National Volunteer Week – Together We Can

National Safe Place Network (NSPN) is excited to celebrate National Volunteer Week (April 18-24). As shared by independentsector.org, 63 million volunteers across the nation hold up the foundation of civil society. Volunteers commit time and resources to programs across the country. Whether it is serving as a local Safe Place® volunteer, participating as a mentor, engaging in gathering needed items for homeless youth and families, or any other of a number of activities – those who volunteer make a positive difference every day.

Involving volunteers adds incredible value to youth and family service organizations. Volunteers support your efforts to:

  • Engage a more diverse range of skills, experience, and knowledge.
  • Increase service delivery quality.
  • Increase your reach to those you serve in your community.
  • Raise awareness about your efforts and garner additional support.
  • Build relationships within your community and strengthen your brand and reputation.
  • Inform the development of current and new opportunities including programming, activities, projects by bringing new opinions, ideas, and approaches.
  • Help your organization's efforts remain relevant by aligning services and approaches to community needs.
  • Help improve health and wellbeing for staff and community members.

Whatever your reason is for including volunteers in your organization, thank you for taking the time to recognize their efforts to support your organization's mission. 

NSPN Honors its Volunteers

NSPN would like to honor our volunteers who serve to help NSPN achieve its vision of a world where all youth are safe. Each of these individuals spend numerous hours each month helping our organization to develop new programs and to strengthen existing efforts. In addition, these individuals share their time to help increase awareness of services available to all youth in crisis.

Recognizing Volunteers Serving Your Organization

Do you have a volunteer you would like to honor? Submitting a nomination for the NSPN Helping Hands Award is a great way to thank someone who has served your organization by dedicating time and resources to enhance the lives of youth in your community. The Helping Hands award for outstanding volunteer achievement recognizes the valuable contribution of youth and adult volunteers who provide direct support and/or services to the organization, participate in fundraising, and/or engage in community awareness activities. You may nominate youth or adults and the award may be given to an individual or to a group of volunteers.

 

Maximizing the Impact of Volunteers: A Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations

NSPN has created a new resource for its members to help start or strengthen volunteer programs within nonprofit organizations. “Maximizing the Impact of Volunteers: A Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations” is available on the NSPN support center

If you are not an NSPN member and would like to join to access this and other resources, please join here.

This resource provides information on:

  • Volunteerism
  • Position development
  • Recruitment
  • Screening volunteers
  • Interviewing volunteers
  • Orientation and training
  • Supervision
  • Recognition

In addition, the handbook provides samples which NSPN member organization may adapt for their volunteer program.

These sample items include:

  • Position descriptions
  • Volunteer interest checklist
  • Application for volunteer services
  • Reference check for volunteers
  • Volunteer applicant’s statement
  • Drug free workplace consent
  • Commitment of confidentiality
  • Volunteer contract
  • Volunteer service record
  • Program director and staff training outline
  • Volunteer update meeting form

The pandemic has renewed interest in engaging individuals and groups who want to make a difference in their communities. This resource provides a solid foundation for building a new volunteer initiative and provides a tool for comparing existing volunteer recruitment and retention efforts to an existing program.

The NSPN team thanks all volunteers who are dedicated to local, state, and national efforts. You truly demonstrate the impact of, “Together we can!