2.08.2005 ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO - In January, more people than ever before went online to find a volunteer opportunity. VolunteerMatch reports that it generated more than 55,000+ volunteer referrals nationwide last month, much of which is attributed to the fact that many people felt inspired to volunteer in the wake of the recent global disasters.

"The tragedies in Southern Asia truly unleashed the compassion of the world's people," said Deborah Dinkelacker, president of VolunteerMatch. "Many people channeled their inspiration to help overseas into our local communities, and as we have seen in previous times of great difficulty, this newly energized sense of civic engagement will likely sustain itself over time, and translate into an overall increase in volunteerism in America in coming months and years."

With over 30,000 available volunteer opportunities, VolunteerMatch offers something for everyone. Interested volunteers simply enter their ZIP code at www.VolunteerMatch.org to receive an up-to-date listing of local volunteer activities, and get involved right away. Volunteers may also specify a category of interest-the most popular are "Community," "Children & Youth," and "Education & Literacy"-to refine the list of available opportunities.

Signing up to get involved via VolunteerMatch is as easy as "point and click." As a result, the service has generated nearly two million volunteer referrals to tens of thousands of charitable organizations throughout the United States.

For more information, visit www.VolunteerMatch.org.

About VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch is the nonprofit organization with a mission to help everyone find a great place to volunteer. Offering a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement, VolunteerMatch has helped thousands of nonprofits attract nearly 2,000,000 volunteer referrals. VolunteerMatch is the recipient of Webby Awards for "Activism" and "Services," and has been recognized for its accomplishments by The White House and the Smithsonian Institution.

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