As the recession deepened, more Americans volunteered their time to churches and other religious charities.
Almost four in 10 Americans say they volunteered at a church or other religious organization in the past 12 months, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.
In September 2008, three in 10 had volunteered with a religious charity.
The weak economy and rising unemployment did not keep Americans from donating money to their churches or other favorite charities. The national telephone poll of 1,053 adults, conducted Sept. 22-23, found that 53% of Americans gave money to a religious organization and 66% gave to other charities. The poll has a margin of error of +/-4 percentage points.
This is just proof that if the Nanny State is ended that Americans, as they have in past, would help those really in need in the most effective way – voluntarily and with love. Americans are an exceedingly generous and loving people.