Making the Difference
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”– Margaret Mead
For many here in DC, April means cherry blossoms, spending spring evenings cheering for the Nats, and an influx of tourists, but this month is also dedicated to our country’s extensive volunteer network. Sunday, April 18th kicked off National Volunteer Appreciation Week; a week officially devoted to the millions of people in the United States who donate billions of dollars worth of time every year. The numbers are astounding—in 2008, nearly 62 million people volunteered an average of 35 hours each, totaling 8 billion hours nationwide. What makes these numbers, and our nation’s volunteers, even more amazing is that even in the face of an economic crisis, while monetary contributions dwindled for many organizations, the donation of time by volunteers remained steady.
Here at Calvary, we have a prized pool of nearly 300 volunteers, and the numbers are growing by the day. Our volunteers are working professionals, stay at home moms, church groups, college students, and families. They travel from near (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) and far (New York, South Carolina, and Colorado, just to name a few). This devoted group prepares and serves meals, helps in the office during the evening, supervises programs overnight, fundraises, serves on our Board of Directors, and leads Life Skills classes that promote personal growth and self esteem. In total, our dedicated volunteers contribute over $100,000 of their time each year to our organization.
While our volunteers hail from varied backgrounds, they are all bound together by our mission. They are an extension of the Calvary staff; working to empower and enrich the lives of our residents.
To our dedicated volunteers, this month, we celebrate YOU! Not only are you valued members of the Calvary family, you are essential to the success of our programs and residents.
THANK YOU!!!
**Interested in joining our outstanding volunteer team? Click here for more information.
Don’t have spare time to donate, but want to make a contribution to the Calvary community? While Calvary needs supplies throughout the year, we are currently holding a large campaign leading up to Mother’s Day. You can help by organizing a gift drive at your office, school or congregation, or by donating one or more of the items on our wish list.