It’s In The Mail

Are you strapped for time and need an easy way to thank volunteers? Simply send each volunteer a “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Greeting Card. Add a special twist by including a raffle ticket in 15 of the cards. Write a small note on each ticket with a phone number for the lucky recipient to call. Give the winners a gift from the 15-Piece Deluxe Raffle Pack. Then print their names in your newsletter or local paper.

Meet And Greet

Are your volunteers behind the scenes? Do they make a difference in the community but few know it? Bring them into the limelight this year with an open house at your facility. Advertise for the event in the local newspaper and on the radio, and send volunteers “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Volunteer Event Invitation Postcards. On the night of the event, as each volunteer arrives give him or her a Button from the “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Decoration Pack. Ask volunteers to wear the Buttons so others can identify them. You can use the rest of the items from the Decoration Pack to dress up your facility.

Green Acres

Treat your volunteers to a field trip at a botanical garden or park that focuses on local plant life. Plan the event for the end of National Volunteer Week. At the beginning of the week, give each volunteer a Deluxe Lunch Bag . If you wish, personalize the bags with your business or organization’s logo. Invite volunteers to pack their lunches in the bags for your “field trip” later that week. After visiting the garden or park, give each participant a “Volunteers Plant The Seeds Of Kindness” Puddle Jumper Garden Gift Set as a memento of the occasion.

Pet Project

Here’s a volunteer activity that’s sure to be fun. In advance, ask volunteers to bring in pictures of their pets (one picture per volunteer). Scan the photos in and use them to make up worksheets. Then pass the sheets out to volunteers and have them match other volunteers to their pets. Set a deadline for participants to hand in the completed activity. When they finish, reward volunteers with “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Hershey®’s Kisses® Mini Gift Totes. Give the person who matched the most correctly a “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Vivid Pocket Tote.

Their Time Is Precious

Reward your volunteers for all the time they spend helping out at your business or organization. Hold an appreciation celebration with time as the theme. Create signs and banners with phrases like “Thanks For Spending So Much Time With Us!” or “It’s Time To Thank You!” Decorate the event area with paper or real clocks, watches and other time-related items. Give each volunteer a “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Tri-Fold Frame Clock & Caddy.

Let There Be Light

In most areas of the country, April signifies the beginning of better weather despite the rain the month may bring. Celebrate the onset of warmer temperatures and brighter days with a sunshine-themed breakfast for your volunteers. To decorate, you could cover tables with yellow tablecloths and place yellow vases with yellow flowers on them. Serve up yellow foods and beverages such as bananas, lemonade, pineapple, scrambled eggs and lemon-poppy- seed bread. Have a “Volunteers: Rays of Sunshine” Lapel Pin at each place setting as well as a Volunteers Gift-Wrapped Daisy-Scented Candle.

Words To Live By

Use National Volunteer Week as the kick off for a Volunteer Book of the Month Club. Each month, choose an uplifting story that will inspire your volunteers. (Let them make suggestions, too.) Some examples of heartwarming stories are Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin and Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom. Buy a copy of the first month’s book for each volunteer. Pass out the books with “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Deluxe Bookmark & Pen Sets or “Volunteers: Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care” Photo Bookmarks.