1. In 2012, 64.5 million Americans (26.5% of the population) contributed 7.9 billion hours of volunteer service worth an estimated $175 billion of service.

2. The estimated dollar value of volunteer time in Connecticut is $28 an hour.

3. Volunteers have a better chance of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.

4. Adults who began volunteering as youth are twice as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were younger.

5. After fundraising, the most popular volunteer activities are collecting, preparing distributing or serving food (23.8%), contributing general work or helping out with transportation (19.85) and teaching/tutoring (17.9%).

6. Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health and that older volunteers are the most likely to receive physical and mental health benefits from their volunteer activities.

7. Non-volunteers say that they are more likely to serve if a trusted friend asks them to serve.

8. Citizens who participate in one area of civic engagement, like volunteering, are more likely to get involved in groups, contact public officials, or work with neighbors.

9. For professionals seeking to get their foot in the door, volunteering can actually provide the experience they need to obtain a job in their chosen field.

10. Volunteering helps you refocus your life's priorities and just might lead you to a new path, or even a vocational change, in your life.