Days of Service - Volunteer Resources
Below you will see a list of days of service that are practiced in the United States. It is possible that your corps may receive calls from groups wanting to participate in a particular day of service who are looking for volunteer opportunities. Additionally, many of these days are looking for organizations to provide service projects which they can then send groups to do. On many of these links there is a place to provide information if you would like to submit a project for a group of volunteers to do. Finally, these days are designed to have people get involved in service. To assist in that endeavor, there is lots of support on their websites for you to become engaged. So we would encourage you to find one or many that interests you and check it out.
January
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service - January 18, 2010
The Corporation for National and Community Service Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Provides Day of Service tool kit, resources (project evaluation forms, project checklists, sample schedules, etc), project tips and advice on dealing with the media.
February
Corporate Philanthropy Day - February 22, 1010
Building awareness of corporate-community partnerships and inspiring businesses to engage further in philanthropy. (Global as of 2009)
Random Acts of Kindness Week - February 15 - 21, 2010
Random Acts of Kindness Week is dedicated to celebrating the little things we do for others.
March
Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning - March 31, 2010
Students along with their parents, teachers, business and community members join together to commemorate Chavez by participating in beautification projects, programs to harvest fields of excess crops, park clean-up projects, and community health fairs. Contains collateral materials and ideas for getting involved.
April
National Volunteer Week - April 18 - 24, 2010
National Volunteer Week, always held in the third week of April unless the spring religious holidays coincide, has been celebrated annually since the 1970s, though its visibility has been reduced by the new "Seasons of Service" calendar of events throughout the year. Now sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, National Volunteer Week "honors and recognizes the individuals who have made a difference in our communities and alerts others to the need for more voluntary community service to help solve our nation's serious social problems." Points of Light provides a National Volunteer Week Promotional Kit.
Global Youth Service Day - April 23 - 25, 2010
Occurs each year immediately preceeding National Volunteer Week and celebrates the positive contributions that millions of young people are making in their communities. Major sponsors are Youth Service America and Parade magazine.
May
Join Hands Day - First Saturday in May
This national event unites young people and adults in an effort to make their neighborhoods better. The day brings youth and adults together as equal partners in planning an activity that fixes or improves a local problem.
July
Mandela Day - TBA
An annual celebration of Nelson Mandela's life (started in 2009) and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to" make an imprint" and change the world around them -- by giving 67 minutes of volunteer service.
September
National Day of Service and Remembrance - September 11
September 11th has now been officially designated as the National Day of Service and Remembrance under the 2009 Serve America Act. It grew out of a series of similar commemorations organized by My Good Deed
October
Be The Change Day - TBA for 2010
An annual service day sponsored by South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT).
Make a Difference Day - 4th Saturday in October
Each October, USA Weekend magazine, in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation, sponsors a day for people to volunteer and make a difference in the their communities.
November
National Family Volunteer Day - Saturday before Thanksgiving
Designed to showcase the benefits of families working together in service to the community and encourage those who haven't yet made the commitment to volunteer as a family. National Family Volunteer Day is co-sponsored by Hands On Network and The Walt Disney Company and kicks off National Family Week.
National Philanthropy Day - November 15, 2010
Sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, this day is celebrated around the US by AFP chapters in various ways, often with conferences or awards. Financial giving is the primary focus, but volunteering is almost always included.
Other Days of Service
United Way Day of Caring
The day of United Way's Day of Caring changes from one United Way to another as well as from one company to the next. This is a corporate program sponsored by United Way to engage companies in becoming active civic partners in a community. You will want to check with your local United Way to find out more about their Day of Caring program.