PORTLAND, Ore. -- Per capita, Oregon sends more volunteers abroad to serve in the U.S. Peace Corps than all but four other states in the nation, according to a recent federal report.
The state was ranked fifth out of 50 in per-capita volunteerism with the Peace Corps, sending about 5.5 Oregonians per 100,000 residents to serve the less fortunate.
Among cities, Corvallis ranked second in the nation for the number of volunteers it sends abroad, based on per-capita Census stats. Corvallis sends about 11 Peace Corps volunteers abroad, per capita, the report said.
Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell University and Ithaca College, was the only metro to produce more Peace Corps volunteers.
According to the most recent Census population reporting, there are about 5.5 Oregonians per 100,000 residents that spend two or more years volunteering.
The report was a sneak peak at the Peace Corps' Top College rankings, which will be released early next year.
The Peace Corps is the nation's oldest and most prestigious volunteerism program. It was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1960; since then, nearly 200,000 Americans have served in 193 countries "to promote peace and friendship around the world."
Full listings were available at the U.S. Peace Corps website.
