Points of Light Institute 'Celebrates People in Action' During National Volunteer Week 2010

WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During National Volunteer Week, April 18-24, Points of Light Institute will join the nation in celebrating ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things. Points of Light Institute will tell their individual stories and honor their achievements with events and unique service projects across the nation.

"National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize remarkable service leaders and the tireless citizens who drive change in communities.  Volunteer service is at the center of our national character and volunteers embody our country's efforts to continually create a 'more perfect union,'" said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute. "National Volunteer Week allows us to celebrate these service leaders, tell their stories, and inspire others."

National Volunteer Week also commemorates the one-year anniversary of the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the largest expansion of volunteer service since the 1930s. "While our government works to ease unemployment, the Serve America Act is already on track to place 250,000 Americans into a year of national service to help them gain job skills and address tough challenges facing our communities," said Alan Khazei, Founder and CEO of Be the Change, Inc.

President and Mrs. Obama have called on all citizens to make service a part of their lives and to make service central to our national priorities. HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation arm of Points of Light Institute and the nation's largest volunteer organization, is acting on that imperative. It is driving a three-year Get HandsOn Campaign to recruit, equip and mobilize a corps of 500,000 volunteer leaders to solve critical problems in education, the environment and the economy.  These volunteer leaders will in turn engage others in two million high-impact volunteer projects.

"America's heritage of giving back is unique and distinctive. Whether we help a single individual or ignite change that benefits millions, people in this country have come together through voluntary organizations for over 230 years," said Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector.  Independent Sector announced the 2009 estimate for the value of a volunteer hour has reached $20.85, which increased from $20.25 per hour in 2008.

Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network are calling on individuals, nonprofit organizations, corporations and other civic groups to recognize their volunteers through its National Volunteer Week virtual recognition Web site. All are encouraged to follow stories via Twitter using hashtag #VOLWK and to upload video clips, photos and stories of outstanding service to share them with the world via www.HandsOnNetwork.org.  

During National Volunteer Week, Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network will host special events and recognize and mobilize thousands of volunteers across the nation. Highlights of the week include:

April 20:  

LEAD -- A Get HandsOn! Summit will be held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. This one-day summit, convened by HandsOn Network in partnership with University of Phoenix and sponsored by SAP, will bring together more than 300 people to discuss and showcase how to use innovation and social media for social good. 

Social innovators such as Allison Fine and presenters including CBS/Showtime Sports Broadcaster and AARP Community Ambassador James J.B. Brown, CNN's Jessica Yellin, Executive Producer of ABC News' This Week Ian Cameron and public innovation expert and host of the LEAD Summit Richard Harwood will explore how new media and technology are changing the nonprofit and service landscape.

"Inspire…Serve…Solve…A Celebration of National Volunteer Week and the Serve America Act" volunteer recognition reception, co-convened by Points of Light Institute and ServiceNation and sponsored by P&G's Bounty brand, will be held Tuesday evening at the Newseum.

This event will honor a distinct group of volunteers who have accomplished notable acts of service, including the 2010 inductees to the Extra Mile Volunteer Pathway, Make A Difference Day award winners and others who have created transformative organizations with strong and enduring legacies.

Special guests include Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, U.S. Congressman David Price of North Carolina, U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa, Alan Khazei, Founder and CEO of Be the Change, Inc., Washington Redskins players Reed Doughty and Lorenzo Alexander, comedian Michael Jr. and more.  Actress Gabrielle Union will make a special announcement on behalf of Procter & Gamble's Bounty brand as it continues its mission to encourage curiosity, creativity, spontaneity and learning by doing with America's youth and within their local communities.

April 23 and 24:  

Greater D.C. Cares will mobilize 7,000 volunteers in its annual Servathon to restore national monuments, landscape parks and playgrounds, prepare and distribute food and paint murals on schools in 100 locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

HandsOn Central California will organize Earth Day projects and connect local residents to volunteer opportunities through a TV program on CBS channel 47.

HandsOn Tampa Bay will recognize 3,500 volunteers and 60 volunteer leaders during the week, including a special dinner at Tropicana Field, home of the MLB Tampa Bay Rays.

New York Cares will hold its annual spring service day, Hands On New York Day, sponsored by HSBC Bank, N.A., on Saturday, April 24. Approximately 5,000 volunteers will help prepare 70 New York City parks and gardens for summer by gardening, weeding and revitalizing these urban outdoor areas.

More information about National Volunteer Week is available at HandsOnNetwork.org.

About Points of Light Institute

Points of Light Institute inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. The Institute has a global focus to redefine volunteerism and civic engagement for the 21st century, putting people at the center of community problem solving. We are organized to innovate, incubate and activate new ideas that help people act upon their power to make a difference. Points of Light Institute operates three dynamic business units that share our mission: HandsOn Network, MissionFish and the Civic Incubator. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.

About HandsOn Network

HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute, is the largest volunteer network in the nation and includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers in 16 countries.  HandsOn includes a powerful network of more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations that are answering the call to serve and creating meaningful change in their communities.  Annually, the network delivers approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at about $600 million. For more information, please visit www.HandsOnNetwork.org.

About ServiceNation

ServiceNation is a national campaign to increase service opportunities and elevate service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy in American society. Reaching an estimated 100 million citizens through its 200-plus member groups, ServiceNation played a leading role in the drafting and April 2009 enactment of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which authorizes the greatest expansion of national service in America since FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps. Now that the Act has passed, the ServiceNation coalition is working to inspire a powerful culture of volunteerism in our country. We envision an America in which a commonly asked question is, "Where do you serve?" For more information, visit http://www.servicenation.org.

About Independent Sector

Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of approximately 550 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit and philanthropic community. To learn more about Independent Sector, please visit: www.independentsector.org.

SOURCE HandsOn Network