Florida Volunteer Month

What would be the best way to encourage everyday citizens to realize their full potential as a volunteer, while also recognizing those who are already dedicating their free time to improving the lives of others? A parade? Fun, but not necessarily the most practical. A day of recognition? A good idea, but the state of Florida decided it could do better: Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida cabinet have designated April as Florida Volunteer Month. How is that for a super idea?

There are three key goals of Florida Volunteer Month:

• To show that Floridians don’t need mind-blowing strength, telepathic skills, or even a cape to be a superhero. Volunteering is a simple way to positively impact lives and improve communities.
• To engage citizens in volunteer activities. Mentoring and fundraising are just two of the many ways to become involved.
• To persuade businesses that by promoting volunteerism, they are superheroes too!

This year, Volunteer Florida is sending out the signal that volunteerism is valuable to communities, to businesses, and to individuals who choose to volunteer. The Florida Volunteer Month Web site offers resources to help promote volunteerism, and Volunteer Florida will be executing a statewide media blitz to make sure as many people as possible know that volunteers are Florida’s superheroes!