Volunteer Recognition Pantry

Transcription

Volunteer
Recognition
Pantry
Healthy Recipes for Keeping Motivated and Devoted Volunteers
Volunteer
Recognition
Pantry…
Healthy Recipes for
Keeping Motivated and
Devoted Volunteers
This book is designed
for the purpose of assisting you
recognize your volunteers and insuring
your volunteer program has resources at
hand that might be helpful when your
funds are limited but your heart is full.
Enjoy!
Designed and Produced by
Silvestre Araceli Smith (RC)
in Collaboration with Cathy
Mansfield, Installation
Volunteer Services, ACS
Menu Planning Fundmentals
Recipes from Budget to Gourmet
Seasonings… A Daily Dose of Reflection
Desserts A’La Poem
Distinguishing Made Easy… Deli Food Kits
Special Entrees for all Seasons
Key Ingredients & Whine List
Installation Volunteer
Services
Ready to Serve Hors d’Vours
Menu Planning Fundamentals
Raising a Hand Isn't Enough
Be very careful not to imply that anyone can become a volunteer simply by calling up or raising a hand. It's
guaranteed that you'll end up with a screening problem! Or with someone who says, "what do you mean I
can't do this?" The best thing is to say some variation of: "now accepting applications," "call for an
interview," or "let's talk about whether this is the right assignment for you." Then you have established
your intention to find the best candidates, which may mean turning some applicants away. Hint: Even if
you take the first person who applies, it's much more motivating to say "We're delighted that you qualify
for this volunteer role" than to say "Since you're breathing, you can do it"!
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION
A Year-Round Responsibility
The following list provides lots of ideas at a glance for recognizing your volunteers yearround as well as during National Volunteer Week. It is reprinted with permission from a
recently revised handbook entitled From Here to There, published by the Volunteer
Action Center of the United Way in Dayton, Ohio.
A volunteer’s pay is recognition and the assurance that he/she is an equal partner of the
agency or organization. Recognition, therefore, should be an integral part of the
management process so that people feel valued and good about themselves and their
organization.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXPRESS OR IMPLY AN
ENDORSEMENT OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR FIRMS BY THE U.S. ARMY, FORT BRAGG, OR
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
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WHEN TO RECOGNIZE VOLUNTEERS
1. At the time they sign up to volunteer:
 Send letter of welcome
 Issue I.D. card, name tags, uniform, etc.
 Provide an orientation program
 Provide a parking space, lunch, coffee and/or mileage reimbursement
 Provide good job descriptions, training and supervision
 Publish name of new volunteer in employee newsletter and/or volunteer
newsletter
2. Daily or weekly:
 Smile!
 Informal thank-yous by staff and volunteer
coordinator
 Document their time for evaluation
 On the job praise
3. Monthly:
 Volunteer of the Month
 Appropriate evaluations
 Articles in newsletters
 Logging Volunteer Hours
4. Annually:
 Special events where awards are given, such as a dinner, luncheon, reception,
coffee or dinner dance.
 Certificates, plaques and other awards for time spent volunteering
 Gift of photo of volunteer at work or receiving award
 Volunteer Appreciation Day- use facilities free of charge
 “Turn-about” lunch - staff serves volunteers
 Holiday parties
5. At the completion of a special project:
 Say “thank you”
 Send letter of thanks to volunteers and/or their boss or school or staff supervisor
 Write article for newspaper or in-house publication about project.
 Take out to lunch or for a coffee break
 Promote to another job; give more responsibility
6. At meetings with staff or groups:
 Tell about volunteer projects and individual accomplishments
 Praise volunteers to others
 Have a slide show or film showing volunteers at work
 Invite volunteers to staff meetings
 Provide volunteers with outside training programs
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7. On their birthdays or holidays:
 Send cards
 Have an informal party
8. When they are sick:
 Send a get-well card
 Call at home
9. At the time they leave:
 Send a letter of thanks
 Give a certificate or resolution of appreciation
 Send letter of appreciation
to potential employers
10. During National Volunteer Week.
 Be a part of the community recognition activities planned by local Volunteer
center
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WHERE TO RECOGNIZE VOLUNTEERS
1. Volunteer office or lounge:
 Have coffee available
 Have pictures posted
2. Hallway entrance to building or cafeteria
 Have a bulletin board with pictures
 Display posters
 Display Pictures of Volunteers
3. On the job:
 Thank-yous and smiles
 Treat as an employee
 Invite to staff meetings
4. At home:
 Send a letter/post card
 Call
 Thank you note
5. At school or business:
 Send a letter
6. At church:
 Announcements in bulletin
 Encourage minister to talk about volunteering
7. At shopping centers:
 Display banner or billboard
8. At main intersection:
 Display banner or billboard
9. In all media:
 Newspaper--feature articles about volunteer projects and/or individual volunteers
 TV--commercial and cable
 Radio--news and public service announcements
 Slide shows and movies
 In-house publications
 Volunteer newsletters
 Professional journals or magazines
 TV documentary during National Volunteer Week
10. City Council or Commission meetings:
 Proclamation
 Mayor’s Award for Volunteer Service
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RECOGNITION OF STAFF WHO WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS
1. Thank staff members who are working cooperatively with volunteers
 For special projects they worked on together
 For using volunteer’s skills creatively
 For using lots of volunteers
 For taking time to supervise and train volunteers
 For showing their appreciation to volunteers
2. Send memo to department and supervisor recognizing their efforts
3. Award certificate to department who most effectively uses skills and talents of
volunteers
4. Invite staff to volunteer recognition events
5. Remember, with today’s budget cuts, some staff may feel ”forced” to use volunteer
assistance and feel negative toward them. Others may feel threatened for their jobs. Help
staff to see the benefits of volunteer assistance. Staff may not have even thought of using
volunteers and something new is always frightening. Use this “crisis” as an opportunity
to explore new ways of doing things. Many of the most loyal supporters of volunteer
programs were very skeptical of the idea at first.
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The Recognition Pantry
Under $5.00
 Your Time
 A Smile
 A Thumps Up
 A Post-It Note Of Appreciation
 A Stop For An Ice Cream Cone
 Gift Certificate For Fast Food Or a
Video Rental
 Decorative Pencils
 A Thank You Note
 Stickers
 Candy
 A Soda Pop
 A Potted Perennial From You Garden
 Invitation to Coach, Train or Mentor A
Co-Worker
 Job Assignment of Personal Interest
 The Words “Thank You”
 A Day Name After Them
 Flower from Your Garden In a Jar
 Badges Engraved With Years of Service
 Pocket Praise-Easy to Carry and Quick to
Personalize
 A Personalized Magnet
 A Framed Quote or Poem
 A Personalized Candy Bar
 Homemade Cookies
Under $10.00
 Motivated Calendar
 A Mug or Tumbler With Candy
 Baseball Cap
 Award Certificate In a Frame
 Lapel Pins
 Company Logo Items
 Book
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Flowers
T.E.A.M Paper Cube
Phone Card With Free Minutes
Golf Balls-Personalized for You Organization
Car Wash Coupons
A Gift Certificate for a Manicure
Ticket to a Newly Realized Movie
Under $30.00
Under $20.00
 T.E.A.M Sweatshirt
 Tickets To A Movie For Two
 Star Clock
 A Computer Screen Saver
 Thanks a Million Gift Box
 A Magazine Subscription
 Bookstore or Music Store
 Tee-Shirt
 Picture Frame or Umbrella
 T.E.A.M. Tote Bag
 Travel Mug-Personalized for Your Organization
 Applause, Applause Celebration Gift Tumbler
Now let’s get cooking!
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Recipes from Budget to Gourmet
Compiled by Araceli Smith
Kitchen Knickers
A new set of dish towels or dish cloths is always welcome. In minutes
you can turn them into a fun gift for any occasion.
Main Ingredients:
Two dish cloths or dish towels
1-12/ yards of 1/8-inch ribbon
Needle with an eye large enough for the ribbon to fit
(on open-weave materials, I use a tapestry needle)
Put the dish cloths or dish towels side by side vertically.
Thread the needle with the ribbon and make a running stitch 2" from top
of both dish cloths (towels). Make your stitches 3/4" apart so the ribbon will gather
easily. The top of the cloths are now joined together by the ribbon.
Pull the ribbon to gather the top and tie a bow in the front--this will fold
the cloths in half.
Stitch the ribbon 1-1/2" form the bottom of each leg. Make the stitches
3/4" apart.
Pull the ribbon to gather the bottom and ties the bow on the inside of
each leg (also folding the 'legs' in half).
Tie two bows through the front of the cloths to fasten them together. (See
drawing) Now print up a tag with one of these sayings on it and give to your favorite
person.
You can hang these little
If it's bloomers that you need,
bloomers,
I hope that these will do.
Upon your kitchen wall.
If it's dish towels that you'd like,
It's obvious you can't wear them,
Then these are just for you.
They'd be a bit too small.
Pull out the little stitches,
Now untie the bows
For something that is useful,
Untie each pretty bow.
And pull out the stitches.
Remove the bows and stitches.
And you'll have two new dish
You'll have two dish cloths,
And you'll have not one, but two,
towels,
But lost your new britches!
Dish cloths to do your dishes.
To make your dishes glow!
Don't be dismayed
Don't be misled.
These are not for you,
But your kitchen instead.
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Dish Rags Shirt
Main Ingredients:
Two dish cloths or dish towels
3 Buttons
Needle and Thread
3 Safety Pins
You can hang this little shirt,
upon your kitchen wall.
It's obvious you can't wear it;
it’ll be a bit too small.
For something that is useful,
Remove buttons, pins and stitches.
And you'll have not one, but two,
Dish cloths to do your dishes.
Number1
Half
Number2
Fold
Flaps in
Half
Fold down corners
to make collar
Fold dish rags as illustrated above. Place
number one dish cloth as illustrated below.
Fold #2 in half going upwards to wrap
around sleeves. Safety pin in place where
arrows are shown on the fallowing illustration.
Sew buttons in place as if it were a real shirt.
Add the above verse on a card.
For best results you can Stitch ribbon 1 inch on each sleeve. Make the stitches 3/4" apart.
Pull the ribbon to gather and tie a bow. The picture above shows a sample with a third
dish towel for pants.
Dishtowel Bunny
Materials:
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1 dishtowel
2 washcloths
Ribbon
Instructions:
Lay the dishtowel on the table with the wrong side up. Fold in thirds
lengthwise. Fold in thirds again (Fig. 1). Set aside.
Take one of the washcloths and starting at one corner roll to the middle. Roll the opposite
corner to the middle to meet it (Fig. 2). This will be the ears.
2
Fold the top part of the dishtowel down about 1/3 of the way. Take the
washcloth "ears" and lay them inside the fold--Grab the ears by the
points and pull up tightly (Fig. 3) Tie with a piece of ribbon as close to
the dishtowel as you can (tie a bow with the ribbon) (Fig. 4).
Tie another bow under the bulge you made with the ears (Fig. 5). This
makes the head.
Starting at the edge roll up the other washcloth (Fig. 6). This will be the
arms.
Slide the "arms" in between the back and front of the
dishtowel up to the "neck". Tie a bow under the arms. This makes the waist.
(Fig. 7)
Bring the "hands" to the front and tie at the "wrists" with another
bow (Fig. 8). You should have a little lady bunny ready to hold
some wooden spoons, an Easter basket, flowers, etc.
Poem for Kitchen Bunny
"I am your kitchen bunny
when you tire of me
untie my bows...and I will
become 2 washcloths and
one drying towel"
Dishtowel Angel
Materials:
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1 dishtowel
1 washcloth
1 Pot holder
Ribbon
Instructions:
Fan Fold the dishtowel lengthwise (Fig. 1). Fold in
half and tie off about 2 to 3 inches from fold, this
forms the head (Fig. 2).
Fanfold the washcloth (Fig. 3). This forms the arms.
Fanfold the potholder with the loop along top edge (Fig. 4). This forms the wings. Place
the washcloth on top of the potholder and secure in the center with a ribbon (Fig. 5).
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Lay towel on top of potholder and washcloth. Bring the arms (washcloth) around and tie
together 1 inch from ends, this forms the hands and holds all the pieces together.
Angel Poem
An angel in the Kitchen
Watching the stew
Blesses your cooking
And all that you do.
Dishtowel Scarecrow
Materials:
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1 dishtowel
1 matching dishcloth
1/4-inch dia. Wood dowel, 11-inches long
Beige felt
Raffia
Burlap or straw hat
Red and black permanent makers
Glue gun
Scissors
Instruction:
Arms
Lay washcloth out flat. Place several strands of raffia along
one end. Place the wooden dowel over the raffia (see fig.
1). Starting on the side you placed the raffia and dowel,
begin rolling the washcloth, inclosing the raffia and dowel in the center. Tie a
piece of raffia around dishcloth 1-inch from each end (see fig. 2). Trim the raffia
so it hangs out about 1 1/2 –inches on each end of the dishcloth. Set arms aside.
Head
Cut a 7 ½” x 2 ½” piece of beige felt. Clip short ends so
they have a jagged look. Fold in half widthwise and using
the markers draw a face about 1-inch down from fold. Set head
aside.
Body
Fan fold the dishtowel lengthwise (refer to fig. 1 of the angel towel
http://crafterscommunity.com/projects/misc/towelangel.html). Fold in
center and place the folded felt head over fold in towel (see fig. 3). Tie a length of raffia
just under the scarecrow face, around the felt and towel, to form the head. Slide arms
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between the folded towel up to the neck. Tie a length of raffia under arms for waist.
Separate the two sections of the towel below the waist to form legs (see fig. 4). Tie a
length of raffia 1-inch from the bottom of each leg.
Finish
Create hair by tying a bunch of raffia in the center (see fig. 5). Using a glue gun, glue
center of raffia bunch to the top of the scarecrow head. Spread raffia down around the
head and glue hat onto head over raffia. Trim the hair if needed.
Bath Towel Elephant
Materials:
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1 Large thick bath towel (body)
2 washcloths (trunk and ears)
Ribbon
Lace
Felt- white, blue and black (eyes)
Silk flowers
Wire (wire coat hanger will work)
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Hot glue gun
Instructions:
Lay the bath towel out on a
edge, roll the towel to the
table. Starting at narrow
center. Repeat with the
other edge. (see Fig. 1)
Fold the
the rolls
washcloth in the middle and slide it
bath towel. This creates the ears. Set
towel in the middle with
facing out. Scrunch the
between the fold of the
this piece aside.
To create the trunk, cut a piece of wire about 2 inches smaller than the width of your
wash cloth. Lay the wire along one edge of the wash cloth (see Fig. 3) and roll up the
wash cloth around the wire as tightly as possible. Glue the edge
with a glue gun. This creates the trunk. Bend the trunk shaping it as
shown in Fig. 4
Take half of the trunk and snuggle it down
between the rolls of the bath towel (see Fig. 5)
leaving only the curved half of the trunk sticking
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out.
Tie a ribbon around the middle of the bath towel just below the ears and trunk (see Fig.
6). This creates the neck.
Cut a length of lace to fit around the neck and glue in place so the bow of the ribbon is
hanging in front of the lace.
To create the eyes, cut two ovals from white felt. Cut two circles from blue felt and two
small rectangles from black felt. Fringe the edge of the black felt to create eyelashes.
Glue the eyelashes to the back of the white ovals. Glue the blue circles to the front of the
white ovals. Arrange the eyes on the elephant and glue in place.
Finishing: Glue silk flowers to the end of the trunk and on the top of the head. Attach a
small bow to the forehead.
Washcloth Fish
Materials:
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Washcloth
Felt for fins and eyes
Oval scented soap for fish
Raffia
Moveable eyes
glue gun
Skewer
Bar of soap for stand
Instructions:
Place the soap on the washcloth just to one side of the center (Fig. 1).
Fold the washcloth in half covering the soap. Take both ends of the
folded side and bring them together inside the folded washcloth (Fig. 2).
Gather the washcloth around the soap (Fig. 3) and tie with a piece of
raffia. Trim ends of raffia close to the knot (Fig. 4).
Cut a circle of felt slightly larger than the moveable eye. Glue movable
eye to felt circle. Repeat with other eye. Glue both eyes to fish.
Cut 3 fins from felt. Glue one to the top of the fish and the other two to
each side of the bottom of the fish.
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You can make a stand by pushing a skewer up through the bottom of the fish. Push the
other end of the skewer through the flat side of another bar of soap.
Adorable Snow Folks
Create a group of carolers or a sleigh full of happy winter friends with your mismatched children's mittens, wooden balls,
and lots of imagination. The sky is the limit!
You will need
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children's mittens
rice
cotton batting
11/4" diameter wooden balls
buttons
mismatched infant or children's socks
small pom poms
scrap material for scarves
Silk florals (holiday springs, berries, flowers, etc.)
sleigh or basket
tiny black plastic eyes or black acrylic paint
rosy lipstick
black marker
Grandpa
Instructions
Basic Snow Person
Fill the hand portion of a child's mitten with one or two handfuls of rice, fill the rest of
the way with cotton batting, be sure to fill thumb as well. Cut a scrap piece of material for
scarf and gently tie around the mitten where the ribbing of the cuff meets the plain
material of the mitten (end of the cuff). (When tying scarf, point the scarf material away
from the thumb to make it appear as if the scarf is covering the person's other arm.) Fold
down cuff to cover scarf and form a turtle neck. Hot glue on wooden ball to top of turned
down cuff. Glue on tiny plastic eyes or paint on with black acrylic paint. Use black
marker for mouth. Gently dot on lipstick for cheeks by applying first to your finger and
then dotting onto face. Glue 2 or 3 buttons to tummy area. Glue a stem of holiday florals
or greenery tucked into the arm (thumb), and glue arm to the mitten body. Jessica- click
for larger view
You can personalize each snow person with different hats, scarves, florals, and more. Our
examples show how you can create an entire family of folks by simply using different
colored mittens, scarves, and different styles of hats and ear muffs.
Grandpa
Our Grandpa (pictured above) wears a top hat that is fashioned from a scrap of scarf. Lay
your basic snowperson face up on your work surface. Lay a rectangular scrap flat and
place under ball head. Fold a flap of the material up to form the brim of the hat (see
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photo) and begin gluing in place, wrapping around the head as you work. Glue final
seams in the back of the hat so they are not visible. Amy & Peter - click for larger view
Little Sister
Little Jessica is wearing earmuffs instead of a hat. We simply cut a scrap piece from the
cuff of an infant's sock and glued it across the top of her head. At the ends of the
headband, glue two pom poms for the muffs.
Brother & Sister
Amy and Peter are wearing snow hats. These hats are both fashioned from infant socks.
To make Amy's hat we simply fit the cuff of the sock onto her head and rolled up the
edge of the cuff to form her hat brim. Then trim the end of the sock off and fold over
neatly then glue in place. Glue a pom pom to the top. For Peter's hat, put sock on head the
same way as Amy's, trim toe portion off, then cut the end of the sock into three sections.
Pull those three sections together to form a cone type tip, glue three pom poms to that tip.
Mom & Dad - click for larger view
Mom & Dad
A slightly larger mitten was used for Mom and Dad. Because the cuffs of the mittens
were much larger and thicker, we formed parka hoods by simply gluing the ball inside the
cuff and gluing the "chin" to the mitten itself.
You can display these snow people in a basket with sprigs of greenery and holly berries,
or place them in a sleigh. Fill the sleigh with cotton batting and place each family
member in their seat. Place these cute little people on your fireplace mantel, or attach a
piece of gold cord and hang from your tree or in your doorway.
Poem
If you'd like to give these folks as gifts, you can include this poem to add just the right
touch:
The Snow Folks
I look out the window,
And I see a place
That's covered all over
With white, frosted lace.
This place once had colors,
But it changed overnight.
And now it's a
Glistening, magical white!
Jessica
Amy & Peter
I wonder who lives
In a place where I'd freeze,
If I didn't wear sweaters
And boots to my knees.
These folk must be snow
From their heads to their toes!
For I'd never be happy
With frost on my nose.
The folks who live here
Just love to be out
They're happy in blizzards.
They smile through a storm.
They laugh when it freezes,
But they cry when it's warm!
~ Author Unknown
Mom & Dad
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In the cold, wintry drifts
As the snow swirls about.
Country Elegance Holiday
Wreath
The holidays are just around the corner and you aren't looking forward to fighting the crowds
at the mall for just a few decorations. Then dig out your fabric scraps and a grapevine wreath
and you are on your way to country elegance.
You will need:
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grapevine wreath
24" long lace remnant
3" x 3" fabric squares in green & burgundy plaid, white lace, and burgundy velour
pen with cap or screwdriver
hot glue gun
Note: fabric squares can be in any color combination you choose.
Instructions:
Figure 1
When choosing your fabric colors, remember that solids and plaids
contrast quite nicely. Try to find a plaid or floral pattern with at least
one dark color in it, contrast with a deep colored solid. See Figure 1.
The lace addition brings elegance to your country look. You may also
cut the fabric squares with pinking shears if you
choose.
Turn grapevine wreath face down on work surface. Using hot glue gun,
glue lace remnant in place around the center of the wreath. When you
turn the wreath you should see the lace around the center edge. Glue any
spots that are sticking up or falling back. See Figure 2
With wreath face up, begin inserting fabric squares into wreath by
putting pen into the center of the square and pressing down into the
nooks and crannies.
Figure 2
See Figure 3. Insert solids first, leaving enough room between each square to allow for
the other patterns.
When you have completed the circle, begin inserting the plaid or
floral squares, then follow with the lace squares. Fill any gaps
with remaining squares, alternating where needed.
Figure 3
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Note: If you will be giving this wreath as a gift, you may want to secure the squares with
glue.
As an optional finishing touch, add a small glittery holiday silk stem with cranberries or
other small fruit to the wreath. Glue in place just off center.
Pinecone Ornament
Materials:
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3 yards of 7/8 inch ribbon
1 yard of contrasting ribbon (for bow)
104 flat head steel pins
1 3-inch polystyrene egg
Instructions:
Cut the 3 yards of ribbon into 52 2-inch pieces. Fold each piece into a triangle (Fig. 1)
and iron. At narrow end of egg, pin 2 triangles, seam side down opposite each other so
that tips meet 1/4 inch beyond egg, pin in each corner (Fig. 2). Pin 2 more triangles
opposite each other in space between the first two, with tips meeting. Pin two more
triangles opposite each other in the remaining spaces. Place 45 more triangles with tips in
line with tips of first row. Continue to alternate rows in this manner until egg is
completely covered. With 12 inches on contrasting ribbon make a hanger and bow. Glue
or pin to large end of egg.
Thanks…..For Popping into
Action!
Personalize a mini bag of microwave popcorn with a label or
Tag using the above lines. You can add the unit logo, crest or
“compliments of ?”.
How to Grow your Own Herd-Cow Seeds
Key Ingredients:
Lima Beans
Plastic Bag
Label on Card Stock
Black Marker
Plant the seeds in warm spot right side up. Cow will
grow upside down if planted wrong.
Be patient, it takes a long time to start your own herd.
For best results, MOO softly while watering.
Not for Consumption
10
Directions:
Take each Lima bean and paint spots with the
marker to look like spots on a cow. Let dry
for 5 minutes. Make label, put six beans in
the plastic bag and add the label above.
Apple Cider Basket
Your friends and family will love this festive Spiced Apple Cider. Give a jar of Apple Cider Spice Mix along with the recipe
for making Spiced Apple Cider. If you want to make a basket, add a bottle of dry red wine or apple cider, a couple of
mugs, coasters, an orange or lemon, and a bunch of cinnamon sticks tied together. Don't forget to keep some for
yourself. This recipe is delicious and fills the home with wonderful scents!
Apple Cider Spice Mix
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2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container.
Spiced Apple Cider
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8 ounces dry red wine or apple cider
2 teaspoons Apple Cider Spice Mix
1 cinnamon stick
1 twist of orange or lemon peel
Gummie
Blue bearly hold back tears
Blue hope
Green make sadness fade away
Green barely control your envy
Orange make wishes come true
Orange never bear a grudge
Red energy to get through the day
Red to bear a HOT day
Red hot under the collar
White/clear love
White/clear help you see clearly
Yellow brighten your day
Yellow barely any sunshine
Heat wine or cider until hot but not boiling.
Steep the Apple Cider Spice Mix in the
liquid until sugar is dissolved. Pour into
serving mug and garnish with cinnamon
stick and twist of peel.
Old Age Jelly Beans Pills
Black JB Senility
Green JB constipation
Orange JB Deafness
Pink JB Wrinkles
Purple JB Arthritis
Red JB Sex
White JB Baldness
Yellow JB gas
Happiness a la mode
2 Cups Unselfishness
1 Cup Patience
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1 Cup Understanding
2 Tablespoons Humor
Mix ingredients well and sprinkle generously
Happiness Cake
1 Cup Good Thoughts
1 Cup Consideration for Others
2 Cups Well-Beaten Faults
1 Cup Kind Deeds
3 Cups Forgiveness
Mix thoroughly. Add Tears of Joy, Sorrow and Sympathy. Flavor with Love and Kindly
Service. Fold in 4 Cups of Prayer and Faith. Blend well. Fold into daily life. Bake well
with warmth and Human Kindness and serve with a Smile, anytime.
--St. Peter Lutheran Church newsletter
Recipe of a Military Spouse
1 1/2 cups patience 1 lb. courage
3/4 cups tolerance
A dash of Adventure
With the above ingredients, add two teaspoons elbow grease. Let set alone for one year.
Marinate frequently with salty tears. Pour off excess fat. Sprinkle ever so lightly with
money. "Knead" dough until payday. Season with international spices.
Bake 20 years or until done. Serve with pride
Recipe for a Happy New Year
Take 12 whole months.
Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate and jealousy.
Make them just as fresh and clean as possible.
Now cut each month into twenty-eight, thirty or thirty-one different parts, but don't make
up the whole batch at once.
Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients.
Mix well into each day one part of faith, one part of patience, one part of courage and one
part of work.
Add to each day one part each of hope, faithfulness, generosity and kindness.
Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation and one good deed.
Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play and a
cupful of good humor.
Pour all of this into a vessel of love.
Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile and serve with quietness,
unselfishness and cheerfulness.
You're bound to have a happy new year.
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HAPPINESS CAKE
1/2 C. Charity
2 C. Smiles
2 tsp. Enthusiasm
1 tsp. Health
1 C. Love
2 C. Forgiveness
1 pinch Adoration
1 Tbsp. Humor
Mix charity and love well, add the smiles. Blend forgiveness, enthusiasm, and
adoration together. Gently add to charity, love and smiles. Flavor with health, and be
sure always to stir in the humor. Bake in a very clean oven for many, many years.
Serve to everyone you know and everyone you meet. Will taste delicious and keep
well, no matter how you store it.
RECIPE FOR FRIENDSHIP
Fold two hands together and express a dash of sorrow.
Marinate it overnight and work on it tomorrow.
Chop up grudges in tiny pieces; add several cups of love.
Dredge with a large-size smile, mix with the ingredients above.
Dissolve the hate within you by doing a good deed.
Cut in, and help your friend if he should be in need.
Stir in laughter, love, and kindness; from the heart it has to come.
Toss with genuine forgiveness and give your neighbor some.
The amount of people served will depend really on you. It can serve the whole wide
world if you really want it to!
COOKBOOK INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE
1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2. Memorize your favorite poem.
3. Don’t believe all you hear.
4. Don’t spend all you have.
5. Believe in love at first sight.
6. When you say, “I love you,” mean it.
7. Be engaged at least 6 months before you get married.
8. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life
completely.
9. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
10. Don’t judge people by their relatives.
11. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
12. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
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13. Remember the 3 R’s: respect for self; respect for others; responsibility for all your
actions.
14. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
15. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
16. Marry a person you love to talk to. It becomes more important as you grow older.
17. Spend some time alone.
18. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
19. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
20. Read more books and watch less tv.
21. Live a good, honorable life. When you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a
second time.
22. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
23. Read between the lines.
24. Be gentle with the earth.
25. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
26. Remember, not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
27. Remember that your character is your destiny.
28. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
29. PRAY. There’s immeasurable power in it.
30. Trust in God, but lock your car.
....and one last recipe “for good measure” –
RECIPE FOR A PROMISE OF FRIENDSHIP
Promise always to be the kind of friends we are today.
Promise always to be there for each other, no matter what.
Promise to be friends when we’re eighty and have just as much fun then as we do now.
Promise always to make time for each other, even when there’s lots of other things we
have to do.
Promise always to share the laughter, tears and celebrations of a lifetime...
PROMISE TO BE FRIENDS FOREVER...
HOW TO PRESERVE A HUSBAND
Pick one that’s tender, but not too young,
add 2 Cups of love & 1 Cup of devotion.
Mix with laughter and sweeten with smiles,
Do not beat!
Add a variety of spices until well seasoned,
Do not pickle or put them in hot water...
this makes them sour!
Add a pinch of forgiveness as needed.
Serve daily with plenty of peaches & cream.
This makes one happy marriage that keeps forever!
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Monday – clean the bathrooms. Scrub the toilets, put things away, sweep and mop.
Tuesday – vacuum the house. Go through the house and give it a good sucking up.
Wednesday – dusting day. Wipe down everything – counter tops, window sills, shelves,
etc.
Thursday – bedclothes – change the beds. Put fresh blankets and sheets on. Wash the
others and put them away.
Friday – kitchen scrub. Wipe out the inside of the refrigerator, microwave, oven, wipe
down the stove, etc. Mop your kitchen floor as well if you haven’t already.
Saturday – anything else. Whatever you have left focus on that. If you don’t have more
cleaning take some time to do other work – garden, file papers, can foods, etc. Or best
yet, spend some special time with your family.
Sunday – relax. God called for a day of rest and though we do not rest on Saturday like
the Jewish people do take a day to spend with Him and your family.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT SOUP
(Galatians 5:22,23)
Ingredients
Pearl Barley - Love
Split Peas - Joy
Black Beans - Peace
Red Beans - Patience
Pinto Beans - Kindness
Navy Beans - Goodness
Lentils - Gentleness
Black-Eye-Peas - Self-Control
Gabanzo's - Holy Spirit
Smoked sausage or diced ham
Directions:
Rinse beans, Put in Crock-pot & cover with water. "About 3/4 full of liquid & beans
total", - Add meat, turn on low, cook 8 to 10 hours. (10 to 12 hrs if using Gabanzo's
beans) I use liquid smoke, & onions. I also serve it with fresh bread.
NOTE: I buy 1 pound of each of these beans, open them and put into a large container,
then I mix the completely so there always ready when I am, I measure out 2 cups and
that's enough to feed 4 to 6 folks.
NOTE: This also makes a lovely gift for someone who might be moving or down in the
dumps, if you layer each kind of bean in a jar, then attach this recipe, they'll always know
how much you love them.
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A RECIPE FOR A CHRISTIAN LIFE
Fold two hands together and
express a dash of sorrow.
Marinate it overnight
And work on it tomorrow
Chop one grudge in tiny pieces
Add several cup of love
Dredge with a large sized smile
Mix with the ingredients above.
Dissolve the hate within you,
By doing a good deed.
Cut in and help your friend
If he should be in need.
Stir in laughter, love and kindness
From the heart it has to come.
Toss with genuine forgiveness
And give your neighbor some.
The amount served
will depend on you.
It can serve the whole wide world,
If you really want it to.
(author unknown)
A Biblical Recipe for Effective Child
Training
Ingredients:
1 gallon faith in God
7 cupfuls love for your child
1 cup patience
1 cup clarified instruction
1 cup consistent discipline (whipped lightly)
3 teaspoons of pure mercy
1 generous dash of humor
2 cupfuls praise
2 cupfuls liberty
Direction: Pour faith in God into any size family. Mix one teaspoon of clarified
instruction and one teaspoon of consistent discipline. Add only a half cup of liberty
initially. Stir well and chip lightly. Sprinkle in pure mercy and simmer over a steady
flame of prayer. Proceed to fold in additional teaspoons of instruction and discipline, in
equal amounts, adding liberty slowly. Stir well and whip as needed to smooth out any
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lumps of disobedience. Never over beat! Sweeten to taste with humor and praise. Melt
any specks of misunderstanding or sour attitude by turning up the level of prayer and
adding extra instruction. Continue this process until all remaining ingredients have been
added and all bitterness has been removed. When adding the last cup of liberty, be careful
not to cause any sudden separation or foaming. If either of these occur, or if the moral
character begins to lose its intended shape, skim off the excess liberty until the desired
consistency results. Try adding this liberty again later when character is firmer. Keep
warm over a steady flame of prayer. Serve with a tender heart and the sincere milk of
God's Word. Never serve with a cold shoulder or a hot tongue.
Recipe for Forever
Gather all of the ingredients together, so that they are close at hand!
Get a clean cloth and wipe the bowl clean of any lingering dust from the past.
Take MATURITY, RESPECT and FRIENDSHIP, and stir gently.
Add unlimited amounts of COMPASSION and KINDNESS, and mix well.
To this, add CARING by the handfuls, and fold in TRUST.
Continue stirring gently, adding LISTENING, HONESTY and large amounts of
COMMUNICATION.
Slip in some DREAMS, GOALS, and firm pieces of KEEPING PROMISES.
Bake in a home filled with PEACE, BEAUTY, and SERENITY.
Before you taste the finished product, sprinkle liberally with PATIENCE, LOVE and a
touch of SPICE.
Serve very hot, with IMAGINATION on the side. ~ Author Unknown ~
A Recipe for a Happy Home
Heart full of Love
Mind full of Religion
Eye full of Nature
Awareness of Immortality
Dedication of Fidelity
Body of Patriotism
(author unknown)
A Recipe for Happiness
Take twelve whole months. Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate,
and jealousy. Make them just as fresh and clean as possible. Now cut each
month into twenty-eight, thirty or thirty-one different parts, but don't
make the whole batch at once. Prepare it one day at a time out of these
ingredients.
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Mix well into each day one part of faith, one part of patience, one part
of courage, and one part of work. Add to each day one part of hope,
faithfulness, generosity, and meditation, and one good deed. Season the
whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play,
and a cupful of good humor.
Pour all of this into a vessel of love. Cook thoroughly over radiant joy,
garnish with a smile, and serve with quietness, unselfishness, and
cheerfulness. You're bound to have a Happy New Year.
Recipe for a Keepsake Cookbook
Start with a generous helping of your favorite recipes
Spice with memories, anecdotes, and stories
Fold in photos, drawings, or doodles
Pepper with dashes of humor and nostalgia to taste
Combine all and blend well
Serve up to yourself, family, and friends.
A Recipe for Miracles
Ingredients:
1 part of knowing who you are
1 part of knowing who you aren't
1 part of knowing what you want
1 part of knowing who you wish to be
1 part of knowing what you already have
1 part of choosing wisely from what you have
1 part of loving and thanking for ALL you have
Method:
Combine ingredients together gently finely blended.
Use thoughts, words and actions for best results.
Bake until blessed.
Give thanks again.
Makes unlimited servings
Scripture Cake
The Bible often likens the Word of God to food. Job had an "appetite for God's Word
more than his necessary food." (Job 23:12.) The Psalmist regarded the Word as "sweeter
than honey from the honeycomb" (Psalms 19:10). In the Book of Revelation, John was
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instructed to take God's Word and "eat the book" (Rev. 10:9). This fun recipe is another
way of eating God's Word.
Ingredients
1 Cup golden raisins (1 Samuel 25:18..."a hundred clusters of raisins")
1 Cup figs, chopped (Isaiah 34:4..."fig from the fig tree")
1 Cup almonds, finely chopped (Numbers 17:23..."bore ripe almonds"
1 Cup dates, chopped (Exodus 15:27..."there were seventy palms")
11/2 Cups flour (Leviticus 2:5..."fine flour, unleavened)
1 pinch salt (Leviticus 2:13..."season with salt")
1 tsp. cinnamon (Exodus 30:23..."of sweet cinnamon)
1 dash ginger and allspice (Song of Solomon 4:10..."all manner of spices)
1 tsp. baking powder (Amos 4:5..."of that which is leavened")
3 large eggs (Isaiah 10:14..."One gathered eggs")
1 Cup sugar (Jeremiah 6:20..."And the sweet cane")
1/2 Cup vegetable oil (Numbers 11:8..."Cake baked with oil")
1 Tblsp. honey (Judges 14:18..."What is sweeter than honey?)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F) or 165 degrees (C). In a medium bowl combine raisins,
dates, figs, and almonds. Set aside. In a large bowl beat eggs until light. Gradually add
sugar and continue beating for 5 minutes. Add oil and honey slowly and continue beating
another 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and spices, a little at a time. Stir until
well blended. Finally, fold in the fruit and nuts. Pour into well-greased 5"x9" loaf pan or
two smaller pans. Bake about 11/2 hours for large loaf, 45 minutes to 1 hour for smaller
loaves. Let cool for a few hours then slice with a sharp knife. Keeps well in refrigerator.
Scripture Cake (Version 2)
Ingredients
3/4 cup Genesis 18:8 (found in the first four words) butter (in the NIV it
is curds and milk, which were used to make butter)
1 1/2 cup Jeremiah 6:20 cane, brown sugar
5 Luke 11:12 eggs
3 c. Leviticus 24:5 fine flour
3/4 tsp. 2 Kings 2:20 salt
3 tsp. Amos 4:5 leaven, baking powder
1 tsp. Exodus 30:23 cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each: 2 Chronicles 9:9 spices, cloves, allspice, nutmeg
1/2 c. Judges 4:19 (last part) milk
1/2 c. Genesis 43:11 (last part of the verse only) pistachio nuts or almonds
1/2 c. Jeremiah 24:5 figs
1/2 c. 2 Samuel 16:1 raisins
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Directions
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Thoroughly cream butter, brown sugar and eggs; combine dry ingredients and add
alternately to creamed mixture with milk. Stir in nuts and fruit. Bake in two oiled cake
pans for 30 to 40 minutes.
Clay pot Candy Dish
Materials:
Clay pot with Clay plate
Round Candle holder
Hot glue gun and glue
Paint
Wooden Circle and ball for handle
Paint the pot and plate and decorate with desired theme. Paint wooden pieces to
coordinate with the clay pot colors and glue: Bottom of clay pot to bottom of Candle
holder, wooden ball to bottom middle of clay pot plate, finally glue wooden circle to
middle of clay pot.
Assemble according to picture above.
Uncle Sam Pin
Pin on a patriotic face that's sure to stand out in any Fourth of July crowd.
WHAT YOU NEED
•
•
•
•
White craft foam
Markers
Googly eyes
Glue
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
•
•
•
•
Scissors
Wooden craft spoon
Cotton balls
Self-adhesive pin back
Step 1
To make one, cut out a basic Uncle Sam style hat (about 2 inches tall and 1 inch wide)
from white craft foam
Step 2
Use markers to color the brim blue and to draw red stripes on the top
Step 3:
Glue the hat to the handle of a wooden craft spoon (if necessary, first use scissors to trim
the wooden handle so that it's shorter than the hat).
Step 4:
Glue on googly eyes and a cotton ball beard, then draw on a small L-shaped nose
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Step 5:
Attach a self-adhesive pinback (sold at many craft and bead stores), and your Uncle Sam
pin is ready to wear.
Lady Bug pin
Bestow a little ladybug luck by rounding up a few of these charming
beetle tie tacks (they look great on jackets and baseball caps too) for
all of your favorite people.
WHAT YOU NEED
• Red and black Sculpey III clay
• Tie tack backing (sold at most craft stores)
To make a tack, roll a lima bean-size piece of red Sculpey III clay into a round ladybug
body and press it securely onto the flat surface of the tie tack backing. From a lentil-size
piece of black Sculpey III clay, shape a head and press it onto the body.
Use a thin log of black clay to create a centerline on the bug's body and rounded bits of
black clay to make spots.
Bake the decorated tack (a parent's job) according to the directions on the clay package,
let cool, and the tack is ready to wear.
A Pup for Pop
The next time Dad needs someone to fetch him a pencil, this desktop dog can deliver.
WHAT YOU NEED
• 4 pinch-style wooden clothespins
• Wood glue
• Felt
• Googly eyes
• Pom-pom
• Markers
• Pencil
To form the front end of the dog pinch open a clothespin and apply glue to the inner
surface of the opened end. Then clamp the glued end onto a second clothespin, just
behind the metal spring. For the dog's tail end, glue and clamp together the last two
clothespins so that one holds the other wide open. When the glue is dry, fit the opened
21
end of the back half onto the lower end of the front half. Apply glue to bond the two
sections.
From the felt, cut out floppy ears and circular paws. Then glue ears and paws, the googly
eyes, and the pom-pom nose onto the dog. Add spots or other distinguishing details with
colored markers. Finally, pinch open the dog's mouth and insert a pencil, balancing its
weight equally on both sides.
Candy Cane Reindeer






Candy Cane (I use 6 inch, individually wrapped)
Ribbon - 8 inch piece
2 wiggle eyes (I use 5 mm)
Red or Brown pom-pom (very small)
2 (18") pipe cleaners (craft kind - use any color but I
particularly like to use gold metallic)
Tacky glue
How to Make It
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Leave the wrapping on the candy cane (so the kids can eat it later).
Glue eyes on rounded face of the candy cane.
Glue red pom-pom on the face for a nose.
Tie ribbon into a bow on the straight part of the candy cane.
Cut one of the pipe cleaners in half.
Use the full pipe cleaner and wrap it around the crook of the candy cane (both
sides equal) to make the beginning part of the antlers.
7. Use 1 of the cut pipe cleaner pieces to wrap around the left antler and repeat it on
the right side.
8. Manipulate the pipe cleaners to look like antlers.
Bon Bon Guest Soaps
Basic Soap Supplies:
6 1" cubes of white soap
4 1" cubes of clear soap
Heart candy mold for 12 1" hearts
Red and blue soap dye (no food coloring)
1 1/2" x 1" white paper candy cups
1 teaspoon of clear iridescent fine polyester glitter
Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
Petroleum jelly, cooking oil or non-stick cooking spray
Microwave oven
Microwave-safe measuring cups or bowls
Measuring spoons
Sharp, smooth knife
Craft sticks (to stir melted soap)
Plastic wrap
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Optional: Soap fragrance or scented oils (no alcohol-based perfume)
Instructions: 1. Reinforce 4 paper cups each with 3-4 other cups (the outer cups will be removed
later.) Place the white soap cubes in microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave on high for
30 seconds. If necessary, microwave at 5 second intervals until melted. Add 2 drops of red to tint
it pink. You may add fragrance at this time, if desired.
2. Let cool until no longer steaming and carefully pour the liquid soap into 2 cups. Add a drop of
blue to the pink soap to turn it lavender and fill 2 more cups. Pour into cups within?" of the top.
Spritz with rubbing alcohol to prevent bubbles.
3. Melt 1 cube of clear soap; add a drop of blue dye and a pinch of glitter. Pour into a heart mold
lightly greased with oil or petroleum jelly. Melt the remaining cubes; add a drop of red and the
remaining glitter then fill another heart. Add a drop of blue to make lavender and fill 2 hearts. Let
set. For easy removal, put the molded soap into the freezer for a few minutes until hard, and then
run warm water over the mold to loosen the soap.
4. Remove the hearts. Use a dab of melted soap to glue a lavender heart to each lavender bon bon.
Glue the remaining hearts to the pink bon bons. Discard the outer "support" paper cup.
Perky Pens
Materials Needed:





Ballpoint pens
Chenille Stems (optional)
Decorative element such as: balls; beads; butterflies; fabric trims; rhinestones
Floral tape: light green
Hot-glue gun/ glue sticks
Instructions
1. Beginning at writing end of pen, wrap tape around pen. Make certain to cover pen
completely.
2. Glue decorative element to end of pen. Note: Pens can be wrapped first with chenille stem,
then wrapped with tape to give more dimension.
Ideas: Try creating pens with colored floss and beads. Wrap pens with floss, beginning at
writing end. Leave extra floss at the end, and then thread beads onto string. Knot to secure.
Gift Box
This box made from two bills. The bills/box can be the gift itself, but it is also just about
the right size for a ring box. (Perhaps a dollar-bill ring?)
Get yourself two fairly new, crisp bills. Older "soggier" bills are much harder to work
with. For this design to work, the folds should be very precise and perpendicular to the
edges of the bill if the resulting is to be rectangular.
Lay the bill on a flat surface, face up. Fold the bill
in thirds lengthwise as shown. Gently unfold these
folds, you will reuse them later. I will refer to these as the third
folds.
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Fold the note top-to-bottom just to the right of the portrait, and then unfold. Repeat just to
the left of the portrait. I will refer to these as the portrait folds. Note that
the third folds the opposed (are perpendicular to) the portrait folds.
Starting at the top left corner (as illustrated), close the top third fold to
about 90 degrees. Lift the right edge of the bill to the right of the right
portrait fold up while holding the top third fold in place, allowing the third fold to close
completely to the right of this corner.
Inside this corner will be a remaining portion that you will crease along the natural 45
degree line to complete the corner.
Complete the previous step for the other three corners. Now you will have two
"tabs" sticking up on the left and right sides.
For each tab, pull it inside the box, folding so that the natural edge of the box is pulled
slightly over inside the fold. (Look carefully at the bottom left of the picture.)
Do this evenly for both tabs. For the two other sides, evenly fold over the edge
of the bill. You should now have an open box.
If you make another piece just like the first, but slightly
larger, you would have a lid similar to that found on most shoe boxes.
To adjust the instructions above, you would fold so that the inner
rectangle (bounded by the third and portrait folds) is slightly larger.
I do not like the way that looks, so I close the box another way as illustrated below. Try
both - choose whichever you prefer.
Fold the second bill lengthwise so that the width matches the widest portion of the open
box you just made. I will refer to this bill as the cover, and the previous piece made as the
open box in the following steps.
You need two folds as shown to be able to follow the last step (see
below). For general appearance, it is nice if these are nearly symmetrical
as shown. These will be called the width folds.
Holding one end of the cover across the bottom of the open box, find the
point which matches the corner of the open box and fold at that point.
After folding, open the fold to 90 degrees, hold the cover back in place, and find the point
for the next corner of the open box as the cover wraps around.
Repeat this process until the cover wraps over itself (four folds). These will be called the
wrapping folds.
There is now one very long side to the cover. Fold back the long side so that is just a bit
shorter than the first side.
24
I will call this the end cover fold.
In this illustration, the end cover fold is at the left edge of the picture. I have also (gently)
completely unfolded the cover, refolded the end cover fold, the width folds, then the
wrapping folds in that order. (This unfolding/refolding is optional, but makes the cover
look nicer.)
In either case, the end cover fold puts the remainder of the long side inside the wrapping
folds. Refold the wrapping folds holding the long side in place to crease it at the correct
points.
Open up the width folds slightly on the open end, and insert
the last side under the width folds. (Normally
I do this with the open box already inside,
but for clarity, the picture shows this without
the open box.
Slide the open box inside the cover before
closing the cover tightly, or close the cover with the open box already inside. In either
case you are done.
Money Roses
Materials: $ bills (the newer the better)
Floral Wire and Tape
Toothpick to help rolling the corners
These money roses make great gifts, but they also look fabulous when made from homemade
paper. Just use a dollar bill as a template to cut 5 pieces of homemade paper and assemble the
same way.
Instructions:
Lay your bills all face up and curl by rolling a toothpick at the
corners. Roll all four corners of the bill toward the centre of the
bill. The curl is the outside of the rose. Turn bills over (face
down) and fold in half.
Place a piece of floral wire across and under the fold.
Crimp the fold across and bring your wire under the fold
and twist together to form a stem. Repeat this for all 5
bills.
With your finger, cup each bill and shape to form into a
petal.
25
To create your rose, begin with one bud that has been wired and add another bud going
back to back to the first bud, concealing the open sides of the first bud. Add the next 2
buds in the same manner, covering the open sides of the previous 2 buds. Twist all of
your floral wires together forming a stem and wrap floral tape around the wire, beginning
at the rose and working your way down the stem. You can add a few silk leaves by
taping them onto the wire as you work your way down the stem.
The two ideas above are samples of easy ways that to present inexpensive thank yous to
your volunteers.
Candy Bar Wrappers
You can easily print on regular or fancy paper a
(theme) design with your special message. Size
it to wrap around a Hershey candy bar and glue
the back. It will be a hit. Don’t forget to leave
the original wrapper underneath so the nutrition facts
are available for your recipient. You can also print
labels and wrap them around the assorted miniature
Hershey candy bars. You can add your logo, special
message, motivational
quotes, or trivia about your
organization.
One simple idea for a baby
shower is to scramble
words such as, “pacifier”,
or Nursery Rhymes such
26
as, “Who was the bear with no hair?” Reward participants with a sweet chocolate treat
after each correct answer is revealed!
Another idea just for fun is to add silly messages such as “Pay for your electric bill in
pennies,” and “Apply for a unicorn hunting license!” or Things to Do
if You’re Bored.
Angel Hershey's Kiss Party Favor
What you will need: Hershey's Kiss candy, aluminum foil, chocolate
covered peanuts, and powdered sugar.
What to do:
Cut a strip of aluminum foil about 5” by 2”. Crinkle up the center and wrap the foil
around the top of the Hershey's kiss. You may want to add a dab of glue to the foil to
keep it on the kiss. Spread out the foil to form wings use scissors to shape the wings.
Form a cup in the aluminum foil at the top of the Heresy’s Kiss so that a chocolate
covered peanut or raisin will sit inside.
Mix a small amount of water with the powdered sugar to make a frosting. You can place
a small amount of frosting on the bottom of the chocolate covered peanut and place it on
the wings and Hershey's Kiss to make it stay in place a little better. Use a cake decorating
tool to make a halo on top of the angels head. (If you want to get really creative you can
add hair and face feature with other icing.)
Angel Crafts
Foamie Angels
"Use a foam star for the body. a heart for the wings, a circle for the head. Add a tinsel
pipe cleaner halo and decorate with glitter." --Kelsey, Minnesota
Paper Clip Angel
"Turn a large ideal clamp (the kind of paper clip that looks like an 'X', not the standard
loop-de-loop) upside down. It looks like an angel already. Simply tie a loop of silver cord
to the center and slip a silver or crystal bead on the cord and glue it in place. You can add
a silver bow on the front to dress her up." --Brynn, Coolville, Ohio
Angel Tootsie Pop Favors
"Open up a white napkin and put it over the tootsie pop. Use a piece of ribbon to tie it off.
Draw on a face, add some yarn hair, make a pipe cleaner halo and glue on some foam
wings." --Teri Goldsberry, Jonesboro, IL
Paper Angels
27
Fold a paper doily in half, and a circle of construction paper for the head. Gold wings can
be made for construction paper and twisted raffia for a halo." --Mary B., Oxford, ME
Button Angel Pin
Paint a large wooden shank button flesh colored. Paint on a pretty face. Pinch a 4"
rectangle of sparkly tulle together at the center and hot glue it to the back of the button. &
cut a rectangle 3"" larger than the diameter of the button. Pinch it together at the center &
hot glue to the back of the button. Add a pipe cleaner halo and glue a pin to the back." -Cindy M., GA
Clay Pot Angels
String a piece of folded jute up through an upside down small clay pot then through the
hole in a wooden ball. Tie a knot under the pot, leaving enough jute to hang down as feet.
Tie another knot above the head. Add Spanish moss for the head and an imitation gold
wedding band for a halo. Another piece of jute can be wrapped around the pot for arms,
add feathers for wings and paint on a face." --Diane, Great Falls, MT
Coffee Filter Angels
"Paint a face on an old fashioned clothespin. Cut a piece of lacy fabric into a circle. Cut a
hole in the middle and slip the clothespin inside the hole. Glue in place arranging lace to
look like a dress or skirt. Fold a coffee filter in half, pinch in the middle and wrap in with
a pipe cleaner. Glue to the back of the clothespin and bring the up and shape into a halo."
--Lydia M, Troy, MO
Tinsel Angels
"Fold a metallic pipe cleaner in half and twist it at the center of a bundle of about 20
pieces of folded tinsel. Bend it to make wings and connect a second, smaller piece of pipe
cleaner to the 'waist' to make a halo." –Anonymous
Paper Cone Angel Tray Favors
"Turn a cone paper cup upside down, glue on a wooden bead for the head, gold doily for
the wings, pipe cleaners for arms." --Sue C., Madoc, Ontario, Canada
Pinecone Angels
"Cut a foam heart for wings and glue to a pinecone. Use a wooden ball for the head-add
some hair and draw on a face."
Angel Candy Dishes
"Turn a wavy edge ivy bowl upside down and glue a smaller regular edged bowl right
28
side up on top. Paint to look like an angel. Glue on some Spanish moss for hair, Make
some gold wings and add some candy. --Betty I., Fredericksburg, VA
Yarn Doll Angel
"Use crochet thread to make a yarn doll. At the bottom, instead of legs, cut the edges so it
looks like a robe or skirt. Glue the 'hands' together in front and glue a rosette where they
join. Twist a piece of light weight, sparkly ribbon or paper twist for wings and glue to the
back. Circle head with a piece of gold thread for the halo. You can glue a thin loop of
white craft ribbon to the back for a hanger." --Connie, VA
Tassel Angels
" Braid three strands of yarn from each side of a tassel for arms. Attach them in the center
with glue & add a small star sequin. For the halo, glue on small crafters gold wedding
band. Make a bow (gold ribbon) & attach to back for wings."--K.M. Seals
Doily Angels
"Paint a face on a craft stick. Glue a doily folded in half to the back of the craft stick for
wings." --Patti Q., Logandale, NV
Paper Cup Angel
"Push one end of a craft stick through a Styrofoam ball and the other end through a
Styrofoam cup. This will be the head and body. Trace children's hands for wings and glue
to the back of the cup. Use yarn for the hair and glue on wiggles eyes. Make a halo from
a gold pipe cleaner." Mary H., Winston-Salem, N.C
Soda Can Angels
"Squash a soda can in on one side so that it is bending over and pull OFF the little pull
tab. The hole is the mouth, and the little 'button' that holds the pull tab on is the nose.
Paint the can; add some hair, a halo and ribbon wings and paint on a face. Glue a painted
wooden heart to the bottom for feet." --Candice, Moore, OK
Hand and Footprint Angels
"Use the children's handprints as the wings and a foot print as the body. Put a peach
colored circle on top for the head and a piece of gold pipe cleaner for a halo." --Rhonda,
Paxton, Illinois
Craft Stick Angels
"Using a jumbo craft stick, paint the top third flesh color for the face and the bottom a
pretty color for the skirt. Glue a folded piece of ribbon to the back for a hanger. Draw an
angel face, glue hair on top, add a halo, and cut and glue a 3" white heart out of foam for
the wings." --Teri G., Jonesboro, IL
29
Angel Kisses
"Hot glue a small wooden bead to the top of a Hershey's kiss. This is the head. Wrap and
glue a 2" piece of pipe cleaner around the back of the angel to form arms bending each
end out in front. Cut another small piece of pipe cleaner and wrap in a circle and glue to
top of bead to form a halo. Wrap remaining pipe cleaner into shape of a figure '8' and turn
sideways. Glue to the back of the kiss to form angel wings. Using a black fine tip marker,
add eyes to the bead." --Lisa, Orem Utah
Sweetheart Roses
Materials:







HERSHEY'S KISSES or HERSHEY'S HUGS
Safe Confectioners' Glue*
Florists' wire
Pink, red or yellow-tinted cellophane or plastic wrap
Florists' tape
Artificial leaves (optional)
Ribbon
*To Make Safe, Edible Confectioners' Glue
Gently whisk together 4 teaspoons of all-natural powdered egg whites ("meringue
powder") and 1/4 cup of water until completely dissolved. Beat in 3 cups of sifted
confectioners' sugar until thick and smooth.
Form the bud by taping two foil-wrapped candies bottom to bottom. Drape a 5-inch
square of pink plastic wrap over the top of one kiss, then gather the edges and twist them
into a tail.
Tightly twist the top of a green pipe cleaner around the tail for the stem. Then add leaves
by holding a strip of green tissue paper against the stem and rolling the pipe cleaner
around the center of the strip.
Trim the leaves so that they have pointy tips, and wrap green tape around the stem
portion above the leaves to reinforce it.
Reindeer Craft
What you will need: Wooden spoon, small oval wooden pieces for ears, wooden
clothes pin with stand, brown pipe cleaners for the ears, green pipe cleaner, red
beads and red ribbon for the wreath, oval wiggly eyes, red pompom for the nose,
glue and paint.
What to do:
1. Glue the wooden pieces together to form the reindeer as shown. The wooden spoon I
30
used came from the spoon you get with ice cream cups at the grocery store.
2. Paint the reindeer brown and let dry.
3. Glue on the eyes and nose. Draw in the mouth and other face features. Make some
antlers out of brown pipe cleaners and glue on. Make a tiny wreath out of green pipe
cleaners and glue on tiny red beads for berries. Add a red ribbon to the wreath and hang it
on the reindeer to finish.
Make a Handkerchief Doll!
Materials needed:



1 Lg. Mans Handkerchief (Today we will have to put lace around
the outside. In the olden days the man’s hanky was made as pretty
as the lady's but larger.)
4 pieces of 1/2 inch ribbon (Blue=boys Pink=girls) or whatever
choice you may make. Thin rope or twine was used as well.
6 inches x 6 inches of light material (head) stuff with cotton or
straw. Head should be about 2 inches round with neckline hanging
in order to make wrap with ribbon.
Directions:
Lay the handkerchief out to form a square. Take head after stuffed and put it at the center
of the hanky just below the top. Enough room should be present in order to cover toward
face of head. Wrap ribbon around neck area and the first step is completed.
Next take tips of upper handkerchief one at a time and pull up from middle section of the
point below. This will make the first arm. Tie a piece of ribbon at the shoulder joint.
Repeat for 2nd arm.
The third step is the easiest. Take a piece of ribbon and tie it around the waist. This
makes the hanky look like it has a body.
The last step is to make a face or not. Many times in old the dolls had
what we call prayer faces. Closed eyes sewed on by hand with just a
basic stitch. As time moved on in history of course doll faces became
more involved.
The History of the Handkerchief doll has been known for years
especially in the more religious rites 'they were known as the prayer doll. Little Girls
were given these dolls to take to church with them and if they dropped them no sound
would be heard to disturb the congregation.
31
Baby Memory Jar
You will need to decorate a jar and include a little
notepad with pastel pages and a pen or pencil to match.
Print this poem and glue on to the jar.
Keep events and memories in the jar like: took 3 steps
on May 1st or teething December 5.
Cupid poop
Valentine tricksters, take note ...
it's Cupid Poop!
Surprise your Valentine
this easy gag gift.
Place a handful of candy hearts or red jelly
beans in a small zipper food storage bag.
Baby books are great ideas,
But sometimes you’re too busy.
Living with a little one
Can put you in a tizzy
Milestones pass too fast at time
to find the proper page.
So, jot a note of each event
With date or baby’s age
Then drop it in this Memory Jar
to help you to remember.
Tag/Verse
I couldn't send you flowers
And candy wouldn't do.
Romantic cards just didn't say
The things I wanted to. with
I got you something special
And here's the inside scoop.
It's very rare and magical:
A bag of Cupid Poop!
Seal and label with the following poem:
Ghost Poop SWAPs
You need:







Mini Zip Lock Bags
Low Temp Glue Gun
Orange Card Stock
Scissors
Safety Pin
Ghost Poop Poems
Wax Paper
Tag/Verse
I bet you'd like some candy
but listen, here's the scoop...
The only thing we're giving
out
is bags of weird ghost poop!
Instructions:
Print Poop Poem on orange card stock. Cut out into squares and place slip a poem into
each mini Ziploc bag. Squeeze out small dollops of hot glue on wax paper. Let dry. Peel
off and place several inside each back. Add a safety pin.
32
Leprechaun poop
Place a handful of Lucky Charms
brand cereal, green jelly beans
or mints in a small zipper food
storage bag.
Seal and label with the following
poem.
Tag/Verse
I spied a little leprechaun
Outside upon the lawn.
I hurried out to catch him
for I knew he’d soon be gone.
I tiptoed very quietly
Sprang toward him with a swoop.
He shook his fist and disappeared,
All but this pile of poop!
Magic reindeer food
Many families leave cookies and milk for Santa, but what about his
reindeer? Magic Reindeer Food lays a glittering path to guide the reindeer
on Christmas Eve.
[Note: while many Internet recipes for Magic Reindeer Food call for craft
glitter, this ingredient can harm birds or wildlife if eaten. Substitute colored
sugar crystals and be kind to animals!]
In a small zipper food storage
bag or empty shaker container,
mix:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red or green sugar
crystals (for cake decorating)
Tag/Verse
Be sure to take this magic food and sprinkle on the lawn,
On Christmas, Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn.
The smell of oats and glitter path will guide them on their
way
And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts next morn on Christmas
Day!
Pumpkin poop
Just in time for Halloween: it's Pumpkin Poop!
Treat your favorite trickster with this simple, silly gift.
Place a handful of candy corn or black
and orange jelly beans in a zipper
food storage bag.
Seal and label with the following poem.
Tag/Verse
I started to carve a pumpkin
with my carving knife and scoop
But the pumpkin got so scared
He took a little poop!
It looked so cute and funny
Just like a candy treat
So eat it all and take a chance I
promise it is sweet.
33
Reindeer poop
Along the same lines (but a bit naughtier): It's Reindeer Poop! Place a handful of malted
milk balls in a zipper food storage bag.
Seal and label with the following poem:
I woke up with such a scare when I heard Santa call...
"Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"
I ran to the lawn, and in the snowy white drifts,
those nasty reindeer had left "little gifts".
I got an old shovel and started to scoop
Neat little piles of "reindeer poop."
but to throw them away seemed such a waste,
So I saved them, thinking you might like a taste!
As I finished my task, which took quite a while,
Old Santa passed by and he sheepishly smiled.
And I heard him exclaim as he rose to the sky~~~
"Well, they're not potty trained, but at least they can fly!"
Snowman "Poop"P
Main Ingredients:




Mini-marshmallows
Plastic bag
Ribbon
Tag/Verse (see right) o
Instructions:
Tag/Verse
You've been
naughty
So here's the Scoop
You're getting
nothing
But Snowman Poop!
Put a handful of mini-marshmallows in plastic bag.
Tie off with pretty holiday ribbon.
Print and attach tag with verse.
Give to friends and family as a fun holiday joke.
Variation: Reindeer Poop: Instead of marshmallows fill bag with raisins, chocolate
covered raisin, Bridge Mixture candies. Change tag to read "Reindeer Poop" instead of
"Snowman".
Turkey poop
A silly treat for Thanksgiving: it's Turkey Poop!
Tag/Verse
You invited me to dinner with
your family and your friends.
You didn't say I was the main 34
dish.
For me it was "THE END!"
Place a handful of coffee beans, or chocolatecovered coffee beans in a small zipper food storage bag.
®
Safety Pin Crafts
American Flag Beaded Safety Pin
Ingredients Needed:



14 - 1 1/16 inch Safety Pins
1 - 2 inch Safety Pin
Seed Beads (see picture below for colors needed)
Instructions:
Follow this pattern and the basic directions:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 5 blue, 1
white, 1 red, 1 white, and then 1 red bead on it. Your second pin will have the same.
When you thread these beaded pins onto your larger pin, start with pin number 1.
American Flag Heart Beaded Safety Pin
Needed Ingredients:



13 -1 1/16 inches Safety Pins
Instructions:
35
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 2 black
beads, 3 blue beads, then 5 more black beads. Your second pin will have 1 black
bead, 4 blue beads, 1 white bead, and 4 black beads. When you thread these beaded
pins onto your larger pin, start with pin number 1.
American Flag - USA Beaded Safety Pin
Main Ingredients:



Instructions:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 5 blue
beads, 1 white bead, 1 red bead, 1 more white bead, then 1 more red bead. Your
second pin will have 8 black beads and 1 red bead. When you thread these beaded
Bear Beaded Safety Pin
Ingredients Needed:



36
Instructions:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 10 red
beads. Your second pin will have 1 red bead, 3 brown beads, and 6 red beads. When
you thread these beaded pins onto your larger pin, start with pin number 1.
Angel Beaded Safety Pin
Ingredients Needed:



Instructions:
Follow this pattern and the basic:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 2 white
beads, 6 yellow beads, and then 2 more white beads. Your second pin will have 1
white bead, 6 yellow beads, and then 3 white beads. When you thread these beaded
Happy Face Beaded Safety Pin
Needed Ingredients:



37
Instructions:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 10 purple
beads. Your second pin will have 3 purple beads, 4 yellow beads, and 3 purple
beads. When you thread these beaded pins onto your larger pin, start with pin
number 1.
123 Beaded Safety Pin
Needed Ingredients:



1 - 1 3/4 inch Safety Pin
Instructions:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 10 black
beads. Your second pin will have 2 black beads, 1 red bead, 2 black beads, 1 red
bead, and then 4 more black beads. When you thread these beaded pins onto your
larger pin, start with pin number 1.
USA Heart Beaded Safety Pin
Main Ingredients:



38
Instructions:
Each number column represents a pin; for example, your first pin will have 2 blue
beads, 3 red beads, and then 5 more blue beads. Your second pin will have 1 blue
bead, 5 white beads, and 4 blue beads. When you thread these beaded pins onto
your larger pin, start with pin number 1.
Safety Pin Angel
Combine everyone's two favorite crafts... pony bead patterns and beaded safety pins
for a winning angel project. Makes great ornaments or back pack decorations.
You need:







5 Safety Pins, Size 4
6 Safety Pins, Size 2
49 Red, White & Blue Pony Beads or
Translucent Pony Beads
20 Metallic Pony Beads
White Glue
30" Metallic Cord
One 16mm Wooden Barrel Bead
Instructions:
Cut cord to 30". Stiffen ends with white glue. Let dry. Fold in half and tie a knot 1/2"
below the fold.
Choose your bead colors for the wings. Open six size 2 safety pins and string on the
beads. Four safety pins should have four beads each. Two safety pins should have
three beads each. See diagram at right. Close the pins.
Choose your bead colors for the body. Open five size 4 safety pins and string on the
beads. Two safety pins should have four beads each. Two safety pins should have
five beads each. One safety pin should have six beads. See diagram at right. Close
the pins.
These written directions for weaving the pins and beads may
seem complicated. Just follow along using the diagram above.
String three metallic pony beads on one end. String the other
cord end through the same three beads in the opposite direction.
String one barrel bead on one cord. String the other cord end
39
through the same bead in the opposite direction. String one metallic pony bead on
one end. String the other cord end through the same bead in the opposite direction.
Tighten cord, pulling both ends evenly and firmly.
String the safety pins in the order shown above on one cord. String that cord
through the metallic neck bead again forming a loop that holds the safety pins.
String that cord down through the first safety pin of the wing. Pull it through the
opening on the pin head. String on a metallic bead, then through the next wing
safety pin head. String on a metallic bead, then through the third wing safety pin.
String on a metallic bead, then through the last two beads on the first safety pin of
the body. String on a metallic bead then through the head of the first body pin.
String on two metallic beads, then through the next body safety pin head. String on
two metallic beads, then through the third body safety pin head.
String the other cord through the last safety pin on the wing then through the head.
Continue adding gold beads and stringing through the heads as with the first cord.
Tie off under middle safety pin. Add a dab of glue on the knot. Let dry and trim.
Let Freedom Ring" Pin
Instructions for making a patriotic pin, shared by Marilyn.
Ingredients Needed:





1 small liberty bell
1 small safety pin in same color as bell (i.e. gold)
6" narrow red cord
6" narrow blue cord
6 1/2 " narrow white cord
Instructions:
1. Thread the red and blue cords through the eye of the safety pin until midway of
cords, approximately 3".
2. Thread one end of white cord into the eye of the bell and tie a small knot to
secure.
3. Wind white cord around the other two cords, near the safety pin , about mid way
on white cord, and secure with a knot. The bell should hang about the same length
as the ends of the colored cords.
4. If you like you can hem the ends of the cords to make
a neat appearance.
Pot Crafts
Wind Chime
Step 1: Paint the saucer and pots.
Step 2: When the paint dries, add a coat of clear acrylic
finish. Let it dry.
40
Step 3: Using a pushpin, make a hole in the center of the plastic saucer and at four
equidistant spots around the side of the saucer. Widen the holes with scissors or a
compass point if needed (a parent's job).
Step 4: Cut five leaf shapes out of the soda bottle (a parent's job).
Step 5: Cut four 1 1/2-foot lengths of string.
Step 6: To make each chime, punch a hole in the end of a plastic leaf and tie it onto
the end of the string. Next, slip on the bell, tie a knot about 3/4 inch above the bell,
thread on a button and then a pot (upside down).
Step 7: Thread the end of the string out through one of the side holes in the saucer
(thread from the inside and make sure the saucer's upside down). To fasten in place,
run the string up through one hole in a button and then down through another hole
and knot tightly.
WHAT YOU NEED
• 5 1/4-inch-diameter plastic flowerpot saucer
• Five 1 1/2-inch-diameter clay pots
• Clear acrylic finish
• Pushpin
• Acrylic paint
• Scissors
• String
• Hole punch
• Soda bottle
• Craft knife
• Small bells
• Buttons
Stars & Stripes Wreath
Ingredients:








3 ounces of blue yarn
5 ounces of red yarn
5 ounces of white yarn
1 wire coat hanger or 12” wire ring and wreath hanger
Cardboard
Scissors
1 Small American flag
1 Large red, white, and blue decorative ribbon
Instructions:
1. Shape the wire coat hanger into a ring. Bend hook for hanging loop.
2. Each wreath is made of bundles of yarn that are tied to the ring.
3. Make 36 blue bundles, 56 red bundles, and 48 white bundles.
41
4. Using the ends of the 8” strand tie the bundles to the ring, positioning the bundle
perpendicular to the wire.
5. Continue to make the bundles and tie them to the wire ring adjacent to one
another.
6. Continue to work around the wire ring until entire wreath is filled.
7. Attach decorations; glue in place if necessary. Attach bow.
To make yarn bundles:
Wind yarn 20 times around a 4” piece of cardboard. Slip these strands off the cardboard
and with a separate 8” strand tie at the center. (Do NOT cut the yarn loops)
Project Courtesy of Coats & Clark Inc.
Springing into Action:
Supplies - Medium size Pom-Pom (head)
Google Eyes
Sticky Back Foam (For Feet And Hands)
Glue
Small Slinky (Body)
Small Strip of Paper with "THANKS FOR SPRINGING INTO ACTION"
Take the sticky back foam and cut two ovals for feet. Glue the feet (foam side up) to the
bottom of the slinky. Keep the sticky side covered. Glue the eyes to the pom pom and
the pom pom to the top of the slinky. Stick the hands to the slinky and the paper to one
of the hands (hint: don't remove all of the paper from the sticky side; only enough to
stick to the slinky and paper.
Give to your volunteer. They can then take the paper off the sticky side and stick to a
desk, computer or other area.
Kim Hughes
42
Seasonings… A Daily Dose of Reflection
Volunteer Quotes
Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's
compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain love for one another.
--Erma Bombeck
Volunteers are not paid -- not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less
because of that missing drop. --Mother Teresa
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little extra.
Snowflakes melt alone - but together they can be traffic stoppers!
Teamwork allows common people to attain uncommon results.
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed,
it's the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and help them become what they are capable
of being. --Goethe
We ourselves must be full of life if we are going to make life fuller for others. --David Sawyer
We can do no great things -- only small things with great love. --Mother Teresa
I can't be found in myself; I discover myself in others. That much is clear. And I suspect that I
also love and care for myself in others. --Hugh Prather
If you want to innovate, to change an enterprise or a society, it takes people willing to do what is
not expected. --Jean Ribould
Giving kids clothes and food is one thing but it's much more important to teach them that other
people besides themselves are important, and that the best thing they can do with their lives is to
use them in the service of other people. --Dolores Huerta
We need love and creative imagination to do constructive work. --Paula Ollendorf
1
Work is love made visible. --Kahlil Gibran
We ourselves must be full of life if we are going to make life fuller for others. --Davod Sawuer
No man or woman, even of the humblest sort, can really be strong, gentle, pure and good without
the world being better for it; without somebody being helped and comforted by the very
existence of that goodness. --Phillips Brooks
The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to
carry on . . . The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense,
without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully. --Walter Lippmann
Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great good or evil which does not
produce its like. --Francois de La Rochefoucauld
No matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never
take the place of volunteers. --Ronald Reagan
Throughout my life, I've seen the difference that volunteering efforts can make in people's lives.
I know the personal value of service as a local volunteer. --Jimmy Carter
Service to youth is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on earth. --Jane Deeter Rippin
How can we expect our children to know and experience the joy of giving unless we teach them
that the greater pleasure in life lies in the art of giving rather than receiving. --James Cash Penny
Volunteering creates a national character in which the community and the nation take on a spirit
of compassion, comradeship and confidence. --Brian O'Connell
The soul is healed by being with children. --Feodor Dowtoevski
We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give. --Winston Churchill
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will
be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. --Albert Schweitzer
I have been the recipient of love and service, therefore I can love and serve. There is great
satisfaction in service to others, in ... seeing people and their conditions change. --Clarence E.
Hodges
We seldom stop to think how many people's lives are entwined with our own. It is a form of
selfishness to imagine that every individual can operate on his own or can pull out of the general
stream and not be missed. --Ivy Baker Priest
We're put on this earth not to see through each other but to see each other through. --Anonymous
It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help
another without helping himself. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
2
Caring must strengthen into commitment and commitment into action if we are to preserve and
nurture one of the greatest forces for rebirth and renewal this nation has ... voluntarism. -Marlene Wilson
Volunteering can be an exciting, growing, enjoyable experience. It is truly gratifying to serve a
cause, practice one's ideals, work with people, solve problems, see benefits, and know one had a
hand in them. --Harriet Naylor
Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to
serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart
full of grace, a soul generated by love. --Martin Luther King Jr.
It is a rare and high privilege to be in a position to help people understand the differences that
they can make not only in their own lives but in the lives of others by simply giving of
themselves. --Helen Boosalis
Living is the art of loving. Loving is the art of caring. Caring is the art of sharing. Sharing is the
art of living. --Anonymous
A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel.
Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens - citizens in
the fullest sense: partners in civilization --George Bush
Though government has an important role to play in meeting the many challenges that remain
before us, we are coming to understand that no organization, including government, will fully
succeed without the active participation of each of us. Volunteers are vital to enabling this
country to live up to the true promise of its heritage --Bill Clinton
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. --Booker T. Washington
There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through . . . sharing together, praying
together, suffering together and working together --Mother Teresa
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the
aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. --George Washington
Carver
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
--Anne Frank
I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I
can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass
this way again. --Mahatma Gandhi
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for someone else. --Benjamin
Franklin
When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die. --Eleanor Roosevelt
3
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and
because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. --Edmund
Evertt Hale
The moral test of a society is how that society treats those who are in the dawn of life -- the
children; those who are in the twilight of life -- the elderly; and those who are in the shadow of
life -- the sick, the needy and the handicapped. --Hubert Humphrey
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. --Aesop
Our nation will succeed or fail to the degree that all of us -- citizens and businesses alike -- are
active participants in building strong, sustainable and enriching communities. --Arnold Hiatt
You will find as you look back upon your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments
when you have done things for others. Source Unknown
The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have. --Leonard Nimoy
To serve, not to be served. --Submitted by Carolyn Hunter
Don't ever question the value of volunteers. Noah's Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was
built by professionals. Submitted by Dave Gynn
Too often we under-estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an
honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life
around. -- Dr. Felice Leonardo Buscaglia
No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor is given by what he gave. -- Calvin
Coolidge
You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. -- Winston Churchill
If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your
liberation is tied up with mine, then let us work together. -- Lill Watson, aboriginal activist
The Winds of change shall not discourage the volunteer.--Lorna Wilson
Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. - Chinese Proverb
It is only through the eyes of others do you see yourself. It is only through the work of your own
do you find the difference in others. --Submitted by Foo Ji-Wei, Volunteerism Through Oneself
Being a man or a woman is a matter of birth. Being a man or a woman who makes a difference is
a matter of choice.--Byron Garrett
It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference. -- Tom Brokaw
4
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the women and men to gather wood, divide the work,
and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. --Antoine de SaintExupery,
The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a
difference in the lives of others. -- DeAnn Hollis
The broadest, and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering: Doing more than you
have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good.--Ivan Scheier
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less
because of that missing drop.-- Mother Theresa
It is one of the beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely help another without
helping himself.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
To the world you may be one person, But to one person you may be the world.-- Anonymous
Your hands may be empty but your heart is full. --Unknown
If you can't go where people are happier, try to make people happier where you are.--Ashleigh
Brilliant
Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. --I John 3:18
Better one friend with a dish of food than a hundred with a sigh. --Yiddish proverb
The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today. --Saint Francis of
Assisi
Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve. --Martin Luther King, Jr.
Unless someone like you cares a whole, awful lot. Things aren't going to get better, they're NOT!
-- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.
--unknown
They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
I'm in the business of loving the hell out of people - Mother Waddles
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do - Epictetus
Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity - Horace Mann
The mode in which the inevitable comes to pass is through effort - Oliver Wendell Holmes
I hate quotations - Ralph Waldo Emerson
5
"A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds
its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living."
--Rudolf Steiner, Austrian Philosopher and Scientist
Most of us in volunteer programs now realize that those 1000 points of light of George Bush #1
are really 500 candles burning at both ends and the only thing to trickle down from Reganomics
was budget cuts. --self & good friend Margaret
"Put yourself in someone's shoes" is a common phrase. But it is not a common thing that we do
everyday. We are, most of the time, self-centered. Especially in this modern, fast-paced life. It is
only when we stop for a moment and give our time to others, that we realize the true meaning of
empathy. --The word "empathy".
He who does nothing for others does nothing for himself --Goethe
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: The only ones among you who
will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. --Albert Schweitzer
Life is never so busy that there is no time to serve.
Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present
into a future of which we can all be proud. --Helen Dyer
We are all like one-winged angels. It is only when we help each other that we can fly. --Luciano
de Crescenzo
I am a recipient of unconditional love, I am a volunteer --Shanterra McBride
"A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit." --Greek
Proverb
"One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other
people." --Dick Gregory
"Destiny is not necessarily what we get out of life, but rather, what we give." --Cary Grant
"The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others."
--~Ghandi
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
-- Goethe
Some people see things as they are and say 'why', I look at things that never were and say 'why
not'. --Robert F. Kennedy
Help me help us. --inspired by other reflections listed here.
The True Rose of Love can only be found in the heart. --Lectorium Rosicrucianum
6
Good ideas remain ideas - unless we act upon them.
It is better to shoot for the moon and miss, than shoot for nothing and hit it. --Reverend Eloise
Page
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumps, even though checkered by failure,
than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they
live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat. -- Theodore Roosevelt
When it comes to helping you, some people stop at nothing. --Unknown
Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers. -- Mignon McLaughlin
Don't wait for the last judgment - it takes place every day. -- Albert Camus
To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it. - - Mother Teresa
You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do. -- Henry Ford
The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision. --Helen
Keller
All we have in this world is each other. Life is meant to be shared. --Patricia A. Chambers
A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child. --Knights of Pythogoras
It is believing in what you do, no matter in which aspect, that makes every moment fulfilling.
The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other people. --Aristotle
If your heart is full, it shouldn't matter if your pockets are empty. --Karen Dawson
We must be the change we wish to see. --M.K. Gandhi
You can't leave footprints in the sands of time while sitting down. --Nelson Rockefeller.
The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when
we created them. --Albert Einstein
You've got to think about 'big things' while you're doing small things, so that all the small things
go in the right direction. --Alvin Toffler
Past the beggar and the suffering walks he who asks, 'Why, oh God, do you not do something for
these people?' To which God replied, 'I did do something, I made you.' --old Sufi saying
A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. --Greek
Proverb
7
Serving humanity is like giving life to the lifeless. --Self
The people who appreciate others are themselves to be appreciated. --Self thought
As many arrows, loosed several ways, come to one mark...so many a thousand actions, once
afoot, end in one purpose. --William Shakespeare Henry V, Act I, Sc.2
The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal them to their
own. --Benjamin Disraeli
Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it. --M. Gandhi
You have to become involved to make an impact. No one is impressed with the won/loss record
of the referee. --John Holcomb
There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen,
and those who say, 'what happened?' --Casey Stengel
There are only two rules to change: One is to begin; the second is to continue. --unknown
People don't care how much you know, unless they know how much you care. --Anonymous
One hand alone does not clap. --Arab Proverb
Be honest, be real - people respect you for that. --Self
How many people did you help make happy today? Was one of them you? --Self-after a long day
Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: if you are alive, it isn't. --Richard
Bach
It's good to be blessed. It's better to be a blessing.
Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. --- Emerson
I have an almost complete disregard of precedent, and a faith in the possibility of something
better. It irritates me to be told how things have always been done. I defy the tyranny of
precedent. I go for anything new that might improve the past. --Clara Barton
I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies,
education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe
that what self-centered people have torn down, other-centered people can build up --Martin
Luther King
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. --Mahatma Gandhi
"How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to improve the world." --Anne Frank
8
There is only one thing worse than training your volunteers and having them leave - and that's
not training them, and having them stay. --unknown
Each one of us should lead a life stirring enough to start a movement." --Max Lucado, in On the
Anvil
"If every American donated five hours a week, it would equal the labor of twenty million fulltime volunteers." --Whoopi Goldberg
"Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you." --author unknown
"If you try to find time for something that matters, you never will. You must make the time."
--Unknown
"Volunteers are paid in six figures... S-M-I-L-E-S" --Gayla LeMaire
"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day." --Sally
Koch
"I feel that we all must live, so that when we are gone, everyone will miss the work we did, but
someone has learned by watching us, how to take up the banner and go forward." --Self
"Help one another; there's no time like the present and no present like the time." --James Durst
"Some get and forget. Some give and forgive." --Marquis on a street corner
"I did not find the world desolate when I entered it. My fathers planted for me before I arrived,
so I plant for those who come after me." -- Talmud
"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth." --Mohammed Ali
"If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. It is wealth's
greatest satisfaction." --Anonymous African Origin
"Volunteers are somebody! Somebody who cares, Somebody who devotes time without pay,
Somebody who praises all, large or small and somebody who has a common bond with others to
make things better." --Self
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched...but felt in the
heart." --Helen Keller
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?' " --Rev. Martin
Luther King
"When you stop giving and offering something to the rest of the world, it's time to turn out the
lights." --George Burns
"If you want to change the world, be that change." --Ghandi
9
"You are a rainbow between a child and reading." --VISTA volunteers for America Reads
"To truly find yourself, touch as many lives as possible!" --Ashley Klein
"It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing." --Mother Theresa
"The noble man will only ask of his fellow men what he expects of himself. He will fault in
others only what he himself feels free of. " --Dseng De
"To ease another's heartache is to forget one's own" - Abraham Lincoln
"It is in giving oneself that one receives." -- Francis of Assisi
"A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses."-- Chinese proverb
"Help your sister's boat across the water, and yours too will reach the other side." Kindness can
become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind."-- Eric Hoffer "
If you ever need a helping hand, it is at the end of your arm As you get older you must remember
you have a second hand. The first one is to help yourself. The second hand is to help others."
-- Audrey Hepburn
"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand."
-- Emily Kimbrough
"Don't just work in the world, work to change it!" --self
"All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own” --Anonymous
"Where apathy is the master, all men are slaves." --anonymous
"A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another." --Kahlil Gibran
"Many volunteers are lost due to under-utilization rather than burnout. The secret is to challenge
them according to their abilities." --self
"Volunteers don't necessarily have the time, but they have the heart." --Anonymous
"First, there's the job--where the goal is simply to earn a living and support your family. Then
there's the career--where you trace your progress through various appointments and
achievements. Finally, there's the calling-- the ideal blend of activity and character that makes
work inseparable from life." --Author Robert Bella
"Put your body where your mouth is." --Sister Mary Clare
“Fund raising must proceed from the inside out. A volunteer gives time, a donor gives money.
But a board member has the responsibility to give both.” --David Lansdowne
10
"I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people convinced that they are about to
change the world. I am more awed by ... those who ... struggle to make one small difference after
another." --Ellen Goodman
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be
felt with the heart." --Helen Adams Keller
"The main quality of leadership..........is courage! If you can dream it, you can do it!" --Walter
Elias Disney
"If you are coming over to help me, don't bother. But if you are coming because you believe your
liberation is tied to mine, then please join me." --aborigine woman
"I am only one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and
because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” --Edward
Hale (but frequently attributed to Helen Keller)
"Refusing to ask for help when you need it is refusing someone the chance to be helpful." -Author unknown
"Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another." - George Eliot, Day by Day
Calendar
"We can't do much about the length of our lives, but we can do plenty about its width and depth."
--Evan Esar
"The measure of a life is not its duration, but its donation." --Peter Marshall
"I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy, I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I
saw that service is joy. “-- Rabindranath Tagore
"Having a big heart has nothing to do with how big your bank account is. Everyone has
something to give". --Barbara Bush, ARC Calendar
"People tend to support that which they help to create."-- Unknown
Past the beggar and the suffering walked he who asks, "Why, oh God, do you not do something
for these people?" To which God replied, "I did do something, I made you." --Old Sufi Saying
One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something. --Henry David Thoreau
Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! --unknown
If you want to touch the past TOUCH A ROCK. If you want to touch the present TOUCH A
ROSE. If you want to touch the future TOUCH A LIFE. --Author Unknown
"Naked a man comes into the world and naked he leaves it, after all is said and done he leaves
nothing except the good deeds he leaves behind". --adapted from the great Jewish thinker RASHI
11
We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and
along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. --Hermann
Melville
Ain't Nothin' to It, But to Do it! --Maya Angelou
"I cannot know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know is that the truly happy among
you will be those who have learned to serve." --Albert Schweitzer
It is not what one says, but rather what one does, that makes a difference in the world. --Pirke
Avot, 1:17
Volunteer activities can foster enormous leadership skills. The nonprofit professional volunteer
world is a laboratory for self-realization. --Madeleine Kunin
The essence of volunteerism is not giving part of a surplus one doesn't need, but giving part of
one's self. Such giving is more than a duty of the heart, but a way people help themselves by
satisfying the deeper spiritual needs that represent the best that is in us.--Kathleen Kennedy
"The greatest good we can do for others is not to share our riches, but to reveal theirs." This is
used to recruit volunteer mentors to support people transitioning from welfare to work.
--Unknown
Service is the Jewel in the rock of attainment --George King
Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to
serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart
full of grace. A soul generated by love. --Martin Luther King, Jr.
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. --Winston Churchill
To leave the world a better place - whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or an improved
social condition - that is to have succeeded. That only one life breathed easier because you lived
- that is success. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. --Robert H.
Shaffer
Never tire of doing what is right. --II Thessalonians 3:13
Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can, --Ashleigh
Brilliant
With a sweet tongue and kindness, you can drag an elephant by a hair. --Persian Proverb
Small things, done with great love, bring joy and peace. --Mother Teresa
A volunteer is a person who believes that people can make a difference - and is willing to prove
it. --Anonymous
12
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you
can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can. --John Wesley
"Service is the rent we pay for living. It is the very purpose of life and not something we do in
our spare time."
"You can achieve much in life if you don't mind doing the work and giving someone else the
credit." --Marian Wright Edelman
The gift of time is priceless. --unknown
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
--Dr. Seuss in "The Lorax"
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
-- Edmond Burke
Once people really believe something, they begin to act on it. -- Dr. Jerry R Kirk
All that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. --Edmond Burke
Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? --Martin Luther
King Jr.
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. --Will Rogers
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. --Unknown
People are homeless, hungry and sick. Somebody should do something about this. Be
Somebody! --Bonnie Brady
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. --Mark Twain
"We are not called upon to do all the good possible, but only that which we can do." --Mother
Theodore Guerin
"We each must do our part, and give as long as we are able- while we have something to give."
--Albert Loden
In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every
heart, there is the power to do it. --Marianne Williamson - A return to Love
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. --Unknown
You must give some time to your fellow man. Even if it's a little thing, do something for which
you get not pay but the privilege of doing it. --Albert Schwester
13
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed,
it's the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead, anthropologist
...Service is the rent we pay for living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in
your spare time. -- Marian Wright Edelman
Give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent
actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce
you to your strengths. --Epictetus
When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. --Ethiopian Proverb
He who upsets a thing should know how to rearrange it. -- Sierra Leonean Proverb
The greatest service to yourself is service to others! --Unknown
"Do small things with great love." --Mother Theresa
Here's to all volunteers, those dedicated people who believe in all work and no pay. --Robert
Orben
Volunteering is fulfilling. Volunteers touch the lives of others and in the process we develop
ourselves and make new friends.
The gain a man witholds from his brother becomes his own deprivation. -on the wall of an
emergency department head nurs
Let each man be judged by his deeds, I have paid my price to live with myself on the terms that I
willed. -- Kipling
It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help
another without helping himself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them! Unknown
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest
compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
-- Leo Buscaglia
Giving oneself to other people, one way or another, is one of the great joys of living. Nothing we
get or take equals the joy of giving. How unfortunate so many people never discover it. -Unknown
When we dream alone, it is only a dream, but when we dream together, it is the beginning of
reality. -- Unknown
Not a day passes over the earth but men and women of no note do great deeds, speak great words
and suffer noble sorrows. -- Charles Reade
14
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. -- Martin Luther King
The only one who likes change is a wet baby! --source unknown
I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I
ought to do. What I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do. -- Anonymous
Our good works are like stones cast into the pool of time; though the stones themselves may
disappear, their ripples extend to eternity. --Anonymous
Volunteers don't necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. --Author Unknown
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give
orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Happiness is thinking of myself; joy is thinking of others. -- "from a friend".
Your attitude determines your altitude! -- Author unknown
I've learned that it is impossible to accomplish anything without the help of other people. -- taken
from Live and Learn Pass It On, by H. Jackson Brown
It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself. -- Eleanor Roosevelt
Go out and do something for somebody. Go out and give something to somebody. It will take
you away from yourself and make you happy. -- Joseph Jefferson (1829-1905)
When giving comes directly from the heart, it can never disappoint or embarrass. -- Bel Kaufman
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else. -- Chinese Proverb
He/she who has never fallen knows no heights.
"We are all bozos on this bus." -- Fireside Theatre
I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I realized… I am somebody. -- Source
unknown
When people forget themselves, they usually do things others remember. -- James Coco
He who is helping to row the boat has neither the time nor the desire to rock it. ---unknown
There aren't any great men. There are just great challenges that ordinary men like you and me are
forced by circumstances to meet. -- William f. Halsey, Jr. (1882-1959)
Professionalism is a frame of mind, not a paycheck. -- Captain Cecil Castle
15
"If you want to change the world, be that change." ---Ghandi
The best way to get something done is to find people who don't know it can't be done and do it. --Alma Williams
Whatever you can do, or dream you can... begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
--Goethe
...some things we will own forever -- the memory of the just, the remembrance of a good act, the
good remembrance of someone fair...this will never be taken from us...this we will never give
away. --Inspired by a Mexican Nahuatl Indian song
Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's
compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another. --Erma Brombeck
A volunteer is like a rare gem. When placed in the right setting and cared for, they will shine and
give pleasure to all who see them.
Children must have at least one person who believes in them. It could be a counselor, a teacher, a
preacher, a friend. It could be you. You never know when a little love, a little support will plant a
small seed of hope. -- Marian Wright Edelman "The Measure of Our Success"
If your ship doesn't come in. Swim out to it -Jonathan Winters
Volunteers are not paid because they are worthless, but because they are priceless. --Does
anyone know the source of this quote and if it is quoted correctly?
Do all you can for everyone who deserves your help. Don't tell your neighbor to come back
tomorrow, if you can help today. --Proverbs 3:27, 28 CEV
"Charity," Mr. Hilton told his foundation board in his will, "is a supreme virtue, and the great
channel through which the mercy of God is passed onto mankind." -The New York Times, June
16, 1986.
The debt that each generation owes to the past, it must pay to the future. -- Abigail Scott
From what we get, we can make a living. What we give, however, makes a life. --Arthur Ashe
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. -- Marilyn
Von Savant
Reach for the stars. You might not get them, but you won't wind up with a handful of mud either!
Service is the rent you pay for living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in
your spare time. --Marian Wright Edelman
I feel the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more. --Jonas Salk
16
You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late. --Ralph
Waldo Emerson
When you stop giving and offering something to the rest of the world, it's time to turn out the
lights. --George Burns
In my career, I learned that giving your services for free gives you a good return on your
investment, not just financially but morally. It supplements your personal integrity. --Stevie
Wonder
A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses. --Chinese proverb
In proportion as one renders service he becomes great. --Booker T. Washington
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. --Thomas Paine
The greatest poverty that can afflict the human spirit is the loss of a generous heart. You will
know that success has slipped away when your passion for helping others grows cold. --Bill Lane
"May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with
kindness and compassion." --Thomas Jefferson
"If you don't believe one person can make a difference, you have never been in bed with a
mosquito." --Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
"Bloom where you are planted" --Mother Jones
"Everything in the universe is subject to change and everything is right on schedule." UNKNOWN
"You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are
the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." --- Henry Drummond
"We are not going to dwell on those things that divide us. We are going to rejoice in those things
that keep us together to make this a better country- to reach down and back to touch every young
person in need!" ---Gen. Colin Powell
"We are not here to enjoy the things on earth, but to pass them around. The people who do it are
the happiest people you know!" --- President George Bush
"The era of big government is over, but the era of big challenge is not. We need an era of big
citizenship. There are many important people at this summit, but the most important title is
'citizen.' This is our republic. Let us keep it!" --President Bill Clinton
"Volunteers are not servants. Volunteers are partners working together for improving America's
future." --Mayor Richard Daly
"It's not how high we jump off our feet in church; it's what we do with them when we hit the
ground!" --Governor Tom Ridge
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"I slept and dreamt that life was pleasure, I woke and saw that life was service, I served and
discovered that service was pleasure." - Rabindranath Tagore
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can seriously help another
without helping himself." -Charles Dudley Warner, 1873
"In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy" -- Karl Reiland
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their
own." -- Disraeli
"Who then can so softly bind up the wound of another as he who has felt the same wound
himself." -- Thomas Jefferson
"Be kind and generous everyday and volunteer, it is good for the soul."
Anything can be accomplished as long as you don't care who gets the credit.-- Author Unknown
"Volunteering is so pervasive it's invisible. We take for granted all the things that have been
pioneered by concerned, active volunteers."
"Men have always volunteered, they just called themselves coaches, trustees, and firemen!"
Quotes from Susan J. Ellis, president of Energize.
"We are surrounded by visionaries sacrificed on the altar of tradition."
"I do get paid for my voluntary work. I just don't get paid money." -- a young volunteer at a
conference in London.
"We are all angels with only one wing; we can only fly while embracing one another" --Luciano
de Crescanzo
"Everybody can be great, because ANYBODY can serve." --Martin Luther King
"You tell me and I forget. You teach me and I remember. You involve me and I learn" --Ben
Franklin
"What volunteers bring is the human touch, the individual, caring approach that no government
program, however well-meaning and well-executed, can deliver." --Actor Edward James Olmos
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something, and
because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something that I can do." --Edmund
Everett Hale, Writer
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the
world." --Anne Frank
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"In American Society today, we need to have volunteerism. I truly believe that it is the glue that
will hold us together and it will be the energy that will take us into the 21st century." --U.S
Senator Barabara Mikulski
"Our nation will succeed or fail to the degree that all of us -- citizens and businesses alike -- are
active participants in building strong, sustainable and enriching communities." --Arnold Hiatt
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I
this way again." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to
serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve...You only need a
heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." --Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The moral test of a society is how that society treats those who are in the dawn of life -- the
children; those who are in the twilight of life -- the elderly; and those who are in the shadow of
life -- the sick, the needy, and the handicapped." --Hubert Humphrey
Those who can, do.
Those who can do more, volunteer!
Stop me before I volunteer again!
Volunteers are angels in disguise!
Volunteers are angels on earth!
Volunteers are special folks!
Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. --Elizabeth Andrew
Time spent as a volunteer is not deducted from one's lifespan!
Volunteers take the time to lend a helping hand.
Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless!
Your generosity of love and time touch all who know you!
Volunteers are love in motion!
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Reflections
I was taught that the world had a lot of problems; that I could struggle and change them; that
intellectual and material gifts brought the privilege and responsibility of sharing with others less
fortunate; and that service is the rent each of us pays for living -- the very purpose of life and not
something you do in your spare time or after you have reached your personal goals. --Marian
Wright Edelman
Which is more subversive—and corrosive—to believe in altruism or to see it simply as a cloak of
self interest? Even if altruism did not exist, it would be necessary to believe in it. Pessimists in
power are prone to despotism. --Frank Prochaska
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to
earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate
beauty; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed
social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Throughout your life, there is a voice only you can hear. A voice which mythologists label "the
call." A call to the value of your life. The choice of risk and individual bliss over the known and
secure. You may choose not to hear your spirit. You may prefer to build a life within the
compound, to avoid risk. It is possible to find happiness within a familiar box, a life of comfort
and control. Or, you may choose to be open to new experiences, to leave the limits of your
conditioning, to hear the call. Then you must act. If you never hear it, perhaps nothing is lost. If
you hear it and ignore it, your life is lost. --Jennifer James
Let ... individuals make the most of what God has given them, have their neighbors do the same,
and then do all they can to serve each other. There is no use in one man, or one nation, to try to
do or be everything. It is a good thing to be dependent on each other for something, it makes us
civil and peaceable.-- quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I
this way again. - Mahatma Gandhi
"It is not enough to merely exist. It's not enough to say, 'I'm earning enough to live and support
my family. I do my work well. I'm a good parent.' That's all very well. But you must do
something more.
"Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every person has to seek in his own way to make his
own self more noble and to realize his own true worth. You must give some time to your fellow
man.
"Even if it's a little thing, do something for those who have need of a man's help, something for
which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For, remember, you don't live in a world all
your own. Your brothers are here too." --Albert Schweitzer Nobel Peace Prize winner, 1952
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"This is the true joy in life being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one
being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances,
complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. . . ."
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my
privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I
work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. "
"Life is no brief candle to me. It's a sort of splendid torch which I've got to hold up for the
moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future
generations." --George Bernard Shaw
"Unless your department has a budget infinitely greater than most, you will not get rich being a
volunteer director/coordinator, but your life will be indescribably enriched by the people you
meet and work with. A wise lady once told me that when you find your ideal job, you will do it
for less than they pay you and when you find your calling you will do it for free. This is my ideal
job. I hope you find yours." --Martin Tichenor
At an inner city soup kitchen, a young woman was serving meals to guests. It was her very first
day and she was nervous and unsure of how to behave around the poor, the indigent, the
homeless people she had never seen before. Coming from a middle class neighborhood, she felt
she had nothing in common with them, that she had nothing to offer."
" As one man was moving past her, she noticed that he had missed his bread portion. She
reached out and touched his arm. The man was old, disheveled and had his head hung low. When
he turned, the young woman saw that he was crying. Concerned, she asked if she had hurt him.
The man, tears in his eyes replied, "No, you are the first person who has touched me in more
than two years." --a member of Sisters of St. Joseph, Canada
"My adult daughter (an attorney) was assisting me in picking up rubbish on my Adopt-AHighway strip. We had on the usual brightly colored vest and traffic was pretty heavy. Pausing to
reflect, she pondered, "You know, dad, these people probably think we did something very
wrong!" --Self
It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each
time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against
injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different
centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest
walls of oppression and resistance. --Robert F. Kennedy speech in South Africa
"Service is not as much about good actions, as it is about good feelings; creating them in others,
and experiencing them within. It is not so much about 'doing', as it is about 'being'; being one's
best, being one's higher self. Love, is the only true doer. Good deeds, like good works, are but
priceless opportunities to experience and share our being's deepest nature: Joy." --Author
anonymous.
There are three ways of trying to win the young. There is persuasion, there is compulsion, and
there is attraction. You can preach at them: that is a hook without a worm. You can say, "You
must volunteer," and that is of the devil. You can tell them, "You are needed." That appeal
hardly ever fails. --K. Hahn, Readings from the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School
21
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where
the doer of deeds could have done them better. The arena, whose face is marred by dust and
sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there
is no effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends himself
in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at
worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold
souls who know neither victory nor defeat. --Theodore Roosevelt
If you want happiness for an hour -- take a nap. If you want happiness for a day -- go fishing. If
you want happiness for a month -- get married. If you want happiness for a year -- inherit a
fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime -- help someone else. --Chinese proverb
"Your corn is ripe today, mine will be so tomorrow. ’Tis profitable for us both that I should
labor with you today and that you should aid me tomorrow. I have no kindness for you, and
know you have as little for me. I will not, therefore, take any pains upon your account . . . Here
then I leave you to labor alone; you treat me in the same manner. The seasons change, and both
of us lose our harvests for want of mutual confidence and security." – David Hume, 18th century
philosopher
In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable
life and they lost it all -- security, comfort and freedom.... When the Athenians finally wanted not
to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was
freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free.--- Edward Gibbon
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Desserts A’La Poem
A G.I.'s Family's Prayer
"A NATION OF HEROS"
Hear, Lord my prayer for my G.I.,
so eager to live--to young to die.
Teamwork in abundance, with peace
in our heart,
Striving stronger than ever, while
loved ones are apart.
Beneath an alien blistering sun,
he faces a dangerous enemy gun.
The storm clouds gather, the horror of war,
my soldier stands bravely at the door.
Defending justice, peace, and freedom,
to his Commander-in-chief give Holy wisdom.
From war's alarm, bring swift release,
hasten the day of honorably peace.
On land and sea and air,
I back my soldier with this prayer:
"No matter how far he's forced to roam,
just bring, I pray my G.I. home."
Amen
~submitted by Barbara Dorsheimer
Lives at stake, this is no game,
I will fight to the death, and do so
without shame.
Each day an eternity, with no end in
sight,
We are behind you, and support you a
nations delight.
We pray for your return, welcome
you with pride,
We will recognize all heroes, and
mourn those who died.
Every life that is lost, is a
commitment that’s true,
They did it for us, and the RED,
WHITE and BLUE.
~submitted by SrA Kandis Boot
"Spouses/Family Members serve Army, too."
I would like to say something about those who have been "drafted" into the military by a
spouse or parent. Our sacrifices frequently go unnoticed, and the importance of our
contribution is often overlooked or taken for granted. Family support of the military
member is critical to his or her performance. Contrary to the belief that soldiers are only
as good as their leaders, the truth of the matter is that the soldier is only as good as the
people who support him or her in their everyday life.
We live on an Army post. Every morning at 0700 we are awakened to the sound of
reveille. At 1700 hours every day a cannon fires which signals the end of the work day.
At 2300 hours every evening we are serenaded by Taps. Every house on our street flies
an American flag, not just on Flag Day, but every day. Patriotism isn't something we
celebrate only on the Fourth of July; it is a way of life for us. In every house on post lives
1
the spouse and family members of a soldier, but the soldiers aren't always there. They are
in Bosnia, Saudi, Korea or any one of a hundred other countries throughout the world
where they might be needed, and we are left to "hold down the fort".
I have a plaque that says, "Army wife - toughest job in the Army." This is an accurate
description of ALL military family members of all branches. I am not just speculating on
this, I speak from experience. I am a military spouse who is also an Army veteran. It was
much easier being a soldier than it is being the family member of a soldier. I volunteered
to be in the Army. It was what I wanted to do. I was drafted as a military dependant, and
there are times when it is not what I want at all. Soldiers choose to live this lifestyle, but
the family members don't. This fact does not diminish the sacrifices they are required to
make for the sake of their country. They must be resourceful, capable, independent, and if
you don't have at least a little bit of gypsy in your soul, the nomadic lifestyle you are
forced to live can be devastating.
Military dependents are anything but dependent. We are a uniquely adaptable group of
talented individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We are required to be
ambassadors to the world in the truest sense of the word, and we do, as a whole, represent
our country well.
We may be reluctant patriots, but we serve judiciously, and we serve with pride.
©Cheryl Harvey Hill
Veteran, WAC/ARNG/USArmy
ACRONYMS
Somewhere..
You asked me how my day was.
Well sit down, dear. Let me see.
The baby threw her squash at me.
But that's just SOP.
A bugle softly sounds
the message of renown,
and some inside their buildings wait
until the flag comes down.
And others run to get their cars
quite harrowed or dismayed
afraid they will not reach the gate
before retreat is played.
Not thinking of the flag or those
who fought to keep it flying.
How many would be glad to stand
whose bodies now are mute
or have no hand that they might raise
and stand in proud salute.
so accept it not as duty
but a privilege even more
and receive it as an honor
instead of just a chore.
~Author unknown
~submitted by Jenny O'Rourke
Your great aunt's coming to visit
for her annual TDY.
She sure asks a lot of questions.
Do you think she's MI?
I'm sure the dog's gone AWOL,
I can't find him anywhere.
And I bleached your OD T-shirt,
Now it's lime green underwear.
I've had my fill of KP.
Can I change my MOS?
Better kiss me ASAP
Or I'm gonna PCS.
~by Pam Greer, Army Wife
submitted by Melissa Trefault
2
Serving Our Country, Me and You
SUPPORT
He tells me they will go back to the desert again.
Brown will soon be so mundane.
Capturing scorpions and lizards for fun.
Not much else to do in the sun.
I reach out
and your hand is there
for me to grasp.
We need to cling together now,
to share the winter winds
and warming rays,
a steaming cup,
our children's play,
a laugh,
a tear,
a hand pressed in understanding,
a kindred, soggy shoulder
when life
is just too hard to understand,
a voice on the phone
when the night jitters grab,
a hug
when the ache
for that comforting pressure
is overwhelming,
and someone to hug in return
to sustain and uphold.
I reach, as for a sister,
and you are there.
Gone he has been for only a day.
What did he do with the checkbook anyway?
The fence gate fell off its hinges this morning.
This is what you are in for, is its warning.
Lots of learning and lots of growing.
Looks like the grass could use a mowing.
The neighbors look in awe at this handy woman.
Does she ever sleep or is she even human?
Hanging in there we both will do.
Serving our country, me and you.
~by Gina Seaman
HOMECOMING
His manner was happy.
His face wore a smile,
his eager eyes searching
the last endless mile.
Ribbons of yellow
and red white and blue
adorned every front door
that passed into view.
His heart swelled with pride
for he'd done his job well,
but a part of him wept
for his buddies who fell.
His emotions were jumbled.
His feelings were torn.
He needed some time now
to quietly mourn.
He had left here a boy
and now he'd returned,
~by B. V. Dahlen ©
The American Creed
"I believe in the United States of America as a
Government of the people by the people, for the
people, whose just powers are derived from the
consent of the governed; a democracy in a Republic;
a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a
perfect Union, one and inseparable; established upon
those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and
humanity for which American patriots sacrificed
their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my Country to
love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws;
to respect its flag, and to defend it against all
enemies."
by William Tyler Page
3
and in the short span
there was so much he'd learned.
Today all that mattered
was a few miles ahead,
and anticipation
was beginning to spread.
At last, the bus station
and people galore,
but one, only one
was he searching for.
Both tear streaked and laughing
her face filled his view,
and with all his mixed feelings
there was one thing he knew.
He had hated that desert.
He had hated the war,
and he knew only freedom
was worth fighting for.
He wasn't a hero
with ambitions to roam.
As he ran to her arms
he at last had come home.
~by B. V. Dahlen ©
Midway
Emergency! Emergency!
Please send my husband home.
His ship is due to pull into
A port not far from Rome.
My spider needs transplanting,
there's no light bulbs in the hall,
the living room is drafty where
our son's began to crawl.
The car has not been tuned up
since the last time he was here.
It rumbles every time I try
to shift to second gear.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
FOR MILITARY SPOUSES
By Jean Walter
I. Thou shalt not write in ink in thy address book.
II. Thou shalt not covet choice assignments of other
uniformed branches of service.
III. Love thy neighbor. (Tis easier if thou buyest a
house on a corner)
IV. Honor thy Commissary and Exchange for as long
as they both shall live.
V. Thou shalt not ridicule a local politician, for
mighty senators from local politicians grow.
VI. Thou shalt look for the best in every assignment,
even though the best may be The World's Biggest
Cockroaches or Record Snow in One Month's Time
or Most Childhood Diseases Experienced in One
Year.
VII. Thou shalt remember all they friends from all
thy assignments with greetings at Christmas, for
thou never knowest when thou might like to
spendeth the night with them while enroute to a new
duty station.
VIII. Be kind and gentle to retired, white-hair
Exchange and
Commissary customers, because thou too will be a
retiree
someday.
IX. Thou shalt not curse thy active duty spouse who
is off TAD on moving day.
X. Thou must never arrive at a new assignment and
constantly brag about how everything was much
better at thy last assignment
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I really need him right away,
I tell you I'm not bluffing!
I've an itch I cannot scratch
and floors that need a buffing.
There's a cobweb on the ceiling
that only he can reach,
an he's the only one who cleans
my counter tops with bleach.
This is no trumped up emergency!
My bathroom has a bug,
And I'm having trouble sleeping,
And I know I need a hug.
In fact if I could get one hug
I guess it wouldn't matter
that the oven needs a scrubbing
and the dog is getting fatter.
A hug would reassure me,
It would say that he's still mine.
I'd cope with both the house and car
and things would be just fine.
I guess that my emergency
is just that it’s so hard
to want a hug and settle
for a letter or a card.
Emergency! Emergency!
Please rush the mail here,
and tell him when his ship pulls in,
I'll be waiting on the pier.
~by Marian J. Gorman
A Child’s Prayer
To think a good thought
To speak a good word
To do a good deed
Is happiness
For him or her who seeks no reward.
Army Spouse Prayer
Dear Lord,
Give me the greatness of heart to see the
difference between duty and his love for
me.
Give me a task to do each day, to fill the
time when he is away.
When he is in a foreign land, keep him safe
in your loving hand.
And, when duty is in the field, please
protect him and be his shield.
And Lord, when deployment is so long,
please stay with me and keep me strong.
AMEN
I AM YOU
I stand tall with pride and dignity
A symbol of truth, honor and liberty
I cry out to those who fought and died for
me
Be it on land, in the air, or on an angry sea
My blue is for your loyalty
My white stands for its purity
My red is for their courage, and the blood
they shed
I was with you on the sands of Iwo; also
Wake and Guam
On the bone chilling hills of Korea
and in the steaming jungles of Vietnam
You didn't let me falter, though torn along
your side
A tribute to the many; a vision of your
pride
So for those who shed their blood and tears
I proudly represent their courage and
fears...AMERICA!
Look up to me and as you do
Please remember always, that I am you...
~Thomas F. Whiteman
~submitted by Jamie I. Ellis
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And you thought you were a civilian......
When Dad's away, Mom's the Commanding Officer
When Dad's home, Mom's the Executive Officer, coordinating and executing actions for
the Command Team
Keeping track of the kids, she's the S-1
Collecting the neighborhood news, and relaying it to Dad, she's the S-2
Making plans for the entire family and training the kids, she's the S-3
Stocking food and supplies for the family, she's the S-4
She answers all the family correspondence and makes appointments for Dad, that makes
her the Adjutant.
Worrying about the family budget makes her the Comptroller
Paying the bills, and accounting to Dad for the paychecks makes her Disbursing
Looking for a new place to live when we move, she's like Billeting
Assigning us chores to do, getting us fed, bathed, and put to bed, she's our First Sergeant.
Serving the food and doing dishes, she's the Mess Hall.
Carrying small children, she's ammunition handler.
Driving the family to all our appointments, she's the duty driver
Looking like a queen when she goes out with Dad, she's a Military Man's Lady.
Gosh, Mom's the whole darn Military
"Volunteer's Creed" - Tom Krause
Though my troubles and my worries
are sometimes all that I see still I always must remember
life's not only about me.
Other souls are also hurting
and I know that it's in God's plan
to reach out to help another to extend to them my hand.
With this purpose as my focus to be a comfort to a friend all my troubles and my worries
seem to fade out in the end.
It is one of God's true lessons how my walk is meant to be true happiness I find when
6
Sisterhood
by Debbie Giusti
I am an Army wife - member of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to
watch their men march into battle and the strength to survive until their return.
Our sorority knows no rank for we earn our membership with a marriage license,
traveling over miles, or over nations to begin a new life with our soldier husbands. Within
days we turn a barren, echoing building into a home and though our quarters are
inevitably white walled and un-papered we decorate with the treasures of our travels for
we shop the markets of the globe.
Using hammer and nail, we tack our pictures to the wall and our roots to the floor as
firmly as if we had lived there for a lifetime. We hold a family together by the bootstraps
and raise the best "brats", instilling into them our motto "Home is Togetherness" whether
motel, or guest house, apartment or duplex.
As Army Wives we soon realize that the only good in "Good-bye" is the "hello again."
For as salesmen for freedom our husbands are often on the road leaving us behind for a
week, a month, and assignment. During separation we guard the home front existing till
the homecoming.
Unlike our civilian counterparts we measure time not by age, but by our tours - married at
Knox, baby born at Bliss, a promotion in Missouri. We plant trees and never see them
grow tall, work on projects completed long after our departure, and enhance our
community for the betterment of those who come after us. We leave a part of ourselves at
every stop.
Through experience we have learned to pack a suitcase, a car, or hold baggage and live
indefinitely from it's contents within; and though our fingers are sore from the patches we
have sewn and the silver we have shined, our hands are always ready to help those
around us.
Women of peace we pray for a world in harmony, for the flag that leads our men into
battle will also blanket them in death. Yet we are an optimistic group, thinking of the
good and forgetting the bad, cherishing yesterday while anticipating tomorrow. Never
rich by monetary standards, our hearts are overflowing with a wealth of experiences
common only to those united by the special traditions of military life. We pass on this
legacy to every Army bride, welcoming her with outstretched arms, with love, and
friendship from one sister to another, sharing in the bounty of our unique, fulfilling Army
way of life.
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One Red Rose
No one knows how long the legend has been
observed…
One Red Rose
Handed from military spouse to military spouse
And from friend to friend
And always with the deepest appreciation
For a welcome, a thank you, or
Merely a reminder
That we strive for the same thing…
…a peaceful world.
Quite Hero
She wakes very early, he’s leaving today,
She will stand tall and proud as he’s walking away
He glances back warmly at his children and wife,
Knowing they will bravely carry on with their life.
Her strength and her courage only one understands,
He is walking away with her heart in his hands.
For he knows that without it he would be lost,
But they both know that freedom comes at a cost.
She walks away holding her children so close,
Swallowing tears for the one she loves most.
This quiet here does not walk into war;
She soldiers on behind her front door.
She will move trough her life the wind at her back,
Determined to keep her family on track
Her tears fall in silence while she lies in her bed,
Her fear is right there but nothing is said.
She will ask that no metals be pinned to her chest.
Her husbands safe return her only request.
Few understand her commitment, her life:
She is the quiet hero, the brave soldier’s wife.
--Kathleen Mills
Teacher's Prayer
Lord, help me to make my
classroom a place where love and
learning come to life. Guide me in
all that I do that I may strive, not so
much to teach, as to awaken, not so
much to instruct, as to inspire. Save
me from complacency of readymade answers by an ever-present
sense of the wonder of your
creation. Above all, help me to
give my students love ~ a love
gentle enough to touch, but firm
enough to leave them room to grow.
And help me to give it now ~ that
they may share it with a world in
need of love.
Student's Prayer
Now I lay me down to study, I pray
the Lord I won't go nutty. If I
should fail to learn this junk, I pray
the Lord I will not flunk. Now I lay
me down to rest, and pray I pass
tomorrow's test. If I should die
before I wake, that's one less test I'll
have to take.
8
An Army’s Wife Creed
by Heather A
I am the wife of an American Soldier.
I am a supporter of the United States Army an encouragement for the protectors of the greatest nation on earth.
Because I am proud of my husband and the uniform that he wears,
I will always act in ways creditable to him, the military service
and the nation he is sworn to guard.
I am proud of my husband. I will do all that I can to protect
and provide for my family in his absence. I will be loyal to my
husband and to the vows that we made as we entered the
covenant of marriage.
I will do my full part to carry on the values
and goals we have set apart for our family
and I will continue to instruct our children in the same manner.
As a soldier's wife, I realize that I play a vital role
in my husband's decision to become a member of a time-honored profession that I am doing my share to keep alive the principles of freedom
for which my country stands.
No matter what situation I am in, I will never do anything,
for pleasure, profit, or personal safety,
which will disgrace my husband, his uniform or our country.
I will use every means I have to encourage my husband to be
the best soldier that he can be.
I am proud of my husband, my country and its flag.
I will fly the flag and will always remember the sacrifices
made by my husband and by generations of men and women
that have served our beloved country.
I will try to make my husband proud of the
manner in which I accept his decision to defend my freedom and
the freedom of all American citizens for I am the wife of an American soldier.
Army of One
Author unknown
I've noticed in my present job, there is a tiny quirk.
There's no respect at all and it's not considered work.
Well, I am here to show you another point of view, and give you an idea of what I really
do!
Here's my job description and to better understand, it's written in the language of the
Army Man.
I'm the IG, complaints come to me.
9
I am the Medic, I bandage skinned knees.
I'm the Legal Office and the courts-martial, too.
I decide the punishment, how much and on who, I'm Health: Welfare, inspecting for junk,
and the 1SG checking the bunk.
I'm also Supply, in charge of food, clothes, house wares, diapers, toys, heaven only
knows.
I'm the MP, who secures the door, I'm also the PVT who GI's the floor,
I'm the Mess SGT who cooks all the meals.
I'm TMP in charge of the wheels.
I'm MWR planning all the fun and I am the Bugler, announcing the "day is done".
I'm the KP, who does all the dishes; I am the DA who hears all you wishes.
I'm the CQ and the Fireguard, too, there isn't that much that I don't do.
I'm the instructor too, you see, because what is learned is taught by me.
I'm the Squad Leader, who knows his troops well, sometimes the Drill SGT who really
can yell.
I'm the S4, S1, 2, 3, just about everything must come through me!
Appropriations, tasking, and commitments too, I'm responsible for all we do.
I never go to battle, and AR of some sort, but you can count on me to bravely guard the
fort.
I'm ALWAYS on duty, I never take leave, no Holidays off, and it’s hard to believe!
I can never ETS, I signed for life, my primary MOS is Mother, my secondary is Army
Wife.
For all my devotion, to duty, my LES says "NO PAY DUE" because I'm not paid in
money, but in the words of 'I LOVE YOU'.
I AM AN ARMY WIFE!
I Do Not Like This Dust and Sand
By CPT Jay P...Kentucky Army National Guard.
With apologies to Dr. Seuss.
I do not like this dust and sand, I do not like it on my hands.
I do not like dust in my head; I do not like it in my bed,
I do not like sand in my hair; I hate it in my underwear.
I do not like this dust and sand, I used to like the color tan.
I do not like dust on my clothes; I despise it up my nose.
I do not like sand in my face, invading all my private space.
I do not like dust in my mouth; I do not like it north or south.
I do not like sand east or west, No where is where I like it best.
I do not like dust in my ear, it’s hard to reach, I cannot hear.
When it gets in my drink and food, it affects my attitude.
I like it not with ham and eggs; I do not like sand on my legs.
I like it not in socks and boots, Nor on my veggies, meats and fruits.
This dust and sand floats everywhere, it dances in the desert air
I like a dust storm even less, because it leaves a gritty mess
I want to leave this sand and dust, but until then in God I trust.
10
Final Inspection
A Recipe for the Spirit
The soldier stood and faced his God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining bright
Just as brightly as his brass
"Step forward now, soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you turned the other cheek?
To my church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
because those of us who carry guns
can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays
and at times my talk was rough,
Because the world is awfully tough,
But, I never took a thing
That wasn't mine keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the People here,
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't I'll understand."
There was a silence all around the throne
Where the saints often trod
As the soldier waited quietly,
for the judgment of his God,
"Step forward now, soldier,
You've borne your burdens well,
Come walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in HELL."
Fold two hands together,
And express a dash of sorrow.
Marinate it overnight,
And work on it tomorrow.
Chop one grudge in tiny pieces,
Add several cups of love.
Dredge with a large sized smile,
Mix with the ingredients above.
Dissolve the hate within you,
By doing a good deed.
Cut in and help your friend,
If he/she should be in need.
Stir in laughter, love and kindness,
From the heart it has to come.
Toss with genuine forgiveness,
And give your friends some.
The amount of people served,
Will depend on you.
It can serve the whole wide world.
If you really want it to!!!
(author unknown)
Author Unknown
11
You Probably Didn’t Realize
You probably didn't realize
who was sitting next to you.
You rattled on about how silly
this anti-terrorist war is,
and that it's just a political ploy.
You said you'd never let your son
run off to fight,
and you'd throw a fit
if they just sent your husband off.
At that point,
I almost turned around and told you who I am.
I am a military spouse.
Life in the military has never been easy.
It means low pay with no overtime,
watching your husband go to work with a fever
because the doctor
didn't deem him sick enough for the day off.
It means years of rules and protocol
that wear on you like a dripping faucet late at night.
Don't even get me going on the weekly inspection of our yards.
We live with Terms like "Exercise"
which means 12 hour shifts.
And "TDY,"
which means your spouse
is gone for up to 180 days.
And "Remotes," which means your spouse is gone
for longer than 180 days.
And finally, "PCS,"
which means your whole family
is going on this ride.
Don't get me wrong; whining is not my intent here.
While the road we've been down in the military
hasn't always been paved;
it's been a good life.
12
My kids know you don't wait to make friends
because you never know how long they'll be here.
We know how precious good friends are
even when miles separate us.
It wasn't always in vogue to be patriotic.
Sept. 11 helped turn that tide,
but flags are fading around here again.
My husband is TDY (temporary duty) right now.
I'm not allowed to tell you where.
I'm 26 days into a 109-day TDY.
There have been too many times I have needed him here.
Forget the running of the home there are kisses and hugs that should be taking place.
I lie in bed and try to recall
what his breathing sounds like next to meor I hear the door open and try to envision him
walking in from work.
What I would give to hear his clear voice
without telephone static and worrying
about how much the phone call will cost us.
Then the deep fear what if this separation becomes permanent?
Distance is a horrible thief of what is precious,
because it only reminds us of how precious it is.
You kept on talking for a while.
I then realized I was picking up your tab.
You could sit there freely and give
your opinion because of the military families like ours.
We are paying the price for your freedom.
I've heard it said that soldiers
of the past, present and future
pay for the flag.
Nah, we're the threads it's woven with.
13
I got your back
by Autumn Parker
I am a small and precious child, my dads been sent to fight...
The only place I'll see his face, is in my dreams at night.
He will be gone too many days for my young mind to keep track.
I may be sad, but I am proud. My daddy's got your back.
I am a caring mother. My son has gone to war...
My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before.
Every day I try to keep my thoughts from turning black.
I may be scared, but I am proud. My son has got your back.
I am a strong and loving wife, with a husband who had to go.
There are times I'm terrified in a way most never know.
I bite my lip, and force a smile as I watch my husband pack...
My heart may break, but I am proud. My husband's got your back...
I am a soldier... Serving Proudly, standing tall.
I fight for freedom, yours and mine by answering this call.
I do my job while knowing, the thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home.
It's me who's got your back.
Recruiter’s wife payer
Lord,
Give me the strength of heart to see the difference in duty
and his love for me.
Give me the understanding to know that when duty calls, he must go.
Give me the patience to know in my heart that he is serving his country and doing his
part.
Give me the strength to carry one when he's working late or must be gone.
Give me a task to do each day to fill the time while he is away.
Give me the vision I need to see he's doing his best for the kids and me.
Give me others who can share the ups and downs and who'll really care.
Give me the wisdom to get me through when I'm not quite sure of what to do.
And Lord, while our family is here keep us healthy, safe and full of cheer.
by J Grimsley
14
Army Wedding Vows
by D. A. Stohlman
If the Army wanted you to have a wife, it would have issued you one.
Dear family and friend, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and the
Department of the Army to witness this exchange of vows and to see the love that these
dedicated, loving people have for one another.
I,______________________________________, take
(who was once referred to as the ‘dependent’), as your Family Member, to dwell
together in so far as the Department of the Army will permit?”
“Wilt thou love her, comfort her via the Postal Service or over the telephone, make sure
she knows where the commissary, PX, clinic and the church are and what time she is
scheduled to use the laundry room the day she arrives, wherever you are stationed?”
“Wilt thou attempt to tell her more than 24 hours in advance that you will be leaving for
two weeks, beginning the next morning? This especially applies to the years you will live
in a foreign country!”
“Wilt thou,
, take this soldier as thy wedded husband, knowing
that he is depending upon you to be the perfect (well, almost) Army Wife, running the
household as you see fit and being nice to the Commander’s Wife (even when it is hard
to)? Further, you understand that your life with your husband (little that you may have
together) will not be normal, that you may have to explain to your children, not once but
twice and more often in the same day, that mothers do have husbands, that children do
have daddies, and that the picture of the man on the refrigerator is not the milkman, but
the same individual who tucks the in at 2200 hours, long after they are asleep. This
soldier is their daddy, who loves then very, very much”
"Wilt thou love, respect and wait for him, preparing his favorite meals when he does
come home and freezing them when he doesn’t? When he is gone wilt thou send him all
his favorite cookies and pictures of yourself and the children so he can remember what
you look like? When you are separated on your anniversaries (which will happen more
often than not) you will remember this special day and celebrate it on the closest day
possible to the actual date. And last but not least, put on the outside of the door his
‘WELCOME HOME’ sign when he is due to arrive.”
“I,
, take thee
, as my independent
wife from 1900 to 2200 hours or as long as allowed by my Commanding Officer (subject
to change without notice) for better or worse, earlier or later, near or far, and promise to
look at the pictures you send me, maybe not when they get to me in the field, but before I
turn out the lights. I will also send you a letter if time permits, and if not, to somehow,
someway make the time. I will also remember this special day and will try to telephone
you somehow; someway on the anniversaries we are separated.”
15
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
327th SIGNAL BATTALION (ABN)
FORT BRAGG NORTH CAROLINA 28310
ORDERS: 2005-0002
25 August 2014
Layla Reagan Shue, 000-00-0000, Private (extremely), bundle of joy, Heaven Sent
You will proceed on a permanent change of station as indicated.
Assigned to: 327th Signal Battalion (ABN), Fort Bragg North Carolina 28310
Reporting Date: 02/04/2005
Reporting Time: 1717 hrs
Weight: 6 lbs. 9 oz.
Height: 19 ½ in.
Additional Instruction:
(a) You may wear clothes only when your mom and dad decide to dress you.
(b) Travel is authorized by infant car seat only at no expense to the government, (you’ve cost
enough already).
(c) You are required to report in a loud and thunderous voice for assistance when hungry or in
need of changing.
(d) You are authorized shipment of personal belongings i.e. diapers, bottles and clothing received
as gifts by well wishers and the hospital at parent’s expense to your residence.
(e) Use of more than one POV is not authorized.
(f) You are responsible for reporting for your next doctor’s visit in satisfactory condition, able to
meet or exceed height and weight standards.
(g) Concurrent travel is mandatory with your parents until you show suitable proficiency in
walking and talking.
(h) You are not required to report to family housing as quarters are prearranged.
(i) Early reporting is not authorized, but will be tolerated only once.
(j) You will proceed on or about three days after birth IAW written discharges from your
immediate physician.
FOR ARMY USE:
Auth: Grace of God
MDC: Birth
PMOS/PSSI: OJT/Life
Enl/Renl Indic: Indefinite
Project Specialty: Adulthood
Control Speciality: Baby
MICHELLE R. GEORGE
CPT, SC
Commanding
16
THE SILENT RANKS
Author Unknown
I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens.
But I am in the military in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But the military world is the place where I live.
I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I'm not the one who fires the weapon,
who puts my life on the line.
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind.
My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man
and the call to serve his country, not all can understand.
Behind the lines I see the things needed
to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me.
I love the man I married. Soldiering is his life.
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Military Wife.
Ode to a Military Spouse
by Tonyia Maynor-Cohen
We often take for granted
The things we see each day;
Our home, our money, life and love;
Our children deep in play.
But once we step outside our world
And take a peek within,
We re-evaluate our lives
And long to "start" again.
And with this I must ask of you
Since we have been apart,
Do you still feel the same as me?
Am I still in your heart?
Do you wish as I do now
...That you were here today?
That I could touch and hold you close
And kiss five months away?
And with each day that passes by
The boat moves closer in.
I dream, I laugh, I smile for you,
my husband, lover, friend.
Recipe for a Military Wife
Author Unknown
1 1/2 cups Patience
1 lb. Adaptability
3/4 cup Tolerance
1 tsp. Courage
A Dash of Adventure
Combine above ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons
elbow grease. Let sit alone for one year. Marinate
frequently with salty tears. Pour off excess fat.
Sprinkle lightly with money. "Knead" dough until
payday. Season with international spices. Bake 20
years or until done.....Dedicated.....to military
wives everywhere, who have waved "good-bye:
more often than not, who have heated up more
dinners than most wives cook, who have missed
more anniversaries, birthdays, Christmases and
Valentine's Days than they should have, and most
important of all have welcomed their husbands
home GLADLY.
17
Daddy's Day
Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.
The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on.
But her Mommy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.
And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.
But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn't there today.
"My Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.
But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.
And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.
But the little girl went to school,
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
A dad who never calls.
He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.
There were daddies along the wall in
back,
For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seats.
We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him,
I'm not standing here alone.
Author Unknown
One by one the teacher called,
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn't there.
"Cause my daddy's always with me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
He'll forever be in my heart"
With that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favorite dress.
"Where's her daddy at?"
She heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one,"
Another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere in the crowd
of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.
And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day."
For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.
And when she dropped her hand back
down,
Staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
But its message clear and loud.
"I love my daddy very much,
He's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.
You see he was a fireman
And died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers
And taught Americans to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
It's like he never went away."
And then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.
And to her mother's amazement,
She witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
All starting to close their eyes.
Who knows what they saw before them,
Who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
They saw him at her side.
"I know you're with me Daddy,"
To the silence she called out.
And what happened next made
believers,
Of those once filled with doubt.
Not one in that room could explain it,
For each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
And a child was blessed,
if only for a moment,
By the love of her shining bright star.
And given the gift of believing,
That heaven is never too far
18
Dear God
Author Unknown
Dear God,
So far today,
I've done all right.
I haven't gossiped.
I haven't lost my temper.
I haven't lied or cheated.
I haven't been greedy, grumpy,
nasty, selfish or overindulgent.
I'm very thankful for that.
But in a few minutes, Lord,
I'm going to get out of bed;
and from then on, I'm probably
going to need a lot more help.
Amen
Prayer for a Military Fiancé
Author unknown
This is the prayer that I say tonight
It is for my fiancé who must fight
For you see, he is away from me
Keeping his country safe and free.
This is the one that I love
And so I ask you Lord above
Please keep him safe while under way
And bring him home to me someday.
While he is gone please hear my prayer
And let him know I will be there
Waiting for him on the pier
Hoping praying with some fear.
This prayer is not for him alone
But for all military far from home.
I ask you to keep them safe and sound
On their way to where their bound
We love these men that are asked to fight
So, keep them safe for us tonight.
Daddy's Going to Miss Christmas
Author, Jennifer M.
Daddy's going to miss Christmas, I heard my son say.
No, baby Jesus has a birthday even far away.
We can celebrate our savior's birth, while daddy's in Iraq
and keep his presents for him until he comes back.
See, the gift of giving is what daddy is doing.
Giving others the freedom us Americans are pursuing.
We can be proud even though daddy is away.
He is fighting so we can continue to Celebrate Christmas day.
19
Album
by J Wightman
As I worked on this album,
Many long hours into the night,
I tried to find the right words for this page,
But nothing ever sounded right.
Words just can’t describe,
The pride I feel towards you,
And the respect that I have
because of what you do.
Sometimes it’s really hard for me
to have to say good-bye,
To smile anyway as you leave,
even though I just want to cry.
But I really shouldn’t worry,
I know our country is in good hands,
Knowing you’re out there,
fighting for these lands.
As you turn each page in this book,
You’ll be taking a step back into your past,
And see all that you’ve accomplished,
I just hope I’ve made your memories last.
I just needed a way to show people,
A side of you they don’t often see,
And show them what a hero is,
Because that’s what you are to me.
Prayer for Military Families
Marine Corps CWO3 CJ Lee
Pause for a moment, to remember the family.
Who for liberty, freedom and our security,
Endure many a hardship and separation,
Which serve to bond them closer to their Nation.
These bonds are true, no mere artifice,
Which is the measure of their sacrifice,
Engendered by a love for their country,
If you don’t believe, ask Mrs. Bixby.
Re’member them… mother, wives, children, all,
Their loved one’s gone when they hear the call,
These silent patriots, yet they’re always there,
So for the military families say a prayer.
Unnamed
Jennifer Bingham, Marine Corps Spouse
Military families must be strong
Sometimes Mommy or Daddy could be gone all year long
Moving here and there over the years
Saying goodbye to friends with fearful tears
Families who’ve learned to take care of each other
Always helping one another
Friends who share lots of things
Knowing what being away from your family really means
We learn how to survive
Praying for God to keep us revived
Volunteering our help now and then
Knowing God is watching over us until the end
Military families are special you know
Always finding room to grow
God bless each and everyone of us today
And give us strength to send Mommy or Daddy on their way.
20
The Twelve Folds of the Flag
The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a
portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to
Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in
dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we
protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without
the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we
might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother's day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and
devotion that the characters of the men and women who have made this country great have been
molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of
our country since they were first born.
The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of
King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies,
in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national
motto, "In God we Trust."
"A NATION OF HEROS"
Teamwork in abundance, with peace in our heart,
Striving stronger than ever, while loved ones are apart.
Lives at stake, this is no game,
I will fight to the death, and do so without shame.
Each day an eternity, with no end in sight,
We are behind you, and support you a nations delight.
We pray for your return, welcome you with pride,
We will recognize all heroes, and mourn those who died.
Every life that is lost, is a commitment thats true,
They did it for us, and the RED, WHITE and BLUE.
~submitted by SrA Kandis Boot
21
"Spouses/Family Members serve Army, too."
I would like to say something about those who have been "drafted" into the military by a spouse
or parent. Our sacrifices frequently go unnoticed, and the importance of our contribution is often
overlooked or taken for granted. Family support of the military member is critical to his or her
performance. Contrary to the belief that soldiers are only as good as their leaders, the truth of the
matter is that the soldier is only as good as the people who support him or her in their everyday
life.
We live on an Army post. Every morning at 0700 we are awakened to the sound of reveille. At
1700 hours every day a cannon fires which signals the end of the work day. At 2300 hours every
evening we are serenaded by Taps. Every house on our street flies an American flag, not just on
flag day, but every day. Patriotism isn't something we celebrate only on the Fourth of July, it is a
way of life for us. In every house on post lives the spouse and family members of a soldier, but
the soldiers aren't always there. They are in Bosnia, Saudi, Korea or any one of a hundred other
countries throughout the world where they might be needed, and we are left to "hold down the
fort".
I have a plaque that says, "Army wife - toughest job in the Army." This is an accurate description
of ALL military family members of all branches. I am not just speculating on this, I speak from
experience. I am a military spouse who is also an Army veteran. It was much easier being a
soldier than it is being the family member of a soldier. I volunteered to be in the Army. It was
what I wanted to do. I was drafted as a military dependant, and there are times when it is not what
I want at all. Soldiers choose to live this lifestyle, but the family members don't. This fact does
not diminish the sacrifices they are required to make for the sake of their country. They must be
resourceful, capable, independent, and if you don't have at least a little bit of gypsy in your soul,
the nomadic lifestyle you are forced to live can be devastating.
Military dependents are anything but dependent. We are a uniquely adaptable group of talented
individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We are required to be ambassadors to
the world in the truest sense of the word, and we do, as a whole, represent our country well.
We may be reluctant patriots, but we serve judiciously, and we serve with pride.
©Cheryl Harvey Hill
Veteran, WAC/ARNG/USArmy
UNKNOWN
cries of joy
and tears of love
shouts of anger
whisper me home.
so near yet so far
so close and i cry
i love and i lose
please don't say
goodbye.
i have felt the
hardship, I
know the tug in
my gut.
no matter how little
time, no matter
how long, the
separation is anguish,
the days and nights so
long.
we made it through
and climbed back up,
through all the memories,
one time i see.
i see how you looked
at me when you said you
would always be there for me.
you will be home soon,
now i can let out a big
sigh, for the love of
my heart is coming back
to me.
~by gigi a. sofia
22
ACRONYMS
You asked me how my day was.
Well sit down, dear. Let me see.
The baby threw her squash at me.
But that's just SOP.
Your great aunt's coming to visit
for her annual TDY.
She sure asks a lot of questions.
Do you think she's MI?
I'm sure the dog's gone AWOL,
I can't find him anywhere.
And I bleached your OD T-shirt,
Now it's lime green underwear.
I've had my fill of KP.
Can I change my MOS?
Better kiss me ASAP
Or I'm gonna PCS.
~by Pam Greer, Army Wife
submitted by Melissa Trefault
23
Crest of the Military Wife

Shape
The shape is that of the human heart, symbolic of her endless capacity for love,
caring, and devotion.

Background
The background is of red and white stripes joined by a field of royal blue, upon
which is set a single white star. This represents the flag and the nation, which she
so proudly serves through her tireless efforts and endless sacrifices. The single
star remembers the countless hours of loneliness she endures; yet, through it all,
she shines with warmth and brilliance.

Major Image
The major image is that of a tree, the symbol of life, for that she is to the military
community. The trunk of the tree is of sturdy stock but without roots, a
consequence of her nomadic life. The main body of the tree is five conjoined
circles upon which are set symbols capturing but a few of her many contributions
to community and family. From left to right the symbols show that: she provides
mobility and flexibility to a family on the move; she fixes and mends everything
from broken toys to broken hearts; she is a teacher sharing her knowledge and
imparting her values; she is a doctor, nurse, and minister, ensuring the physical
and spiritual health of those in her care; finally, she is the lawyer, judge, and
arbitrator who maintains peace and harmony at home.

Minor Images
The minor images are of children nestled safely beneath the sheltering branches of
the tree. She provides them the nourishment and protection they need to grow
healthy and strong.

Border
The border is formed by a ribbon of black and white squares. These represent the
ominous and ubiquitous boxes which punctuate her life during each of her many
moves and mark the transition from one phase of her life to the next.

Banner
The banner, at the base of the crest, displays the latin words Virtus, Caritas, Vires
(Courage, Love, Strength) the values she most personifies.

The Crest of the Military Wife
The crest is prominently worn upon chest or lapel on any occasion when the
wearer would have it known that she is proud to be a Military Wife.
24
The Coin Of The Military Brat

Boldness...
...to bravely go where others dare not ~ (Represented by the eagle and shield at
the center)

Responsibility...
... to live in service and honor of God, Family and Country ~ (Captured along
with truth and integrity by the blue banner)

Adaptability...
...to be at home anywhere ~ (The stars at the base of the coin symbolize the seven
continents of the Earth)

Tolerance...
...to love and respect all mankind ~ (Portrayed in the harmony, strength and
beauty of the red and white striped banner)
The History of the Challenge Coin:
During World War I, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly
formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and
Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant
ordered medallions struck in bronze carrying the squadron emblem for every member of
his squadron. He himself carried his medallion in a small leather sack about his neck.
Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the pilot's aircraft was severely damaged by
ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by
a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal
identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. In the meantime, he was
taken to a French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he
donned civilian clothes and escaped. However, he was without personal identification. He
Succeeded in avoiding German patrols and reached the front lines. With great difficulty,
he crossed no-mans-land. Eventually, he stumbled into a French outpost. Unfortunately,
the French in the sector of the front had been plagued by saboteurs. They sometimes
masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's
American accent, the French thought him to be a German saboteur, and made ready to
execute him. Just in time, he remembered his leather pouch containing the medallion. He
showed the medallion to his would be executioners. His French captors recognized the
squadron insignia on the medallion and delayed long enough for him to confirm his
identity. Instead of shooting him, they gave him a bottle of wine. Back at his squadron, it
became a tradition to insure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times.
This was accomplished through a challenge in the following manner: a challenger would
ask to see the coin. If the challenged member could not produce his coin, he was required
to purchase a drink for the member who had challenged him. If the challenged member
produced his coin, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This
tradition continued throughout the war and for many years after while surviving members
of the squadron were still alive.
25
Distinguishing Made Easy... Deli Food Kits
Thanks For Raisin' The Tough Standard
No One Holds A Candle To You
You Are A Lifesaver
Your Vision Is Our Guiding Light
You Take The Cake!
Thanks For Working Your Buns Off
A Noteworthy Accomplishment
You Are Berry Special
Hugs and Kisses
I'll Stick With You
You're Worth a Mint
Thanks for all the Great Ideas That You Have Planted
to Grow and Bloom
Thanks For Holding Things Together
Thanks For Stretching Your Limits, Your Patience And
Your Endurance
You Can Soar to Whatever Heights You Choose
Thanks for Not Letting Things Fall Apart
You Licked the Challenge, Just Like I Knew You
Would
You Keep Us on an Upwards Roll to Success
You Measure Up to a Fantastic Leader
Here’s The Scoop, You’re Doing a Wonderful Job
We Are So Fortunate To Have You as a Volunteer
No One Matches Your Volunteer Contribution
You’re #1 In Our Book
You’re Worth a 100 Grand to Our Organization
Your Creative Juices have Really Made a Big
Difference
Thanks for Energizing our Organization
1.
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9.
-mini box of raisins
- scented votive candle, birthday candles
- package of lifesavers with a note
- mini-flashlight
- cupcakes
- hot cinnamon buns
- package of post-it notes
- fresh berries or jam
- Hershey's candies
- stick of gum
- package of peppermints
-seeds
- paper clip
-rubber band
-kite string
-safety pin
-lollipop
-tootsie roll
-ruler or measuring tape
-ice cream scoop
-fortune cookie
-book of matches
-book
-100 grand bar
-box of juice
-electric wire or a battery
7-UP: 7-UPlifting ideas for a wonderful holiday season. (include seven uplifting
thoughts/ideas)
7-UP:7-UPlifting thoughts for a good week. (include seven uplifting thoughts/ideas)
A bar of soap with a note: Just a little visit with you washes away the blues.
A bundle of anything (towels, scrapbook supplies, cookies): Just a bundle of thanks
A dishcloth or gloves: Thanks for the handy work Job well done
A juice pitcher filled with candy canes- We pitcher you raising a little cane during the
holidays! Have a merry Christmas!!
A package of seeds: My love for you just keeps growing!
A picture of a clown with a wrapped fireball candy glued to the nose: No clowning around,
we love being your _____________.
A plate of cookies: Wishing you ____________ from your "Crummy" neighbors.
1
10. A rope with a knot in it: When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on we'll
come runnin'!
11. A small bunch of bananas: We just went bananas when we heard you were sick!.
12. A spool of thread with a note attached: Friendship is the thread used to weave the material of
life.
13. A sucker: A visit with you makes our life sweeter.
14. An Apple: You're such a polished person
15. Any Angel: Hoping you have a Heavenly Christmas!
16. Any gift: Bundled up with warm wishes!
17. Any gift: Just a Little Christmas Cheer from Happy Hearts this time of year!! Merry
Christmas!
18. Any homemade food: Seasoned with Love
19. Any homemade treat: Wishing you a scrumptious Christmas!
20. Any kind of rolls: Here's a sweet treat Rolled up with warm Holiday Wishes! Merry
Christmas!
21. Any soda: We're soda-lighted for have you for a friend.
22. Any soda: We're soda-lighted to wish you _______________.
23. Any soda: We're soda-lighted"to get to know you better.
24. Any sweet treat mix: Wishing you a rich _______!
25. Any sweet treat: A sweet treat for a sweet friend!
26. Any sweet treat: Hoping you have a Rich and wonderful Holiday !
27. Any sweet treat: Wishing you a ______ filled with sweetness!
28. Any sweet treat: Wishing you a day full of sweetness
29. Any Sweet Treat: Wishing you a season filled with sweetness!
30. Any sweet treat: You're so Sweet...having you as neighbors is really a treat! Have a Heavenly
Holiday Season!
31. Anything Angel: Hoping you have a Heavenly __________
32. Anything Angel: Thanks for being such an Angel!
33. Anything Santa: HO-HO-Hoping your Christmas is heavenly!
34. Apple anything (Pie, cobbler, crisp, muffins): Sending you a Bushel of love!
35. Apple Anything: You are the apple of my eye, ________!
36. Apple Cider w/wassail mix: A little something to spice up a cold winter day!
37. Apple Cider w/wassail mix: A little something to spice up Your Christmas!
38. Apples and Hershey's Hugs: A teacher can't live by apples alone... She needs Hugs too!!
39. Bag/box of Whoppers: Hope you have a Whopper of a ____________.
40. Banana Bread: Banana Bread just for you, because we love you a whole Bunch, too!
41. Bananas: If we could choose our friends, and we searched the whole world through, we'd go
"bananas" trying to find a better bunch than you!
42. Bananas: We miss you / love you / hope you get well a whole bunch!
43. Barq's Root Beer: Wishing you a wonderful ____________, it shows you're "Barq-ing" up
the right tree.
44. Basket of Bath Items: When you feel like a basket case, take a break...and slow your pace.
45. Basket of rolls and bear shaped honey: Have a honey of a day!
46. Bath oils, bubbles, salts: Some days can be a strain on our body and brain, so when you feel
stressed, a hot bath is best, it truly will help keep you sane!
47. Bear shaped honey or stuffed bear: Hoping our honey of a friend has a beary
_______________
48. Bear shaped honey or stuffed bear: You are Beary Special
49. Bear shaped honey: Have a Bear-y Sweet ________!
2
50. Bell : With each chime of this festive bell, may a Christmas wish come true, and bring you
peace and happiness to last the whole year through!
51. Bell : With each chime of this festive bell, may a Christmas wish come true. And bring you
peace and happiness to last the whole year through! Merry Christmas!
52. Box of light bulbs, candle, battery-operated candle: Have a bright and radiant Christmas!
53. Box of light bulbs, candle, battery-operated candle: Hope your Christmas is full of the light
of Christ
54. Box of light bulbs, candle, battery-operated candle: May the light of Christ be with you
always.
55. Box of light bulbs, candle, battery-operated candle: May your days be happy, your heart be
light, your Christmas merry and the New Year Bright!!
56. Box of light bulbs, candle, battery-operated candle: Thanks for letting your light shine!
57. Broom or Feather Duster: You're dust the finest __________ we know!
58. Broom: You're "dust" the finest neighbors we know! Merry Christmas!
59. Bubble gum or bubble bath: May your holidays bubble over with fun!
60. Bubble gum or bubble bath: You have a bubbling personality.
61. Cake or Cupcakes: You take the Cake ________, We think you're first rate!
62. Cake with frosting: When it comes to _______, you're the icing on the cake.
63. Calendar: Keep Christ in your heart the whole year through!
64. Calendar: Keep Christmas in your heart the whole year through!
65. Candle: May your days be happy, your heart be light, your Christmas merry and the New Year
bright!
66. Candy Canes: Hope you enjoy raising a little "cane" during the Holidays!
67. Caramel corn or popped popcorn: Just popped by to wish you well!
68. Caramels: Hoping you have a rich and wonderful day!
69. Carrot Cake: I really "carrota" lot about you!
70. Cheese ball and crackers: Spreading a little cheer
71. Cheese ball and crackers: We don't mean to sound "cheesy", but we hope you have a "ball"
this Holiday Season!
72. Chex Party Mix: Remember Santa Chex his list twice to see who's been naughty or nice..so be
good for goodness sake!! Merry Christmas!!
73. Chex Party Mix: Santa "Chex" his list twice to see who's been naughty or nice... so be good
for goodness sake!
74. Chocolate Mousse Mix: Merry "Christmousse"!
75. Chocolate Orange : Orange you glad it's Christmas? Hope your Christmas is a Sweet one!
76. Christmas music or church music: May the sweet songs of Christmas make your heart
rejoice!
77. Christmas music or church music: May this music bring the spirit of Christ into your home.
78. Christmas music: May the sweet song of Christmas make your heart rejoice!
79. Christmas music:May the merry sounds of Christmas bring a joyful melody to your holiday
season
80. Christmas stocking or filled jar: Have a fun filled Christmas this year
81. Christmas stocking or filled jar: May your days be filled with joy
82. Cinnamon Rolls: Here's a sweet treat Rolled up with warm wishes!
83. Cinnamon Sugar for toast: May your Christmas be sprinkled with sweetness, laughter, and
love!
84. Cleaners or sparkling cider: You add sparkle and make our life brighter!
85. Cleansers or sparkling white toothpaste: You add sparkle and make our lives brighter!
86. Cocoa Mix: Just something to keep you warm on thse cold winter days
3
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Cocoa Mix: Wishing you a warm and wonderful Christmas!
Cookie Dough: Everyone Needs a little extra Dough for Christmas!
Cookie dough: Here's a little extra dough for Christmas!
Cookie dough: Your a smart Cookie!
Cookies with sprinkles: May your Christmas be sprinkled with joy and laughter this holiday
season!
Cornbread or corn muffin mix: We're not trying to be "Corny", we just want you have a
___________!
Crayons and coloring book: May your days be colorful and filled with joy!
Divinity: May your Christmas be Divine and your holidays so fine!
Divinity: May your Christmas be Divine and your Holidays so Fine! Sweet Christmas Wishes!
Donuts: "Donut" you know we love you?
Eggbeater: Have an "eggstra" special ____________
Eggbeater: Have an Eggstra Special Holiday !
Eggnog: Have an Udderly Moovalous Holiday!
Filled Basket: Wishing you a basket full of blessings
Filled Basket: Wishing you a basket full of Christmas blessings
Flower: If friends were flowers, we'd pick you!
Flower:You make friendship bloom all year round!
Frozen or ready-to-eat pizza: Warm up to a wonderful holiday season topped with Christmas
cheer.
Frozen or ready-to-eat pizza:Your the Topps! Or You have Pizza-z!
Fruit Basket: May your _________ be festive and fruitful!
Fudge: Fudge a little on the calories and enjoy a day off from your diet!
Gallon of milk: Have an "udderly moovalous" day!
Gift certificates from a fast food place: Lunch is on me!
Gift certificates from a fast food place: Man can not live by bread alone.
Gift Certificates of your time: Make gift certificates that say things like: Good for one
scrapbooking session-with my supplies! Good for ___ hours of babysitting!
Ginger bread House: Nibble, Nibble like a mouse, We hope you'll nibble at this house!
Grater and cheese: To a grate neighbor
Grands Cinnamon Rolls (Pillsbury): Have a grand holiday!
Grands Cinnamon Rolls (Pillsbury): We think you're grand!
Grands Cinnamon Rolls (Pillsbury): Happy Grandparents' Day!
Gum: By Gum, You're a great ___________!
Gummy bears: You're Beary Important
Heart Ornament: May the joy and love you give away, come back to you on Christmas Day
Heart: Make a cute woven heart and insert the story Love's Best When You Give It Away
Hersheys Hugs: A friend always knows when you need a little hug!
Hershey's Hugs: Here's a hug for when you need it.
Hershey's Kisses in a wire wisk: We "whisk" you a Merry "Kissmas".
Hershey's Kisses in a wire whisk tied to a bottle of root beer: We whisk you a Merry
Kissmas and a Happy Root Beer!
Holly wreath: Happy Holly-days!
Homemade Chocolates: You're so sweet... having you as _______ is a real treat!
Homemade Frozen Rolls: Here's a little holiday treat. Rise and bake, it can't be beat! Warm
fresh rolls just for you. Top with butter that's all you do! Warm Holiday Greetings to you,
Homemade Ice cream of a Frozen Treat: Here's the Scoop: Hoping your Holidays are a
Blizzard of fun!
4
129. Hostess Ho-Hos: Hope a merry HO HO HO fills your heart the whole year through! (Put a
santa sticker on the label)
130. Ice Cream Snowballs and Hot Fudge: Here's some packaged snowball treats: Just Drizzle
Hot Fudge and its ready to eat!...Enjoy!!
131. Ice Cream: Have a Cool Yule!!
132. Ice cream: Instead of "I scream", have some "ice cream!" Hope your week goes better.
133. Jar of jam: Hoping your Christmas is jam-packed with cheer.
134. Jar of Jelly: A copy of the story of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" with the words "And it
shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly" underlined! Merry Christmas!
135. Jar of Jelly: Jelly is like love: you can't spread it around without getting some on yourself!
Merry Christmas!
136. Jar of Pickles: Just in brine, Our wish for a ___________!
137. Jolly Ranchers: Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
138. Jolly Ranchers: Have a Jolly day!
139. Juice pitcher filled with candy canes: We pitcher you raising a little cane during the
holidays.
140. Lamb: Have "eweself" a Merry little Chistmas!
141. Lamb: We miss / love ewe!
142. Life savers: You've been a life saver!
143. Lifesavers: You've been a life saver! Have a great Christmas!
144. Loaf of bread: For being there when you were "kneaded", for "rising" to the occasion, large or
small. For never "loafing" on the job for helping others "heel" with TLC. Not matter how you
"slice" it, you do a terrific job loving others.
145. M&Ms: Have a Merry & Most wonderful Holiday Season!
146. M&Ms: Give a bag with the M&M Christmas poem.
147. M&Ms: Have a merry and most wonderful holiday season!
148. Matches: No one Matches you as _______!
149. Matches: To our matchless friends.
150. Measuring cup or spoons: Wishing you a joy beyond measure!
151. Measuring Cup or tape measure: Wishing you Joy Beyond Measure!
152. Microwave popcorn and sodas: Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh what a good friend you is!
153. Mints: Our friendship was mint to be!
154. Mints: Your kindness mint so much to me!
155. Mints: You're worth a mint!
156. Mints: We really mint to tell you we love you!
157. Mints: Friends like you are worth a mint!
158. Mints: That mint so much! Thank you.
159. Mints: We mint to wish you a Merry Christmas
160. Muffins or muffin mix: You're gettin' muffin for Christmas!
161. Mug filled with Hershey's Hugs mix: Sending you a hug in a mug.
162. Mug with hot chocolate mix: Just sending a chocolate hug in a mug.
163. Mugs with hot chocolate mix: To our special friends who are so Dear; We wish you all a cup
of Cheer!
164. Mugs: To a Special Teacher dear, wishing you a Cup of Cheer!
165. Mugs: To our special friends who are so Dear, We wish you all a cup of Cheer!
166. Nail polish: Just to put a little color into your life
167. Now & Later: We thought we should get our Visiting Teaching done Now rather than Later.
168. Nuts, peanut butter, brownies with nuts, or nutty candy bar: It's the nutty time of the year
again, so please don't lose your cool! Relax, and munch this little treat and have a Happy Yule!
5
169. Nuts: We're nuts about you!
170. Orange or chocolate orange: "Orange" you glad we're friends?
171. Ornament: Gift of Myself - Print out this gift-box shaped ornament, and place a picture of
you, your child, or the Savior in it.
172. Oven mitt filled w/treats: We have to ad-mitt you're a great neighbor!
173. Paper towels: Blot out your troubles, absorb the Christmas spirit.
174. Paper Towels: Blot out your troubles; absorb the Christmas Spirit!
175. Pasta and spaghetti sauce: Have a pasta-tively easy dinner night.
176. Pasta: Have a pasta-tively happy holiday!
177. Pencil and notepad: Hope your Christmas is something to write home about!
178. Pencil and notepad: Just a note of Thanks!
179. Pencil and Notepad: Merry Christmas from our pad to yours!
180. Pencil and Notepad: Merry Christmas to a note-worthy friend!
181. Pie: Just a little hi and a slice of tasty pie!
182. Pie: Wishing you a scrumptious Holiday
183. Pie:No matter how you slice it you're a great dish.
184. Pitcher with Kool-aid: Thanks for being a "Kool-aid" when things were tough
185. Plant: The kindness you show makes our friendship grow and grow!
186. Plant: The kindness you show makes our friendship grow and grow!
187. Popcorn Balls: Hope you have a ball
188. Popcorn Balls: Hoping you have a Ball this Holiday Season!
189. Popcorn or Carmel Corn: May your Holidays be Poppin'!
190. Popcorn: Just "popped" by just to say Hi!
191. Popcorn: We just popped by to see how you are.
192. Potpourri: May this sweet scent bring back thoughts of warm Christmases long ago!
193. Puzzle: We were puzzled over what to get such great neighbors like you, so we hope this fits
together to wish you a Merry Christmas!
194. Recipe: Just like you friend... it's tried and true, just for you! Happy Baking! or Happy Holiday
Baking! or Merry Christmas Cooking!
195. Rice Krispie treats: Snap, Crackle, Pop! We think you're tops!
196. Root beer: We're "Root"-ing for you to have a great ___________
197. Root beer: We're "rooting" for you.
198. Salsa and tortilla chips: Have a hot and spicy ____________!
199. Salsa: Add a little spice to your life
200. Scouring pad/sponge: I'd scour the earth for a friend like you!
201. Snickers bar: Don't snicker; just be glad you got something.
202. Socks: You're the pair I'd pick!
203. Socks: Fill with chocolate coins and the Legend of the Christmas stocking poem.
204. Soup mix: 'You're souper'
205. Soup or soup mix: Wishing you a Souper ________!
206. Sparklers: I love to see your sparkling smile it makes me want to smile
207. Sparkling Cider: Wishing you a sparkling holiday season!
208. Spices or Seasoning mix: Seasoned with love: Happy Holidays
209. Spices or Spiced Cider Drink Mixes: Hoping your Holidays are Spiced Just right!
210. Sprite: May your Christmas be Merry and Sprite!
211. Sprite: May your Christmas be Merry and Sprite!
212. Squeeze-it Juice drink & Hershey's Kiss: Here's a squeeze and a kiss, to remind you you're
loved and missed.
213. Star ornament: Remember the reason for the season!
6
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Star ornament: Christmas Star Poem
Stocking or filled jar: Have a fun filled christmas this year!
Stocking: Fill with chocolate coins and the Legend of the Christmas stocking poem.
Strainer: We couldn't restrain ourselves from wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Stuffed animal: "Pawsing" to wish you a Merry Christmas!
Stuffed animal: Pawsing just to say _________
Sugar Cookies: Rolling out a batch of cheer, for someone we think is very dear!
Sugar Cookies: Rolling out a batch of Christmas cheer, for someone we think is very dear!
Swedish fish: Catch the Spirit
Swedish fish: To a missionary: Congratulations on your call to become a "fisher of men"!
Tape Measure or ruler: with By the yard it's hard, by the inch it's a cinch and together we can
do it.
Toffee or peanut brittle: Doesn't matter how you break it, you're the greatest!
Tray of goodies: We tray-sure your friendship.
Tray of treats: We "traysure" your friendship!
Treat mix or bread mix: Whip up this mix for a quick holiday fix!
Veggies and Dip: Dip into the holidays and a healthy New Year!
Veggies and Dip: Dip into the visiting teaching message.
Warm casserole or bread: Bundled up with warm wishes
Whisk Broom: Take a break from a busy day, and sweep all your cares away!
Wooden spoon w/favorite drink or baking mix: Not a creature was stirring...
Wooden Spoon: Whether stirring up cakes, cookies, soups or souffles, you'll find this spoon
useful in so many ways, but whatever it's used for it says, Merry Christmas from us to you!
Yule Log: We send you warm greetings this Christmas Season!!
http://www.jennysmith.net/ideas-for-small-gifts.php
Volunteer Caring Kit
Paper Clips: Paper clips have many uses, just like each volunteer has
many talents.
Paper clips are also used to hold the 4-H program together and provide
guidance to youth.
Rubber Bands: Rubber bands represent the flexibility that all volunteers
need to have. You can adapt to any different situation. As volunteers,
you can also stretch your own abilities to have new opportunities.
Band Aids: Band aids help others and are sensitive to others feelings,
just as volunteers have to be keyed-in to the feelings of those they work
with.
Coin: This coin represents a quarter to call and ask for help and to remind you that you are not
alone.
Paper Bill: This money calculates the contribution that volunteers make to the 4-H program
through their donation of time.
Balloon: This balloon expands and grows as you learn from others.
Heart Sticker: This heart represents the ability to reach out to youth. You care about our youth
and what they are doing.
Mint: This mint represents the fact that each of you is worth a mint. You are very special and
really make a difference.
7
Lifesavers: Lifesavers represent the special contribution to the 4-H program that each of you
makes and emphasized that each of us are unique and different just like the rainbow color of
lifesavers and that there is a place in 4-H for everyone.
Hershey Kiss: This kiss represents a big thank-you from the many kids whose lives you have
touched over the years. I compiled all of these items in ziploc bags and photocopied the
"instructions of the caring kit" and each volunteer received a small token. Submitted by Tina
Veal, Extension Assistant, Youth Development/4-H, University of Illinois McLean County
Extension Unit
Care Kit for all Occasions
In the kit please find...
A PAPER CLIP: To help keep things together when they seem to be slipping out of control.
A RUBBER BAND: To remind you that there is always someone to offer a hug or to be close
when you need it.
A TISSUE: To wipe away a tear - yours or somebody else’s.
A CANDY KISS: To say “I love you” in a sweet way.
A SMALL SMOOTH STONE: To remind you that rough times help refine and polish us for
smoother tomorrows.
AN ERASER: To erase any mistakes or misunderstandings that are troubling you.
A NOTE CARD: To send a long-overdue greeting to a friend or relative or to someone who is
lonely.
A RECIPE: To make when you want to do something special for someone.
AN ADHESIVE BANDAGE: To remind you of healing, perhaps of hurt feelings - your own
or someone else’s.
A Survival Kit for Parents
Because you're so important in the journey of your child's life, I give you
apiece of the "puzzle".( spray paint a puzzle piece gold (You get a "safety
pin" for little emergencies and "lifesavers" for those big ones. The "cotton
balls" are for when you can't hear yourself think, the "rubber band" to remind
you to be flexible. You get a "lollipop" to help you lick your problems, a
"Dumdum" for when you feel that way. A "tootsie roll" will help you roll
with the punches, a "penny" so you'll never be broke. You'll need a "starburst"
for energy, a "fireball" for when you're burned out. A "crayon" will help to
color your days, a "paper clip" to hold things together. A "piece of golden cord" will help tie
things together when it seems everything is falling apart. The "rope" will remind you if you get
to the end of yours, just tie a knot and hang on. Most of all you need "marbles" to replace the
ones you've lost and a "jewel" because you're as valuable as any precious stone!
8
Band Teacher
Sour balls - for the sour notes they play
Toothpick - so you can “pick” out the best qualities in each musician
Pack of gum - so they “stick” together on every song
Band-Aid - for when they splice a note
Mounds bar - for the mounds of confidence you give them
Puzzle piece - without you the band wouldn't be complete
Button - to remind you to sometimes "button your lip"
Paper clip - to hold it all together
Shiny penny - to remind you, each will shine in hi/her own special way
Ear plugs - when you just can't take anymore starburst- to give you a
"burst" of energy at the end of a performance
Eraser - so you can start each new day with a "clean" slate
Marbles - to replace the ones you've lost (extra - for the teachers near your room)
Mint - to remind you that you are worth a "mint" to your students
Tissues - to wipe tears of joy when they finally hit all the notes (When they all mix well,
harmonize?)
Blues
Candle- light up the darkest hour
Confetti add sparkle to your life
Cotton ball cushion the bumpy road ahead
Cotton ball seek the support of family and friends
Eraser we all make mistakes but we can wipe the slate clean and start again
Hug & Kiss Candy remind you that people care about you
Lifesaver remind you that you need others and others need you
Marble keep you rolling along
Paper clip hold everything together when your life feels like it's falling apart
Penny Save this and you will never be broke
Polished Rock all things in life 'polish' off our rough edges so we can shine
Rainbow (prism) after a storm, the sun appears and rainbows happen
Ribbon tie a knot and hang on to
Rubber band keep you bouncing back and flexible
Tissue to dry yours or someone else's tears
Toothpick pick out the good in yourself. or someone else
Christmas
Tylenol - to take away the headache of overdoing
Tea - To calm, relax, and soothe away the tension
Peppermints - to settle the tummy from over-indulging
Slim fast - to kick off the diet you will need to start
Pocket date book - to track all of the must do's cassette tape or
CD - soothing quiet music to listen to while wrapping gifts
tape – You can never have enough
Package of gift tags- hand made for that special touch
Cookie Recipe- quick easy yummy to keep everyone happy
Bath oil or bubble bath to soothe the weary body
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Dad Candy Gram
Dear (Sugar) Daddy,
You are the best dad in the whole Milky Way, even though you are
from Mars and I'm from Venus. You Skor high points as a dad....don't
Snicker(s). When you were born there was a Symphony in heaven!
Your Hot Tamale(s), Mom, still thinks you are a Big Hunk. I wish I
could take you on a shopping Spree on 5th Avenue in New York
(Peppermint Patty), but they don't have Builders Square there because
they're Nerds. Love you Mounds,
Your Nut (Roll)
Band-Aid heal hurt feelings
Candle share your light
Cottontail cushioned support of/from friends on a rough road
Gold thread friendship is a golden thread that unites the all hearts
Hug & Kiss Candy we all need them sometimes
Lifesaver many times you need help or helped
Marble help you keep rolling
Paper clip hold it all together
Rubber band stay flexible
Girl Scout Leaders
Mounds- for the mounds of information you learn.
Crayon to color your day bright and cheerful
Nuts to be a little nutty sometimes, and have a good laugh
Puzzle piece without you, things wouldn't be complete
Band aid for healing hurt feelings,
Yours or someone else's marbles to replace those we loose from
time to time.
Rope to remind you that when you reach the end of yours, just
tie a knot and hang on! Cup for when yours is overflowing
Rubber band: a reminder to stay flexible
Aspirin when all else fails, take 2 and find a quiet corner
String to tie things together when everything falls apart
Eraser to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and that's
okay.
Sweet and sour candy to help you accept and appreciate the
differences in others
Hugs and Kisses to remind you that someone cares for you
penny so you'll never be broke
Paper clip to help you hold it all together
Candle to remind you to share your light with others
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Golfer
Aspirin for the headache the game causes
Bandaid for blisters
Chaps tick keeps your lips moist
Cleat Cleaner to keep from tracking dirt/grass into car, truck
Egg (wood or plastic) ...something about birdies
Eraser each golf game starts off with a clean slate
Lifesaver when ball is in sand trap, or water
Pencil to write the correct scores (or maybe cheat a little)
Quarter may be the only 'eagle' you get
Rubber band stay flexible when you swing
Sunscreen to keep you safe from the sun
Sweet & Sour Candy to prevent any harsh words slipping out
Tee ...in case you need one
Towel wipe off the sweat from swinging
Gummie Pills
Blue barely hold back tears
Blue hope
Green make sadness fade away
Green barely control your envy
Orange make wishes come true
Orange never bear a grudge
Red energy to get through the day
Red to bear a HOT day
Red hot under the collar
White/clear love
White/clear help you see clearly
Yellow brighten your day
Yellow barely any sunshine
Hair Stylist
Tissues-for customers when they see their haircut:
Band-Aid-or tape (masking/clear) to try and put their hair back on after they change their
mind:
Button-same:
Puzzle-same
Crayon- to fix the bad color job they did at home.
Lifesaver-for the times
they needed your help in an emergency:
Rubber band: sameMounds-for the mounds of hair you sweep, hug & kisses- same :
Marbles-for the ones you've lost (extra for your customer)
Doorstop-to block you door on Prom day:
Dollar-tip you didn't get: Cotton-to block out the gossip:
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Hand cream-for wrinkled hands from all the shampooing
Leaving Home
Hug & Kiss Candy remind you that we love you
Milky way remember the way home
Paper Moon remind you not to take everything at face value
PayDay call me on pay day when you have the $$
Pen, stamp, envy to write home Ribbon tie a knot and hang on to
Starburst you'll always be a star
Sugar Baby you'll always be my sugar baby
Toothpick pick your friends carefully
Motherhood
Band-Aid fix hurt feelings Button button lips and count to 10 when angry Cotton swab clean
out little ears - for better listening Flower remind you that the dandelion your child offers you
is to any bouquet Glitter glimpse of how the world looks through the eyes of a child
Hug&Kiss Candy make everything all right Lifesaver one of those days
Marble when you've lost yours Rubber band when you are stretched beyond your limits Star as
mother, you are a star Sweet/Sour Tarts help you find the sweet in the bitter times Tissue
drying alligator tears Toothpick to pick out the good in difficult situations
New Mother
Lots of Hugs and Kisses: You both deserve them.
A Penny: For your thoughts
Pen and Journal: To write down those thoughts
Tissues: To wipe those tears (Yours and baby’s)
A Diaper: In case of emergency run out.
A Clock: To remind you that time will pass by quickly, so enjoy the tender years!
A Lullaby Tape: To calm you both down when needed.
A Mirror: To remind you that you are important, too!
A Rubber band: Flexibility will be priority
Marbles: To replace the one's you are going to lose.
Lifesavers: For when you do lose your marbles.
My Phone#: Babysitting available, just a phone call away.
A Jewel: Now that you are a mother, you are even more valuable.
I put all this into a diaper bag, and attached the printed out "New Mommy Kit" and attached to
handles with lots of ribbon
Old Age Jelly Bean Pills
Black JB Senility
Green JB constipation
Orange JB Deafness
Pink JB Wrinkles
Purple JB Arthritis
Red JB sex
White JB Baldness
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Yellow JB gas
Chaplains Wife
A golden thread - to remind you that friendship is the golden
thread that ties together the hearts of everyone.
Hugs & Kisses - when you need a hug
Toothpick - to help pick out the good qualities in others and
yourself
Lifesaver candy- for the times others need your help and you
theirs
Marbles- to replace the ones you've lost
Mounds bar- for the "mounds" of love and support in your
congregation
tissues - to wipe the tears of joy and sadness
doorstop- so your door is always open
Candle- to help light your path to God
Cotton ball- for cushioned support of your husband for the
rough roads ahead
Button- to remind you to sometimes "button your lip".
Band aid-to heal the pain and suffering within your church
Pack of gum- so that your church can "stick together".
Crayon-to color your day bright and cheerful
Sponge-for when your love overflows
Penny-so you'll never be broke
Rubber band-to remind you to be flexible
Puzzle piece-without you, things wouldn't be complete
and a jewel-because you are as valuable as any precious stone!
Redneck
Jeff Foxworthy tape You must be a redneck if....
Match redneck flashlight
Red beans Redneck bubble bath: cook and eat 1 hour before bath time
red beans Redneck bubble bath: for Jacuzzi, cook and eat 2 Redneck Flashlight craft stick, box
of matches (extra bulbs) and clothespin glued together.
Wood shavings jigsaw puzzle
Reminders of why I Love You
Jolly Rancher for all the times you make me laugh
Sweet Escapes for those times we spend alone
Candle remember you are the light of my life
Peppermint Patty for the cool sensations you give me
Stick of gum for all the times you've stuck by me
Matches we are a perfect match
Charmin Tissue you are too irresistible NOT to squeeze
Mounds for the mounds of love I feel for you....
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Sick Friend Kit
Deck of cards and a book of solitaire games
a small craft kit of choice
Basket of books - Poetry to soothe
Mystery to keep hanging on the side of the bed
Tapes -music to relax books on tape game to keep fingers busy
"Get well" Bear - stuffed toy to have many conversations with
Magazines- Reader's Digest is good.
Stamper
Glitter ... all your creations
Match warm your inspiration
Milky way find your way through any computer problem
Mint pepped up for PA and card making
Paper clip hold all of your creative ideas together
Payday for that day when someone pays you for your 'hobby'
Peanuts for those days when nothing seems to work
Penny so you'll never be broke even after buying all the necessities of card making
String remember swap deadlines
Students
Band-Aid heal your wounds
Candle- when you are up late studying (2 wicks/ both ends)
Cottontail- when you can't hear yourself think Eraser start each day with a clean slate
Lollipop- lick your problems
Mounds Bar- mounds of info you'll learn
Pack of Gum- friends stick together
Paper clip- hold everything together Pencil 'write' your wrongs
Sponge- soak up knowledge
String- tie up loose ends Tissue wipe the sleep out of your eyes
Tootsie Roll- roll with the punches
Teacher
Band-Aid- heal hurt feelings
Band-Aid when things get a little rough
Bath Salts- to 'take you away' when you need quiet break
Candy Kiss everyone needs a treat sometimes
Crayon color your day
Cup/Mug when yours is overflowing
Eraser everyone makes mistakes
Gold thread friendship is a golden thread that unites the all hearts
Hug & Kiss Candy make everything worthwhile
Lifesaver when you have 'one of those days'
Lifesavers You may be the one to save the bright light in a child
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Marbles replace the ones you lose
Mint you are worth a mint
Mounds Bar mounds of stuff you teach
Peanuts go a little nutty
Puzzle Piece without you things wouldn't be complete
Rubber band be flexible
Sponge- soak up the overflow of knowledge
Tissue- dry a tear
Toothpick pick out the good in everyone
Teacher's Aide
Mounds bar - for the mounds of help you are to the teacher
Button- to remind you to sometimes "button your lip”
Rubber band - so you always stay flexible
Tootsie Roll - so you can roll with the punches
Tissues - to wipe the tears from joy and happiness
Marbles - to replace the ones you've lost
(extra included, you'll need once you become a teacher
Mint - to remind you, that you are worth a "mint" to the class
Candle - for when you stay up late working on assignments
Penny - so you'll never be broke
Toothpick - so you can "pick" out the qualities that make a great teacher
paper clip - to hold your busy life together
Cotton - for when you can't hear yourself think
Hugs & Kisses - when you need a hug
Pencil - to:"write your wrongs"
Lollipop - to lick your problems
Pack of gum - so you all can "stick" together
Band-Aid - to heal hurt feelings, yours or theirs
A jewel - because you are as valuable as any precious stone!
Traveler
Band-Aid in case you need some TLC
handprint/string cutout hand, tie string around finger, "Don't forget, I am thinking of you."
Heart remind you that I care
Milky Way remember the way home
Note Paper
Stamped envelopes to write home
Paper clip can never find one when you need one
Phone card to call home
Photo (of giver) remind you that I am thinking of you
Quarter so you can ride a pony at a grocery store
Quarter to call home
Rubber band can never find one when you need one
Safety pin can never find one when you need one
tack can never find one when you need one
single use camera - to capture a moment in time forever;
a toothpick - To help you "pick" out the best to see & do;
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Starburst - for energy when you feel you can't take another step
Trucker
Button- button your lip and stay out of trouble
Cotton Ball don't hear the highway noise when you sleep
Hug & Kiss Candy when you need one
Jeff Foxworthy cassette for listening on the road, for a laugh
Marbles in case you lose yours
Match (redneck Flashlight) so you are never in the dark
Mounds Bar mounds of miles you drive
Paper clip hold it all together
Penny you'll never be broke
Phone card so you are never out of touch
Soap Clean off the road dust
Sponge- soak up all the rain so you don't have to drive in it
Starburst burst of energy for those last miles one
Tootsie Roll- roll down the highway
Tums for all the truck stop food you'll eat
Puzzle piece-without you, things wouldn't be complete and a
Jewel-because you are as valuable as any precious stone!
Valentine
Jolly Rancher - all the times you've made me laugh
Sweet Escapes - the special times we spend alone
Hugs & Kisses - yours are simply the best!
100,000 Dollar Bar- worth more than a grand to me.
Peppermint Patty- for the cool "SENSATIONS" you give me
Skittles- for the rainbow of excitement we share
A balloon- that you remind me to always reach for the sky
Cotton ball- to help soften the rough times.
Charmin Tissue- you are to irresistible NOT to squeeze
Popcorn- cause you keep popping in to my thoughts
Small glasses {like used on dolls}= to always help me to SEE clearly
Needle and thread- that binds us together
a Match- we are a perfect "match"
pom-pom ball- for the warm fuzzies you create.
a rose {real or silk}= hand picked for perfection as I picked you-if silk so it will last forever
like us- a box of RED HOTS... for my body gets hot when I'm with you!
LIGHTER- in it for you light up my life
Baby Shower Guest Kit
A sucker..’cuz everyone’s a sucker for a baby!
Jelly Bean…cuz the belly that holds Baby Bean
A Mint…cuz the parents were “mint” to be!
A Candle…to light when the stork makes its flight…
Submitted by Donna Innis
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Spirit Kit
In a Zip-Lock Bag add a cotton ball, 5 pennies, a rubber band, a band-aid, 2 tissues, a safety
pin, a balloon, and a Hershey's Hug and a Hershey's Kiss, along with this note: There may be
times when we might find ourselves feeling a little "dis-spirited". This SPIRIT KIT is designed
to help us all keep a focus on the small-but-so-very-important things. In your SPRIT KIT you
will find:
 A soft fuzzy cotton ball to rub when you need to remember the gentleness of the human
heart.
 A rubber band to remind you that you are flexible and can stretch to fit just about any
demand or challenge.
 A band-aid to remind you that, even though there may be times when you feel hurt for what
you are trying to do, you will heal and be even stronger.
 Two tissues, one for you and one for a colleague when you have faced a tough time
together and need some mutual support.
 A safety pin to remind you that you are bright and sharp and utterly indispensable. Five
pennies to remind you of the song by Danny Kaye called "Five Little Pennies". If you know
the song, you will remember that one penny was to dream on, one was to wish on, one was
for dancing, one was to love on. The song ends with these words, "There's just five little
pennies, but with these five pennies you'll be a millionaire". How very true! A balloon to
celebrate your accomplishments!
 And last but not least, Hershey's Hugs and Kisses - for when you need them!
Submitted by Elliott Pitts, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine
Care Package Themes and Ideas
From www.mwrhawaii.com
Below are some ideas for care packages. A shoe box size is recommendable to allow for timely
delivery. Use the accurate APO address and do not write the name of the country (i.e. Iraq or
Afghanistan) as that can delay delivery.
"Surviving the Sandstorms"
Eye wash, nasal spray, Chapstick, Bandana, etc.
"Laundry Load"
Laundry soap (sample size or Tide tablets) to pack in with their clothes...in case there are no
washers or dryers; fabric softener sheets, clean socks and undershirts
"Lotta Java"
Tea, cocoa, coffee singles, creamer, sugar, International coffee tins, cookies, for dunking in
coffee
"Thanks a Million!!"
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Things that may "seem" expensive such as Grey Poupon, small amount of cash, wrap items in
green tissue paper, or an electronic game of who wants to be a Millionaire?"
"Hang In There!"
Stuffed animal monkey, banana bread, banana chips, banana
pudding, Monkey's in a Barrel game, card with a monkey on it.
"A Day at the Beach!"
Sunscreen, beach towel, beach snacks, flip flop sandals (shower
shoes), Aloe Vera gel
"Medicine Cabinet"
Aspirin, band-aids, Neosporin cream, A&D ointment, cold medicine, Alka Seltzer, Rolaids, etc.
"Staying Healthy"
Nutrition/health bars (ex: Powerbar, Tigers Milk, Myoplex), vitamins, Nutri-grain bars,
Gatorade or other sports drink (to stay hydrated))
"To Be A Kid Again"
Silly string, bubbles, small bouncy balls, hacky sacks, brain teaser toys (Rubix Cube, etc.),
deck of cards, dominoes, etc.
"MRE/Mess Hall Survival Kit"
Restaurant size condiment packs of BBQ sauce, mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish, salt, pepper,
taco sauce, ranch, cheese in a can, dip, etc.
"Correspondence Carton"
Notebook paper, stationary, pens, pencils, stickers (who knows they may even play with
these!), envelopes, address book (filled out already, of course), camera with a note to send back
once it is full
"Action Heroes"
Powerbars, squirt guns, Red Bull drinks, small Army figurines, comic books, etc.
"Bathroom in a Box"
TOILET PAPER!!! (the soft stuff), razor refills, foot powder, bars of soap, washcloths, travel
size shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.
"Tube O Tasties"
Just as something different...send a package in a tube instead of a square box. Make sure the
parameters are acceptable.
"Stress Reliever"
Back scratcher, bubble wrap, yo-yo's, bubbles, squeezy tension ball
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"Sloppy Kisses"
Since we know chocolate melts over there...send a bunch of Hershey's kisses. Bound to be
"sloppy kisses!"
"I'm Nuts About You"
Peanuts, cashes, pistachios, peanut butter cookies, any candy or cookies with nuts in them
"Rocks On"
Pop Rocks, music CDs.
"And this little piggy went to the sandbox" - (foot care kit)
Foot powder, Dr. Scholl's boot inserts, foot lotion, foot file, fresh socks, toe nail clippers.
"Chili Today, Hot Tamale"
Hot Tamales (candy), small cans of chili, red pepper flakes, salsa sunflower seeds, Cajun flavor
Pringles, Spicy Chex mix, Boston Red Hots, peppered beef jerky, Taco Bell hot sauce packets,
Extreme Doritos, chili powder, Nacho cheese sauce in a can.
"How do you eat your OREOS??!!"
Regular Oreos, peanut butter Oreos, double stuff Oreos, low fat Oreos, chocolate filled Oreos,
chocolate covered Oreos.
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Special Entrees for all Seasons
Awards from Other Organizations
Some communities give out service awards to volunteers. I recently became aware that in
Pierce County, WA, the United Way gives out "Green Feather Awards" to individuals
who volunteer over 100 hours a year. Several of our regular volunteers received a
certificate (complete with the number of hours they volunteered) and a nice lapel pin. I
thought this was a great idea for regular volunteers! Try the United Way, the local parks
administration, the city offices, established service clubs (Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis),
etc. to find out if such an award is available in your community. It's really suitable for
volunteer interns (who often rack up hundreds of hours over several months) and for
college students, who can list the community award on their resumes!
Submitted by Shaundar Bradbury, Methamphetamine Family Services,y Alliance WA
Snowflakes
This works well for organizations where large numbers of volunteers come to a single
location. Using 4 inch white paper doilies, we put the name of every volunteer on their
own
"Snowflake" and hung them from the ceiling of the volunteer
lounge. We added a poster that said "Just as every snowflake
can add up to a blizzard, so every volunteer's contribution
adds up to a storm of activity here. Thank you for your
dedication". This created a lot of fun as each volunteer
looked for their snowflake and also impressed staff and
visitors with the extent of volunteer involvement here. This
could be adapted for other seasons.
Submitted on 2April2004 by Shelley Malyk, Volunteer Services
Coordinator, St. Amant Centre, Manitoba
We Mint to say Thanks!
I bought a package of Lifesaver Mints and put
them in a bowl on the table where most of the
volunteers eat lunch. On the bowl I put the sign:
"We Mint to Say Thanks!" It was well received
and was an easy way to show appreciation for
our volunteers.
Submitted on by Rosie Van Cleave, Volunteer
Coordinator, La Plata County Humane Society
CO USA
1
Volunteer Tree
We created a Volunteer Tree. Every year we hold a Festival of Trees, which takes an
incredible amount of volunteers to put on. So before we kick off the Festival, we hold a
Volunteer Appreciation night. To recognize our volunteers, we took a picture of each one
of them with a digital camera. We then printed them out with a color printed and cut them
out into different shapes for the Christmas tree. We put a little
glitter around the edges and then hung the pictures on a 9'
Christmas tree for all visitors to see at the Festival to see.
We called it our Volunteer Tree. It was a big hit with the
volunteers and you would catch them looking for their
pictures and sometimes even moving them to a more
prominent spot on the tree.
Submitted by Janice Sander, Executive Director, Battlefords Union Hospital
Foundation, North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
Volunteer Hall of Fame
Honorees include founders of local nonprofit organizations in 12 distinct categories of
voluntary activity. The L.I. Volunteer Hall of Fame was created by a coalition of local
agencies and grew out of local efforts to celebrate IYV2001.
Submitted on 14Oct2003 by Frank Pomata. Contact: Diana O'Neill at Long Island
Volunteer Center, NY 516-564-5482
Volunteer of the Month
We have a "Volunteer of the Month" as a way to recognize our volunteers all year versus
at the end of the year. We ask the school families to send in nominations of volunteers
that are going above and beyond or a person that is a behind the scenes person for that
month. They get recognized in the area that they volunteer in be it a classroom etc. They
are honored in front of the people that they volunteer for. We take their picture and it
goes into a frame on the wall and then they are recognized in the school weekly
newsletter. We find we can recognize more people this way and in a more timely matter.
Next year we are thinking of having grade level recognitions as well to include more
volunteers.
Submitted by B Schick, PTA Pres., Hollywood Hill Elem., Washington USA
Celebrating Volunteers Down Under
The Royal Australian Mint has released a series of 2003
commemorative coins to celebrate the work of Australia's
volunteers. They can be viewed at the Mint's web site at
http://mintissue.ramint.gov.au/mintissue/product.asp?code=80
0180. As the Mint says: "Brimming with the spirit of mateship
and goodwill, this wonderful memento is a fitting tribute to
the many unsung Australians who do credit to us all."
2
Get Caught Smiling
During the month of November, every time a staff member catches a
volunteer smiling and enjoying what they are doing, they
congratulate them, and give them a "Happy Face Sticker," for their
nametag. As an added bonus, the volunteer is entered into a
drawing for a dinner for four donated by a local restaurant. The
volunteer with the winning ticket will be drawn at our annual Holiday
Appreciation Dessert Buffet in early December.
Submitted by Brian Probst, Manager of Volunteer Services, Peninsula
Humane Society & SPCA, California, USA
Asking Their Pastor to Present Award
For a recent volunteer planning council (for a regional church's youth event), I sent the
volunteer's Certificate of Appreciation to their senior pastor asking the pastor to publicly
present the certificate during a worship service or board meeting. That way, the volunteer
is recognized in their home community AND their church then knows about their
involvement AND the event receives a "good-will" announcement to be remembered the
next time volunteers are needed!
Submitted by Kirsten D. Nelson, Director of Leadership Development, Central
Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, Illinois
Row of Honor
Originally our "Service in Excellence" award which is given to an individual who
contributed above and beyond regular service duties was recognized at our annual
celebration with a special pin and notice in the local media. But an even greater
recognition was offered by one of our local banks. They offered to plant a tree on the
hospital grounds for each of the awardees. The first year eight trees were planted for the
first recipients. Now, each year another tree is planted in the "Row of Honor" which is
becoming a lovely garden next to the hospital. Each tree has a plaque with the volunteer's
name and year of recognition. This business recognition of our volunteers now highlights
our program to the community on an ongoing basis. Submitted by Wanda Llewellyn,
Director of Volunteer Resources and Patient Relations, O'Bleness Memorial Hospital
Kudos Korner
Our Kudos Korner is one of the most prominent and inexpensive ways for which we
recognize staff and volunteers. These forms are available at each event and are filled out
by someone who notices another's outstanding achievement. Some include: "Making
Festival a joy to volunteer for," "Consistently being available for any type of work,"
"Smiling on the phone on the busiest day of Auction." Kudos are displayed at the event
and are listed in our quarterly volunteer newsletter. Submitted by Victoria Evangelista,
Volunteer Coordinator, Rocky Mountain PBS
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Outstanding Service Award
This award was the idea of one of our volunteers who chooses not take sole credit. Each
year around January, volunteers and staff are asked to submit nominations for this award,
which is presented on or near Valentine's Day. The award, now in its fifth year, is given
to a staff member and volunteer who give outstanding service to Rocky Mountain PBS,
give unselfishly of time and energy and are always there to help; those who give "from
the Heart." These are people who are not highly visible, such as Committee Chairs, etc.
Flowers, heart-shaped cookies, red and white balloons and a card (embedded in a plaque-new this year) are presented. A photo and brief history of each person is read to the
group and is front-page news in the March issue of Volunteer Vision (our quarterly
volunteer newsletter) and is included in Promo (our member program guide). In 2001 the
ceremony was videotaped to produce an on-air spot. Nominations are open to all Rocky
Mountain PBS staff and volunteers. As Jane Owen put it last year, it is a very short, sweet
and touching ceremony and it will be must do on James' calendar. It truly is a
very wonderful honor for all involved! Submitted by Victoria Evangelista,
Volunteer Coordinator, Rocky Mountain PBS
Namesake Awards
In our all-volunteer organization, one of our more special methods of
recognition is to name awards after long-standing, stellar volunteer role models.
Additionally, we have a 'batch' of volunteers that enter our organization together, during
specific times in the year. These groups are usually 'named' after an extraordinary
volunteer; a namesake, if you will. Part of this groups orientation then includes
information about this individual, and if possible, the honoree also addresses the group.
Submitted by Tanya K. Refshauge, Region IX Director, Alpha Phi Omega, National
Service Fraternity (collegiate, co-educational, community service organization)
Honoring Those Very Special Volunteers
We tried to send a response to this e-mail but received an "address unknown." So it
occurred to us, why not post it! I really appreciated your recognition ideas, and am
hoping you can help me a little further. I work in the Minnesota Zoo's volunteer
department and several of our volunteers are about to pass the 20 year milestone. We're
looking for a great gift item for them for under $40. Do you have any ideas? What do
other agencies do? Any ideas would be helpful. Here are some responses: Can you
dedicate an exhibit that started when they did? Or make a "Walk of Fame" and put their
names on bricks? How about choosing 20 long-lived animals and naming them for the
volunteers? Plant a tree in an exhibit and create a "Grove of Volunteering". Dedicate part
of your re-education area in their honor and put up a plaque with their names listed. It's
SO EASY when you start looking inside the organization - after all, they've spent 20
years working for the zoo, what better way to reward them than to make them truly a
"part of it" by dedicating something in their honor? (P.S. Also cheaper than finding a gift
that's appropriate, cheap, and suits the organization's mission too!) It's always easier
thinking up ideas for someone else's programs! S Out-of-the-Ordinary Gifts
4
Volunteer Christmas Tree
This year we made a volunteer Christmas tree. We took a picture of each one of our 200
volunteers and scrap booked the pictures onto a 3" x 6" strip of stiff paper. We punched
holes at the top for string and hung them on the tree. The tree was present for our
Christmas recognition event and then transferred to the main lobby of our facility for the
rest of the Christmas season. It drew a LOT of attention and was quite the conversation
piece. It was a beautiful tree and quite awe-inspiring. We will make this an annual
project, so kept the pictures on file to be used again. Taking the pictures was a huge
project and that is why we will go through the photos every year to update as needed.
Submitted on 20 January 2005 by Nita Dueck
Calculators with Special Message
We do an annual recognition event for our board and commission members.
One year we provided calculators with the City's logo and the saying "We
count on you" printed on it.Submitted on 4 January 2005 by Karla Stovall
Unique "Thank You" Chocolate Bars
I obtain flat chocolate bars and design individual candy bar covers with our
logo and/or a design with a "thank you" for your contributions...etc. These can be given
out as individual recognitions, or at group events. The designs can be easily changed so
they are always unique. A variety of software packages can be used. I then just cut them
to size on a paper cutter and tape them around the candy bars. Flat bars are easiest to use.
When they are distributed, they generate smiles.
Another idea: we ordered an embosser with our logo and a "thank you" message on it that
can be embossed on seals or used on envelopes and paper directly. It's an investment
that's worth it, and adds class to recognition efforts.
Submitted on 2 December 2004 by Laurie Eytel, CVA, Volunteer Manager, Children, Youth and Family,
Fairfax County Dept. of Family Services, Virginia, USA
Totally Chocolate
For a few years I've ordered recognition items from Totally Chocolate - a company in
Washington state. Volunteers are very pleased to receive an item that is consumable
(rather than an item to collect dust) and is of very high quality. The company has superb
100% Premium Belgian chocolate items....the "You're A Star" (dark chocolate star
individually wrapped in bright blue Mylar with a big star on the front) is my favorite as it
is just two bites. (Webmaster Note: This company is listed along with other volunteer
recognition companies in our Compare and Buy area.)
Submitted on 25 May 2004 by Kristine Poelzer, Manager, Volunteer/Community Partnership, Hennepin
County Human Services Department, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Goblets
I have VERY little budget to do an annual volunteer recognition event. (I like to do a
classy event!) This year I did A Night on the Town! I like to give each volunteer a special
gift to take home with them. For one whole year I collected crystal goblets. I went to yard
sales, thrift stores, called all my friends and had them looking. Most people
donated the goblets. I had 136 by the time I was finished. I bought charms at the
dollar store… six for a dollar. I washed each goblet and put a charm on it. Some
of the crystal I had collected was just beautiful.
When I gave my talk at the party, I had a goblet on the podium. I explained that
each guest that evening would go home with a special goblet. It wouldn't match
anything else they had in the house. It was special. Each goblet was different
than the others. Some were elegant and made beautiful music, some were more durable,
but still beautiful. Each goblet brings its own uniqueness to the table. We had all sizes
and colors of goblets. I told the volunteers, "when you sit and relax with your goblet
filled with wine, tea, or special beverage, think of just how important you are to us. You
too bring a special uniqueness and beauty to us. And when you look at the charm on your
goblet, remember how we feel about the "charm" you have brought to our organization".
I had all the goblets filled with champagne colored punch and there wasn't a single goblet
left! They all looked so beautiful filled and they were a huge hit! I've had several
comments since the event regarding their special gift...and it cost practically nothing but
the time to wash and fill them!
Submitted on 20 May 2004 by Diane L. Hennessy, Director of Volunteers, South Florida Science Museum,
Florida – USA
Digital Photo of Volunteer
Whenever we have a function where we give out certificates and awards, we always take
a digital photo of the volunteer with their award. Invariably, the volunteers then follow up
asking for a copy of the photo, so what we now do is create a simple card using publisher.
An A4 piece of paper is folded into 4, and on the front cover we print our logo and the
words 'thank you'. We then print the digital photo of the volunteer inside the card and
write a hand written personal note and send it off to each volunteer as a follow up to the
more formal celebration. The feedback has been amazing - the volunteers get their photo,
and we gain an extra chance to say thanks in a very personal way!
Submitted on 17 May 2004 by Andy Fryar, Executive Officer, Lyell McEwin Regional Volunteers Inc.
Adelaide, South Australia
Seeds of Kindness
Our theme to recognize our senior volunteers is "Volunteers Plant Seeds of
Kindness" and we are giving each volunteer a packet of flower seeds
at the recognition banquet....where they are to wear their favorite
garden hat. Submitted on 15Apr03 by Patty Dreiman, Director, Knox
County RSVP, Indiana, USA
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Framed Quotes
We had a very simple but meaningful volunteer recognition gift. Each volunteer received
a quote relating to volunteerism that was framed so they can put it on their desk or hang
on the wall. Many volunteers have expressed thanks for the gift because every time they
look at it they can reflect on the service they have been providing. Submitted by Renee
Richie, Volunteer Director, Simpson Housing Services
Angels
Several years ago at Mercy Hospital we decided to use Angels as our theme for
Volunteer Recognition. We worked with our Gift Shop to order
musical angel
figurines and had a different large angel as the centerpiece for
each table. We based our recognition on "Angels of
Mercy". Each volunteer took home a small musical
angel (cost about $5 each) and each table had a
raffle for the centerpiece (cost about $25 each). We
covered the tables with white linen and used silver
or gold accents to compliment the centerpiece. This
was the most popular banquet we had. Submitted by
Diana Case, Regional Director, Volunteer Services, Mercy
Health Partners
Placemats
Since 2001 was International Year of the Volunteer, we decided in 2000 to take random
photos of our volunteers while doing their various volunteer works. We then downloaded
6 pictures on legal size paper to make "placemats". We were able to make 4 different
placements, which we laminated and will use at each place setting. These and the other
photos not used we made into a PowerPoint presentation which we will show at the
ceremony. Submitted by Judy Gaby, Secretary, Logansport State Hospital
A Penny Saved...
We have a volunteer who has been with us for quite a while. Looking back over her
hours, I noticed she had worked over 1000 hours. My coworker, Betty Baker, thought it
would be a neat idea to collect pennies -- one to represent each hour she had worked. We
presented them to our volunteer in a clear flower vase that we had around the office and
tied a red ribbon around it (our organization color). It was a very inexpensive way to
show how much we appreciate what she has done. It also helped present
the number of hours she has dedicated in a tangible way. It's amazing how
much longer 1000 hours seems when you look at it this way. If the
volunteer doesn't want to keep the pennies, it might be a nice gesture to
donate that amount of money to a charity of the volunteer's choosing in his
or her name. Submitted by Jessica Brown, Tourism Sales Manager, Austin
Convention & Visitors Bureau
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Framed Photographs
Our agency got a large donation of flat Lucite frames that we have had on hand for ages,
without knowing what to use them for. I found large, inexpensive letters at a party store
that we strung together saying "BBI Loves Volunteers," and our entire staff assembled,
holding this banner, for a photograph. We had several copies made, which I labeled on
the back with each staff member's name and title. We framed them in the donated frames
and made them into magnets (you can purchase an inexpensive roll of stick-on magnetic
material at craft stores, which can be cut into strips of any
size). We gave them to our volunteers during national
volunteer recognition week. People loved them and thought it
was really great to have a picture of their friends on the staff.
They really appreciated the gesture, and it was very
inexpensive. Submitted by Cathy Theodore, Volunteer
Program Supervisor, Brother to Brother International
Discount Card
This past year, we wrote a letter to all the merchants at a near-by shopping center, asking
them to join with us and offer a one-time special discount on some part of their services
or products. This included restaurants, a lingerie store, greeting card/gift shops, and a gas
station. Some offered a discount on products - others, a free item when another item was
purchased. We designed a "Volunteer Appreciation Card", which listed the merchants on
the back, and specified the benefit. After the retailers approved the card, we distributed
them at our annual volunteer recognition event. We hope that response from the
merchants will be even stronger next year, as we intend to do this again. It is a "win-win"
for our community and a good marketing tool for the shop owners. Our volunteers loved
it, and appreciated the effort that went into its creation! Submitted by LouAnne Smith,
Volunteer Coordinator, Doctors Hospital of Dallas
Donation
I have frequently done volunteer work at churches. I still remember the time I was called
to the front of the service and presented a small inexpensive lapel pin ... coupled with an
announcement that a donation was made on my behalf for mission work. I was delighted
about the donation. When I look at the pin in my jewelry box, I think of that donation. It's
about the only recognition pins that I have kept over the years. Submitted by Michele D.
Newhouse, Owner, COVENANT Professional Services
Student Art
I am a Volunteer Coordinator with a long-term, tutoring/mentoring program that works
with inner-city youth called A.C.E.S. The majority of our volunteer tutor/mentors are
undergraduate students and even a few medical/graduate students. We adore the students
in our agency, and we also love their art or "kid art.' As part of our volunteer recognition
work plan, we make sure each volunteer receives a work of student art at least once a
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year - sometimes twice. This ranges from really cool thank you cards (not just marker and
paper) and we also discovered that kids love to make buttons. We had our students make
buttons for tutors this year and actually had the button maker at an event. One can either
rent a maker or just cut out the appropriate size circles on white paper and have a button
maker do the rest of the work. The volunteers loved these. It was meaningful, creative,
customer-generated and inexpensive. Submitted by Stacy Gustafson, Volunteer
Coordinator, A.C.E.S. (Athletes Committed to Educating Students)
Hand-made Cards
One of the best ways to give a volunteer recognition is through hand-made cards. Cut a
plain piece of colored paper with pinking shears or decorative scissors. With a colored
stamp pad and stamps, send a message (i.e., "Keep smiling'" or "Keep up the good work")
Volunteers love the personalized touch and it really means a great deal to them when they
know you have spent some time on them! Submitted by Cindy Fairs, Consultant ,
Okanagan Volunteer Management Services
Thanks Booklet
We asked the patients (& staff) in our mental health facility to write a brief note of thanks
to the individual & groups that come in to provide parties/entertainment, etc. for them;
then we typed them all up to be put in a booklet with the center fold
pages signatures of many patients expressing in their own
handwriting, their own thanks. These were placed at the
place settings of each volunteer at our recognition
luncheon/reception. They all loved them. Entertainment
during this was provided by the patient choir. Submitted
by Judy Gaby, Secretary, Logansport State Hospital
Recognizing our Volunteer Bookkeepers
A
few years ago while working for a community organization, it wasn't long before I
realized we needed a great deal of help with book keeping. I recruited volunteers, with
those skills, from the local accounting school. They did an excellent job. As a way of
saying "Thanks" I bought a bunch of fat pencils for each person, tied them with raffia and
placed a "thank you" note on them. They loved them and many still have them sitting on
their desks today. Submitted by Marian Wilkins, Regional Coordinator Volunteer
Resources, BC Cancer Agency
Photo Scrapbook
While managing a volunteer program for a social service agency, I worked with many
corporate volunteer groups. Our agency had a set of standards that all of our children
memorized. I created a thank you certificate with the standards written as an outside
border. Thank you and the event name was in the center along with our logo. I left a big
space in the middle. Throughout the event we'd capture Polaroid pictures of the
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volunteers doing their job. Afterwards, I'd use my circle cutter to make a hole in the
center where I taped the Polaroid of the volunteer. These thank you certificates were
always gratefully accepted as a special token of the event. For one particularly large
event where we had the help of a very dedicated corporate team I created a photo
scrapbook of their time with us. I'm an avid scrap booker so I used fun papers, die cuts,
and special lettering to tell the story of this group's involvement. It takes a little bit of
time, but when you stack it up against the huge contribution of these volunteers, it's well
worth it! Submitted by Marcia Hale, Manager, Volunteer Services, Chabot Observatory
and Science Center
For Volunteers in the Arts
At Women & Their Work years ago, we ordered paper fans (the type that were used in
air-conditioned churches and funeral homes in the South) and one of our artists silkscreened a design that said "Art Fan"... it was a huge hit.
She is now famous, and everyone who got one has kept
it! Mine hangs on the wall in my den... I could never
afford another piece by this woman! I don't know where
you can get the fans, but you could get door hangers from
Papers Direct and have an artist design something that
said "Do not disturb... visiting with the muses." or
something like that. I think having an artist involved
would be more meaningful than anything you could buy
for these volunteers. If your program works with kids,
why not have the kids design refrigerator magnets?
Submitted by Ann Stafford, Austin (TX) Public Library
Tote bags Designed by the Students
Thank you gifts for our volunteer tutors last year were natural colored tote bags with logo
and school name on one side. The other side was decorated by individual students saying
"thank you" and drawings with permanent markers in red, green, blue, and black. Great
advertising and conversation starter! Submitted by Trudy Bouligny, Coordinator of
Volunteer Tutors, Project Makes Sense, Calistoga JUSD CA
Teen Readers Recognition
The Library world held its first Teen Read Week from October 19-25. In conjunction
with this we decided to have a special recognition for our young adult volunteers. This
was the idea of one of our branch managers, Lisa Costich. (Her branch utilizes the skills
of many YA volunteers.) In September, two authors who write books that are read
primarily by young adult women, Beatrice Sparks and Lurlene McDaniel were at an
Indiana Library Federation conference. We purchased a number of their books. We asked
them to autograph the books with, "To a Great ACPL Volunteer". They were delighted to
do so. We gave these to our YA women volunteers along with a letter of recognition to
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celebrate them and the week. For the YA men volunteers, we bought Pizza Hut gift
certificates and sent a letter celebrating Teen Read Week and them by saying "devour a
pizza and a good book". Our Friends of the Library group covered the cost. The staff
working with our YA volunteers were very excited about this special recognition. It was
a neat tie-in to Teen Read Week! We mailed the books and certificates to our YA
volunteers during that week. In all, about 75 YA volunteers received this special
recognition. We have heard very positive feedback. One YA women read "Go Ask Alice"
in one sitting and loved it! Submitted by Georgean C. Johnson-Coffey, Volunteer Services
Manager, Allen County Public Library,
Thank You for Helping Us Grow!
For our annual volunteer recognition gift, we had the children in our after-school tutoring
program, in which a majority of our volunteers work, paint terra-cotta pots. On the rim
we wrote in gold paint "Thank you for helping us grow!" Inside we put a packet of flower
seeds and a certificate. At the recognition (held as a part of our annual meeting) we had
the children present the pots to the volunteers. The children put such care into painting
the pots. They were so colorful and expressive. The volunteers said it was the best
recognition gift they had ever received. Submitted by Natalie Elwell, Volunteer
Coordinator, El Barrio, Inc.,
Saying Goodbye to Volunteers with a Care Package
Our volunteers are youth 15-29 years old. Many of our volunteers resign their positions
to go onto school or full time work. In order to recognize these volunteers and to say
"thank you" for their work during their time with us, we send them off with a care
package. The items are "wrapped" in a reusable plastic container. The items
within are tailored to the journey the volunteer will be pursuing. For
example, one volunteer was leaving us to go to the West Coast. In her
container, we included a small clay pot and forget-me-not seeds to plant
in her new home, a wooden spoon to help her make nutritious meals, a
scented candle to light her way in her new path, and the container itself to
carry valuables in from one home to another. Writing small notes on each
gift explained the meaning behind each one. All this for under $10; and her
smile and appreciation was priceless. Submitted by Louise Elliott, Community
Program Coordinator, YMCA-YWCA Career Contact Centre for Youth
Thanks for "Raisin" All Those Funds
I took a small box of raisins, attached a strip of magnetic tape to the back and attached a
small note saying "Thanks for raisin all those funds" This was given out to our MS Super
Cities Walk committee to put on their refrigerators or filing cabinets at work. Submitted
by Patricia Salberg, Volunteer Resources Coordinator, Multiple Sclerosis Society of
Canada, Ottawa/Carleton Chapter
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Here are a few other versions of this idea:
We gave our county board officials bags of mixed nuts. A note was
attached stating, "We would go 'nuts' without your support!" This was
a great, but simple, recognition for volunteers.
We used "Yankee" votive candles for National Volunteer Week. We
wrapped them in cellophane and tied them with a note stating,"You light
up the lives of so many!" We also used notes stating, "You lighten our
load by volunteering." Our 4-H Leaders loved the candles! Submitted by
Debra Hoyer-Denson, 4-H Extension Assistant, University of Illinois,
Unique Bookmarks
Use children's drawings to make a bookmark. Laminate it and include a message on
the back. It's a wonderful token and also inexpensive! Submitted by Cathy
Dennen, Volunteer Coordinator, Lutheran Family Services
Thank You Posters by Children
Our United Way does the usual recognition dinner, certificates, plaques,
personally signed letters, etc. However, our most popular recognition program are
"Thank You Posters" created by children from our local agencies. These hand-drawn
posters are so popular-- they hang in the main lobby of several large companies. They
don't cost much to produce just some poster board and crayons/markers. Plus, the
children enjoy creating them and often create more than one. We have been doing this for
five years now and it gets more popular each year. If we fall behind schedule in getting
them out I often get phone calls from loyal volunteers wondering when they can expect
their new poster to hang in the lobby. Submitted by Joe Delmar, Director of Marketing &
Communication, United Way of Gloucester County (Southern New Jersey)
Personal Notes from Recipients
The best one I ever heard was for an agency that serves the deaf as readers and
interpreters. The volunteers didn't usually interact with the clients, since the reading was
done over the radio. At the recognition event, each volunteer had a letter at his/her plate
that was dictated by a listener of the show for which the volunteer read. The letter spoke
about the reader and how his/her tone of voice made the listener feel and how it helped
the listener to hear the piece of the newspaper that was read (or whatever). The letters
were typed on special paper and framed nicely. The coordination of it was work, of
course, but the recognition didn't take any time away from the event, which already had a
full agenda. The volunteers reported it was the most impactful recognition they had ever
received. They heard directly from their listeners and learned how important they were personally. Submitted by Sarah Elliston, Professional Development Associate, United
Way Volunteer Resource Center
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Hershey Kisses--An Old Time Favorite
Because we have so many wonderful volunteers who do so much for the Center's clients,
I try to have "hugs" and "kisses" to show my appreciation. These are, of course, the
Hershey variety, put in a cellophane bag (or one that is decorated with "Thank You"
messages), and tied with a variety of bright curling ribbons. They aren't expensive, look
very festive, and, although they're not the real thing, these hugs and kisses are enjoyed a
lot! Submitted by Katherine Scoggins, Executive Director, Shepherd Center of Kingsport
Another Hershey Kisses Idea A champagne glass filled with Hershey's kisses -- write on
the glass "A toast to a job well done!" It looks elegant. I have used it successfully several
times. Submitted by Mari Levitt Boltz, Adult Education Coordinator/AmeriCorps*VISTA
member, Delaware Technical & Community College
These ideas prompted the following response from England:
"Maybe it's because we're so reserved on this side of the water,
but I don't think we have Hershey kisses here. Since they are,
apparently, so essential a part of Volunteer Recognition, could
you tell me what they are" Hershey Kisses are single pieces of
chocolate drops wrapped in silver paper -- not essential but a
fun touch!
On-the-Job Photos
For two months before the annual recognition event, the director of volunteers of a
mental health center began to take photographs of volunteers while they were "on the
job." They thought this was for p.r. purposes. At the event, each volunteer received a
photo of him/herself in a matte frame imprinted with a thank you message. It certainly
showed "we see you" as a volunteer! Submitted by Susan J. Ellis, Energize, Inc.
submitted by Lacretia Bacon, Volunteer Coordinator, City of Phoenix - Human Services
Dept. Banquets and Parties with a Twist
Mardi-Gras
Any state bordering Louisiana seems to celebrate Mardi Gras--so for my volunteer
recognition lunch we did a Mardi Gras theme. This is fabulously inexpensive--beads,
coins and masks are really cheap decorations that can be bought in bulk on-line. I made
centerpieces by planting pansies (which are conveniently Mardi
Gras colored) in hand-painted green and purple terra cotta pots
(which took me only one afternoon to do) and then displaying
coins and masks on the tables. Each volunteer got beads as they
walked in the door and we had zydeco music playing in the
background. The volunteers loved it!
We "raffled" off the centerpieces to a person at each table by
asking an organization-related trivia question to each group. The
person with the closest answer took home the planter. This helped
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the volunteers learn about our nation-wide program as well as how important their
service is to our organization.
For gifts, I took iron-on transfers and placed a volunteer related design on tote bags
bought in bulk inexpensively. We filled these bags with donated goodies from area
merchants (e.g. note pads from a printing company, pens and key chains from an
insurance company and sweets donated by a distributor). Hand-making things really
doesn't take that much time and can save you tons of money. I also think the volunteers
were touched by the hard work put in to recognizing them.
Submitted by Susan, Director, RSVP, Arkansas
My Volunteer Valentine
We host several recognition events each year, but one of the favorites is our annual "My
Volunteer Valentine" Tea Party which began last year. This year, I started out by sending
nomination forms to all staff in the
medical center asking them to
submit the name of a volunteer
who exemplifies extraordinary
caring and commitment, along
with a brief explanation of
why this person is
deserving of this
"Volunteer Valentine"
honor.
I designed the invitation
on Microsoft Publisher,
and sent it to all our
volunteers, as well as to
our Hospital Executive
Team, and everyone who
nominated a volunteer.
We hosted the event in
our main auditorium,
complete with
assorted finger sandwiches and
mini desserts, as well
as several types of hot and cold
teas. At each table we
placed a special gift: we
purchased sets of demitasse
cups with saucers at our local 99
cent store and filled each cup with three
different flavored tea bags, and
valentine candy. We wrapped them in pink cellophane tied with ribbon. We covered our
tables with white table cloths and used pink and red runners. Red and pink Valentine
stuffed Teddy Bears (purchased at our local Big Lots store) were our centerpieces, and
pink and red paper hearts of all sizes filled the room.
When the guests arrived, they were given a "Volunteer Word Search" game to play just
for fun. The completed games were collected by one of our staff members, and served as
their entry into the prize drawing which took place later in the event. We had music
playing overhead (including Frank Sinatra's "My Funny Valentine") and topped it off
with entertainment by a harpist who was an employee. After all the food and socializing,
we awarded the "My Volunteer Valentine" honorees with certificates and a gift, by
reading the words that had been submitted by employees during the nomination process.
We also drew names for the several prizes that we had, and the stuffed Valentine Bears at
each table were won by those at each table who's birthday was closest to Valentine's Day.
It was a great event!
Submitted on 27Feb2004 by Liz Mirzaian, Director, Volunteer and Senior Resources, Glendale Adventist
Medical Center, California
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"Our Volunteers Rock"
Our theme was the 1950's. From decorations of black and white checkered tablecloth,
fold out ice cream floats, and pink place mats and plates. We traditionally have a
breakfast. Staff that helped was encouraged to wear their poodle skirts and 50's garb. We
also invited volunteers to do the same. We had a guitarist and vocalist play and sing
music of the era. Our certificates kept the theme with "You Rock".
Submitted on 20Jan2004 by Betty Coyle, Hiawatha Care Center, Iowa, USA
Shining Stars
Deciding on a theme can be a treat for a Volunteer Coordinator. One
year we decided to recognize our volunteers with a late luncheon titled, "Our Volunteers
are Shining Stars". The theme took on a Hollywood/Academy Awards motif. The colors
chosen were black, gold and white. A long red carpet (a remnant) was laid out for our
stars to walk on as they entered the event. We even had a "paparazzi" there taking
pictures (staff simply taking pictures to record the event). Bouquets of black, white, and
gold latex balloons were placed everywhere. Black tablecloths with gold overlays (gold
lame cloth purchased from a remnant store) decorated each table. For the backdrop, a
"hill" was cut-out of donated ply-wood and painted black, white letters cutout of foam
board were placed on the hill spelling out "HOLLYWOOD". Our Christmas lights were
strung out to resemble twinkling stars. Each of our volunteers was given a T-shirt with a
star shooting across the front stating "I am a Shining Star Volunteer of the Costa Mesa
Senior Center". They all seemed to enjoy the shirt. We chose a shirt as that year's gift so
that they could be recognized in an everyday setting. Those being specially honored for
their services were given a certificate and an "Oscar" statuette, inexpensively purchased
from a local party store. All in all this was a gala affair that has yet to be forgotten.
Submitted on 16Nov2003 by Karyn Canett, Senior Center/Volunteer Coordinator, Costa
Mesa Senior Center, CA/USA
Volunteers are Gems
For our Volunteer Recognition Dinner last spring, we used the theme, "Our Volunteers
are Gems!" We used jewel tone colors to decorate. The centerpieces were jewel toned
candle holders with the battery operated candle lights inside. At each place setting, we
decorated with a bookmark that had plastic jewels glued to it and read: "Our Volunteers
are Like Gems!"
Amethyst-Volunteers are like amethyst because they are vivid and sincere. They create
stability, calmness and tranquility, even in the midst of a rowdy group of children.
Diamond-Volunteers are like diamonds because they are brilliant, courageous and tough.
Volunteers are highly prized and loved.
Emerald-Volunteers are like emeralds because they are intense and soothing. They reflect
growth, remove weariness and soothe the soul-they are highly valued.
Ruby-Volunteers are like rubies because they are glowing and intense. They are wise,
creative and peaceful.
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Sapphire-Volunteers are like sapphires because they are clear and precious. They are
brilliant, precise, happy and bring blessings.
Above all, our volunteers are valuable, beautiful, tough, priceless and truly treasured. It
was a huge success as the volunteers truly felt valued and appreciated.
Submitted on 14Oct03 by Bethany Swickrath, Membership and Community Education Manager, Girl
Scouts of Appleseed Ridge, Inc., OH, USA
Beach Party
We used a beach party theme for our annual meeting and decorated beach pails with the
names of each out-going board member, along with the agency's name. We filled them
with bright, inexpensive sunglasses, candy bars, bottles of bubbles, and a water gun with
a note that said "Thanks for all your hard work! Now it's time to play!"
Submitted on 20Jun2003 by Katherine Scoggins, Executive Director, Shepherd Center of
Kingsport TN, USA
Treasures in the Sand
Our theme this year was "Treasures in the Sand." We handmade
the invitations which are always a hit. Volunteers appreciate a
personal invitation. The tables were decorated with blue paper,
as the ocean. In the middle, brown sugar spread out with all
the treasures (peanuts, gummy worms, frog candy, hard rock
candy--for the gems,) We made treasure boxes out of cakes…
spilling out were candy necklaces and gold coins. This was also on
the
tables. We made personalized placemats (tan color with a sea shell and waves on,
scalloped edging) and we wrote the theme on the mat. Staff and students wrote their
thanks on them and we laminated the mats. We also made little bottles of bath salts to go
by their place settings. The school staff donated a dish for the luncheon. Every year I give
out a "life saver award." The principal buys a plant for each one of the volunteers. We
have a couple kids come in and read a poem; choir comes in and sings a few songs. We
invite the Volunteer Coordinators from the District Administration, as well as a School
Board Member.
Submitted on 27May03 by D Nevala, Volunteer Coordinator, Roosevelt Elementary,
Washington, USA
Magic of Volunteering
A few years ago you may remember that a popular theme for
volunteer recognition was "The Magic of Volunteers". To use the
theme in decorating we bought black plastic top hats and fanned
red, black and white paper out of them. We always need to name
the groups of children and the volunteers to be seated at a particular table.
The table markers were in the shape of a white-gloved hand where the name
was written and from the hand came a magic wand. Red table clothes and
black placemats set off the room. This was one of my favorites.
Submitted by Lynn Guerra, Volunteer Coordinator, Holy Family Institute
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Picturing Volunteers
This past year at our Volunteer Banquet, I created a PowerPoint program (which is
similar to a slide show except you use a computer) with pictures of our volunteers. I
began by searching and locating many old photos of our volunteers and ran around the
hospital taking new ones. I also took pictures of staff members holding signs up that said
"Thank You Volunteers". We had enough pictures to go along with three songs. The
songs used were POINTS OF LIGHT by Randy Travis, HEAL THE WORLD by
Michael Jackson and YOUR SIMPLY THE BEST by Tina Turner The presentation
basically three parts. The first part had pictures then a slide came up that said, We
couldn't do it without you. Then we had several pictures that we had created as if we
didn't have volunteers. We had the gift shop closed with a person peering in. We had the
adult day center closed. We piled up mail. Showed empty escort seats. Things like that.
Next slide was We Couldn't do it without REALLY! Then we went on to more pictures.
The last section of pictures was for the song "You’re simply the best". While this song
played, pictures of employees ran with them holding up the sign "thank you volunteers".
The last said, Thank you Volunteers for all you do. And then this was the end. Submitted
by Susan Senglaub, Manager of Volunteer Services, Holy Family Memorial
Four Goals
When I plan my yearly Volunteer Recognition Breakfast I keep four points in mind that
must happen: 1.Educate 2. Inspire 3. Recognize 4.Have fun. Each year this event is the
most successful! Submitted by Dee Martin, Director of Volunteer Services, Bedford, NH
A Royal Thank You
Each year, we honor our dedicated volunteers with a dinner, hence the "Volunteer
Recognition Dinner." This year I really struggled for a theme. I came up with "A Royal
Thank You." A bit hokey, I know, but it really turned out great. I stuck with royal colors,
red, blue, purple, gold, & green. Centerpieces were crowns, beads, tiaras, and large
cracked glass vases with royal colored Betta Fish and gemstones. I would have liked to
find a "Court Jester" as entertainment but settled for Period music.
Lovely royal beads also added a rich touch. In addition I recognized
volunteers that were exceptional "Knights in Shining Armor!"
Submitted by Crystal Lybarger, Youth & Volunteer Director,
American Red Cross
Volunteer Tea
This year, for the first time ever, our school district held a volunteer tea. All district
volunteers were invited, and we had enough special mugs and book bags on hand for
everyone. We assumed a maximum attendance of 100, but only really expected about 30
people or so. Each elementary, junior high and administrative department selected two
"extra special" volunteers to receive additional recognition at the tea. The high school
was allowed to select four people due to their much larger volunteer population. We
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called the additional recognition the "Starfish Award", presenting each of those
volunteers with a personalized certificate (featuring the "Starfish Story") and a starfish
pin. The event was held in our school district's board room and we decorated using a
beach theme, playing Jimmy Buffet music in the background. As each person was called
up to receive their award, I read a brief bio about them, submitted by the school or
department that nominated that person. Our superintendent gave them their certificate and
pin, and another person took a picture of them. We had a very good turnout (over 60
people), everyone enjoyed the "heavy hors d'ouevres", and people were thrilled to be
recognized. Submitted by Therese Caldwell, Volunteer Services Liaison, North Kitsap
School District, Poulsbo, WA
Video
As part of the annual luncheon, we developed a video showing
pictures of all the volunteers. We included short interviews with
new, working, and senior and youth volunteers. The video opened with
wonderful music showing areas of the hospital affected by volunteers. We closed with
pictures of our volunteers in the chapel. It was very moving. The volunteers loved the
new idea. Submitted by Patricia A. Chambers, Director of Volunteer Services, St. Mary's
Hospital, Huntington, WV
Goals for Successful Recognition Event
This isn't a success story but rather a way to look at "success." I think there ought to be
SEVERAL goals for a "successful" recognition event, especially since we are busy
people and can't afford for our time to be spent on an activity that accomplishes only one
thing! So, how about these for a start? A successful recognition event needs to:
1. Say thank you for anything and everything volunteered to the organization during the
past year (the organization's obligation).
2. Have everyone volunteering the above feel appreciated (the volunteers' perspective).
3. Recommit (re-enthuse) volunteers to the coming year of work and, potentially, to
recruit new volunteers for vacant positions.
4. Educate everyone attending--frontline volunteers, paid staff, executives, board-level
volunteers--about the scope, meaning and value of volunteer services to the organization,
and about the diversity and skills of who volunteers.
5. Acknowledge the contributions of (some) paid staff supervisors to the success of
volunteers.
6. Report the outcomes of volunteer effort (not just to proclaim the hours spent in effort).
7. Challenge all volunteers through recognition of the special accomplishments of a
selected few.
8. Gain publicity for the organization and for the volunteer program.
9. Allow volunteers a chance to have fun and meet one another (something they do
otherwise only with people on their shift).
10. Gain respect for the volunteer program and the director of it.
Submitted by Susan J. Ellis, President, Energize, Inc.
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Court Capers
One of the most unique volunteer recognition events I attended was "Court Capers".
Volunteers were arrested for "giving freely of their time, talents, and treasures." The
invitation was a warrant for their arrest; the event took place in a court room. There was a
judge, a jury (of staff), a police officer (with a wonderful voice who sang a personalized
song to the tune of "Thanks for the memories") and a baliff who sang "Here come the
judge - Here come the judge". There were a few outstanding volunteers who were asked
to stand and the volunteer coordinator (in the witness stand) would state how they were
guilty of the crime. The jury then voted "guilty" and the judge sentenced them to a free
dinner with door prizes. (The banquet room was right next door decorated with police
hats, badges, etc. on the tables.) It was very different but very comical and enjoyable.
Submitted by Debra Cheek, Volunteer Coordinator, Moffitt Cancer Center
Potluck
For the past several years, we have conducted a volunteer potluck supper for our
volunteers. The theatre provides beverages and paper utensils and each volunteer
contributes a dish. It's a "stand-up" meal so everybody mingles and tries lots of new
things. We publish the favorite recipes in the theatre's newsletter. Submitted by Jill
Rafferty, Education & Volunteer Coordinator, Capital Repertory Theatre
The ABC's of Volunteerism
The first volunteer recognition dinner I planned had the theme of 'The ABC's of
Volunteerism' (Appreciation, Benevolence, and Chocolate!) I had a chalkboard in the
room with the ABC's written on it and an apple drawn on with chalk. Used as
centerpieces on the tables were small school slates, a wooden ruler, pencils, and bottles of
glue and crayons. At each place setting were two pieces of chocolate candy--a Hershey
Kiss and a Hershey Hug. I told the volunteers that 'A' stood for the Appreciation we felt
for their wonderful service; 'B' represented Benevolence (an inclination to do charitable
or kind acts--what they gave with their donation of time); and 'C' represented Chocolate,
the sweetness of their contributions and we were giving them a hug and a kiss.
With a theme of ABC's and school, I told the volunteers their assignment for the evening
was a quiz entitled 'Getting to Know You'. I gave them 10 minutes of Mix and Mingle
time to gather signatures from fellow volunteers to fill in the spaces on their quizzes. The
quiz had 20 items listed and each person had to find someone who...is an only child, had
a fried egg for breakfast this morning, is allergic to penicillin, volunteers for more than
three organizations, was born in the same month as you, uses the same brand of
deodorant as you, has been a volunteer for more than 10 years, likes grits and fried okra,
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has had their picture on the front page of a newspaper, always twists an Oreo apart and
eats the icing first, etc, etc, etc.
It was a bit zany, but was a good ice breaker and many didn't want to stop when I said
time was up. I gave a shiny red apple to the volunteer who had the most lines filled in.
Volunteers were then recognized and thanked for their valued gift of time in serving
others. One volunteer's name was drawn to receive our grand prize of the evening--'a
brand new washer and dryer' (washcloth and towel!). The evening was lighthearted and
fun for the group. Submitted by Jayne Rice, Director of Community Programming and
Volunteers, Honeywell Center
Photo from "Younger Years"
I asked volunteers to provide a photo of themselves in "younger
years" and had photos made into slides. I wrote a little "hint
poem" about each slide, relating the hint to the volunteer's service
position, and we played a guessing game at the National Volunteer
Week Recognition Luncheon. Big-band music played in the
background as each slide was shown and the "hint poem" read.
Prizes were given for the most correct guesses. Our volunteers had
such fun seeing themselves and others in the slides and enjoyed
guessing "who's who". The photos were returned. Submitted by
Kelley Perkins, CDVS, Volunteer Coordinator, Seven Rivers
Community Hospital, Crystal River, Florida
Theme for Recognition Dinner
We select a theme for our annual volunteer recognition banquet for our Senior Center and
Meal site volunteers. This year our theme is “Volunteers are worth a million." In keeping
with the "so you want to be a Millionaire" craze we are going to have our own version of
the game show, with the questions relating to volunteerism, nutrition or aging. Our
placemats, nut cups, table decorations, program covers and volunteer certificates will all
have a “money" motif. And of course we'll decorate with the color of money--green!
Submitted by K. Schutte, Mealsite Manager, Marinette County Elderly Services,
(Wisconsin)
Invitations Colored by Kindergarten Students
We were looking for a way to invite our volunteers to our annual Volunteer Recognition.
We wanted something special but not expensive. We enlarged some graphics with simple
designs from our computer. We used the computer and copy machine to put the text on
the invitation with "colored by...in Mrs.....'s kindergarten class" at the bottom. They were
then sent to the schools to be colored by the children and then they were mailed to the
volunteers. They were a huge hit and now our volunteers look forward to receiving one
each year. Submitted by Ruth Anne Bleakney, Senior Center Director, Milford Senior
Center
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Ice Cream Sundaes Show How Volunteers Help a Program
I work for a Community Action Agency and we rely on volunteers
for everything from filing to riding school buses. We celebrated an
event two weeks ago, where each of the program directors discussed
how volunteers helped to run the programs. While each director
talked, their staff helped to build brownie sundaes. One program
started with the foundation (plates), the next put on the brownies,
then the whipped topping, cherries and nuts until we had 150
sundaes. It symbolized visually how our volunteers affect each part
of our organization and by working together we can accomplish
great things! It was very well received and the brownies even tasted
great! Contribution from Teresa Miller Keck
Trips and Outings
Movies
During National Volunteer Week we recognized our volunteers by taking them to the
movies. We rented out the local movie theatre for an afternoon. We had our recognition
awards program before the movie started down front of the theatre. After all the awards
were given out we had a 15 minute intermission break. The volunteers were instructed to
go to the refreshment counter and they had a bag of popcorn and a drink waiting for
them. I also had small bags of chocolate treats for them. The cost for each volunteer was
$9.00; much less than providing a banquet for them. They also had their choice of 2
movies. I chose ahead of time a PG and a PG-13.
It was very well received and we will do it again next year.
Submitted on 26 Sept 2004 by Linda Bacon, CAVS, Volunteer Coordinator, Major Hospital IN
Bus Trips
A large component of our volunteer program is the social aspect; many of our volunteers,
young and old, love to get together in a social setting, ideally when there's an opportunity
for more learning.
Twice a year, we offer recognition in the form of bus trips to other museums, art galleries
and cultural and science-based organizations
throughout Alberta. When space permits, we invite
our volunteers to bring along a guest.
It's always a special time when volunteers can
introduce family and friends to staff and other
volunteers. They share stories of their volunteer
roles, the tasks they complete, and the good times
they have.
As a bonus, we often arrange a "behind the scenes"
tour with our peers in volunteer management, so
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family and friends get to see and learn about cultural and collection management that
very few experience.
After a full day of laughing and learning, our volunteer family is usually expanded, as we
often have family and friends clamoring to sign up and volunteer with us!
Submitted on 10Jan2004 by Lynn McShane, Manager, Volunteer Programs, Glenbow Museum, Calgary,
Alberta, Canada
Seeds of Success
Last June, we had a
wonderfully successful volunteer appreciation
night. A local
theater group donated a free performance for
our organization to
share with volunteers. The night at the
Center, with food (all
donated) and drinks to start. Next, there were
two buses (donated) that
transported all of the volunteers over to
the show. During
intermission, we had two of our
participants who use our
services talk about their experience with
the Center (Cancer Support
Center) and how much they personally
appreciate individuals who
so kindly give of their time. Following the
show, as the volunteers were
getting off the bus, staff members handed
terra cotta pots with a packet
of seeds that read :"volunteers plant the seeds
of success" to each volunteer.
The pots were decorated by staff in a very simple manner, with ribbon, and dirt was also
included so everything was ready to go! The event received RAVE reviews! Submitted by
Jeanne Jablonski, Special Events & Volunteer Coordinator, Cancer Support Center,
Volunteer Recognition
Ice Cream Social
A new Gazebo was built right behind our library as part of our Rail-ToTrails park, so it seemed perfect to hold an ice cream social for our
recognition event in August. We used red, white, and blue colors to
make it old fashioned and all American. It
was really fun to
get some of the staff involved doing a skit
and singing songs that we adapted for the
event. Serving sundaes and having the program
in
the middle made it move along and 2 hours was just
about right. For favors, we contacted a few local
merchants for little premiums, like a piece of fudge
or a flower, and listed them on a "Thank You"
bookmark. We also honored our "Golden Volunteers" who've given 50
hours or more this past year with a special bookplate to put into a book of
their choice that will go into the library's permanent collection. Submitted by
Heidi Walker, Natrona County Library, Wyoming
22
Gardening Theme
This year we used a gardening theme for our volunteer
appreciation event. We invited Master Gardeners to do a
demonstration and called it "All the Dirt on Container
Gardening". It was an evening event with refreshments
and desserts (also cheese, crackers and fruit for those with
dietary limitations). At the end of the demonstration we
raffled the 3 containers as door prizes. We also had small
gifts for each volunteer - Herb starter kits. They were small
plant containers with herb seeds, fertilizer sticks, soil and growing
instructions. They had an small ornamental bird in the pot and a sign that said:
"Volunteers love to share their Thyme". Submitted by Jerrie McLean, Administrative
Assistant, Woolwich Community Health Centre, Ontario, Canada
Taking Volunteers to Court
Every year we plan a tour of our county courthouse and a luncheon with our county
commissioners. Many of our volunteers love the tour, we visit places like the 911 center,
the sheriff's office and recorder of deeds. When these volunteers see how the court house
is run they are so amazed. Their favorite department is security. The chief of security
always shows them weapons that people have brought into the court house. Submitted by
Edward Callahan, Coordinator Volunteer Services, Children's Cultural Center
Chips and Chat
Each year before our busy season starts we host a feedback
session where we invite all our volunteers to our office for dinner
and discussion. In the past we have called these sessions "chips
and chat" and "pizza and parley". These evenings are a chance for
our volunteers to share what they think about how we are doing
as an organization and where we should be moving to in the
future. It gives them a sense of ownership and stake in the
organization. It also lets them know that we as managers are interested and listening to
what they have to say and that we care about their opinions. Submitted by Drew Gulyas,
Assistant Camp Director, Camp Oochigeas
Gifts Galore
We have a speaker that gives a mini-seminar about the ten
gifts that each of us have. Our tables are decorated with gifts
(wrapped empty packages). We ask that each volunteer bring
a non-perishable food item to donate to the local food pantry
and a gift to pass on to another. Submitted by Desiree Larson,
Volunteer Coordinator, Women’s Way, North Dakota
23
Ask Your Volunteers
This year, we asked our 25 volunteers what they would like to do for a recognition event.
The general consensus was we do something fun (go to a museum or gallery) or have the
opportunity to learn something new. The Volunteer Connection is
hosting a staff prepared lunch. One of our staff is an art gallery
director and photographer. She will teach us the art of creating
Polaroid transfers from a picture we take or a colored slide we
bring. We are also having a guest poet teach us the art of writing
poetry which we will share with each other. The entire event is
scheduled over a four hour period. Submitted by Charlotte Smith
Neyland, Director of Services, Volunteer Connection East of
Longmont
Giving Back to Yourself
I had done a survey on what volunteers thought about our volunteer program and many of
the surveys indicated that park volunteers really enjoyed what they do but they would like
more training. I was determined to use volunteer recognition as a means to kick-off
volunteer training opportunities throughout the year. As a result, I developed my own
workshop-Giving Back to Yourself. This was a one day motivational workshop put on
during National Volunteer Week. It opened with a Board of Park Commissioner and
Executive Director giving park wide updates, followed by a short film and two great
motivational speakers. Volunteers asked questions, got some answers, meditated and left
feeling a renewed sense of commitment to the parks and to themselves. It was one of the
best recognitions we have had. Submitted by Merle Walker, Volunteer Program Manager,
Lake Metroparks
Resume Writing
In my volunteer program at the Philadelphia Family Court, we recognized graduating
student volunteers with a special seminar on resume writing, with emphasis on how they
could describe their volunteer work as a credential that would impress prospective
employers or university admissions officers. Submitted by Susan J. Ellis, Energize, Inc.
Ongoing and Informal Ways to Say Thank You
Recognition Doesn't Have to Be Expensive
Over the years, I've tried to come up with no- or low-cost ways to say thank you to the
volunteers and staff that made my programs function effectively. Most of these were the
day-to-day "thanks for helping"
I believe that recognition is one of the most important parts of working with volunteers.
These have included simple yet meaningful things such as writing a brief "thanks for
being an angel by helping with XYZ project" on angel-shaped note paper.
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Like most administrators, I send birthday and get well cards. But I believe that treating
my volunteers as part of the staff is one of the most effective ways to recognize their
value. I acknowledge my volunteers by always saying hello and goodbye each day, even
if they work in a different part of the building. I let them know if I will be out of the
office or need to leave early when they're scheduled to be in.
I also provide each volunteer with his or her own in-box. I distribute copies of
appropriate memos, include volunteers in meetings and trainings when I can, and make
sure each is informed of new policies, procedures, or activities in the organization.
One low-cost thank you gift that I gave was a small booklet of quotes about volunteering
that I did on the computer and ran off on the copier. I received a number of calls and
notes thanking me and saying how much the booklet was appreciated. I also gave these to
staff at collaborative agencies as a small way to show how much I appreciated how they
and their volunteers helped my program.
Recognition doesn't have to be expensive. It does have to be sincere.
Submitted 20 November 2004 by Sherry Leigh Mitchell, The Greater Kalamazoo Area Holiday Food Drive,
Michigan
Online Volunteer "Notes"
There are lots of ways to use a Web site to recognize volunteers.
Thanks to Catherine Jackson for her posting on CyberVPM,
directing others to the way the Walter & Connie Payton
Foundation gives Web space to volunteers at
http://www.payton34.com/volunteernotes.html. This "Notes"
section not only allows volunteers to feel a part of the
organization, but serves as a great introduction to the work of the
Foundation for visitors to the site.
Posted 11 Aug. 2003 by Susan J. Ellis, Energize, Inc.
"Pat on the Back"
Here's an idea for a very inexpensive recognition idea that should work for any type of
organization. I simply drew around my hand on a plain piece of paper, printed "Here's a
pat on the back for ________ for all the hard work and effort you've made here at First
UU" on it, then copied it on to colored paper (2 on each page). The teens at our church
helped me cut them out. We invited anyone who wished to give a public "pat on the
back" to someone special to write their name on the handprint and tape it on a wall we
had decorated. We had over 450 pats once we were finished. It was a very visible, but
inexpensive way to recognize a large group of volunteers.
Submitted on 25May03 by Karol Haynes, Volunteer Coordinator, First Unitarian
Universalist Society of Syracuse, New York/USA
25
Note and Candy
Our volunteers are basically college-age students and we
understand that they have busy lives with classes, tests, jobs and
other activities. Every so often I like to send via mail a card with
a thank you as well as some candy. I just recently sent chocolate
coins and confetti to make them smile. They all appreciate this
thought and thank us constantly for our recognition of them!
Submitted on 16May03 by Becky Degnon, Volunteer Coordinator,
Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) at
the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire, United States
Volunteers - Wall of Fame!
When volunteers come into our facility, they enter into our break room where they can
put their coats down and get a name tag. The most important thing a group does before
they start working, is go to the Wall of Fame to find their picture. If it's a groups first
time, they will remind me to make sure they will be added. The wall is completely
covered with photos. It's a constant reminder of how we value and appreciate each and
every one of our 100 groups represented. Our volunteer groups come from grade school
to retirees, but one thing that they have in common, getting their picture taken. Some
groups will even plan out where and how they want their group photo. I use a digital
camera, and print the photo onto a picture of a box, using the top part of the box to fill in
the groups name and date. The box looks like one that they use to repack the donated
products. The next time the volunteer group is here, they look for their picture! A picture
says it all. Submitted by Laura Fronko, Volunteer Coordinator, World Vision
Thanks Online
I found a great way to say thanks to a volunteer, friend, co-worker when you have no
time. Send a thank you email through this website, www.baudville.com (click on
epraise). Click on a category of thanks, recognition or celebrations, personalize it and the
company will send you a copy. It's great! Submitted by Kim Gube, Volunteer
Coordinator, American Red Cross, National Capital Chapter
Our Brightest Stars
In our facility, the Volunteer Manager and I (coordinator of Volunteer Services) worked
on a bulletin board. We cut out blue stars and in them we printed each volunteer's name
and, in the center of the board, we posted their pictures with a slogan that read
"Volunteers Our Brightest Stars." It was a hit. The bulletin board was hard to miss and
the staff and volunteers loved it! Submitted by Mirna Alberto, Coordinator, Volunteer
Services, Misericordia Health Centre, Canada
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Thank You Notes to Volunteers' Workplace
Many of our volunteers have full time jobs and busy careers. We began sending letters of
recognition to their places of work either directly to their superior or through the Human
Resources office. These letters often find their way directly into the personnel files and in
many cases reflect well on an employee to their employer. What has been really
interesting is that our organization has actually received donations from companies
whose employees have been our volunteers. A letter from our organization has often
prompted an inquiry from a company to the employee about who we are and what we do.
This method of recognition has become greatly appreciated by our volunteers. Submitted
by Christine Cooper, Volunteer Coordinator, Citizens for a Clean Caledon
Free Motivational Messages
Here's a free service to send motivational messages/cards via e-mail at
http://www.motivationalquotes.com/servicequotes.shtml. Most of the messages relate to
serving others. Submitted by Steve McCurley, consultant/trainer
Honors for Volunteers and Staff
Our hospital launched a new recognition program whereby ANYONE can
nominate a person for service above and beyond. As recognitions are
added, staff reaches built in "levels". This program includes employees,
physicians AND volunteers. Volunteers are part of program, rather than
having their own separate "volunteer of the month" that may be perceived
as lesser than staff programs. It is great to see their names posted on the
bulletin board along with physicians and staff that are recognized! Submitted
by Marcia Ferguson, Director, Volunteer Services and Telecom, Mercy
Medical Center
A Personal Note from You
It's not earth-shattering, but our volunteers really appreciate and respond to the personal
notes I send out periodically. On our organization's note-card or a card especially chosen
for the individual volunteer, I remind him/her how important his/her efforts are to me and
the organization. I usually emphasize a recently accomplished task or project and point
out how it affected our operation. When I host a volunteer group, I multiply the number
of volunteers by the number of hours they've worked, and then divide it all out to let them
know how many (non-stop!) eight hour days it would have taken our tiny staff to
complete the same volume of work. It's often quite staggering! Submitted by Ms. De
Jenkins Lambing, Program Manager, Wheelchair Recycling Project
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More than a Plaque or Certificate
How can you recognize outstanding staff or volunteers without relying on the typical
plaque or certificate? Try these creative ideas:
Attach the following note to a box of candles: "No one holds a candle to you." · Send a
"thought-you'd-like-to-know" letter to the volunteer's employer, acknowledging his or her
positive contribution to your organization.
Ask volunteers or staff members to train other volunteers or staff members, to lead
meetings, to give presentations, etc.
Forget separate luncheons for deserving staff and volunteers. Bring them together for a
joint recognition lunch in their honor.
Send an anniversary card to volunteers or staff, highlighting their year(s) of service. Note
how they made a difference in your organization over the past year. From the Non-Profit
Nuts & Bolts newsletter, August 1997
"What Does My Mentor Mean to Me?"
I coordinate an AmeriCorps Program in Texas and our members/volunteers tutor and
mentor at-risk. For National Volunteer Week we are sponsoring an essay contest. The
theme is "What Does My Mentor Mean To Me" We are going to post these essays on the
program listserv and prizes will be awarded for the top three essays.
Submitted by Leslie, Special Programs Coordinator, AmeriCorps-UTA, TX
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
Every April during Volunteer Appreciation Week we hold a Volunteer Appreciation
Luncheon to recognize the efforts of our volunteers. This past year we served 700 free
lunches to say thanks to our volunteers. Other activities take place this week as well
including a button program that recognizes our volunteers with special discounts from
local merchants.
Submitted by Volunteer Centre of the Blue Sky Region, Canada
A Personal Moment
We are celebrating National Volunteer Week in our High School
with an assembly that will recognize 3 volunteers that have always been there for
so many of our school, community and veterans events. While we only recognize 3 with
awards there are countless others, parents, grandparents and friends that are there
working in the background in so many ways. It only takes a minute to recognize them on
a personal level when you see them. Bring them to a stop (they are usually very busy);
look them in the eye with your best smile and say "Thank you for all the help you give!”
Submitted by Becky Dirks, Post Adjutant VFW Post 4077, Anamosa Iowa
28
Volunteers are Gold
This year for our Volunteer Recognition Event during National Volunteer Week, we are
having an Olympic theme. We are having various staff members speak to recognize each
group of volunteers as to why "Volunteers Are Our Gold"! We ordered volunteerdesigned water bottles and filled with candy with our logo imprinted on the
back with our theme "You Are Our Gold". We are greeting each
volunteer at the event by hanging gold medals around their necks.
We are decorating in red, white, and blue and having the
Olympic ring display at the front of the room. Lastly, we are
having a Power Point presentation of events and volunteer
pictures from the last year with a gold medal design. We
will play the Olympic theme during the presentation.
Submitted by Heather Melton, Volunteer Coordinator,
The Elizabeth Hospice, Escondido, CA 92025
Hats off to Volunteers
Our theme last year for Volunteer Recognition was "Hats Off to You". All the staff came
wearing outrageous hats of all kinds, the potted plants as centerpieces were in hats turned
upside down. But the most fun was that all 100 of those present made newspaper hats the kind that it takes at least 3 people to make - one as model, one to hold 3 or 4 sheets of
newspaper down on model's head, one to wrap tape around the model's head and paper,
and many hands to roll the paper up as the hat's brim. Volunteers met and worked with all
sorts of new people, decorated the hats with flowers and balloons and whatever else they
could find and had so much fun. I have never seen a room full of people who did not
know each other have so much fun working together. Everyone left with a totally unique
hat
and a great memory. Their sense of commitment to our
organization for another year was sealed by newspaper hats.
Submitted by Catherine Graham, Volunteer Services
Manager, IHS, The Institute for Human Services
How about a "Hats Off to Volunteers Day?' Just have the
staff wear a hat (any kind) on that day and tip their hat to
each volunteer they meet. Now I need some ideas. We
still have the big luncheon to recognize volunteers
during National Volunteer Week. Our theme next
year will be "Celebrate the Magic of Volunteering."
Of course we'll have a magician; centerpieces will be black top hats with rabbits in them.
Submitted by Jean Anton, Director of Volunteer Services, Shriners Hospital for Children
- St. Louis
29
Chocolate Bars
We always have our volunteer recognition event in June but this year,
because it is International Year of Volunteers, I did not want National
Volunteer Week to go by without some special acknowledgment.
During
April, I sent all our volunteers a chocolate bar in the mail with a special
card inviting them to our BBQ in June and telling them all the scientific reasons why
chocolate is good for you, plus a funny list all about chocolate I found on the Internet. It
was such a small and simple gesture but I have never had so much feedback. The neat
thing is that I have 200 volunteers and I only get about 60 individuals out to our official
volunteer recognition event. This way even the volunteers who never come to events
received a treat and they were surprised and thrilled.
Submitted by Linda Sunderland, Coordinator of Volunteers and Education, Hospice
Peterborough
Jeopardy
At a recent Volunteer Recognition night for our agency, we played a game of "Jeopardy"
with topics relating to our volunteers and our agency's work. Those who answered
questions correctly received a chocolate truffle. We also did a take of Dave Letterman's
"Top Ten" by coming up with our own list of "Top Ten" reasons to Volunteer with our
agency. At various points throughout the evening, we revealed one of the reasons. We
also read little poems we had written about certain volunteers we were highlighting with
special recognition, and then presented them with the poem.
Submitted by Robin Albert, Volunteer Coordinator, Sexual Assault Support Service
National Volunteer Week Packet
A great National Volunteer Week packet is located on the University of Nebraska - 4-H
website at http://www.ianr.unl.edu/ianr/4h/volun/packet.htm. It has a lots of general
recognition ideas! Submitted by Tina Veal
Holiday Events as Recognition Opportunities
Thanks into Thanksgiving
This fall I decided to put the Thanks into Thanksgiving by sending out handmade notes to each active volunteer. A very artistic volunteer helped me to make the
notes - no two were the same! Then I wrote short Thanks inside making sure to mention
specific things that they had helped with. In addition, I had people from the departments
they had volunteered in add something - at the least signing it. They went out right at
Thanksgiving and the response has been lovely, with volunteers coming in specially to
thank us for making their day! A Win-win, I think!
Submitted by Heidi Walker, Coordinator of Volunteers, Natrona County Public Library,
Wyoming
30
Volunteers are the Recipe for Success
Every year we have a potluck holiday party and our volunteers have asked us to print up
the recipes from their various co-workers who brought dishes. This year, we created a
blank recipe form and mailed it to each volunteer asking for their best recipe. We then
compiled the recipes into a cookbook that would be given to each volunteer as a gift at
the recognition event. The theme was centered on cooking so we held it at a rustic venue
in the country and printed awards on paper designed to look like a picnic. Instead of the
generic thank you speeches from the volunteer coordinators, the Executive Director and
members of the Board, we created a skit on "What is the recipe that makes up an ideal
volunteer" and each official stood up and told the crowd what they think that recipe
would be (a cup of smiles mixed with a teaspoon of wit...etc). The message at the end of
the skit was that there is not just one recipe that makes up an ideal volunteer. Instead
there are many recipes that include the different traits, personalities and styles that make
the volunteers so necessary and unique. In the end, we concluded that each volunteer and
his/her unique traits are equally valuable in ensuring a successful volunteer program.
Kind of like a big, gourmet potluck... Submitted by Miranda Prescott & Rachael Park,
Volunteer Coordinators, Snohomish County Tourism Bureau, Washington, USA
Volunteer Luck
Our volunteer dinner last year was held on March 13 using a St. Patrick's Day Theme
because we feel 'lucky' to have our volunteers. We used green derbies planted with green
and white carnations for centerpieces. Planning ahead we planted shamrock bulbs in
green spray painted peat pots as favors at each place setting. We had prints of different
Irish Blessings rolled and tied with green ribbon by each plate. Our menu was corned
beef and cabbage with potatoes, green salad, and grasshopper pie. For entertainment we
had a local clogging group perform. Awards and recognitions were given. Two staff
members then sang 'Oh, Danny Boy". To give away the centerpieces we
had some silly questions and trivia questions that we asked...such as
whom: 1. has 13 pennies in their pocket 2. Has visited Ireland 3. has an
Irish Setter at home 4. Knows the legend of St. Patrick 5. Showered
with Irish Spring today etc, etc. I closed with the Irish Blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you... It was another successful
program suggested by the words of praise and thank you notes we
received. Submitted by Jayne Rice, Director of Community
Programming and Volunteers, Honeywell Center
Low-Cost, High-Impact Life-Changing Recognition
This past year, our program lost one of its most beloved volunteers. One month shy of her
90th birthday, she worked two days a week in our laboratory and at one of the hospital
information desks. Though frailer in the past few months, she was still at the hospital
working the week before she died. At word of her passing, I called the family, to inquire
about funeral arrangements. The daughter-in-law informed me that there would likely be
no memorial service, because, in her words, "she (the volunteer) didn’t really have any
31
friends here." I assured her that the volunteer circle of friends was sizeable, and included
many fellow volunteers and hospital staff. The family eventually decided to have a
service. Other than family and a few other attendees, the pews were filled exclusively
with volunteers and hospital staff. The family was shocked that so many people knew and
loved their quiet little mom, and that they had never known about this support system of
friends, despite her seven years of involvement as a volunteer at our hospital! Something
about this experience troubled me greatly. I fear that many children and spouses,
especially of our older volunteers, see their volunteer activities as just something for them
to do to keep busy. They really have no idea that their loved ones are doing important,
valuable work with our patients. I wanted to find a way to avoid a scene like this with
others in our program, if at all possible. Volunteers were asked for the names and
addresses of their immediately family - spouses, children, or close friends. They were not
told the exact reason for the information - ironically, many assumed we were gathering
next of kin info, in the event of their death on the job! With those names, we created a
family database. At Christmas, instead of the usual inspirational letter to volunteers,
talking about the meaning of the season and their wonderful deeds throughout the year, I
wrote letters to each of these on the mailing list. I told them about what their wife,
mother, brother, etc. did at our hospital, and
how important they were in
the lives of our staff, patients and families.
Many of those who
received letters have called, and told
very touching
stories of how they read the tributes to
"their"
volunteer at a family gathering during
the holidays.
Several said they had the letter framed,
and gave it
as a gift to their loved one. The
volunteers had
no idea this was happening, and were
moved beyond
words. In over 25 years of managing
volunteers, I
have never done any recognition activity that
has had a more
profound impact on the timbre of our program,
and on the lives of our
volunteers! Obviously, this was quite time-consuming (I wrote about 150+ letters), but
extremely high-impact on the recipients and, as a bonus, on the author. It really made my
holiday season very meaningful. I will continue to look for opportunities to communicate
the countless ways our volunteers make a difference to the other people who care so
much about them - their families. Submitted by LouAnne Smith, Volunteer Coordinator,
Doctors Hospital of Dallas
Staff-Made Dinner
I work for an AIDS Service organization where volunteers give their time in a variety of
programs and services. Every year we have an annual holiday party for volunteers which
has always been an open house style event. This year I asked the staff to help plan
something a bit more ambitious - we cooked and served a full course meal! The menu
was a choice of turkey dinner with all the trimmings, or a vegetarian pasta dish. Staff
volunteered to cook the various dishes, turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads, etc., or
contributed buns, cranberry sauce, salad dressing, etc. The staff were all assigned jobs;
cooks, plate fillers, servers, etc., and all of the staff wore black pants, white shirts and
colorful name tags. We had a Christmas tree with donated gifts underneath and drew
32
names for a chance to pick a gift. We utilized space in our multi-purpose room and set
beautiful places using rented cutlery and plates. Everyone contributed decorations and we
had plenty of candlelight and twinkle lights strung up. Our physicians offered grace and a
toast to the volunteers that reaffirmed their value within our organization. All in all, it
was a tremendous gift of caring by the staff, and a wonderful experience in feeling
appreciated by the volunteers! Submitted by Corrie McGibney, Coordinator of Volunteer
Services, Village Clinic
Thanks at Thanksgiving
The week before Thanksgiving, the Center always recognizes the
volunteers with a catered meal and music as a way to show
our appreciation and thanks. This year the theme was
"Handful of Thanks" with decorations, centerpieces
and even the certificates adorned with cookie
cutter dough hands. I gave a speech incorporating
hands as the theme (right hand men and women,
hand you can rely on, etc). The highlight though was the
many frail older clients (the receivers of the volunteerism) giving testimonials as to how
there lives are better because of these wonderful volunteers. Submitted by M. Judith
Nortman, Director, Westside Senior Adult Day Center
Personal Note from Board
Our Board of Directors has a Volunteer Services Committee. These members write a
personal, handwritten note to each volunteer who donates anything over four hours
during a year. The committee members are given enough information to let them know
what work the volunteer has done. The notes are written around Thanksgiving and around
Valentine's Day, for those who started volunteering after Thanksgiving. We have recently
added a printed note to all our one-time volunteers with the personal signature of the
committee chair. This wonderful tradition, which is above and beyond the annual
Volunteer Recognition Party, wasn't started by me, but I am happy to be apart of an
agency with such caring board members. Submitted by Marty Atherton, Coordinator of
Volunteer Services, Families First Thanksgiving Day Cards Thanksgiving Day cards to
the families of volunteers. The response from the volunteers was terrific. Submitted by
Mike Corbin, Director of Volunteer Services, Lutheran Social Services of Michigan
33
Key Ingredients & Whine List
Thank you to Alane Bray for giving me so much material.
The U.S. Flag Template was borrowed from Microsoft Office Online.
Chapter II contains ideas gathered from years of gifts I have
received from friends as well as the many websites I explore when
I am looking for old or new ideas. One of the sites that many of
these ideas, templates and pictures came from is familycrafts.com
and
Many of the poems in chapter IV you can find in
http://www.militaryspousesupport.net/
Many of the items from chapter V came from the following website.
http://papertidbits.com/TipBagToppers.html
Chapter VI can be contributed to http://energizeinc.com/
You will find many articles and tools designed to assist
volunteer leaders.
Many thanks to all the contributors not mentioned in this book. I
never expected the use of this book by any one. I would have
liked to give credit to the many friends who gave me the ideas
and concept contained in this book. You know who you are, if you
would like to be mentioned please contact me so you can be
acknowledged.
Whine List
Please fill out the following comment card. We look forward to
assisting you. Whining is encouraged.
"Volunteer's Creed"
- Tom Krause
Though my troubles and my worries
are sometimes all that I see still I always must remember
Other souls are also hurting
and I know that it's in God's plan
to reach out to help another to extend to them my hand.
With this purpose as my focus to be a comfort to a friend all my troubles and my worries
seem to fade out in the end.
It is one of God's true lessons how my walk is meant to be true happiness I find when
Fort Bragg, NC
February 2005

Volunteer Recognition Pantry

Transcription

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