The Salvation Army Celebrates National Volunteer Week
This blog post has been provided by Linda Reiter, our volunteer resource manager. She is a certified volunteer administrator and has managed volunteer programs for nearly two decades. She is passionate about engaging volunteers in meaningful ways, and energized by volunteers who bring hope, kindness and compassion to those in need.
National Volunteer Week is April 15-21 this year, and provides a reminder of how valuable volunteers are – especially those who take time out to support The Salvation Army. National Volunteer Week was started by Points of Light to encourage people and organizations to recognize and thank volunteers who lend their time, talent, voice and support to causes they care about in their community.
As the largest social service organization in the world, The Salvation Army could not do all that we do to serve our communities without the help of our most treasured asset – the volunteers who work alongside us every day of the year.
The Salvation Army volunteers provide support in many different ways:
- serving families at food pantries or holiday meals
- supporting individuals through our homeless outreach programs
- offering support and services during disasters large and small
- making blankets for those living in shelters or on the street
- teaching classes at corps community centers
- working with victims of domestic abuse or human trafficking
- supporting special events such as the radiothon
- helping during the holidays with meals, toy drives, and food distribution
Our volunteers have a direct impact on the lives they touch and we are so blessed to have them on our side as we Fight For Good! It is an honor to work alongside them, to count them as friends, and to see the compassion they bring to those who need it most. We have seen lives changed by a simple gesture and it makes coming to work everyday a joy.
To all our volunteers, past present and future, we say Thank You! You are foremost in our thoughts and prayers this week and we look forward to working with you as we work together to serve those most in need in our neighborhoods.
We invite you to join us in helping your community, in ways small and large. To learn more about volunteering, email us at METVolunteer@usc.salvationarmy.org.