Aiming for Volunteer Community of the Year

!"The mayor needs the public's help in gathering information to account for all volunteer activity throughout the community.

By From Staff Reports

Posted: July 29, 2009 at 9:07 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

BENTONVILLE — Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin plans to submit an application to the Arkansas Department of Human Services to nominate the city of Bentonville for the Volunteer Community of the Year Award. But he needs residents' help.

"In order to fully represent the city as a whole in the application process, we need to hear from the organizations and groups that sponsor these activities," McCaslin said in a release issued by the city Monday.

The Volunteer Communityof the Year Awards, co-sponsored by the DHS Division of Volunteerism, the Arkansas Municipal League and the Office of the Governor, are presented each fall. They are designed to congratulate and thank communities as a whole, rather than individuals within the communities, for their volunteer effort in serving their neighbors. Communities chosen for the award receive two signs designating the city as a Volunteer Community of the Year for that year.

The nomination statement asks that the community describe its volunteer activities and its impact on the community by answering several questions. Below is a sampling of questions:

◊What is the approximate number of volunteers actively working in these activities? And what is the total number of volunteer hours worked?

◊How do these activitieshelp address the needs of the community or city?

Anyone who would like to have an organization's volunteer activities counted or who has any related questions may contact Danielle Shasteen at (479) 271-6827 or via e-mail at dshasteen@bentonvillear.com. The deadline to submit information about volunteer activities is Aug. 28.

Anyone who is looking for a way to give back to the community is invited to learn about the city's new Volunteer Program. The purpose of the program is to serve as a portal to volunteer opportunities within the Bentonville community. Opportunities include volunteering to help pick up litter along the streets, in parks and on recreational trails; to assist with dog-park maintenance; and to support Downtown Bentonville Inc. by volunteering to assist with special events.

News, Pages 11 on 07/29/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.