Volunteering is a vital and widespread activity in the United States; in fact, volunteers perform many essential community functions. Those who believe that most volunteers are women with time on their hands, that volunteers just do "charity work," and that volunteers are a source of cheap labor who can replace paid professionals and thus reduce social service spending are mistaken. In fact, women who volunteer increasingly have full- or part-time employment. Volunteers have a tradition of pioneering social change. Volunteer labor is an effective resource only when there is a strong infrastructure of paid professionals to support its development. The role of volunteers is not to supplant paid professionals, but rather to extend their work. While volunteer organizations can provide leadership and other resources to address community needs, solutions will only be found through coordinated public and private initiatives, including initiatives involving federal, state, and local governments, social service organizations, advocacy groups, the business sector, and funders. (RH)