William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-09-01 / 9. szám
2,500 projects conducted on Join Hands Day NAPERVILLE, IL -- The organizers of Join Hands Day recently announced that more than 2,500 projects were held across the nation on the first-ever Join Hands Day on June 17. The new day of volunteer service was created by America’s fraternal benefit societies, in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network, to bridge the gap between adults and youth through the planning and execution of a community service projects. According to the organizers, nearly 50 fraternal benefit societies supported Join Hands Day financially, exceeding the first-year goal by 50 percent. More than 200 projects were completed by 65 Volunteer Centers in 27 states. The day also accomplished one of its other main goals-providing broader exposure for fraternal benefit societies. Join Hands Day was prominently featured at the 2000 National Community Service Conference attended by nearly 8,000 leaders in volunteer service this June, bringing fraternals to the attention of this country’s volunteer experts. And, during the annual meeting of the National Fraternal Congress of America this month, Join Hands Day will honor 20 outstanding projects from across the country. Next year’s Join Hands Day is scheduled for June 16. A Operation Christmas Child 2000 nears goal of400 gift-filled shoe boxes PITTSBUGH - We're so close, we can almost smell it. But, we're not there yet, and we need your help to get us there. The WPA's Operation Christmas Child 2000 campaign has been another great fraternal success. Thanks to your generosity, we have surpassed last year's total of 354 giftfilled shoe boxes. But, our goal is 400. Can you help us reach it? Think about how your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews celebrate Christmas morning. There's probably plenty of toys and other gifts for everyone. Now, think about the millions of children around the world living in areas tom apart by war, destroyed by natural disasters, or plagued by disease or famine. Their Christmas morning is like every other morning, full of despair and hopelessness. You may not be able to solve all their problems, but you can make those children's lives a little brighter on Christmas by delivering what we call "hope in a shoe box." But, time is short. All donations must be received at the Home Office by Sept. 15. If you can't get your donation to us, you can take it to one of Operation Christmas Child's 114 collection centers. For the location nearest you, call (828) 262- 1980. For more information on how to prepare your shoe box or other ways you can help, please see our March 2000 issue, or call the Home Office toll-free at 1-800-848-7366. You can make a difference in your community on October 28 YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN MORE than two million citizens across the nation in planning and participating in a volunteer service project that will make a difference in your community. Make A Difference Day will be held all over America on Saturday, Oct. 28. Created in 1992 by USA Weekend magazine in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation, Make A Difference Day challenges all of us to spend one Saturday making a difference in our communities and in the lives of others by participating in a community service project. The response to Make A Difference Day has soared each year, making it one of the largest volunteer service days nationwide. "Make A Difference Day is a day of celebration, a day of doing good," says Bob Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation. "In just one day, we can reestablish a sense of commuity by supporting our elderly, our children, and our disadvantaged and ultimately we can rebuild our communities." The impact Make A Difference Day makes on people's lives is real and dramatic. As a result of Make A Difference Day: • nine families in North Carolina restored their flood-damaged homes; • foster children in Alabama moved into a 20-room estate; • poor children in Chicago received 600,000 new books to read. To learn what projects are being conducted in your area, call the Make A Difference Day hot line at 1-800- 416-3824, or visit their web site at www.makeadifferenceday.com. 2 llilliani Ppiiii Ulf. September 2000
