International Volunteer Day happens every December 5^th and gives people a chance to celebrate and thank people near and far for all they do as volunteers. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for volunteer-based organizations and individuals to promote volunteerism and encourage others to be active volunteers.

Why Be a Volunteer

On the surface, volunteering is seen as a way to help or support a cause that has some meaning to you, but there’s so much more to becoming a volunteer. Check out these benefits of volunteering.

·        Purpose and meaning. Doing something to help others, help your community, or make a positive difference adds purpose and meaning to your life. These acts of altruism can increase your feelings of happiness and self-confidence.

·        Longer lifespan. It’s been proven that older adults who are active volunteers have longer lifespans than those who are not.

·        Learn valuable skills. Volunteering can be a challenge that helps people develop talents and discover new skills that they can hone and polish.

·        Establish new and nurture old relationships. There’s a sense of community and connection that comes from volunteering, that’s important for everyone involved. Social connections are an important part of a healthy and happy support system, and volunteering is a great way to forge and foster relationships with others.

Volunteering Ideas for You

If this all sounds wonderful and you’re excited about helping others and your community while also getting some personal benefits, then we’ve got some volunteering ideas that might fit your interests.

·       Hospital volunteer. Most people live near a healthcare facility that benefits from the generosity of volunteers. These facilities require help in ways you may not have thought of. If you love children, consider volunteering to help hold premature babies or read stories to children in a pediatric care unit. If you enjoy driving and meeting new people, then delivering packages or Meals on Wheels would be a fun way for you to help fill a need at your local hospital.

·        Animal volunteer. If you’re an animal lover, then you’re in luck as there are many different groups that help animals looking for volunteers. It seems that just about every community shelter is looking for help to clean cages, take in foster animals, help socialize traumatized animals, and greet potential adopters. Shelters are not the only animal-related organizations that need volunteers, however. You can also consider helping train service animals. These animals increase the quality of life of many people, and they always need help getting the animals ready for service. Other organizations bring various animals to hospitals, nursing homes, and VA centers. With this type of volunteer service, you can have the joy of matching pets with people and see firsthand what a difference it makes in their lives. Finally, there are wildlife rescue organizations that help animals rehabilitate, recover, and return to the wild.

·        Local volunteer opportunities. Helping out in your local community can involve a number of projects that not only help your neighbors but also strengthen your hometown and build community. You can work at a local sporting event that helps raise funds, be a part of a holiday toy drive, sign up to host a blood drive at your workplace or organize an annual clean-the-parks day. Any way you can share your talents and interests can be a great way to help locally.

·        International volunteering. If you’ve got a global mindset, then you can turn your volunteer efforts outward and think about helping internationally. The Red Cross is a well-known organization that helps people when there has been an emergency situation. You can sign up to travel to an area and provide hands-on assistance or donate blood and gather other donations locally. There are other groups that are fantastic organizations working to help people all over the globe.

·        Eco-volunteering. Global concerns about the environment and ecology can easily translate into volunteer opportunities with a large number of organizations dedicated to saving the planet. These groups work on a local basis and around the world. The best way to start is to narrow down what area concerns you the most, both impact-wise and location, and then start finding a group where you can do the most good.

How Volunteer Organizations Can Celebrate International Volunteer Day

If you belong to an organization that relies heavily on the support and generosity of your volunteers, then International Volunteer Day gives you a wonderful opportunity to recognize them for all that they do. The following ideas were pulled together by the staff at PinMart and will hopefully give you a way to say thanks or spark an idea that fits your organization.

·        Appreciation pins. Hand out appreciation pins to your volunteers to thank and recognize their efforts. By creating custom pins each year, you give them a collectible that they can proudly wear and show their dedication to your mission. It also serves as a great piece of marketing every time they wear the pin in public. In addition to being able to create a custom volunteer pin for your organization, we also have many stock pins that give you options for recognition.

·        Host a picnic. Another wonderful way to recognize your team is to host a picnic and show them how much they mean. This is not only a nice gesture that feeds the crew, but it brings them together, and that can strengthen their connections to each other and reinforce the meaning behind their volunteer efforts.

·        Spotlight your/their impact. Many volunteers are not concerned about getting individual recognition. They care deeply about your organization. One way to make them feel great about their efforts is to highlight what they have helped you accomplish. Create marketing collateral or advertising that details the progress your organization has made in the last year, and make sure to focus on how volunteers make it all possible. This gives them statistics and figures that reinforce the good they’re doing, and it bolsters your organization in the community.

·        Create an awareness program. Creating an awareness program is a great way to celebrate International Volunteer Day. It can further your cause and increase awareness while making the most of your volunteer base. Awareness pins, t-shirts, stickers, and other tokens are a key part of these programs and help spread your cause and mission. Load your volunteers up with these little extras and encourage them to hand them out and collect them for themselves. A little gift goes a long way and not only celebrates International Volunteer Day but also your organization.

·        Reach out to new volunteers. What better way to celebrate Volunteer Day than to host a volunteer drive? Encourage your current, hardworking crew to reach out to people they think would be interested in helping your cause. Host a party, offer an incentive, or simply open your doors for a meet and greet. Adding to your numbers is a wonderful way of supporting the good you do and building your community of caring people.

If you found any of our ideas enlightening and would like to learn more about PinMart and how we can help your organization’s marketing, recognition, appreciation, and other efforts, please feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help you select an item from our catalog or start a custom project for you.

Volunteers Make A Difference Pin

$4.59

Volunteers do make a difference! Reward and motivate your volunteers with this colorful and detailed lapel pin. Our Volunteer pin features enamel colors and bright...… read more