http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1496

Press release which announces that the Peace Corps recruited 15,386 applicants in FY 2009, an 18% increase over the previous year. Also provides demographic characteristics of current Peace Corps volunteers, the geographic regions in which they serve, and the seven general skill sectors for volunteers. From the Peace Corps.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/citizenshipsurvey200708empower

Provides an examination of community empowerment: whether people feel they can influence local and national decisions. Also looks at people's trust in institutions and what activities people actually take part in. From the Department of Communities and Local Government.

http://www.americorps.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1426

Press release with link to document. Describes effect of economic downturn on rates of volunteering and offers statistics on volunteering by states and leading cities. From the Corporation for National and Community Service.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Citizens_Briefing_Book_Final.pdf

Presents the leading ideas from citizens about what the Obama Administration should do. From 44,000 ideas submitted by 125,000 participants, these ideas received the most citizen "votes." Organized by nine broad categories: economy, education, energy & environment, foreign policy, health care, homeland security, service, technology, and veterans. From the White House.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/volun.pdf

Reports that 61 million Americans or 26% of the population volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2007 and September 2008. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/08_1112_lsa_prevalence.pdf

Reports the results of a survey of high school principals on the prevalence of community service programs in their schools. Reports that 68% of schools have students who participate in community service activities that are recognized by the school, but that schools with service learning programs declined from 32% in 1999 to 24% in 2008. From the Corporation for National and Community Service.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/08_0908_rpd_volunteer_occupation.pdf

Provides information on the occupational backgrounds of the 60 million people who volunteer their time and talent annually to nonprofit organizations. Provides rates of volunteer service by occupational categories. From the Corporation for National and Community Service.

http://www.nationalservice.org/pdf/VIA_CITIES/VIA_cities_fullreport.pdf

Provides rankings and profiles of trends and habits in volunteer work in the largest U.S. cities. Minneapolis-St.Paul had the highest volunteer rate and Los Vegas the lowest. From the Corporation for National and Community Service.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/volun.pdf

Latest in an annual series of press releases on volunteers in America. Includes 6 statistical tables with numbers on volunteers by demographic characteristics, total number of annual hours donated, types of organizations for which volunteer activities were performed, and type of activities performed. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/83xx/doc8313/07-19-MilitaryVol.pdf

Deployments associated with the Iraq War have raised concerns about the ability of the armed forces to recruit and retain the personnel needed . To increase the size of the military and to assure that it broadly represents all segments of society, some have suggested returning to a draft. This report considers some of the arguments made for and against the draft before and since it was replaced by an all-volunteer force in 1973. The study also reviews performance trends of the volunteer force and discusses possible effects of returning to a draft. From the Congressional Budget Office.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/VIA_CITIES/VIA_cities_fullreport.pdf

Provides a first-time analysis of trends in volunteering among major U.S. metropolitan areas. Ranks and presents detailed profiles of volunteering for 50 of the largest metro areas. Washington DC ranked 15th, Richmond 29th and Virginia Beach 47th of 50. Midwestern metro areas tended to have the highest rankings. From the Corporation for National and Community Service.