National Volunteer Week Celebrations
Recognition
Several countries now have National Volunteer
Week celebrations. For general information about these weeks, see
our events page. Also
see the official annual information at these sites:
Volunteers Rock!
To celebrate National Volunteer Week this year we chose to host a 50's themed Rockin' Volunteer Bash luncheon to say "Volunteers, You Rock!" Many of the staff wore 50's style clothing and all guests were encouraged to do the same. As guests arrived, two of our staff rolled around on roller skates with record-style trays full of bazooka gum and red licorice. Music from the 50's played behind an inflatable juke box. The room which held the food had handmade music notes and records hanging from the ceiling. The seating tables were covered with black and white checkered tablecloths with a centerpiece of a cut-out couple dancing on records. We found many of our decorations at party supplies websites. The food also stayed with the theme. We served In-N-Out Burgers, fruit salad, macaroni and cheese, chips and brownies. We also set up a soda shop where two staff served rootbeer floats and refreshments. Our Rockin' Volunteer Bash was a huge success and a fun day for all.
Submitted by Jessica Richter, www.nclifeline.org
"What Does
My Mentor Mean to Me?"
I coordinate an AmeriCorps Program in Texas and our members/volunteers
tutor and mentor at-risk. For National Volunteer Week we are sponsoring
an essay contest. The theme is "What Does My Mentor Mean To Me"
We are going to post these essays on the program listserv and prizes
will be awarded for the top three essays.
Submitted by Leslie, Special Programs Coordinator, AmeriCorps-UTA,
TX
Volunteer Appreciation
Luncheon
Every April during Volunteer Appreciation Week we hold a Volunteer
Appreciation Luncheon to recognize the efforts of our volunteers.
This past year we served 700 free lunches to say thanks to our volunteers.
Other activities take place this week as well including a button program
that recognizes our volunteers with special discounts from local merchants.
Submitted by Volunteer Centre of the Blue Sky Region, Canada
A Personal Moment
We are celebrating National Volunteer Week in our High School with
an assembly that will recognize 3 volunteers that have always been
there for so many of our school, community and veterans events. While
we only recognize 3 with awards there are countless others, parents,
grandparents and friends that are there working in the background
in so many ways. It only takes a minute to recognize them on a personal
level when you see them. Bring them to a stop (they are usually very
busy), look them in the eye with your best smile and say "Thank
you for all the help you give!".
Submitted by Becky Dirks, Post Adjutant VFW Post 4077 , Anamosa
Iowa
Volunteers are Gold
This year for our Volunteer Recognition Event during National Volunteer
Week, we are having an Olympic theme. We are having various staff
members speak to recognize each group of volunteers as to why "Volunteers
Are Our Gold"! We ordered volunteer-designed water bottles and
filled with candy with our logo imprinted on the back with our theme
"You Are Our Gold". We are greeting each volunteer at the
event by hanging gold medals around their necks. We are decorating
in red, white, and blue and having the Olympic ring display at the
front of the room. Lastly, we are having a Power Point presentation
of events and volunteer pictures from the last year with a gold medal
design. We will play the Olympic theme during the presentation.
Submitted by Heather Melton, Volunteer Coordinator, The Elizabeth
Hospice, Escondido, CA 92025
Hats off to Volunteers
Our theme last year for Volunteer Recognition was "Hats Off to
You". All the staff came wearing outrageous hats of all kinds,
the potted plants as centerpieces were in hats turned upside down.
But the most fun was that all 100 of those present made newspaper
hats - the kind that it takes at least 3 people to make - one as model,
one to hold 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper down on model's head, one to
wrap tape around the model's head and paper, and many hands to roll
the paper up as the hat's brim. Volunteers met and worked with all
sorts of new people, decorated the hats with flowers and balloons
and whatever else they could find and had so much fun. I have never
seen a room full of people who did not know each other have so much
fun working together. Everyone left with a totally unique hat and
a great memory. Their sense of commitment to our organization for
another year was sealed by newspaper hats.
Submitted by Catherine Graham, Volunteer Services Manager, IHS,
The Institute for Human Services
Chocolate Bars
We always have our volunteer recognition event in June but this year,
because it is International Year of Volunteers, I did not want National
Volunteer Week to go by without some special acknowledgment. During
April, I sent all our volunteers a chocolate bar in the mail with
a special card inviting them to our BBQ in June and telling them all
the scientific reasons why chocolate is good for you, plus a funny
list all about chocolate I found on the Internet. It was such a small
and simple gesture but I have never had so much feedback. The neat
thing is that I have 200 volunteers and I only get about 60 individuals
out to our official volunteer recognition event. This way even the
volunteers who never come to events received a treat, and they were
surprised and thrilled.
Submitted by Linda Sunderland, Coordinator of Volunteers and Education,
Hospice Peterborough
Jeopardy
At a recent Volunteer Recognition night for our agency, we played
a game of "Jeopardy" with topics relating to our volunteers
and our agency's work. Those who answered questions correctly received
a chocolate truffle. We also did a take of of Dave Letterman's "Top
Ten" by coming up with our own list of "Top Ten" reasons
to Volunteer with our agency. At various points throughout the evening,
we revealed one of the reasons. We also read little poems we had written
about certain volunteers we were highlighting with special recognition,
then presented them with the poem.
Submitted by Robin Albert, Volunteer Coordinator, Sexual Assault
Support Service
Hats Off to Volunteers
Day!
How about a "Hats Off to Volunteers Day?' Just have the staff
wear a hat (any kind) on that day and tip their hat to each volunteer
they meet. Now I need some ideas. We still have the big luncheon to
recognize volunteers during National Volunteer Week. Our theme next
year will be "Celebrate the Magic of Volunteering." Of course
we'll have a magician; centerpieces will be black top hats with rabbits
in them.
Submitted by Jean Anton, Director of Volunteer Services, Shriners
Hospital for Children - St. Louis
National Volunteer
Week Packet
A great National Volunteer Week packet is located on the University
of Nebraska - 4-H website at http://www.ianr.unl.edu/ianr/4h/volun/packet.htm.
It has a lots of general recognition ideas! Submitted by Tina Veal,
Extension Assistant, Youth Development, McLean County 4-H, Illinois
3/12/04
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