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ERIC Number: EJ800252
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0037-8046
EISSN: N/A
Social Work with Religious Volunteers: Activating and Sustaining Community Involvement
Garland, Diana R.; Myers, Dennis M.; Wolfer, Terry A.
Social Work, v53 n3 p255-265 Jul 2008
Social workers in diverse community practice settings recruit and work with volunteers from religious congregations. This article reports findings from two surveys: 7,405 congregants in 35 Protestant congregations, including 2,570 who were actively volunteering, and a follow-up survey of 946 volunteers. It compares characteristics of congregation volunteers and nonvolunteers. Volunteers tended to be married, older, more highly educated, longer term congregational members, and to score higher on all measures of faith maturity and faith practice than did nonvolunteers. Volunteers perceived their involvement as meaningful, important, and challenging. A large majority of volunteers (80 percent) reported changes in faith, attitudes and values, and behavior as results of their volunteer work. Findings provide insights into how religious individuals begin and continue to volunteer in service settings and how congregations promote high levels of community service among their members. These findings have implications for effective social work practice with congregation volunteers.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). 750 First Street NE Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-227-3590; e-mail: press@naswdc.org; Web site: http://www.naswpress.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A