The Birth of a Nation

• The early colonists faced everything from combating deadly diseases to working through the challenges of their new agricultural environment. They depended on each other greatly to overcome these obstacles, which thus gave birth to volunteerism in America. This spirit has been carried down through America's history to modern-day times, giving America a spirit of philanthropy and activism from all walks of life known the world over.
  
  

Early Beginnings

• The tradition of volunteer firehouses in towns and cities across the U.S. which impacts so many small communities was started in 1736 by Benjamin Franklin. In the 1830s, while the Great Awakening was taking place, many people were inspired to do outreach work by way of different denominational churches. Many of these churches instituted all kinds of social programs to give aid and assistance to the poor and homeless.
  
  

Pioneering Institutions

• As a result of the start of these social relief programs, we now have programs like the American Red Cross, the United Way and the YMCA; all were started in the 1800s. Many volunteer programs were started by church organizations and through private sector opportunities during the 18th and 19th centuries. During the 20th century the voluntary sector grew and became a powerful force in American society. All across the United States, volunteer opportunities and organizations sprang up to meet the needs of residents throughout the country.
  
  

Presidential Initiatives

• During the Great Depression, many people found help and assistance with food and housing needs through the social programs that were created during the time to meet the dire needs of many families. Soup kitchens of today came from the idea of bread lines during that time. Even the environmental movement was formulated when President Franklin D. Roosevelt brought the attention of environmental issues to the public by assisting the Civilian Conservation Corps with a tree planting campaign during the 1930s.
  
  

Contemporary Volunteerism

• World War II brought a lot of volunteer opportunities to support soldiers and citizens in different capacities. During the 1960s people started turning their attention to wanting to alleviate different social ills such as economic inequalities, violence and discrimination. President Lydon B. Johnson instituted a "war on poverty" during this time. This same spirit and attitude continues today with the rise of such social issues and movements like the animal rights movement and the green living movement. The heart of the voluntary sector is still the same: wanting to make life better for all.