Miami’s Vice? City at Bottom in Volunteering
AP, July 27, 2008
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Blame it on the traffic. Or the number of new immigrants. Or the allure of the beach. Whatever the reason, Miami has secured the bottom spot—No. 50 among major U.S. cities—in new rankings of the percentage of adults who volunteer.
Nationally, the volunteer rate fell in 2007 for the second year in a row, to 26.2 percent, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is releasing its report Sunday. It showed Miami with a volunteerism rate of 14.5 percent, replacing Las Vegas in last place among major metropolitan areas.
To be fair, the study found 620,000 volunteers were recruited in Miami last year, more than 60,000 over the previous year. And many local nonprofits say they have more volunteers than ever. But there’s no denying how far Miami lags behind other cities, particularly No. 1 Minneapolis-St. Paul, with a 39.3 percent rate.
The study notes that Miami’s poverty rate and average commute times are slightly higher than the national average, while other factors influencing volunteerism—home ownership and education level—are slightly lower.
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On the bright side, the report concluded that “volunteer intensity” is increasing, with 34 percent of volunteers contributing more than 100 hours of service in a year—the highest rate for that category since 2002.
On the worrisome side were mounting concerns that economic woes—including high gasoline prices and job insecurity—would be deterrents for some would-be volunteers.
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By region, the Midwest had the highest volunteer rate at 31.1 percent, followed by the West at 26.1, the South with 24.7 and the Northeast at 23.4.
By state, Utah had the highest rate, 43.9 percent, followed by Nebraska, Minnesota, Alaska and Montana. Nevada had the lowest state rate, 17.7 percent; Florida and New York were the next lowest.
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Portland, Ore., were the highest-ranked big cities, while New York City and Las Vegas were the lowest-ranked after Miami. Among 25 mid-size cities, Provo, Utah, came first with a 63 percent rate—the highest of any jurisdiction in the report.
The high volunteer rates in Utah and several of its cities are attributed in part to civic-mindedness among the state’s many Mormons, but Bill Hulterstrom, president of the Provo-based United Way of Utah County, said other factors also were at work.
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(Posted on July 31, 2008)
Comments
Blame it on the huge number of black and brown people in Miami. Volunteering is not a “black thing”. Remember Katrina anyone?
Posted by at 8:12 PM on July 31
“The high volunteer rates in Utah and several of its cities are attributed in part to civic-mindedness among the state’s many Mormons, but Bill Hulterstrom, president of the Provo-based United Way of Utah County, said other factors also were at work.”
This is becuase in Utah, people are mostly all white and come from the same or a similar cultural backgroud. As such, they are more likely to give back to THEIR community. On the other hand, places like Miami, Nevada and New York are multicultural which means diverse which means divided. Each race and ethnic group looks out only for itself and sees the other groups as the OTHER. As such, they don’t see themselves as part of the large community, just as part of their own ethnic enclave and see no reason to volunteer to help strangers and others not themselves. This is diversity at its’ best.
Posted by KC at 8:30 PM on July 31
Except for the expensive hotels, Miami is really a Mexican border town. Miami is a dirty, dangerous ghetto. Most American cities are becoming border towns.
Posted by the Soviet Republic of New Jersey at 10:07 PM on July 31
I believe that what “8:12 PM on July 31” posted is right on the mark:
“Blame it on the huge number of black and brown people in Miami. Volunteering is not a “black thing”. Remember Katrina anyone?”
Look at the sea of white faces in newspaper pictures of any group of volunteers - though a photographer will struggle to find a non-white on which to focus, if there are any.
When it comes to “giving back to the community” only a few black celebrities or athletes seem to bother.
Perhaps empathy and charity are primarily white values or maybe the brothers are just too busy “getting mine” to care about the kids back in the ‘hood.
Posted by Enough Already! at 2:02 AM on August 1
This is yet another harbinger of how a decidedly dark brown-ish America will very different from a predominantly White one. Non-Whites are in no way enamored of all things altruistic the way Whites are. Ironically, it is probably this over-developed or misguided sense of altruism that will have been our undoing, and will have lead to the browning of America in the first place.
Posted by HH at 6:39 AM on August 1
I remember Miami in the early sixties when most people were still speaking English. Now, of course, Miami is the capital of Latin America, where only Spanish is spoken. I had a Columbian acquaintance tell me that she couldn’t stand Miami because it was like being back home in Columbia. She subsequently moved to Ohio. How long before parts of Ohio begin to look like Miami?
Posted by Sardonicus at 3:47 PM on August 1
Blacks aren’t motivated by altruism. They are motivated by self-interest. Hence the paucity of black volunteering logically follows.
Posted by at 3:56 PM on August 1
also, the percentage of minorities that donate organs is VERY low, yet they consent to accept organ donations. And while I worked in schools, I saw a definite pattern of whites donating supplies to classes and offering to chaperone field trips, while the minority parents rarely did. My husband, while serving in Africa in the Peace Corps, saw blacks stealing USAID money for African schools being stolen away from the kids we meant to educate out of poverty! I think minorities are not even altruistic to each other.
Posted by OnGuard at 11:55 PM on August 1
I remember as a kid watching those old science fiction movies with flying cars, space travel and robots. At the time we lived in the most advanced society on Earth and I was eagerly looking forward to a future where everyone was happy and without want. That future is not going to happen now and we can look forward to life being similar to those Mad Max movies. I think as the years pass we’ll have alot more to worry about than aliens not being civic minded, they won’t even be civilized!
Posted by at 9:26 AM on August 2
If Miami has a shortage of volunteers, the solution is obvious: have Dade County judges start handing down more mandatory community service work for petty crime. One guy I used to know here in Colorado received a $2400 fine and an 80 hour community service sentence for failure to carry motor vehicle insurance.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 11:41 AM on August 3
Please do this: name one charitable organization with a black constituency or hispanic surnamed base, just one. It doesn’t happen because it just isn’t their nature.
Remember this as you dimwits grow older and more isolated in your “diverse culturally rich country.”
Posted by jdavis at 5:19 PM on August 4