Nation-wide Event Increases Local Volunteerism

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (November 2002) – National Family Volunteer Day organized by AlbemarleKids.com and United Way Thomas Jefferson Area will be celebrated with good deeds on November 16, 2002

United Way – Thomas Jefferson Area Volunteer Services and AlbemarleKids.com team up to bring National Family Volunteer Day, a project of the Points of Light Foundation Family Matters Initiative, to Charlottesville. This is the fourth year for National Family Volunteer Day and the third year it will be celebrated locally. National Family Volunteer Day seeks to encourage families to engage in community-oriented volunteering on a year-round basis. This year, AlbemarleKids held an art contest for local children to illustrate what volunteering has meant to them and one of the many wonderful drawings was selected as this year’s poster artwork. Thank you to Ciaran F. Age 10. (Image attached for press use)

By coordinating with local not for profit agencies in Charlottesville-Albemarle, several volunteer opportunities for November 16 have been planned that are suitable for families with children. Shaele Wood, Volunteer Services Coordinator at United Way reports, “Local agencies and businesses have pulled together to come up with wonderful and fun projects that include collecting food, visiting with seniors, and helping collect toys for Kids Lift”. (See AlbemarleKids.com for more project opportunities.)

Shaele adds, “We also encourage families to develop their own projects -maybe raking leaves for an elderly neighbor, being a friend to a family new to town, picking up debris from your favorite trail, or reading to a child.” For AlbemarleKids, the goal is to help families be involved and make a big impact on the community through their good works and to help families discover the values of volunteering. Jennifer Bryerton, Managing Editor of AlbemarleKids, comments that her greatest hope is “For families to stay involved and make volunteering a part of their life year round. Volunteering is packed with valuable life lessons for children ? really, for all of us.”

Story ideas (more info available): *Profile a family who have made volunteering a part of their life (The Wilson?s) *100 ways to volunteer (available at AlbemarleKids.com and Points of Light.org) *Thanksgiving & giving back, profile organizations, families who make a difference

FOR MORE INFORMATION about AlbemarleKids publications, please call (434)984-4713, or email us, or visit our virtual offices at http://www.AlbemarleKids.com.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS (through November 16) Grab your parents, your children, cousins, roommates, grandparents, or spouse and plan to volunteer November 16 for FAMILY VOLUNTEER DAY sponsored by AlbemarleKids.com and United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area. The Thanksgiving season is a great time to show how thankful you are for the blessings in your life by helping others! The possibilities for volunteering are limitless, and special projects for the 16th include visiting with seniors, helping collect toys at Kids Lift, shopping for emergency food, and much more! For more information or other project ideas, please visit www.AlbemarleKids.com or call Shaele Wood, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area at 972-1705.