For the seventh consecutive year, Ohio led the nation in the number of volunteer service projects planned for Make A Difference Day Ohio (MDDO)– Saturday, October 28. A total of 330 projects were actually registered on the national Web site (272 were registered last year!). A final count won’t be available for a few weeks. Stay tuned for further recaps. Way to go OHIO - GO BUCKS!!

Statement from Hope Taft,
Honorary Co-Chair

Looking for a simple way to volunteer? The Volunteer Center at Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) is a convenient, one-stop destination for thousands of volunteer positions in the Cleveland area. BVU links individuals and groups to nonprofit organizations based on skills, interests and availability.

The Volunteer Center’s referral specialists, all volunteers themselves, interview and refer hundreds of callers each year for direct service volunteer opportunities. Nonprofits and volunteers can also list and access volunteer opportunities free of charge online at www.businessvolunteer.org. In 2005, the Volunteer Center made 11,090 referrals to over 405 local nonprofit agencies.

In addition, the Volunteer Center assists groups in planning “done-in-a-day” activities by connecting them to nonprofit agencies that have opportunities for many hands. Projects include playground construction, meal service, care-package assembly, special events assistance and friendly visitors. Last year, the Volunteer Center provided “done-in-a-day” projects to over 6,000 members of school, faith-based and civic groups as well as to 90 business teams.

To learn more about the Volunteer Center at BVU, visit www.businessvolunteers.org.

We would like to welcome our five newest units in Coshocton, Henry, Huron, Paulding and Wood Counties. OMRC now serves 51 counties with 44 MRC units and more than 4,000 healthcare professionals. Look for even more expansion in the near future as several counties have applied for official status.

President Bush Supports
Stronger Volunteer Networks

According to "Volunteering in America: State Trends and Rankings," a new study released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, America's 65.4 million volunteers donate the economic equivalent of almost $150 billion dollars in services each year.

On a national level, 65.4 million or 28.8 percent of American adults volunteered in 2005, an increase of nearly six million volunteers since 2002. American volunteers spend a median of 50 hours per year volunteering.

In Ohio - studies showed 31% of Ohio residents volunteer - 24th among the states for volunteer rates, overall – 2nd among the nation’s 10 most populated states. “Ohio has a rich history of volunteerism,” said Kitty Burcsu, Executive Director, Ohio Community Service Council. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of our state and a vital part of our economy, and one of the qualities that makes Ohio such a great place to live.”

"The Administration, together with the nation's leading volunteer-based organizations and service commissions in every state, wants to see millions more Americans bringing hope and solutions to our communities through volunteering -- 10 million more, in fact, by 2010," said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. "The study we're releasing will help every state create stronger volunteer networks by showing what's working, what's not, and highlight the best opportunities to engage citizens in the future."

The call for 10 million additional volunteers is reflected in the Corporation's Strategic Plan, which was also released earlier this year. To see the plan in full, visit

http://cns.gov/pdf/strategic_plan_web.pdf