Study Purpose Anecdotally, we know that volunteers1 generate significant value through their contributions to OAA programs and SHIPs. However, to date, little or no information is available about the actual or estimated economic value that volunteers contribute to these programs. To lay the foundation for addressing this gap, ACL funded this initial study to estimate the economic value of volunteers to OAA programs and SHIPs using available data. This study focused on two main levels of analysis: ? the national ACL program level based on OAA Title III, OAA Title VII LTCOP, and SHIP aggregate data for all U.S. states and territories, and ? the local program level based on data obtained from OAA and SHIP grantees (i.e., AAAs and local service providers). This brief summarizes key findings from analyses conducted at the national ACL program level. Results from analyses conducted at the local program level for select programs are provided in the Supplement. Methodology Data Sources Program Performance Data OAA and SHIP program performance data were obtained to provide context about the programs and their reach. Performance data for the OAA Title III2 and OAA Title VII LTCOP3 were exported from ACL's AGing, Independence, and Disability (AGID) Program Data Portal for FY 2019. 4 Performance data for the SHIP5 were provided by ACL program staff for grant year (GY) 2019. 6 Volunteer Data Available annual data for the number of volunteers, volunteer hours, and full-time equivalent (FTE) counts for volunteers and paid staff, for OAA Title III and OAA Title VII LTCOP were exported from AGID for FYs 2015-2019. 7 National aggregate data for the number of volunteers, volunteer hours, and FTE counts for volunteers and paid staff for the SHIPs were provided by ACL program staff for GY 2019. 1 For the purpose of this study, volunteer work refers to unpaid noncompulsory work?that is, time individuals give without pay to activities performed through an organization outside their own household (International Labour Office, 2011). 2 Number of service recipients and number of service unit 3 Number or nursing homes, board and care homes, number of complaints, and number of consultations 4 FY 2019 is October 1, 2018 - September 30/2019. 5 Number of individuals reached 6 SHIPs report data by grant year, which includes the period from April through March of the following year: GY 2019 is April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020. 7 For OAA Title III, national and state level annual State Program Report data include volunteers and paid staffing full-time equivalent (FTE) counts at the AAAs. Data for head counts of volunteers and staff are not collected, For OAA Title VII LTCOP, national and state level National Ombudsman Reporting System data include number of volunteers and paid staff, FTE counts, and number of volunteer hours donated. Volunteer data represent data for certified volunteer ombudsmen (not other volunteers). Analytic Methods To estimate the economic value of volunteers for these programs, we applied a two-stage analytic approach. The first stage included an analysis of national aggregate data to estimate the average number of hours per month that a volunteer contributes to each program: OAA Title III program, OAA Title VIl LTCOP, and SHIP. Due to data gaps (e.g., Title III does not collect data about the number of volunteers) and differences in reporting across the programs, each program-specific data source was assessed separately. To the extent feasible, based on available data, we then examined the share of the total labor effort (volunteers and paid staff) that was performed by volunteers for each program. Because the vast majority of volunteers in these programs are likely to work part-time, the unit of analysis was total hours worked or number of FTEs rather than numbers of volunteers. In the second stage of analysis, we used results from stage one to estimate the economic value of volunteer labor for the programs. This analysis applied a replacement cost approach (based on observed market proxies of wages) to develop the estimates. Conceptually, this approach involves the following hypothetical question: If there were no volunteers today, how many paid staff members would need to be hired (or paid staff hours diverted) to replace the work activities performed by volunteers, and what would their wage be to do the same work as volunteers? Since finding the actual wage of paid workers was not feasible given the scope and design of the study, we applied a generalist wage assumption ($27.20) based on existing studies in the literature. This generalist wage is a 2019 national estimate of the value of volunteer time established by Independent Sector (Independent Sector, 2020). It is based on the annual average hourly earnings8 (not seasonally adjusted) for all production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls plus a 15.7% adjustment to account for the value of fringe benefits (Independent Sector, 2019). The annual earnings estimate was obtained from the Current Employment Statistics database which is maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). Study Results OAA Title III Program Reach In FY 2019, OAA Title III funded 892 AAAs and 10,185 senior centers that coordinated and offered services to older adults. In addition, the program provided support to more than 202,000 caregivers serving older adults. More than 10.8 million older persons received OAA Title III services?including almost 150 million home-delivered meals; more than 73 million congregate meals; and 20 million rides 8 The Independent Sector value for our economic valuation was used rather than federal minimum wage ($7.25), which is much lower, as it is a more appropriate wage assumption. According to efficiency wage theory (Campbell, 1993; Katz, 1986), there are productivity and efficiency benefits to paying workers above the market wage. Based on labor economic models, it has been shown that higher wages improve workers' productivity and deter workers from leaving, thereby reducing turnover rates. At the minimum wage level, workers may be less committed to their jobs and more likely to leave. Essentially, if a company pays market price for wages, then the cost to each worker of losing their job is essentially the cost of finding a new job. If the company pays its workers more than market price, however, then the cost to each worker of losing their job will be substantially higher, so turnover will be lower. 5 to medical appointments, grocery stores, and other activities?and 21.8 million hours of homemaker services. Volunteer Contribution and Share of Labor Effort Supporting the program in FY 2019 to provide the services were 24,642 AAA paid staff FTEs and 31,234 AAA volunteer FTEs. 9 AAA volunteers donated an estimated 62,467,200 hours10 of their time to provide the services and supports. OAA Title III AAA FTE data for 2015-2019 show that AAA volunteer FTE counts11 were greater than AAA paid staff FTEs for 3 of the 5 years, and the number of AAA volunteer FTEs has been increasing since 2017. Exhibit 1. Volunteer and Paid Staff OAA Title III AAA FTE Counts in 2015-2019, States, DC, and Territories. Economic Value Based on the estimated hours contributed by OAA Title III AAA volunteers in FY 2019, the economic value of AAA volunteers is equal to approximately $1.7 billion12 for that fiscal year. This represents a significant economic value, considering that federal funding for OAA Title III in FY 2019 was $1.49 billion. OAA Title VII LTCOP Program Reach According to the National Ombudsman Reporting System (the program's administrative reporting system), ombudsman programs were responsible for advocating for residents in 16,263 nursing homes 9 For OAA Title III, staffing data include FTE counts for AAA volunteers and paid staff. Data on head counts of volunteers and paid staff are not collected. 10 Total number of volunteer hours = FTE count of volunteers multiplied by 2000 hours. 11 The high AAA volunteer FTE counts are driven by five states each year; the volunteer FTE count would be much smaller, compared to the paid staff FTE count, if data from these five states were removed. (For the years 2015, 2017, and 2019, volunteer FTE counts would be about half of the paid staff FTE counts if the data from these states were removed.) 12 62,467,200 hours multiplied by $27.20. 17,727 28,517 24,380 25,951 31,234 24,335 24,675 26,207 25,943 24,642 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 FTE Count of Staff Year Area Agency - Volunteers (FTE counts) Area Agency - Total Paid Staff (FTE counts) 2015: Area AgencyVolunteers( FTE counts): 17,727 2015: Area Agency Total paid staff (FTE counts): 24, 335 2016: Area AgencyVolunteers( FTE counts): 28,517 2016: Area Agency Total paid staff (FTE counts): 24,675 2017: Area AgencyVolunteers( FTE counts): 24,380 2017: Area Agency Total paid staff (FTE counts): 26, 207 2018: Area AgencyVolunteers( FTE counts): 25,951 2018: Area Agency Total paid staff (FTE counts): 25,943 2019: Area AgencyVolunteers( FTE counts): 31, 234 (circled) 2019: Area Agency Total paid staff (FTE counts): 24,642 6 and 58,837 board and care homes in FY 2019. During this period, ombudsmen responded to 198,502 complaints from 123,863 individuals, and they provided information on rights, care, and related services to individuals and long-term care facility managers and staff on 425,084 occasions. Volunteer Contribution and Share of Labor Effort Supporting the program in FY 2019 in these responsibilities were 1,118 people working full-time and 5,947 certified volunteer ombudsmen. 13 Paid staff represented 1,362 FTEs. Volunteers donated 514,095 hours of time to OAA Title VII LTCOPs, the equivalent of approximately 257 volunteer FTEs. On average, each volunteer contributed 7.2 hours of work per month to the program, or 86.5 hours per year. These results suggest that OAA Title VII LTCOP volunteers contribute more hours on average than volunteers in general. Specifically, according to the September 2015 Current Population Survey, volunteers spent a median of 52 hours (4.3 hours/month) on volunteer activities during the period from September 2014 to September 2015 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, 2015). OAA Title VII LTCOP FTE data show that certified volunteer ombudsmen contributed about 15.9% of the total certified ombudsmen annual labor in FY 2019. However, volunteer FTE counts have been steadily decreasing over time, from 354 in 2015 to 257 in 2019 for the LTCOP. Exhibit 2. Volunteer and Paid Staff LTCOP FTE Counts in 2015-2019, States, DC, and Territories. Economic Value Based on the hours contributed by certified LTCOP volunteers in FY 2019, the economic value of volunteers is equal to $14 million14 for that year. (OAA Title VII LTCOP federal funding was $16.9 million 13 "Ombudsman" refers to the State Ombudsman. All other staff that perform duties of the Office are "designated representatives of the Office" although many use the term "ombudsman" in practice. The National Ombudsman Reporting System uses the term "certified" rather than "designated." Volunteer data represent data for certified volunteer ombudsmen (not other volunteers). 14 514,095 hours multiplied by $27.20. 354 305 296 272 257 1,301 1,320 1,319 1,297 1,362 0 400 800 1,200 1,600 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 FTE Count of Staff Year Total Number of Certified Volunteer FTEs Total Number of Paid Staff FTEs 2015: Total number of certified volunteer FTEs: 354 2015: Total number of Paid Staff FTEs: 1,301 2016: Total number of certified volunteer FTEs: 305 2016: Total number of Paid Staff FTEs: 1,320 2017: Total number of certified volunteer FTEs: 296 2017: Total number of Paid Staff FTEs: 1, 319 2018: Total number of certified volunteer FTEs: 272 2018: Total number of Paid Staff FTEs: 1, 297 2019: Total number of certified volunteer FTEs: 257 (circled) 2019: Total number of Paid Staff FTEs: 1,362 7 for FY 2019). This translates into $2,351 per volunteer per year. With an average contribution of 7.2 hours of work per volunteer per month, each volunteer provided an average economic value of $196 per month. This represents a greater economic value than the value contributed by volunteers in general, who contributed a median of 4.3 hours per month in 2015 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, 2015), for an estimated economic value of $117 per month. SHIP Program Reach For GY 2019, the SHIPs reached 2,367,410 individuals via one-on-one assistance; 278,313 of these sessions were with individuals under 65 receiving Medicare due to disability. In addition, the programs reached 3,615,079 individuals through outreach activities. Volunteer Contribution and Share of Labor Effort Supporting the program in GY 2019 in these responsibilities were 2,651 FTE workers paid through SHIP, 4,495 donated FTE workers paid in kind, 15 and 6,403 volunteer workers. Volunteers donated 1,027,358 hours of their time, equating to approximately 514 volunteer FTE workers. On average, each volunteer contributed 13.4 hours of work per month to the program, or 160.5 hours per year. These results suggest that SHIP volunteers also contribute more hours on average than volunteers in general (1.34 hours/month vs 4.3 hours/month). Based on SHIP FTE data, volunteers contributed about 28.2% of the total annual labor for the SHIP in GY 2019. Exhibit 3. Volunteer and Paid Staff SHIP FTE Counts for GY 2019. 15 "Donated" (In Kind): Anyone working with the program that is paid by a source other than SHIP?e.g., care managers at Housing and Urban Development housing who are doing SHIP work as part of their job with the housing complex.

Economic Value Based on the hours contributed by SHIP volunteers in GY 2019, the economic value of volunteers is equal to almost $28 million16 for that year. (Federal funding for the SHIP through discretionary appropriations was $49 million in FY 2019.) This translates into $4,364 per volunteer per year. With an average contribution of 13.4 hours of work per volunteer per month, each volunteer provides an average economic value of $364 per month. This represents more than triple the economic value contributed by volunteers in the general U.S. population, who contributed a median of 4.3 hours per month in 2015 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, 2015), for an estimated economic value of $117 per month. Summary and Implications Volunteers play a critical role in the capacity of OAA Title III programs, the OAA Title VII LTCOP, and SHIP to provide essential services to older adults (i.e., generally age 60 and older). These programs play a vital role in helping to maintain the health and well-being of millions of seniors age 60 and older, reaching one in five older adults. Serving these adults would not be possible without the significant and continuous contribution of volunteers, who, according to interviews of program leadership conducted as part of this study, often volunteer for these programs for up to 10-15 years. The results from this study also indicate that, on average, volunteers for the OAA programs and SHIPs contribute more hours per month than other volunteers. Importantly, through their commitment, OAA and SHIP volunteers represent a significant invisible labor force for these programs, providing an annual economic value of approximately $1.7 billion to OAA Title III programs, $14 million to OAA Title VII LTCOP, and $28 million to SHIP. Given FY 2019 federal funding levels for these programs, this contribution is significant, as the value of volunteer labor exceeds the federal17 funding level for OAA Title III and nearly equals the federal funding level for OAA Title VII LTCOP. Given these results, it is likely that, without volunteers, these programs at current funding levels would face great challenges in reaching those in need. The results underscore just how essential volunteers are to these programs. In addition, they suggest that the programs may face major challenges if they encounter a significant decrease in the volunteer workforce. Volunteer data from FY 2020-2021 may provide insight about the potential impact of a decreased volunteer workforce because many programs have reported losing a significant number of volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional analyses of volunteerism for OAA programs should examine the impact of COVID-19 on the number of volunteers and volunteer hours contributed to OAA programs. With the U.S. aging population expected to increase substantially over the next 40 years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020), and funding for many programs not keeping pace with the increase in the aging population, it is more important than ever to effectively engage existing volunteers and recruit new volunteers to help OAA programs and SHIPs meet the needs of our communities and ensure that services are provided continuously, reliably, and effectively. 16 1,027,985 hours multiplied by $27.20. 17 A significant amount of funding for OAA Title III is also provided by other sources. 9 Supplement - Local Program Level Results18 This supplement presents results of analyses calculating the economic value of volunteers at the local OAA and SHIP grantee level (i.e., AAAs and local service providers). Methodology Data Collection Methods As part of the study, researchers interviewed staff from nine grantee programs that use volunteers to provide ACL-funded services and supports as part of OAA Title III, OAA Title VII LTCOP, or SHIP. Among other questions, staff were asked about the number of volunteers19 and the total number of hours volunteers contributed in 2019. Programs that tracked these data provided them either during the interviews or in follow-up emails. If no data for 2019 were available, program staff were asked to provide their best estimate based on existing data from other years. Six20 of the nine interviewed programs were able to provide volunteer data. They included three OAA Title III programs, one OAA Title VII LTCOP, and two SHIPs. Analysis Methods The same two-stage analysis approach as that used in the national-level analysis described previously was applied to estimate the economic value of volunteers for each of the grantee programs. Specifically, the analysis included estimating the average number of hours contributed per volunteer per month, volunteer FTEs, and economic value of the volunteer labor based on applying the Independent Sector generalist wage assumption ($27.20). Study Results - OAA Title III Maine AAA (Spectrum Generations) Spectrum Generations is the Central Maine AAA and Aging and Disability Resource Center, providing information and advice, referrals, programs, and activities for adults for over 40 years. From September 1, 2018, to August 30, 2019, Spectrum Generations served 33,057 individuals, delivering 218,005 meals and serving 2,141 individuals as part of their congregate meal program. In addition, Spectrum Generations provided 480 individuals and their families with caregiver support, training, counseling, and respite and provided 11,825 Information and Assistance contacts to 5,297 individuals seeking resources to care for a loved one (Spectrum Generations, 2019). In 2019, Spectrum Generations had 423 volunteers, who donated 29,347 hours in total, equating to approximately 15 FTE volunteer workers. On average, each volunteer contributed 6 hours of work per month to the agency, or 69 hours per year. This represents an estimated total economic value of approximately $798,238 for 2019, or $157 per volunteer per month. 18 Programs have given permission to be named in this brief and to have their information included. All program staff were given the opportunity to review the content. 19 Data about paid staff are not available. 20 One program (Healthy Living for ME) was able to provide data about its own use of volunteers as well as for the AAA it contracts with (Maine AAA). 10 Exhibit 4. Maine AAA Volunteer Data and Value of Volunteer Time, 2019. Variable Maine AAA Number of Volunteers 423 Number of Volunteer Hours/Year 29,347 Volunteer FTEs 1521 Number of Volunteer Hours per Volunteer/Year 69 Number of Hours per Volunteer/Month 6 Value of Volunteer Time/Year $798,238 Value of Volunteer Time per Volunteer/Year $1,887 Value of Volunteer Time /per Volunteer/Month $157 Maine Evidence-Based Program Provider (Healthy Living for ME)22 Healthy Living for ME delivers programs to help adults manage chronic health conditions, prevent falls, and foster well-being. It focuses on four main training programs: Falls Prevention, Diabetes Prevention & Self-Management, Caregiver Support, and Chronic Pain & Disease Management. It is one of the local service providers that Spectrum Generations contracts with to provide services to individuals in the community. Volunteers are tasked with leading one or two trainings per year. Each training requires 6- 20 hours to deliver, depending on the program. In 2019, Healthy Living for ME had four volunteers, who donated approximately 78 hours per year. 23 This represents an estimated total economic value of approximately $2,121 for 2019, or $29 per volunteer per month. Wyoming Senior Center (The Hub on Smith) The Hub on Smith (the Hub) is a multipurpose Senior Center that has been serving older adults throughout Sheridan County in Wyoming for more than 40 years. Last year the Hub served over 4,800 individuals by providing many different types of support, including information and access to services; congregate, home-delivered, and grab-and-go meals; home and personal care services; and family caregiver support. 21 Number of volunteer hours/year divided by 2,000 22 Results for the value of volunteers for a similar evidence-based program in Tennessee was provided to ACL program staff via email. The Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) program is an evidence-based strength, balance, and fitness program for adults 65 and older provided by the Tennessee Commission on Aging & Disability. The program was funded with $148,752 in grant money for a 3-year period. During that period, volunteers contributed a total of 13,795 hours, for an estimated economic value of $378,810 (which is more than 2.5 times the value of the grant funding). 23 Low estimate is 24 hours/per year (4 volunteers multiplied by 6 hours multiplied by 1 training); average estimate is 78 hours/year (4 volunteers * 13 hours * 1.5 trainings); high estimate is 160 hours/per year (4 volunteers * 20 hours * 2 trainings). 11 The Hub staff estimated that, on average, 106 volunteers contribute a total of 8,778 hours24 per year, equating to approximately 4.4 FTE volunteer workers. On average, each volunteer contributes an estimated 7 hours of work per month to the center, or 83 hours per year. This represents an estimated total economic value of approximately $238,762, or $188 per volunteer per month. Maryland Home-Delivered Meals (Cecil County) The Maryland Home-Delivered Meals (HDM) program, operated by Cecil County Department of Community Services (DCS), provides meals to homebound persons aged 60 and over through the efforts of dedicated volunteers. Two meals, one hot and one cold, are delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to clients along eight routes. In 2019, the program had 40 volunteers, who donated 2,800 hours in total. On average, each volunteer contributed 6 hours of work per month to the program, or 70 hours per year. This represents an estimated total economic value of approxiamtely $76,160 for 2019, or $159 per volunteer per month. Exhibit 5, below, summarizes the extent and estimated value of volunteer time across these three OAA Title III programs in 2019. Exhibit 5. OAA Title III Grantee Volunteer Data and Value of Volunteer Time, 2019. Variable Healthy Living for ME The Hub HDM Number of Volunteers 4 106 40 Number of Volunteer Hours/Year 78 8,778 2,800 Volunteer FTEs 0.04 4.4 1.4 Number of Volunteer Hours per Volunteer/Year 13 83 70 Number of Hours per Volunteer/Month 1 7 6 Value of Volunteer Time/Year $2,121 $238,762 $76,160 Value of Volunteer Time per Volunteer/Year3 $354 $2,252 $1,904 Value of Volunteer Time /per Volunteer/Month $29 $188 $159 Study Results - OAA Title VII LTCOP California San Luis Obispo County LTCOP LTCO Services of San Luis Obispo County, a small not-for-profit agency, provides residents of care facilities in San Luis Obispo County, California, with access to advocacy services, complaint investigation and resolution, facility monitoring visits, and witnessing advanced health care directives. The agency was created in 1978 and on average has 15 ombudsman volunteers serving over 3,000 clients. Since its 24 For 6 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 106 volunteers contributed 3,511 hours. The Hub staff estimated that these hours would have been approximately 25% higher during "non-COVID times": (3,511+878)*2 = 8,778. 12 inception, volunteers have contributed thousands of hours to improve the quality of life for San Luis Obispo County facility residents. Funding for ombudsman services is provided by the AAA, the County of San Luis Obispo, and private donations. In 2019, the agency had 11 volunteers who donated 1,515 hours in total, equating to approximately one FTE volunteer worker. On average, each volunteer contributed 11 hours of work per month, or 138 hours per year. This represents an estimated total economic value of approxiamtely $41,208 for 2019, or $321 per volunteer per month. Exhibit 6, below, summarizes the amount and estimated value of volunteer time for this LTCOP in 2019. Exhibit 6. Ombudsman Services Volunteer Data and Value of Volunteer Time, 2019. Variable San Luis Obispo County LTCOP Number of Volunteers 11 Volunteer FTEs 1 Number of Volunteer Hours/Year 1,515 Number of Volunteer Hours/Volunteer/Year 138 Number of Hours/Volunteer/Month 11 Value of Volunteer Time/Year $41,208 Value of Volunteer Time/Volunteer/Year $3,746 Value of Volunteer Time/Volunteer/Month $312 Study Results - SHIP Florida SHIP (SHINE) SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the local AAA. Specially trained volunteers assist Florida seniors with Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. Services provided by this state agency are completely run by volunteers. In 2019, the agency had 450 volunteers, 25 who donated 78,000 hours in total, equating to approximately 39 FTE volunteer workers. On average, each volunteer contributed 14.4 hours of work per month, or 173 hours per year. This presents an estimated total economic value of approximately $2,121,600 for 2019, or $393 per volunteer per month. Michigan SHIP (MMAP) MMAP, Inc. (formerly Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program) is a nonprofit grantee of the Michigan Aging and Adult Services Agency to administer Michigan's SHIP grant. It operates under the direction of a volunteer Board of Directors who represent a variety of organizations that provide 25 Volunteers serve as volunteers for the Florida SHINE program and the Florida Senior Medical Patrol program. 13 services to Michigan's older adults and people with disabilities. MMAP provides free health-benefit counseling services at regional AAAs, County Departments on Aging, Senior Services Agencies, Commissions on Aging, and other similar organizations located throughout Michigan. MMAP has over 200 counseling locations serving 83 counties with more than 600 trained MMAP team members available to serve Michigan's 1.9 million Medicare beneficiaries. In FY 2019-2020, MMAP reached 187,478 Michigan Medicare beneficiaries through counseling and outreach activities, helping them save $48,121,214.00 on their health care expenses (MMAP, 2020). In 2019, MMAP had 566 volunteers who donated 11,634 hours in total, equating to approximately six FTE volunteer workers. On average, each volunteer contributed 1.7 hours of work per month, or 21 hours per year. This represents an estimated total economic value of approxiamtely $316,445 for 2019, or $47 per volunteer per month. Exhibit 7, below, summarizes the extent and estimated value of volunteer time across these two SHIPs in 2019. Exhibit 7. Florida and Michigan SHIP Volunteer Data and Value of Volunteer Time, 2019. Variable SHINE MMAP Number of Volunteers 450 566 Volunteer FTEs 39 6 Number of Volunteer Hours/Year 78,000 11,634 Number of Volunteer Hours/Volunteer/Year 173 21 Average Number of Hours/Volunteer/Month 14.44 1.71 Value of Volunteer Time/Year $2,121,600 $316,445 Value of Volunteer Time/Volunteer/Year $4,715 $560 Value of Volunteer Time/Volunteer/Month $393 $47

Describe at what point the healthcare program/policy evaluation occurred. When did this evaluation take place in relation to when the program started?

Exhibit 4 summarizes the volunteer contribution data for the Maine Area Agency on Aging (AAA), also known as Spectrum Generations, as part of the study on estimating the economic value of volunteers in OAA Title lll programs. Here's a breakdown of the information provided in Exhibit 4: * Maine AAA (Spectrum Generations): Spectrum Generations is identified as the Central Maine AAA and Aging and Disability Resource Center, serving as the focal point for aging services in the region. * Program Reach: This section provides information on the scope of services provided by Spectrum Generations during the specified time frame, which is from September 1, 2018, to August 30, 2019. It includes: * Number of individuals served: 33,057 * Meals delivered: 218,005 * Individuals served in congregate meal programs: 2,141 * Caregiver support provided to individuals and families: 480 * Information and Assistance contacts made: 11,825 * Volunteer Data: This section presents data related to volunteer involvement in Spectrum Generations' programs during the same time period (2019): * Number of volunteers: 423 * Total hours volunteered: 29,347 * Equivalent full-time equivalent (FTE) volunteer workers: Approximately 15 * Volunteer Contribution: This section details the average contribution of volunteers to Spectrum Generations' programs: * Average hours contributed per volunteer per month: 6 hours * Average hours contributed per volunteer per year: 69 hours * Economic Value: This section calculates the estimated economic value of the volunteer labor provided by Spectrum Generations' volunteers in 2019: * Total economic value of volunteer labor: Approximately $798,238 * Economic value per volunteer per month: $157 In summary, Exhibit 4 provides a snapshot of the significant contribution made by volunteers to Spectrum Generations' programs in Central Maine, both in terms of their time and the economic value they bring to the organization. This data underscores the vital role played by volunteers in supporting the delivery of essential services to older adults in the community