William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-04-01 / 4. szám
Charitable Ideas Honoring America’s best New award honors those who make a difference by volunteering EVERY DAY, MILLIONS OF Americans volunteer, using their time, talents, and compassion to make a difference in the lives of others. By mentoring a child, caring for an elderly neighbor, teaching someone to read, or bringing food and clothes to those who need them, Americans are helping to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility for generations to come. It is through these acts of kindness and decency that we are able to demonstrate the true character and compassion of our country. Recognizing and honoring volunteers sets a standard for service to others. It encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation and inspires others to make volunteering a central part of their lives. The President's Volunteer Service Award is a presidential recognition program for Americans of all ages, who contribute a significant amount of time to volunteer service. The program recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard—measured by the number of hours served over a 12-month period. Given their ongoing service activity, many individuals, families and groups may have already met the requirements to earn the President's Charity Links To learn more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award, including the requirements for each category and level of the awards, please log onto: 3 www.presidentia/service awards.gov or call 1-866-545-5307. ^ESi£)£; ^ SER' Volunteer Service Award. To earn an award, individuals, families and groups must keep a record of volunteer activities and hours served. This Record of Service may be kept as a diary or calendar or tracked online using the USA Freedom Corps Record of Service. Individuals must submit their records to "certifying organizations" that will review and verify their records and order and distribute the award. Certifying organizations can include: nonprofit, community, faithbased organizations and fraternal benefit societies; businesses, schools and colleges; membership and trade associations; and federal, state or local government agencies. While almost all volunteer service contributes to eligibility for the award, volunteers are encouraged to participate in service that addresses one or more of the following four areas:- youth achievement- parks and open spaces- healthy communities, and- public safety and emergency response. Activities should be unpaid and may not include court-ordered community service. The program includes three levels and four categories of awards, based on the age of the volunteer and number of hours of service completed within a 12-month period. The four categories are:- Kids age 14 and under- Young Adults ages 15 to 25- Adults age 26 and up, and- Families and Groups, defined as two or more people with each member contributing at least 25 hours toward the total. Volunteers in each category can qualify for either bronze, silver or gold awards, based on the number of hours of service. Award recipients receive an official President's Volunteer Service Award pin, a personalized certificate of achievement, a note of congratulations from the President of the United States and a letter from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. Recipients can earn more than one level of the award within 12 months. Plus, individuals who complete 4,000 hours of volunteer service over their lifetime will be recognized with the President's Call to Service Award. The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Council was created by President George W. Bush in 2003 to help recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our nation. Chaired by two-time Super Bowl champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Robert Dole and John Glenn serving as honorary cochairs, the Council includes leaders from government, business, media, entertainment, education and nonprofit, volunteer service and community organizations. [ Williu Pen life, April 2004 7
