10 Volunteering Facts That May Surprise You

Volunteer work is important not only to individuals but to Canadian society as a whole. A 2010 study by Statistics Canada reveals some thought-provoking facts about volunteering.

1. Ages 15-24 represent the highest percentage of volunteers (at 58%).
2. Close to one-half of Canadians volunteer.
3. 1.1 million full-time equivalent jobs are represented by volunteering annually.
4. Single Canadians, who have never married, are the most likely to do volunteer work.
5. Parents with school-aged children have significantly higher rates of volunteering than people without children at home.
6. Raising money and putting on events are the two most common activities in which volunteers are engaged.
7. 45 percent of non-volunteers don’t become involved because no one asks them to.
8. More than eight of 10 Canadians help others directly
9. The number of volunteers in 2010 was significantly greater than in earlier years.
10. Employed Canadians have higher rates of volunteering.

Each year, more than 165,000 people volunteer with The Salvation Army. Serving passionately, willingly and selflessly on the front lines, they are essential to what The Salvation Army accomplishes in a day.

For more information on volunteering with The Salvation Army, click here.