William Penn Life, 2005 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2005-03-01 / 3. szám
Charitable Ideas ‘It starts with us’ Young people and adults will join forces to help improve their communities during the sixth annual Join Hands Day on May 7 OAK BROOK, IL - On May 7,2005, communities across America will come together for Join Hands Day, a national event that unites young people and adults in an effort to make their neighborhoods better. On this day, these volunteer teams will repair playground equipment, help seniors, remove trash from streets and many more projects. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination. Join Hands Day calls upon you, and all Americans, to reach across generations and work with new friends in identifying and fixing problem conditions right where you live. If you are a young person, get involved, develop your leadership skills and help make important decisions affecting your community. If you are an adult, use your abilities to fix local problems, learn to work effectively with young people and show you care. Many adults and young people who live in the same neighborhood are strangers. Many young people have little interaction with adults except their teachers and family members. And many adults know few young people outside their own circle of family and friends. This often creates a disconnection that can lead to misunderstanding and fear of one group toward the other. Participation in Join Hands Day is one way to tear down those barriers. To create these partnerships, Join Hands Day encourages adult groups to invite youth organizations, and youth organizations to invite adult groups to join them. They become project partners for the entire process, from the planning stages to the actual work; and people of all ages take on important responsibilities for the day. Many local Volunteer Centers serve as community facilitators and help connect individuals and groups; JOINHÄKDESDAY it starts with us Sponsored by America’s Fraternal Benefit Societies In Partnership with The Points of Light Foundation identify neighborhood needs; and often assist with community connections to mayors, civic leaders and the media. Scheduled annually on the first Saturday in May, the day can provide the first step in changing communication and cooperation in a neighborhood. Getting involved in Join Hands Day is simple. The key is finding youth or adult partners. Local Volunteer Centers or fraternal benefit society branches can help. Connect to the nearest Volunteer Center by visiting the web site at www.volunteerconnect, org, or calling 1-800-VOLUNTEER. Connect to a fraternal benefit society by visiting the web site at www. joinhandsday.org, or calling the Join Hands Day Action Center at 1-877- OUR-1DAY. You can also download the complete Join Hands Day Action Guide from the web or get a printed version by emailing actioncenter@ joinhandsday.org. WPA members and branches interested in helping to organize a Join Hands Day project can also receive more information by contacting John E. Lovász at the WPA Home Office. Call 1-800-848-7366, ext. 135, or send John an email at: jlovasz@ williampennassociation.org. America's Fraternal Benefit Societies began nearly 150 years ago as part of a volunteer movement to provide social, educational and financial help to people with various ethnic, religious and vocational backgrounds. Today, with more than 10 million members in 43,000 local chapters across America, these societies—including our own William Penn Association—help their members achieve financial security through insurance coverage and retirement products. They have a rich tradition of volunteering, holding charitable fundraisers and doing good works. The Points of Light Foundation engages more people more effectively in volunteer service aimed at helping solve serious social problems. Volunteer Centers, as the nation's primary local leadership organizations for volunteering, mobilize people and resources to deliver creative solutions to community problems. For more information, visit the Foundation's web site at www.pointsoflight.org. |\\pi,| Charity Links For more information on how you can participate in Join Hands Day, log onto: 3 www.joinhandsday.org Or, contact John E. Lovász at the WPA Home Office. William Penn Life, March 2005 3
