This week (April 15-21, 2012) is National Volunteer Week. The week is about inspiring, recognizing, and encouraging people to seek out new ways to engage in their communities. It is a time for taking action, urging individuals and their communities to be a part of social change, and to demonstrate the power in volunteers of positive transformation.
The Volunteer Center of Durham took time to celebrate volunteers throughout Durham and Orange Counties this week. At their Key Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on Monday, more than 15 awards were presented to all kinds of volunteers, from youths to seniors, individuals to groups, and faith-based to corporate. We congratulate all of the winners and nominees recognized at this event. To read more about the Key Volunteer awards, click here.
At Durham's Partnership for Children we are fortunate to have many volunteers contributing to our mission in a variety of ways. On our Board of Directors, as well as our Allocations, Community Awareness, Evaluation, Executive, Finance, Investment, NC Pre-K, and School Readiness Committees, members lend their expertise and passion for early childhood to governing and guiding our organization.
Moreover, every year we have interns who work closely with our Program and Evaluation department on special projects. Volunteers in our "Readers as Leaders" program read to young children in child care centers throughout Durham several times each month. Many of our volunteers go above and beyond the bounds of their role, getting involved with other programs and helping out with events like our NC Pre-K application blitz and Barnes & Noble wrapping day. Some of our community initiatives, such as the Early Childhood Faith Initiative, would not be possible without the hard work of the many community volunteers that guide our work.
The Partnership is always in need of more volunteers. This spring, we'll need volunteers to help assemble our "Blast Off to Kindergarten" kits for rising kindergarteners. We are also happy to host group events for corporate volunteers. Whether you are interested in anything from providing administrative support to working directly with the children we serve, we can find a volunteer role for you with the Partnership. To learn more about our volunteer activities, click here.
We would like to thank all of our volunteers for the extremely valuable work they do. Our volunteers make a world of difference in the lives of young children across Durham County.