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HandsOn Network to Engage Volunteers in 1 Million Service Projects
HandsOn Network to Engage Volunteers in 1 Million Service Projects
Published 01-16-09
Submitted by Points of Light
ATLANTA, GA. - January 16, 2009 - As the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama approaches, Americans have been inspired to improve their local communities and renew our nation through service. Starting on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, HandsOn Network aims to engage hundreds of thousands in service; with a goal of delivering over a million community service projects to solve critical problems in education, the environment and the economy.
"This year, volunteers will honor the legacy of Dr. King while also honoring the making of history by answering President-elect Barack Obama's call to service," said Amy Smith, president of HandsOn Network, the largest volunteer management and civic engagement organization in the nation. "On Monday, Jan. 19, we will lead people in serving together as a nation and also hope to inspire them to commit to creating Dr. Kings' beloved community all year long," said Smith.
HandsOn Network's 250 affiliates will manage over 2,000 service projects and thousands of volunteers cross the country in honor of Dr. King, and as an inaugural gift to President-elect Obama. From Washington, D.C., to Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Maryland, Sacramento, Seattle, Memphis and more, these projects will demonstrate the power of individual involvement and action, while also providing needed community support.
HandsOn Network is part of ServiceNation, a coalition of 120 organizations with a collective reach of more than 100 million Americans-and are helping to host a New Era Of Service Breakfast Forum on Monday at Ballou Senior High School in Washington, D.C. This breakfast forum will be attended by leaders from all sectors-and will focus on building momentum and demonstrating support for a national call to service.
Smith said that throughout the Network, they are witnessing an unprecedented level of interest and numbers of people signing up to serve, including much higher levels of corporate engagement. In communities throughout the nation, companies and organizations such as Delta Air Lines, Chrysler, Eli Lilly and Company, FedEx, Quaker, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and their employees will join thousands of volunteers to participate in projects led by HandsOn affiliates.
She attributes this trend to the national attention and focus on the MLK Day as the beginning of a new era of service, underscored last week by General Colin Powell's announcement of the Renew America Together initiative asking Ameicans to commit to year-round service, starting on MLK Day. "We are also seeing a huge shift from a focus on employee engagement to new campaigns that seek to inspire corporate customers to volunteer as well," said Smith, citing Nike and Starbucks as examples.
In partnership with the Corporation on National and Community Service, HandsOn Network provided $150,000 in grants to nonprofits to conduct local service projects ranging from community revitalization projects to reflection projects like "If I Were King for a Day," which will encourage participants to portray Dr. King's legacy on nonviolence and action through video, photography and spoken word.
Mini-grants were also provided to more than 25 Kids Care Clubs to conduct projects in honor of MLK Day. These projects, which range from building reading nooks to fences to painting murals, will take place from Alabama to California to Minnesota to Texas and more. Kids Care, a program of HandsOn Network, aims to introduce and foster an ethic of volunteerism among elementary and middle school youth.
Other project examples include:
will engage community and corporate volunteers in hands on projects revitalizing six District of Columbia Public Schools"“affecting thousands students and community members.
About HandsOn Network
HandsOn Network equips, mobilizes and inspires people to take action that changes the world. Our Network, now the largest in the nation, is leading people from impulse to action, turning their ideas for change into real projects like building wheel chair ramps, watershed protection projects and tutoring programs "“ action that addresses critical issues facing our communities, our nation and our world. The Network includes over 250 affiliates-that serve in all 50 states and in nine countries. In 2007 alone, these HandsOn Action Centers helped to deliver more than 33 million hours of volunteer service valued at 1.2 billion dollars.
Points of Light
Points of Light
Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org.
Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.
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