CEC Pioneers Division's March Volunteer Challenge: Volunteering is a Great Way to Mark CEC's 100th Birthday
2022 marks 100 years since a small group of “kindred spirits” joined together to form the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). A big part of the legacy of CEC over that time has been the continued support of the organization with the volunteer efforts of its membership. The CEC-Pioneers Division Board is providing, on a monthly basis, a variety of suggested activities to continue the “CEC Birthday Bash” which began in January at the in-person CEC 2022 Convention & Expo in Orlando.
As an organization, we’ve set a goal of trying to generate 100 hours of volunteer time during the month of March 2022.
The Independent Sector calculates the value of volunteer time at $28.54 per hour. So, that means if we meet our goal, members and friends of the Pioneer Division will contribute $2,854.00 of good will to our communities.
We are focusing on volunteers as all of us spend some time “of our own free will,” as the dictionary indicates, engaging in unpaid actions. These can include spending time with a friend or relative in need of companionship; assisting in a school, organization, or community agency, or just providing a compliment; or an encouraging word to someone. Here’s a great article that may inspire you.
To provide a focus on the time that we all freely give often without lots of advance thought, we would like to encourage all Pioneers Division members to take time during this month to do the following:
- Reflect on your current volunteer efforts and appreciate the contributions you are making.
- Take on at least one additional volunteer action (large or small) this month.
- Thank someone (either in writing or via a voice communication) who has volunteered in some way that made your life better.
If you need assistance in locating possible places to volunteer, consider these:
- CEC has instituted a Volunteer Square to assist our members in creating a personal profile to match needs with talents. Discover how you might contribute at the local, state/provincial, or international level.
- Check out any of the following websites for information on volunteer opportunities available in your local area for the types of causes that you are most interested in:
We’d like to hear about what you are doing. Divisions are asked to create a system for monitoring their members' volunteer hours in March and then send to Dave Edyburn at edyburn@uwm.edu by April 10, 2022. List any individual or group actions that are being done (i.e., visiting residents in an assisted living facility; special projects at any level like sponsoring a special after-school experience at a local school to extend classroom learning; joining with CEC's project20/20 to explore ways to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization).
By sharing your volunteer efforts, you may provide a suggestion that sparks someone else to try a new action as well.
Let’s continue the legacy! Volunteer today! Report your activity! Appreciate the impact!
Forward. Together.