Fewer than one in four Honolulu residents do volunteer work, ranking 42nd among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, a new federal report says.

The report, based on Census data from 2004 to 2006, found that 23.3 percent of Honolulu residents served as volunteers. Minneapolis-St. Paul was No. 1, at 40.5 percent.

The report was released Monday by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that is the nation's largest community service grantmaker and which oversees programs such as AmeriCorps.

Makiki resident Jason Jutz spends three to six hours a week mentoring a 13-year-old boy through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Jutz goes to sporting events and movies with the boy, serving as a male role model.

"I think it's gratifying. I find that seeing my 'little brother' progress through his performance in school — it really helps make me feel good about what I'm doing," said Jutz, who volunteered for more than two years. "I think that no matter where and how people are volunteering, they would feel gratification."

Jutz, who juggles full-time work as an account executive for Loomis-ISC and part-time as a cook at Cassis restaurant, said he always finds time to volunteer during the weekends. But not everyone can, he said.

"I think that people are working so much they don't have the time to spare, so getting involved (volunteering) is a little intimidating for people," he said. "They don't know where to start; they just need to be pointed in the right direction."

Judith Cantil, assistant vice president of community building for Aloha United Way, said she thinks local studies present a more accurate picture of volunteerism in the Islands. Cantil said the report doesn't measure informal, neighbor-to-neighbor deeds that spring from the aloha spirit.

"I think Hawai'i is way ahead of the ballpark, because we already have aloha and kokua," Cantil said. "(Neighboring) is the wave of the future in volunteering — taking care of each other instead of just giving direct help to the nonprofit."

The study focuses on volunteering for nonprofit organizations, but does not measure informal volunteering, said Sandy Scott, director of public affairs for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The report found a correlation between homeownership and volunteerism, and said homeowners may be more likely to volunteer because they have a larger stake in the quality of life of their area.

In top-ranked Minneapolis-St. Paul, 70 percent of residents own their homes, the report said. In Honolulu, 49 percent are homeowners.

The goal of the Corporation for National and Community Service is to foster volunteerism in the community, Scott said.

"The aim of these studies is to give a snapshot of volunteering in the community and suggest strategies for expanding it," he said.