Monthly Feature October 2008: Family Volunteer Day/National Family Week

Monthly Feature Archive

HandsOn Network logoA signature program of Hands On Network and presented by the Walt Disney Company, Family Volunteer Day, is designed to demonstrate the power of families who volunteer together to support the communities in which they live and work. Volunteering as a family provides quality time for busy families, strengthens communication, and promotes working together to impact local communities across the nation.

A prelude to National Family Week, Family Volunteer Day is celebrated on Saturday, November 22, 2008. This day of service is a powerful way for families who volunteer to support the communities in which they live.

What is family volunteering? Family volunteering can be as simple as drawing cards for children in the hospital or as complex as linking hundreds of families in a day of volunteer service. It can be done by the whole family, by one parent and a child or teen, by siblings, or extended family members.

A number of resources exist for families and volunteer organizations to use when developing and planning projects for this day of service — or any day.

  • Contact your local Volunteer Center by calling 1-800-VOLUNTEER or visiting www.1800VOLUNTEER.org. This national website portal provides volunteers with a direct connection to local volunteer opportunities that match interests, skills, and the common desire to make a difference.
  • Visit www.FamilyCares.org for project ideas, educational materials, games, and more. A signature program of Hands On Network, this online resource is for families who want to volunteer together and organizations that are looking for resources for family volunteering.
  • The Volunteer Family website provides a database of family volunteering opportunities from Volunteer Centers across the nation. 

And keep the momentum going with National Family Week!

Observed from November 23–39, National Family Week embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and that families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks, and services. Sponsored by the Alliance for Children and Families, National Family Week activities support civic engagement efforts, connect individuals to local resources, and honor those who advocate for families.

This year National Family Week will focus primarily on actions that are oriented toward civic engagement. The goal is to bring visibility to agencies’ civic engagement initiatives, strengthen the authentic voice of community members, and celebrate success in enhancing social policy that supports children and families.

Agencies wishing to continue with other National Family Week activities such as fairs, contests, and family awards will be able to access tools and templates on the National Family Week website.

For more information, contact Paula Purcell, National Family Week director, at 414-359-1040 x. 3648 or ppurcell@alliance1.org.

Also visit the website to contribute your National Family Week plans and share in other family’s successes.

Planning Grants Available

Members interested in planning National Family Week civic engagement activities will be eligible to receive small organizing grants — made available through the New Vision for Civic Engagement grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. They are intended to further exploration and gauge the community’s interest in civic engagement, launch or culminate a civic engagement initiative, and link a component of the agency’s civic engagement work with a National Family Week celebration. Visit the website for more details.

Awarding Volunteers

Organizations participating in National Family Week are encouraged to present a National Family Week Advocacy Award to an individual who has significantly contributed to state and local advocacy efforts on behalf of vulnerable children and families. By including an award ceremony in a National Family Week celebration, a community leader can be publicly recognized for tirelessly advocating for policies and legislation that promote the well-being of children and families.

Present an award to a recipient who has

  • Advocated for policy that enhances the lives of children and families
  • Presented a family-strengthening initiative
  • Lent support to legislation to improve the lives of at risk children and families
  • Held a public discussion on issues that strengthen vulnerable families
  • Headed an organization that has accomplished the above

Visit the website to view last year’s award recipients and see a sample National Family Week Advocacy award certificate.

From the Resource Center Lending Library

From the Effective Practices Collection