A recent study that found that Nevada ranked dead last in the percentage of people who volunteer must not have focused very heavily on Carson City or Northern Nevada.
Here, legions of volunteers continually prove this is a community where people step forward to help those in need. They give their time to groups like CASA, FISH, the Boys & Girls Club, the hospital and many more. Senior citizens give of their time and talent through the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program. Even in our schools we hear frequent stories of classes and clubs raising funds for causes local and worldwide. That spirit is also evident whenever tragedy strikes. Two examples occurred recently when the Appeal served as a drop-off point for donations for families who had been burned out of their homes. The storage room was filled and emptied many times, and still people came with donations.
As for Nevada's ranking in the study, all we can figure is that Las Vegas, a city of newcomers lacking attachment to their new home, has skewed the numbers.
No, there's no shortage of caring people in Northern Nevada. But there is a great and growing need in our society as more families struggle to make ends meet. The organizations who work to help those families always need more volunteers.
If you haven't yet discovered the joy that giving yourself to a cause greater than yourself can bring, there are plentiful opportunities. A good place to start is the list of group and service organization meetings that appear every Sunday in the Personal Appeal section of this newspaper. Even beyond that, there are many volunteer opportunities in Northern Nevada. In fact, to find more you probably only need to ask a neighbor.