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It's Not Too Late To
Join
By
Joan E. Thompson |
Plymouth
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It’s not too late
to join the nationwide campaign to focus on volunteers and
volunteering in your community during National Volunteer
Week: April 15 - 21. Here are few ways you might choose to
bring new life to the campaign theme, “Inspire by Example”
and spotlight exemplary volunteers.
Within your local club, church or neighborhood, bring small
favors to your April meeting to hand out to every member who
helps make the group successful: officers, committee chairs
and members, those who set up and clean up for events and
meetings, greeters, mentors and everyone who makes people
feel welcome. What kind of favor? How about Life Savers,
“For being one” or small mints, for their Involvemint,
Encourage-mint or Commit-mint?
What about strangers who let you in the checkout line –
voluntarily, without even being asked? Give them a Life
Saver!
Consider thanking members of Town Committees, Councils, and
Commissions. Leave an envelope with mints (you specify which
–mint you’re acknowledging) and the committee name of
citizen volunteers at Town Hall for their April
meeting.
How about the places you do business? Vendors who sell you
things, people who service you and your products, and people
in virtually every business in town? These are the folks who
often volunteer their time before or after work for someone
else’s benefit. Ask them during National Volunteer Week if
they volunteer – and how. Then be prepared to give them a
mint for whatever they do. If they express surprise, say,
“I’m handing out mints because everyone who volunteers to
help others strengthens the community for everyone”
There are only seven days in National Volunteer Week. Find
someway, each day, to thank the volunteers you encounter.
And don’t be afraid to admit you, too, are a volunteer.
You’ll be amazed at how credible your “Thank You” is –
because it comes from the heart of someone who values
volunteering enough to do it themselves!
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About The Author
Joan Thompson is the Executive Director for Mayflower RSVP,
Inc., a non-profit organization mobilizing Volunteer Service
Activities in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. She has
directed RSVP’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program for
nearly 30 years, working with 200 public/private, health,
human service, and educational organizations to provide
meaningful volunteer service opportunities for members in
the RSVP program. She is a trainer in Volunteer Systems
Management for local and national organizations and a member
of AVA, the International Association for Volunteer
Administration. She may be contacted at RSVP’s Plymouth
County headquarters, (508) 746-7787 or MayflowerRSVP@Verizon.net.
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