William Penn Life, 2017 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2017-04-01 / 4. szám
JOIN HANDS DAY It starts with US! J ' oin Hands Day is the only national volunteer day that specifically targets and develops relationships between young people and adults through neighborhood volunteering. Youth and adults work together on an equal basis to plan, organize and implement the day's activities. We know many of you would like for your branch to participate in this day of service but aren't sure what to do. This is where trust in our youth comes in. It is very important to include a youth group in the decision of what to do for a project. If they are into it, the project will be much more successful and fun. Having said that, it is a good idea to be able to throw out some ideas for a project. Now, we know some branches have few youth members, and even if they do have youth members, many are too young to do a project like this. That is a legitimate concern. However, we all know some school-aged kids; whether it is through your church, a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop or other youth organization. Finding a youth group to partner with is not that difficult but is one of the first steps you need to take in putting on a Join Hands Day project. So, how do you plan a project? Here are the steps you need to take: 1. Start a Join Hands Day Committee. Establish a Join Hands Day Committee and designate a project leader for your branch. Be sure your committee chair keeps track of your hours and number of members/volunteers involved. 2. Identify a Youth Group to Partner With. As stated above, identifying a youth group to work on the project with your branch is very important. Once you have established that, the rest will come naturally. W: specific tasks to be completed. Identify a member to take pictures during the event and of the group. 6. JOIN HANDS DAY, MAY 6, 2017! 7. Report Your Project to the Home Office. Obviously, we want to hear about your project and get the pictures to be able to use in William Penn Life and on our website. It's a fraternal story that writes itself! tat to do can be very intimidating and a tough hurdle to get over initially. The age of the youth, age of the adults and the abilities and physical limitations of both are important when deciding on a project. Below are some simple project ideas that may be suitable for your project. When you are brainstorming ideas, be sure to throw out some of these to the group. Or, if one of these projects hits your fancy, select that project and then find a youth group to help with that specific project. It does take the youth out of the decision-making for what project to do, but you can include them in the planning meetings for the event. • Have a food drive scavenger hunt. • Prepare sandwiches and personal care kits for the homeless. 3. Choose a Project. It is important to include the youth in the decision process of choosing a project. Let the group brainstorm on project ideas and have some ideas of your own to throw into the mix. Age of the youth, age of the adults and abilities and physical limitations of both all play a role in what project your group is best suited for. 4. Planning. Get together with your youth group to solidify the project and put together a list of resources or supplies that will be needed for the project or if there are other projects the group needs to do ahead of time to get ready for the Join Hands Day event. Identify individual members to be responsible for securing the items needed. Decide the time of day and amount of time needed to do the project or any project preparations. Announce the project at your branch meeting and recruit members to help with the project. 5. Nail Down the Details. Get the group together one last time to nail down the details and make sure everything is in place to make the project successful. Define • Have a backpack/ school supply drive. • Have a spring clean up day in a park or do some yard work for the elderly or someone with physical limitations. • Make May baskets for the elderly. • Plant flowers, shrubs, trees and/or plants in a park or at a nursing or group home. • Rent or borrow Wii consoles and video games and take to a nursing home for youth and residents to play Wii games. Regardless of what you decide to do for a Join Hands Day project, please remember to report it to the Home Office and make sure you take pictures throughout the process. Make a commitment for 2017. As the Join Hands Day logo states, it starts with us. If you need any assistance at all, call our fraternal department. You can contact Fraternal Director Barbara A. House toll-free at 1-800-848-7366, ext. 107. We will be happy to help any way we can. □ WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 April 2017 0 3
