National Volunteer Week presents a wonderful opportunity to recognize every-day ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things through service. It is a great time for individuals, families, businesses, nonprofits and government entities to shine the spotlight on their volunteers.   Volunteer recognition can take many forms, ranging from verbal praise to a formal event. Some ways to recognize volunteers and to express your appreciation include: ·         Holding a formal recognition event during National Volunteer Week, such as a dinner, reception, or dessert buffet;   ·         Selecting and honoring a Volunteer of the Year during National Volunteer Week;   ·         Maintaining a Volunteer of the Month program, this highlights the special accomplishments of outstanding volunteers each month;   ·         Sending individual thank you cards to each one of your volunteers;   ·         Sending letters of recognition to the volunteers' workplaces which reflect well on the employees and raise public awareness of your organization;    ·         Placing a volunteer bulletin board with volunteers' names and photographs that highlights special projects in a prominent place for everyone to view;    ·         Sharing outcome and evaluation results with volunteers that demonstrate their personal impact;   ·         Creating a scrapbook or yearbook containing photographs of your volunteers in action;   ·         Creating a booklet containing comments and quotations from staff, patients, and families demonstrating the difference volunteers make to share at a recognition event or to mail to your volunteers;   ·         Providing verbal praise, thanking your volunteers publicly for their contributions;   ·         Giving special gifts, such as mugs, key chains, or magnets with your organization logo or name that honor the work of your volunteers;     ·         Providing certificates of accomplishment for volunteers' completion of a project, length of service, or active participation in your volunteer program;   ·         Arranging discounts for your volunteers at local shops to say "thank you"; and   ·         Placing articles in your organization's newsletter or Web site showcasing the hard work of your volunteers and sharing these articles with your local newspapers. They make excellent human interest stories!   Remember National Volunteer week is April 19-25, 2009.

If you'd like, take a look at past spotlights