student body," she said. "Our student body is making a difference in the community."

UNL is also on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The 2006-2007 student volunteers contributed an average of 15 hours each, Moody said, totaling about 162,500 hours given in one academic year.

UNL's Big Event alone drew about 1,400 volunteers in 2007, most of whom were students. Faculty and staff also participated.

In that academic year, 2,088 UNL students did service hours for class.

Moody said at least half of UNL's colleges have a service learning course that fulfills a graduation requirement for a particular degree in the college, adding that about 60 service learning courses are offered at UNL. Past projects range from developing advertising campaigns regarding Lincoln's homeless population to designing more weather-resistant houses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Student organizations also encourage UNL's population to take action.

Ben Lorenzen, a senior broadcasting major, serves food once a month at Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach with fraternity brothers from Lambda Chi Alpha.

Three years ago the fraternity started helping with a monthly lunch shift.

"If I wasn't in the frat, I don't know if I would've been involved in something like that," Lorenzen said, adding that volunteering can open students' eyes to how fortunate they are.

Lorenzen, Lambda Chi Alpha's philanthropy chair, started volunteering while in high school in Millard. Here in Lincoln, the public high schools require 20 hours of community service to graduate, said Sydne Knox, coordinator of volunteers and operations at Matt Talbot.

"I think that (Nebraskans) as a people are very concerned about our neighbors," she said. "We see a need, and we want to help fill the void."

Linda Moody benefitted from neighborly attitudes when her rural home was damaged by storms this summer. Neighbors helped each other with what they had and could do, she said, regardless of property lines.

Moody was unsure she would have received the same outpour of help outside the Midwest, which as a region had the nation's highest volunteer rate of 31.1 percent. She credited agregarian culture for cultivating a concern for others.

"We have people passionate about helping others," she said. "It goes beyond what's best for me to what's best for the whole."

rachelalbin@dailynebraskan.com