A Decade of Helping

Abstract

Community service has been a topic of public discourse and policy. Yet the literature has fallen short in providing reliable estimates of such service generally, and specifically, regarding its contextual circumstances, obligatory nature, and longevity. To fill information gaps, this study reports community service among college students who participated in four nationally representative samples, spaced approximately 4 years apart—1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. From 1996 to 2008, proportionally more students reported having performed community service, from 39% in 1996 to 47% in 2008, accompanied by an increase in community service required by the students’ program of study. There was also an increase in onetime service, from 9% in 2000 to 25% in 2008, most of which was voluntary or not required. The apparent rise in community service represents opportunities for volunteerism among young adults, especially in the wake of recent global catastrophic events.