Hampton Roads millennials want to volunteer, survey says

Young professionals are eager to give back according to a recent survey conducted by tHRive, the young professionals program of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. tHRive’s members consist of over 1,300 young professionals who live, work and play throughout Hampton Roads. When polled, more than 90% of respondents indicated that they would use tHRive as a platform to engage with the community through volunteer opportunities. By offering diverse opportunities to engage with the community and grow professionally, tHRive looks to be an effective community partner and a basis for talent retention in the region.
Among tHRive respondents surveyed, the top two preferred volunteer opportunities are mentoring children and cleaning up the community. These results are further proof that young professionals are ignited by the opportunity to improve the communities they live in. tHRive young professionals are also looking to help the homeless, volunteer with animals, and help the ill.
Having recently volunteered in the National Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Virginia Beach, tHRive members are eager to make another positive impact in the community. tHRive volunteers helped participants at the Relay for Life unload, find and set up their campsites for the event, as well as manage traffic and parking. The draw for tHRive volunteers was the impact made on the day-of participants as well as the overall influence the event and its participants have on cancer research.
Millennials are more prone to focus on high impact opportunities that make optimal use of their time commitments.  This is supported by 57.38% of respondents indicating that they prefer to engage in opportunities that can be performed within a few hours at a time. However, the volume of millennials engaged in volunteerism efforts indicates that volunteering is an integral part of their lifestyle. Nearly 79% of those polled indicated that they plan to volunteer again in the next 60 days.  The Hampton Roads region has an opportunity to foster a great sense of community by tapping in to this force.
tHRive’s next polls will explore Millennials’ vision for Hampton Roads, the importance of leadership in the region, and topics of interest for the Virginia General Assembly.