As the Times-Dispatch's most recent Public Square amply demonstrated, the Richmond region is blessed with many stellar individuals and organizations that devote their time and energy to the betterment of the community.
But it's still not enough.
New figures show about 21 percent of area residents do any sort of volunteer work. That falls 5 percentage points short of the national average — which trails the state average by two more.
Why?
Nationwide, church participation is a reliable indicator of volunteerism rates. But the correlation is not ironclad: Vermont, which has low church attendance, has a high volunteerism rate.
Economic circumstances seem to have little to do with it. In the 2009 wreckage of the Great Recession, volunteering shot up at the fastest rate in six years. Demographics can't explain it. Women volunteer more than men do, and women with children at home — surely among the busiest of people — volunteer more than any other cohort.
No one can think there is a shortage of people in need. It cannot be that Central Virginians' hearts are simply two sizes too small. Lack of money can't explain it, since volunteering is free. Nor can the problem be a lack of time, which is given to each of us in equal measure. Everyone gets 24 hours per day — no exceptions.
Looks like there are no excuses left. So go ahead — find a good cause and lend a hand. You will be glad you did.
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