National Family Volunteer Day is tomorrow, a day for families to go into the community to work together and make their communities better.  It’s also an opportunity for corporate volunteer programs to bring their employees and their families together to improve the community.  If you work for a company that doesn’t have a employee volunteer program, you can find out how to start program and learn some of the best practices here.

There is a lot to consider when planning a large volunteer event with your company’s families.  Be sure to plan the event carefully, make sure the project design contains tasks for all of the members of the families, and be sure to manage the project attentively.  Don’t forget about risk management when the project is being planned.

Here are some more tips for planning your employee and family volunteer project:

Planning

• Verify all of the logistical information before sharing the information
• Be sure to choose a task that doesn’t require any special skills, or plan time to train the employees before the event
• Communicating with the partner agency is essential to a successful and enjoyable event

Project Design

• Work with organizations that have projects where employees and their families can see and experience the impact of their work
• Make sure the project meets a real community need and is seen as a benefit to the community
• Don’t simply have the employees and their families do a task, turn the project into a learning experience

Management

• Provide an orientation to the families prior to the project
• Provide opportunities for the families to interact with one another
• Explain to your volunteers the mission and goals for the organization and what is hoped to be accomplished as a result of the project

Risk Management

• Assess the project site before the event for safety
• Identify any equipment or areas of the project site that may be unsafe or a liability concern
• Inform family members that they must report any accident or injury and to whom they should report

Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

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Get HandsOn Tag Challenge Update!

Yesterday’s Get HandsOn Tag Master was David Resnick!  David has won a pair of round trip tickets on JetBlue, $25 for himself, and $100 for his favorite charity!

Today’s Celebrity Tag is !  Tag Alicia for swag!