232: The volunteer rebound with Hillary Jackson and Adriana Thiele

Want to hear some encouraging news that's emerging from communities across America? After years of declining volunteer participation—a trend that accelerated during the pandemic—researchers are documenting what they're calling a "volunteer rebound."

The numbers are striking. Nearly 30 percent of Americans formally volunteered from 2022 to 2023, contributing almost 5 billion hours of service. That's a return to pre-pandemic levels, and in some places, volunteer participation is reaching heights we haven't seen in years.

But this isn't just about getting back to where we were. Something deeper is happening. We're seeing new forms of volunteering emerge—virtual opportunities that make service accessible to people who couldn't participate before. We're witnessing dramatic growth in some locations, like one Salvation Army center that saw a 162 percent increase in volunteers across three years. And perhaps most meaningfully, we're seeing more people who once received help returning to serve others.

To help us understand what's driving this volunteer rebound and what it means for communities across the West, I'm joined by two guests today: Hillary Jackson is the Managing Editor for Caring Magazine, and recently reported on this trend, and Adriana Thiele is the Director of Volunteers and Community Engagement for The Salvation Army in San Diego.  

We'll explore not just the numbers behind this rebound, but the stories—how volunteering is becoming a pathway to healing, how people are finding new ways to serve and how communities are becoming more resilient as a result. We'll also look at some innovative approaches, from disaster response training to virtual volunteering opportunities that are expanding who can participate in meaningful service.

Whether you're already volunteering, thinking about getting involved, or simply curious about this trend that's quietly on the rise, this episode will give you insight into how people just like you are choosing to be part of extraordinary change.

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