4.18.2005 ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO - Each April, millions of Americans volunteer their time during National Volunteer Week. With much of the country focused on volunteer service, it is one of the most exciting times of year to get involved in community activities. This year, the 31st Anniversary of National Volunteer Week kicks off on April 17, and VolunteerMatch invites interested volunteers to find a rewarding way to make a difference.

"National Volunteer Week is a celebration of volunteering," said Deborah Dinkelacker, president of VolunteerMatch. "If you've never volunteered before, there is no better time to find out how good it feels to get involved and make a difference."

VolunteerMatch is the nonprofit service dedicated to helping make it easy for everyone to make a difference. Potential volunteers simply enter their ZIP code on the VolunteerMatch home page at www.volunteermatch.org to receive an up-to-date listing of local volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers may also specify an interest--the most popular are "Community," "Children & Youth," and "Education & Literacy"--to refine the list of available opportunities. Hosting volunteer opportunities from more than 30,000 nonprofit organizations nationwide means that VolunteerMatch offers something for every interest, schedule--and neighborhood!

VolunteerMatch's free public service is proven successful, having already delivered more than two million volunteer referrals to nonprofits since 1998. Any volunteer can use the service to find a local volunteer opportunity and get involved right away, and any nonprofit in need of volunteers can use the service to more efficiently and effectively find the volunteers that they need.

To find a local volunteer opportunity in time for National Volunteer Week, visit www.volunteermatch.org.

About VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. VolunteerMatch welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred volunteer recruiting service for more than 30,000 nonprofit organizations. The organization also offers professional business services to support corporations committed to managing successful community involvement programs. VolunteerMatch is the recipient of Webby Awards for "Activism" and "Services," and has been recognized for its accomplishments by The White House, M.I.T, the Smithsonian Institution and most recently as the Grand Prize winner of the 2004 Yale-Goldman Sachs Foundations nonprofit business plan competition.