-
Flexible Schedule
|
Virtual Opportunity
It is a simple project - we approach elementary and middle schools in October and November and ask their students to craft Valentine’s Day cards. We send the schools printed envelopes, the children draw and insert their precious cards, the cards are picked up and distributed to hospitals, hospices, clients of Food & Friends (homebound), and others. For Valentine's Day in 2024, more than 30,000 children took their time to participate. That means that there were 30,000 smiles from recipients, for some of whom, this was their only card. Lots of wonderful press coverage from Washington Post, NBC News, and others, from all around the world. You can see photos, articles, and videos at www.ValentinesByKids.org. It is so gratifying. But, it takes coordination. First and foremost, we have to come up with ways to let schools know about the project. We use direct mail and email (both of which require time to create up-to-date address lists and there is envelope stuffing). But, because the school professionals are busy, we find that it is more effective if someone with a personal connection to a school can reach out by phone or some other contact. Parents, parent-teacher organizations, and local volunteers prove the most effective. After the cards come back to us, there is the sorting and packaging process to get the cards delivered to the hospitals. It’s a party, but a challenge to get it done in a day. All it takes is a few, local volunteers, and some coordination, to make this happen. Volunteers can be retirees (especially teachers who know how to communicate with educators), faith-groups, Rotarians, and students (to fulfill volunteer requirements and to demonstrate to others their ability to contribute to the community). How to move forward? Volunteers: Please let us know of your interest by filling out our short questionnaire at www.tinyURL/VBKVolunteer . Teachers and School Administrators: If you want to sign up your school up to make Valentines, just go to www.tinyURL.com/ValentineSchoolSignUp . Hospitals and Homes: If you are a hospital or nursing home and you want to receive Valentines, just go to www.tinyURL/Hospital-Sign-Up .
Date Posted: 2024-08-20
-
Flexible Schedule
|
Virtual Opportunity
Valentines By Kids is a terrific organization that approaches schools and asks them to draw Valentine's Day cards for hospital patients, hospice and long-term care facilities, and the homebound. We are looking for people to contact hospices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities to see if they want us to send them Valentines for their residents and staff. For Valentine's Day 2024, 30,000 children signed up to draw cards so we had lots of cards to distribute! Your task is to help us reach hospitals and homes to ask if they would like to receive Valentines. To start, we have an excel sheet of hospitals and facilities and we will send an email blast, but sometimes the hospitals are too busy and miss the email. We need people to follow up with the hospitals and facilities to find out how many cards they want (and update the excel sheet). If our Excel sheet has out-of-date info on the correct person to contact, we hope you would research online or with a phone call who is the best person to contact at the hospitals, and, maybe you would send an email or make a phone call to encourage them to sign up. If you are retired and have any experience in health care, or community service, or public relations, and you are kind and persistent, this is for you! Or, if you are a student who would like to do some volunteer hours, again, for you! Or, if you and your team of fellow students or scouts want to do it, that would be great. Or if you are just a resourceful person who would enjoy a small task that would bring so much joy to the people who receive the Valentine's Day cards, this is the job for you. Please let us know you are interested by going to www.tinyURL.com/VBKVolunteer .
Date Posted: 2024-08-20
-
Flexible Schedule
|
Virtual Opportunity
Are you in 8th grade or above and looking for a fun, rewarding volunteer experience? We have it for you! You would be the School Captain of Valentines By Kids. You would work with your school's art department to set up a time for the students to make Valentines Day cards. You collect them and send them to us for distribution to hospitals and nursing homes. Or, if you want, you can deliver them directly! It's as simple as that. If you want to take on a little more responsibility, you could also work with a primary school to do the same, and even help out on the day that the children make the cards. Or you could do this as a joint project for your club or other organization. Valentines By Kids is a big operation (last year over 30,000 children made cards), and it is only possible through our wonderful volunteers and that can include you! Students, please fill out our short questionnaire at www.tinyURL.com/VBKVolunteer . Are you not a student, but you are a teacher or administrator who wants to sign up your school to make Valentines? Easy! Just go to www.tinyURL.com/ValentineSchoolSignUp.
Date Posted: 2024-08-20
-
Flexible Schedule
|
Virtual Opportunity
ValentinesByKids.org approaches schools, scouts, churches, and other groups and asks them to make Valentines Day Cards which we pick up and deliver to hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and clients of Food & Friends. We are looking for a social media volunteer who would, once in a while, to keep our media presence fresh by adding things to our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Insta pages, and perhaps inform local media (like newspapers, radio, TV) about the project. We also need someone who knows how to create a media packet. Please join us! Fill out our short questionnaire at www.tinyURL.com/VBKVolunteer.
Date Posted: 2024-08-20
