Involving Families and Employers in Volunteer Recognition
Recognition
A Free Evening
Many volunteers who donate their time to museums or other cultural institutions
do so for access to the facility in addition to their interest in the
mission of the facility. When it came time to organize a recognition
for volunteers at the science center, it was assumed we'd have some
sort of recognition dinner.
I felt the best gift we could give our volunteers was a free evening
for them and their families in our great facility. The bonus was seeing
how easy it was to get staff to volunteer that evening so the volunteers
could party. We usually offered some sort of light food in the cafe
and had every bit of the center open and free to our volunteers and
their friends and families. We always had some sort of food related
thank you theme, like Pizza and cake, "Volunteers, thanks for sharing
a slice of your time" an ice cream social became, 'OMSI has the scoop
on the best volunteers!' Staff truly enjoyed helping out, with the food
serving positions usually the job everyone wanted.
The added bonus was hearing staff say the next day how much they enjoyed
meeting all the volunteers and seeing how much these people loved our
science center. The staff, especially those who didn't work closely
with our volunteers, were especially struck by how much our volunteers
treasured and valued what they did for us, and how proud they were to
"show off" for their families. I almost think the staff looked forward
to this yearly event more than some of the volunteers, it was a great
way to build camaraderie and a real morale booster. Now, at a new science
center, I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition with a new
group of volunteers and staff. Submitted by Marcia Hale, Manager,
Volunteer Services, Chabot Observatory and Science Center
End-of-Year Picnic
In the past we used to organize volunteer "teas" at the end of the year
to say thank you to our school volunteers. The teas were held after
school, in each of the five district school buildings, on days that
were different from each other. That way a volunteer who helped in more
than one building could conceivably attend two (or more!) different
"teas". Our volunteer turn-out usually ranged from mediocre to down-right
poor. No big surprise when I look back. The time of day was convenient
for teachers and staff but terribly inconvenient for the very people
we wanted to recognize-our volunteers! I decided to organize an event
that would be more volunteer friendly, one with food, family and friends.
Now for the past 4 years, we have had a big end-of-the-year picnic for
all the volunteers of the district and their family members, to celebrate
the year and their contribution to our schools. There is no meal cost
to the volunteer or their family members and we get together around
5:30 pm to accommodate the majority of work schedules. We eat, visit
with each other, hear a few words on volunteerism, hand out awards,
and that's it! People are able to get out of there within an hour or
so. Volunteers appreciate having family members included and being able
to get to evening meetings or home at reasonable times. The staff of
the district help with decorating, serving food and clean up. Financially,
we utilize donations and keep costs down by doing one event rather than
5 separate events. We serve about 200 people hamburgers, salad, chips,
a cookie and beverage. Hamburgers are grilled by a local men's service
group. It is a great way to end the year! Submitted by Bobbi Murphy,
Coord of Volunteers/Workforce Coord, Sauk Rapids-Rice School District
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