VolunteerMatch's Inner Beauty campaign launches with a profile of Weyman Johnson. Read Weyman's story at http://www.volunteermatch.org/weyman

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. - April 14, 2009 - As part of its celebration of National Volunteer Week, VolunteerMatch has introduced a new awareness campaign recognizing the extraordinary impact of those who serve. The Inner Beauty campaign, featuring spots with the faces and stories of some of America's most distinguished volunteers, will coincide with important events on the 2009 volunteering calendar.

This year's National Volunteer Week begins April 19 against an historic backdrop of economic uncertainty, rising demand for nonprofit services, and unprecedented support for voluntary service. On Inauguration Day, hours after taking part in the biggest ever MLK Day of Service, President Obama recognized the impact of volunteers and called on Americans to serve with community organizations. This month, the President is expected to sign into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, heralding a new era of service.

"It's a remarkable moment for volunteering in this country," said Greg Baldwin, president of VolunteerMatch, the Web's largest and most popular volunteer network. "We're honored to shine the spotlight on just a handful of these amazing men and women."

The Inner Beauty campaign features volunteers from four of the nation's most recognized and effective nonprofit organizations - National MS Society, American Red Cross, Easter Seals, and Girl Scouts of the USA. Each organization is a VolunteerMatch Preferred Partner, a service that enables their headquarters to coordinate volunteer recruitment and engagement at the chapter level through VolunteerMatch.

The four volunteers highlighted in the Inner Beauty campaign include:

• Weyman Johnson - A partner at a leading law firm and professor of law, the Atlanta, Ga. resident has been living with MS for over two decades and has served since 1995 on the national board for the National MS Society. In 2005 he was appointed board chair, becoming the leading volunteer at an organization that is supported by more than a half a million volunteers at the national level and through its 50-state network of chapters.

• Pam Farr - A former management consultant at McKinsey & Co. and mother of five, Farr was board chair at her local Greenwich, Conn. chapter of the American Red Cross during 9/11, when the area lost 26 people. Farr was appointed national chair of volunteers in December 2008. With a workforce that is 94% voluntary, the Red Cross welcomes the largest population of volunteers in the nation.

• Gerard "Jerry" Mattimore - As a former executive at Bayer HealthCare, Mattimore began a decades-long partnership with Easter Seals to help provide critical services for children and adults with disabilities, and their families. Now retired, Mattimore serves as chairman of Easter Seals' national board of directors from his home in West Nyack, N.Y.

• Connie L. Lindsey - Lindsey's dedication to Girl Scouting began more than 40 years ago, when she was a little girl attending church in Milwaukee, Wisc. Today, she serves as national president of Girl Scouts of the USA, the organization’s leading volunteer role. A resident of Chicago, Ill., Lindsey is an executive vice president for The Northern Trust Co.

For more about VolunteerMatch:
http://www.volunteermatch.org
For more about National MS Society:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org
For more about the American Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org/
For more about Easter Seals:
http://www.easterseals.com
For more about Girl Scouts of the USA:
http://www.girlscouts.org/

About VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch is the Web's largest and most popular volunteer network, and is committed to strengthening communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. Its award-winning online service, www.volunteermatch.org, helps visitors find local volunteer opportunities by location, interest area, and/or keyword. The VolunteerMatch network welcomed more than 10 million visitors in 2008, including millions of participants in employee volunteer programs, and has become the preferred volunteer recruiting service for more than 63,000 nonprofits.

VolunteerMatch

VolunteerMatch

VolunteerMatch is on a mission to connect inspired people with inspiring causes. As the largest volunteer engagement network, this national organization empowers nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses—including leading workplace giving platforms—to make a difference through volunteering via its website, API, and syndication partners.  Since its launch in 1998, VolunteerMatch has helped the social sector attract more billions of value in volunteer services. Learn more at VolunteerMatch.org, and @VolunteerMatch on social platforms.

 

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