Service group says RI faces volunteer "deficit"
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island's community service agency says the Ocean State trails other states in the percentage of residents who volunteer.
Serve Rhode Island on Wednesday called on state residents to contribute their time to help erase a "volunteer deficit" it calculates to be 17,500 people. The group says it came up with the number by comparing Rhode Island's volunteer rate of 24.4 percent to the national rate of 26.5 percent.
Bernie Beaudreau, the group's executive director, says there are hundreds of opportunities for volunteers to mentor children in struggling schools, support low-income families, clean up the environment and help the state's homeless.
On Tuesday, Gov. Lincoln Chafee (CHAY'-fee) also urged critics of a secular "holiday tree" in the Statehouse to turn their energy to community service.
