Posts Tagged ‘Valentine’s Day’

Great Ways to Show Your Volunteers You Love Them

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Happy Valentines Day to all! We hope that you are enjoying your chocolates, cards, or flowers from your sweetheart today. Did you know Valentines Day can be more than just honoring the love you share with your significant other? It is also a great way to show your volunteers just how much you love them and the tremendous service they give to you and your organization! Below are some great suggestions to show your volunteer love not only just today but always!

We Are Thankful for Our Volunteers This Holiday Season

12 Tips for Recognizing Volunteer Managers

Recognizing Volunteers on Labor Day

6 Tips for Recognizing Volunteers

Four Tips for a Different National Volunteer Week

Giving Thanks for Volunteers

The Nine Basic Rules for Volunteer Recognition

National Volunteer Week, which runs from 4/15 to 4/21, is also a great way to recognize your volunteers and the work they do for your organization. You can recognize them not only with a service award, but also by sharing their ! Submit your stories by 3/31.

 

Make Valentine’s Day Go Beyond February 14

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Tomorrow is the big day, Valentine’s Day (men don’t forget)! While you may be thinking, “why would I actually want to celebrate this day it is just another excuse to spend money?” This year you can get a little more out of your presents than just making your sweetheart swoon over your gift.

Why not choose a Valentine’s gift that gives back instead of just gives for a couple days. Whether it is fair-trade chocolate, flowers that fight causes, or a teddy bear for charity you are sure to make an impression with these gifts!

  1. Flowers are always a good choice when it comes to your Valentine. How about choosing flowers that not only look gorgeous on her work desk or dinner table, but also give back to her favorite charity. Companies such as organicbouquet.com do just that! You have the choice of choosing from a bouquet of flowers in their Flowers for Good program. You can choose flowers that will give back to organizations such as the American Lung Association, Women For Women, Amnesty International, or PETA. Your sweetheart is sure to be impressed with this gift from the heart!
  2. Looking to put your honey’s feet in style, why not try TOMS shoes? For every pair of shoes that you purchase, another pair is given to a child in need. This is great way to not only bring a smile to your significant other’s face, but also give a smile to a child in need!
  3. Does your lover have a sweet tooth? Fair-trade chocolate is the perfect gift to satisfy a sweet tooth! Companies such as TCHO Chocolates and Divine Chocolate donate a portion of their proceed to fair-trade practices or practice fair-trade practices.
  4. Is your Valentine not much of a chocolate fanatic? Cookies are always a great gift for any holiday! Cookies for Kid’s Cancer not only taste great they also donate 100 percent of profits to fund pediatric cancer research!
  5. Looking for date ideas? Volunteer together for your favorite cause. It is a great way to spend time together on something that you are both passionate about.
  6. Give cookies or valentines cards to those in need. You can make cookies for your local retirement home, make valentines cards for a homeless shelter, or visit a hospital.
  7. Perform a small act of kindness for someone in your neighborhood, work, or a complete stranger. Whether you are shoveling someone’s driveway or mowing his or her lawn. You can truly show someone the power of love just through a simple act of kindness.

This Valentine’s Day do more to spread the love. You are sure to impress that special someone, while you also spread the love to someone who may need it more with these simple Valentines tips.

We hope these suggestions get you out of the Valentines Day rut and help you celebrate the power of love. Have a happy Valentines Day and please share with us how you are celebrating, we would love to hear about it!

40 Ways to Love Your Community on Valentine’s Day

Monday, February 14th, 2011

1. Organize your child’s classroom to make Valentine’s cards for residents of a local senior center.

2. Plant trees in a local park or green space.

3. Visit and entertain the patients at a local children’s hospital.

4. Tutor a child.

Volunteer
5. Volunteer to be the story hour reader at the local library.

6. Help a deserving neighbor shovel snow, rake leaves, clean gutters or wash windows.

7. Donate to the local food bank.

8. Cook and serve meal at a local shelter.

9. Lead a coat drive and deliver gently worn coats to a local homeless shelter.

Volunteer

10. Make and send care packages to service men and women overseas.

11. Collect combs, toothbrushes, shampoo and other essentials for a homeless shelter.

12. Adopt a grandparent.

13. Volunteer to pick up groceries or medicine for a senior citizen.

14. Give some time to delivering meals to the homebound.

15. Organize a dance or sing-along event at a local senior center.

16. Teach someone something you know.

17. Paint an educational mural at a local school.

18. Teach English to someone who needs help learning it.

19. Turn a vacant lot into a vibrant community green space.

Volunteer

20. Plant flowers instead of giving cut flowers.

21. Organize a public issues forum in your community.

22. Create a wildlife habitat, nature trail or outdoor classroom for a local school.

23. Recycle.

24. Carpool.

25. Give your time to the local animal shelter.

26. Be a mentor.

27. Give up your seat on the bus or train to someone who looks tired.

28. Give blood.

29. Sign up to be a scout leader.

30. Coach.

31. Organize a project for Global Youth Service Day.

Volunteer32. Be a good listener.

33. Advocate for legislation you care about.

34. Shop and eat locally.

35. Thank someone.

36. Trust.

37. Recognize someone who’s been a “point of light” in your life. Nominate them for a Daily Point of Light Award.

38. Recruit a friend to help.

39. Find a volunteer project at HandsOn Network.

40. Look for the good in all people.

volunteer