VolunteerLEON's Featured Story - April/May 2005

Volunteers Inspire by Example

VolunteerLEON along with a multitude of local, state, and national organizations are celebrating National Volunteer Week, Leon County Volunteer Month, and Florida Volunteer Month. This is a dedicated time when our community and others formally say ‘Thank you!” to the countless individuals who give back to their community by volunteering. Not only is the impact of volunteers in our community being applauded, but others are encouraged to get personally involved in strengthening their communities.

Some of the local and state events and initiatives celebrating volunteerism include:

Launch of the Volunteer Connection website - Providing citizens with a way to learn more about what nonprofit and government agencies need volunteers. This is a free service provided by VolunteerLEON and the Leon County Commission for citizens and organizations which utilizes volunteers.

Leon County Volunteer Month Proclamation - On April 12, the Leon County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution designating April 2005 as Leon County Volunteer Month.

Florida Volunteer Month Proclamation - Florida’s statewide celebration of volunteers began on April 5th with Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet proclaiming April as Florida Volunteer Month, adopting the slogan, “Change lives…Volunteer!”

Mitzvah Day – About three-hundred volunteers participated in Temple Israel's Third Annual Mitzvah Day on April 17th. "Mitzvah" is a Hebrew word meaning good deeds or act of loving kindness. Volunteers painted, cleaned, hammered and delivered meals in honor of this day. Even the youngest congregant gave community service hours!

Presidential Volunteer Service Awards - Thousands of volunteers around the country and 47 from Leon County received presidential recognition for their service. VolunteerLEON is one of the only local certified nominating organization.

Street of Service – Held in conjunction with the Chain of Parks Art Festival, an event which celebrates volunteerism in our community. It also gives citizens the opportunity to put faces with the names of organizations that need volunteers.

Youth Leadership Conference – Held on National Youth Service Day, the second bi-annual event provided middle and high school youth with an opportunity to talk about opportunities for youth leaders and decision makers in our community, learn how all skills and abilities contribute to a circle of shared leadership, and how partnerships with adults facilitate youth leadership in our community.

Volunteer of the Year Awards – The 27th annual recognition event sponsored by the Tallahassee Democrat which recognizes local youth, businesses, government agencies, schools, civic service, and human service volunteers

Now more than ever, people play a vital role in making a difference in our communities. VolunteerLEON applauds the achievements of the thousands locally who devote their time to serving others and encourages more people to become involved in local volunteer activities.

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