Tag Archives: volunteer

General Safety Issues

MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERS

We all know that there are many worthy causes to give our time and money to.  A very special group that utilizes thousands of volunteers is the Special Olympics.  June of 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a summer day camp for children and adults with intellectual disabilities at her home in Maryland.

Camp Shriver was the predecessor to the Special Olympics.  When Mrs. Shriver declared the first Special Olympics open in Chicago, July, 1968, she lead 1,000 athletes from 26 states and Canada onto Soldier Field.  From that time until the present, the Special Olympics have grown to more than three million athletes in over 150 countries.  The Winter Special Olympics were held in Canada this past February; summer games will be in Athens, Greece, in 2011.

Special Olympics offers year-round sports training and athletic competition in all fifty states of the U.S.  Texas has more than 44,000 volunteers that help with the daily workouts and keep the contests running smoothly.  In addition to helping with events, they coach athletes, help with fund raising, coordinate events, work in offices, and serve on committees.  Volunteers are the backbone of this organization.  More than 1.5 million individuals around the globe donate their time to giving children and adults with intellectual disabilities or physical disabilities the chance to compete and make friends with others from outside their own communities.

SO vest

Those youngsters age 14 or under who want to volunteer to help with Special Olympics, must be accompanied by an adult.  What better way for a parent and their child to experience the joy of helping others could there be?  If you live in a city that is home to a Special Olympics office, contact them and offer your help.  If not, there are plenty of other ways to help.  Check the Special Olympics website for all types of information.  These great athletes can teach us about spirit, determination, and sportsmanship.

General Safety Issues

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK 2010

This week, April 18-24, is National Volunteer Week, which is a time to thank one of our nation’s most valuable assets — volunteers — and call the public’s attention to all that they do to improve our communities.

Sponsored nationally by the Points of Light Institute, National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard M. Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Every president since has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. The theme, “celebrating people in action,” truly captures the meaning behind this signature week — honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities.

What would small communities do without volunteers?  Persons who work on city councils, hospital boards, and many other types of community boards receive no pay, but do it because they want to serve.  Places of entertainment, such as museums, theatres, art shows and others need volunteers.  When towns hold their annual festivals, they depend on volunteers to ensure success.  In most small towns, volunteer firemen and women are the ones fighting fires. In some cases, they may receive assistance from professional support teams; however, most of the time, these communities rely totally on their volunteer firemen and first responders.

Young people volunteer on summer projects; rather than spending their time going swimming, to the mall, or other fun things, they are swinging a hammer, painting, or performing other tasks, to repair homes for folks that otherwise can’t afford repairs.  Students also volunteer by collecting money for worthwhile causes, or running a race for financial pledges to help on special projects.

Hospital volunteers help their hospital meet budget by doing all types of clerical work at no charge.  They also hold fundraisers in order to buy needed equipment, thereby freeing up the hospital to make other purchases.  An important part of hospital volunteers are Pink Ladies, who serve in the patient areas of hospitals, doing various duties as outlined by volunteer criteria.  Church members can always be counted on to do whatever they can to help out their communities in times of troubles.  And what on earth would we do in times of destruction: fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, if it weren’t for the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and many other groups who wouldn’t be able to fulfill their duties without dedicated volunteers.

If you prefer not to help in a group, there are many ways to give the gift of yourself: reading to someone in a nursing home, running errands, cooking a meal for a family with a sick member, or simply calling an elderly friend to make sure they are o.k.  One can never know what that act of kindness may mean to someone.  Anyone with time to spare should give volunteering a try.

To quote Muhammad Ali: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Uncategorized

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

This week, April 19-25, is National Volunteer Week.

National Volunteer Week is a time to thank one of our nation’s most valuable assets — volunteers — and call the public’s attention to all that they do to improve our communities.

Sponsored nationally by the Points of Light Institute, National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard M. Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Every president since has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. The theme, “celebrating people in action,” truly captures the meaning behind this signature week — honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities.

What would small communities do without volunteers?  Persons who work on city councils, hospital boards, and many other types of community boards receive no pay, but do it because they want to serve.  Many places of entertainment utilize volunteers, such as museums, theatres, art shows and others.  Most cities have annual festivals or celebrations and depend on volunteers for to ensure their success.

Young students volunteer on summer projects; rather than spending their time going swimming, to the mall, or other fun things, they are swinging a hammer, painting, or performing other duties such as helping repair homes for folks that otherwise can’t afford them.  Students also volunteer in many ways by collecting for worthwhile causes, or running a race for financial pledges to help on special projects.

Lately, there have been many fires in Texas and Oklahoma; news reports revealed that the only ones fighting part of these devastating fires were volunteer firemen and women.  In some cases, there was assistance from professional support teams.  However, most of the time, smaller communities rely on their volunteer firemen and first responders.

Hospital volunteers help their hospital meet budget by doing all types of clerical work at no charge.  They also hold fundraisers in order to buy needed equipment, thereby freeing up the hospital to make other purchases.  Church members are permanent volunteers, doing all they are able to do to help out their communities in times of troubles.  And what on earth would we do in times of destruction: fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, just to name a few, if it weren’t for the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and many other groups that depend on their volunteers to help them provide needed relief?

Whether doing a small thing, such as reading to someone in a nursing home, running errands, or cooking a meal for a family with a sick member, one can never know what that act of kindness means to others.  Anyone who can spare an hour or so any time should give volunteering a try.  The best reward a person can receive is knowing that they have given a part of themselves to make the world a better place.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

GIVING BACK

A volunteer is someone who chooses to make a difference for his/her community, an individual, or environment without compensation.  The person who “gives back” reaps the best rewards of all!  It is just natural that a healthy attitude toward others helps improve our health.  Volunteers can belong to organizations or do so as individuals.

Experts noted that the biggest statistical difference between volunteers and non-volunteers is the time they spend watching television: 15 hours per week for volunteers, versus 23 hours per week for non-volunteers.  This averages more than 400 hours a year that could mean a world of difference if there were more volunteers.

Each of us has a gift of some kind that can benefit someone.  At this time of year, our attention is drawn to shelters, where volunteers serve holiday meals.  What happens after the holiday?  Would you be willing to:

  • Deliver meals to shut-ins?
  • Offer technical support to non-profit organizations?
  • Offer your services in a leadership capacity for community drives?
  • Be a hospital volunteer?
  • Serve as a volunteer fireman/woman?
  • Go to nursing homes and read/visit with residents?

Most small communities have fire departments that are made up entirely of volunteers, who receive formal/informal training.  What would happen without these brave and dedicated persons?

Young people should be aware that there are many unfortunate people who need a little help.  Many youth groups volunteer in the summer to work on projects such as home improvement for those who qualify.  This is a great way for the youth of our country to reach out to others.

Ways to serve are abundant in any community.  Check with the Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Organizations, local hospitals, nursing homes, and you are sure to find some way that you can “give back”, a gift that will be appreciated more than you can ever dream!