At the risk of sounding flippant, whether National Volunteer Week (April 27th - May 3rd this year) matters depends on who you ask.  Do the individuals that are often described in recognition ceremonies as "dedicated, compassionate, dependable" volunteer for the certificate, the plaque, the pin, their name and/or picture in the paper? I think not; they volunteer because they care and truly want to make their part of the world better.  Many are embarassed to be publicly recognized and feel that what they do doesn't warrant all the attention they are getting.  For many a simple thank you - from the guests at the soup kitchen, or  the pre-schoolers who snuggle in their laps for special stories, or the harried executive directors who are grateful that  they agreed to chair the auction, the golf tournament, the spaghetti dinner - is all the thanks they need or want.

Why do we dedicate a whole week each year to recognizing volunteers? Is this some subtle plot to increase sales of cards, plaques, flowers and other trinkets?  I think not, yet the economic impact that volunteers have cannot be denied.  According to Independent Sector, a Washington, D.C.-based coaltion of nonprofits and foundations, the value of each volunteer hour in 2007 rose to $19.51.  Think about that in relation to America's 1.4 million charitable organizations.  If only one volunteer provided only one hour per year in each of the million plus charities that's over $27,000,000 in donated services.  And we know that volunteers spend way more than one hour a week and any charitable organization worth its salt has way more than one volunteer!

Hospitals, nursing homes and established organizations excel at volunteer recognition and have one year, five year, ten year - you get the idea - awards.  For volunteer coordinators this is a busy time of year, planning the recognition event, figuring out who gets what and trying to ensure that everyone gets recognized and no one gets slighted.   It's really quite stressful.  So I guess it matters to them because it is in their job description that they are responsible for planning, organizing and implementing an annual volunteer recognition event.

So while I personally could do without the staged recognition events, I know unequivocally that our community and our nation cannot do without our volunteers.  So to all of you who deliver the meals, visit the elderly, transport patients, tutor students, serve on boards and committees, share your passion for the outdoors with young campers, serve as scout leaders and docents, and the thousand other kindnesses and ways you share your time and talent as a volunter - THANK YOU SINCERELY.

And to the episodic volunteers, who are not affiliated with a charitable organization, but take their elderly neighbor for groceries, or provide respite for family members caring for the ill or frail, or babysit so young parents can have a night out, or participate in a neighborhood clean-up, or organize a fund raising event for a terminally ill child - THANK YOU SINCERELY.

I think National Volunteer Week matters because volunteers matter.  It also provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness and encourage more people to give back to their community.  And so as you go about your week volunteering or not, attending a recognition event or not, think about the men and women - young and old for whom volunteering is an important and integral part of their lives.  And after you think about them, think about joining them in this uniquely American phenomenon. 

Until next time,
Pat

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