Although it’s called a national event, National Volunteer Week has been observed around the world since 1943. The week occurs at different times in different countries — mostly April – June.

The US will celebrate National Volunteer Week April 15th through the 21st this year. It’s organized by the Points of Light foundation, of which the County of Maui Volunteer Center is a member.

Why National Volunteer Week is important

The objective of National Volunteer week is twofold:

  • Promote volunteerism in our communities
  • Show appreciation for those who give generously of their time

Volunteer Week is a great time to celebrate all the good that the nonprofit organizations and their dedicated volunteers do in our community. It’s also a perfect opportunity to reflect on the benefits that volunteers receive from volunteering.

How the Volunteer Center is celebrating

This is the County of Maui Volunteer Center’s 10th year celebrating National Volunteer Week, and we’re taking a bit of a detour from our usual Volunteer Heroes Celebration of Service. This year, the Volunteer Center will be celebrating in two ways:

  • We’re celebrating our 13 Volunteer Heroes from October’s National Make a Difference Day with nominations for Daily Points of Light with the Points of Light foundation
  • We’re honoring Partner Agencies who have been active on GetConnected, our online volunteer recruitment and management system, the past year with a fancy Starbucks appreciation cup of coffee

New statewide focus on National Volunteer Week

Whether you are an individual, an organization, non-profit or business, we’re all stronger when we come together; it’s a kakou thing!

2018 is the first year that Hawaii will officially recognize National Volunteer Week through legislative resolution. The focus of this week is to celebrate the impact of volunteer service across Hawaii, to participate by sharing our mana and aloha, and encourage others to join in. Kanu Hawaii and VolunteerWeekHawaii.org hope to partner with events happening on every island to highlight our collective impact for the greater good and foster a shared sense of connectedness among us all.

The County of Maui Volunteer Center supports this new initiative and Kanu Hawaii for taking the leadership role.

How you can get involved

Volunteers:  National Volunteer Week is an opportunity for volunteers to get involved in improving their communities. You can get started by perusing the Volunteer Needs posted by our Partner Agencies.

Nonprofits:  This is a great time to recognize all of those hardworking volunteers who make your organization great! Need some inspiration? Check out our creative and inexpensive ideas for showing your appreciation.