Happy National Volunteer Week! Yesterday started the kickoff for the week. How will you celebrate the power of volunteerism? If you stick with HandsOn Network and our friends, you won’t be disappointed this week!

President Barack Obama officially the week of April 15-21 to be National Volunteer Week April 9^th. National Volunteer Week is a week long celebration of volunteer recognition and the power of service. It is the perfect time for beginner volunteers to start giving back, families to come together through volunteering, and organizations to recognize their volunteers and partners.

How can you celebrate this week with HandsOn Network, Points of Light, generationOn, and AmeriCorps Alums? The list below will make it easy for you to get involved!

1. Learning time: Our partners have many volunteer learning resources happening this week. GenerationOn is hosting a free webinar on April 18 “With Honor! May Moments of Service.” This is a great opportunity for youth to learn about service projects or organizations and individuals who work with youth to participate, as well. AmeriCorps Alums will be hosting a webinar on “Resume Assistance” April 17. This webinar is a great tool for adding volunteer experience to your career resume. You can also find many webinar resources on our website! Register for the above webinars by clicking on the webinar titles.
2. Reward volunteer hours: Cabot Creamery Cooperative, All for Good, Create the Good, and Points of Light have teamed together to make volunteer hours count for even more. Thanks to the “Reward Volunteers” mobile Smartphone application you can get prizes just for sharing your volunteer hours.
3. Volunteer with our friends: HandsOn Network has over 250 action centers who are all hosting volunteer projects across the nation. Whether you are interested in the environment or you just want to play with some cute animals we know you will not have a problem finding something to do.
4. Recognize volunteerism: There are so many ways that you can tell your volunteers “Thank-you” this week. From a simple thank-you card to a volunteer parade just show them that you care.
5. Tell us what you do: your story of volunteerism with Points of Light this week. By sharing your story, you could have a chance to win one of five cruise tickets to Alaska for you and a guest thanks to Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
6. Girl power: Do you know a woman who is making a big difference in the community through the power of volunteerism? Nominate her for the 2012 L’Oreal Paris USA’s Women of Worth contest. Your nomination could help her win money for her nonprofit!
7. Feed the hungry: Join generationOn and No Kid Hungry as they team up for the Great American Bake Sale. All you have to do is register your bake sale and donate your profits to Share Our Strength who will put your donations toward the fight against hunger.
8. Visit the Extra Mile Pathway: Want to be inspired by great acts of service? Visit the Points of Light Extra Mile Pathway, if you will be in the Washington DC area. There is a great bunch of dedicated volunteer stories just waiting to inspire you along the way.
9. Join Clifford: Know someone who is making an impact this week and beyond? Whether they are young or old nominate them for Scholastic’s BE BIG Challenge today!

National Volunteer Week is going to be awesome! We hope that you will get out and celebrate people in action.

Got questions? Let us know in the comments section below, after all we are a fun bunch so don’t be scared to ask!

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