"National Volunteer Week"

En esta Semana Nacional del Voluntariado quiero agradecer a los miles de voluntarios de AARP alrededor del país que dedican su tiempo y energía a luchar por los asuntos que nos afectan a todos. Ellos trabajan duro en sus comunidades y en las legislaturas estatales, y presionan a sus congresistas a encontrar soluciones sensatas que apoyan a las personas en Estados Unidos y a sus familias. Con la ayuda de nuestros voluntarios, hemos:

This National Volunteer Week, I’d like to say a big thank you to the thousands of AARP volunteers from across the country who dedicate their time and energy to fight for the issues that affect us all. They are hard at work in their communities and state capitols and engaging legislators to pass commonsense solutions that support every day Americans and their families. With their help, we’ve:

As we kick-off National Volunteer Week, what words come to mind when you think about volunteers? Caring? Dedicated? Selfless?  Perhaps all of the above? I’ll add two more . . . absolutely essential.

When you work for an organization powered by more than 58,000 exceptional volunteers, National Volunteer Week is more than a footnote on the calendar. It’s an important reminder to thank and honor the unpaid heroes who make a difference in our communities through their time, experience and dedication.

During National Volunteer Week I’d like to stop and say thank you. Thank you to the thousands of AARP volunteers who are fighting for families as part of our multistate advocacy campaigns across every state, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  By giving your time and energy to advocate for the 50-plus and their families, you’ve helped to:

Every month, I learn about a new holiday or commemorative date to raise awareness.  From the sublime to the ridiculous, there are 30 such commemorations in April, including Vitamin C Day and Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. While there’s a lot to celebrate about taking your vitamins — and taking business casual to the next level — there is one event in particular this month that I believe deserves our attention and support.

AARP is pleased to celebrate National Volunteer Week, an annual opportunity to step back and recognize the hardworking volunteers who dedicate their time, talents and passions to improving every corner of this great nation. While it's easy to get caught up in statistics - more than 60 million volunteers, more than 7 billion hours of service - it's the "good" behind those numbers that is truly awesome.

This is a guest post by Nancy LeaMond. Nancy, the Executive Vice President of AARP's State and National Group, leads government affairs, public education and integrated legislative and educational campaigns and volunteerism and service for AARP's social change agenda.  Nancy also has responsibility for AARP's state operation, which includes offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  

This year, National Volunteer Week is scheduled for April 21-27 - and according to the HandsOn Network, the week "is about inspiring, recognizing, and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities."

Here's a loaded question for you. How many of you knew last week was National Volunteer Week?  Hmmmm ...how many people said, "Well, I knew it was in April" or "I have heard of it before" or as I would imagine the vast majority had absolutely no clue.