National Volunteer Week Highlight Dedicated Individuals

You may not know behind every non-profit in Eaton County are volunteers who have given their own time, without any compensation or reward.  It’s an attorney who is a volunteer board member selling raffle tickets.  It’s a labor manufacturer donating his/her time repairing stairs at a youth center or a retired school teacher delivering a hot meal to a home-bound senior.

During the week of April 15^th through the 21^st National Volunteer Week salute those people who go above and beyond their ordinary routine to make an extraordinary difference in a community.

National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities.  National Volunteer Week is about taking action, encouraging individuals to be at the center of social change—discovering and actively demonstrating collective powers to foster positive transformation.

This past week, several nonprofit partners in Eaton County took part in a “Giving & Volunteering Celebration” at the State Capital drawing hundreds throughout the State.  Agencies like CASA for Kids in Barry and Eaton County rely on volunteers for both board leadership and program children advocates. 

According to a recent study “Giving & Volunteering in Michigan” from the Michigan Nonprofit Association:

• More than 90 percent of individuals volunteered in 2011 – including formal and informal volunteering
• Women were more likely to volunteer than men in 2011 (91.8% vs. 88.5%)
• In 2011 there was a marked increase in the levels of volunteering, particularly in the younger age groups (18-24 years)

Never before has volunteerism taken a front seat in our society making a significant contribution in leveraging resources during economic hard times.  From mentoring at-risk youth to literacy programs for challenged adults, volunteers cover all ages from individuals to service groups and faith-based organizations.

National Volunteer Week is not only our moment in time to celebrate our volunteers, but to enable our community and the country to share ideas, practices, and stories, wherever they happen, and shaping a movement to re-imagine the notion of citizenship for the 21st century.

You can begin your volunteer experience by visiting the website www.1800volunteer.org .  To find or match volunteer and agency projects, contact Eaton County United Way at (517) 543-5402 or dial Central Michigan 2-1-1.