Did you know National Volunteer Week is a more than 30-year-old tradition in the United States? President Richard Nixon established National Volunteer Week in 1974 by executive order. Each following president has issued proclamations during National Volunteer Week. In his 2011 proclamation, President Obama declared that volunteers’ “compassion is a testament to the generosity of the American spirit. In difficult times, Americans are coming together--tackling our challenges instead of ignoring them--and renewing the principle that we are our brother's keeper and our sister's keeper.”
Volunteering by the numbers:
62.8 million—number of Americans who volunteered September 2009 and September 2010*
52—number of median hours volunteers spent on volunteer activities during September 2009 to September 2010*
44%—volunteer rate in Utah (who has the highest) See where other states rank.
169 billion—dollar value of American volunteer hours in 2009**
At Smithsonian Student Travel, we are proud to be among the volunteers that power so many good works! Here’s a sampling of some of our team and their volunteer efforts:
Rachael, operations area manager, fosters kittens for the MSPCA until they can be adopted. “I like being a foster parent because I'm really busy with work and school 
so I don't have a lot of time to volunteer but this has been a good way for me to give back to the community a little bit without spending any money or taking up too much time, plus the kittens are all adorable!" says Rachael. This is her current foster kittens, Unique.
Tom, tour consultant, volunteers with the South Shore chapter of the Special Olympics Massachusetts. And this July, Tom will bravely rappel down a Boston building to raise funds and awareness for Special Olymipics during Over the Edge! “Volunteering for the Special Olympics has really changed me, and given me a new insight into the incredible amount of determination and spirit the athletes have. It’s inspiring and humbling to see how skilled the athletes are, and with how much joy they participate. Truly a fantastic organization that is doing great things in the lives of the athletes and their families,” says Tom.
Sarah, tour consultant, is involved in the community outreach and marketing programs at Health Quarters in Beverly, MA. Sarah’s work focuses on sexual health education. Sarah says, “I enjoy working with Health Quarters to make sure young people have the facts.”
Paul, operation area manager, lends his time leading local hiking and outdoor trips for kids, adults, seniors or anyone who would want to go at the Appalachian Mountain Club. “It is important to show people the value of their surrounding natural environment through experience. Fostering a sense of environmental stewardship through these trips is the best way to ensure our grandchildren have the same appreciation.”
Jennilee, tour consultant, and Laura, tour consultant, will be participating (very soon!) in the Tough Mudder competition to support the Wounded Warrior Project. They were inspired by fellow tour consultants Jakob and Andrew who completed a Tough Mudder in November.
Laura also volunteers as a wish-granter for the Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Laura meets with wish kids to talk about their wishes and then works with MAW to make it happen. She stays in touch with the child as preparations are made and sometimes gets to participate. (She recently got to be a guest at a Make-A-Wish Sweet 16 party for one of the Make-A-Wish kids.) Laura, says, "This volunteer project is particularly close to my heart because my younger sister Teresa passed away in 2005 at the age of 17 from leukemia."
Mary, tour account coordinator, volunteers annually to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through sponsored events at Northeastern University. “As a member of Delta Phi Epsilon we work annually to raise money for one of our national philanthropies, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We host a large event at Northeastern called “Big Man on Campus” and this year we raised $1300.”
Anna Kaiser, tour consultant, recently completed her fourth Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, a 60-mile walk over the course of three days that raises funds for breast cancer research and community programs. "Walking 60 miles is hard (just ask my feet!), but I will keep walking until breast cancer is no longer a threat," says Anna.
And I volunteers once a week at ESL classes for refugees at the International Institute of New England. The students at IINE show such determination and dedication to improving their English skills. It's very inspiring. And you know they've made progress when they understand your jokes or start making their own!
*data from Bureau of Labor and Statistics volunteer report
**data from Research Brief: Volunteering in America Research Highlights
