April is National Volunteer Month and April 18-24 is National Volunteer Week - a time for celebrating and promoting volunteerism. Each year, nonprofits and charitable organizations shine a light on the people that inspire us all by recognizing and thanking these volunteers who lend their time and talents to make a difference right here in our community.
Usually, nonprofits have special projects or volunteer appreciation events during this time. But because of the pandemic, in-person events are still uncertain territory for many organizations.
Volunteer Southeast Mississippi, a service of United Way of Southeast Mississippi, suggests the following safe and virtual ways organizations can celebrate and promote volunteerism this month:
- Recognize your organization’s volunteers who have given their time and talents to the organization over the past year. An example of this would be creating a “Thank You Volunteers” post on the organization’s social media outlets.
- Share various ways that community members can get involved with volunteering for your organization.
- Write a personal thank you note to express your appreciation to your organization’s volunteers.
- Host a virtual ceremony or party for your volunteers – and spice it up with special awards like “Volunteer of the Year” or “Most Enthusiastic Volunteer.”
At the end of the day, this month is about honoring the spirit of the volunteer worker, and sometimes a simple “thank you” goes a long way.