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NoCo Volunteers Give Back to their Communities, Study Finds

A new report on volunteerism gives high marks to several northern Colorado cities, with two ranked in the top five nationally.

The annual report Volunteering in America focuses on large and mid-sized cities in all 50 states.  Boulder came in fourth in the nation, and Fort Collins-Loveland ranks fifth, with a 42% volunteer rate.  The median rate for mid-sized cities is just over 26%. 

Such high volunteerism rates might be surprising to some, given the troubled state of the nation’s economy. But not to Adam Molzer, director of United Way of Larimer County’sVolunteer Center.

“What we see time and time again is that people are willing to step forward, especially in hard times, to support one another, to support their neighbors, to support the wonderful nonprofits that we all recognize and benefit from here in northern Colorado,” he says. “It’s that spirit of service that resonates throughout our community.”

Molzer says volunteers are an essential resource to help meet numerous challenges communities are facing. According to the report Colorado ranks 13th in the nation with more than a third of residents actively volunteering. Between 2007 and 2010, Coloradans donated more than 156 million hours of their time – at an estimated value of $3.3 billion.

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
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