For many, April embodies everything we think of when we think of spring. The rain, the blooms, the warmth-the allergies. What we don't often think about during Apri is that it is our National Volunteer month! This National Volunteer month is shaping up to be the springtime of volunteerism in a way that no past NVM has been able to match. As daily life slowly creeps and crawls back to something resembling, "normal," so too are our volunteer efforts.
We can once again start to think about bringing in volunteers in person, or going out to give our time to others. But before we fully move on, let's take a moment to briefly reflect on how we made it to this moment. On behalf of United Way Volunteers, we want to thank all those virtual volunteers who ensured that the flame of volunteerism did not flicker or falter during the darkest days of the pandemic. Your contributions to the community were the seeds which we are now seeing blossom into the incredible volunteer opportunities ahead.
Here at United Way of the Coastal Empire, we are wasting no time in celebrating National Volunteer Month. On April 1, volunteers will be filling up Easter Baskets with fun goodies for children ages 5-8 in conjunction with the Hinesville Housing Authority. The children will receive the traditional candy in addition to fun socks, some books, and other fun items! We hope these baskets will bring springtime joy for these children, and their parents!
As access to food remains a concern, despite the Post-Vaccination phase of COVID, we want to make sure that our fellow community members don't fall through the cracks. As such, we'll be assisting with a food distribution event on April 16 in Savannah! Volunteers will help load up their neighbors' cars with essential food!
The very next day will see us volunteering in Bryan County! With Pembroke continuing its renaissance, United Way thought it was a great time to jump in and lend a hand! We'll be working on setting up planters along 3 blocks between Church, Main, and College Streets. These planters will be built, filled, and placed through a community-wide effort!
Closing out our schedule of events, volunteers will be spearheading a beautification project with CASA Ogechee at their visitation home on April 24. The project will spruce up the exterior of the home to reflect the beautiful work that occurs within the home! This project is the perfect combination of Volunteers Month and National Lawn and Garden month, as we'll be getting our knees dirty, landscaping and gardening!
While we hope these four events encourage similar participation in volunteerism, we understand that getting out there might remain a challenge. That is why we want people to rethink volunteerism. At its simplest and purest, to volunteer is to step forward; to give oneself to something or someone else while asking for nothing in return. We encourage you to recognize and appreciate those around you, including yourself, who step forward this month. From holding open the door, to wearing a mask, to participating in those events above, make sure no act of volunteerism goes unappreciated.
