During the week of October 31-November 6, Pioneers across North America will celebrate their commitment to build stronger communities through volunteerism. Included in Pioneers Week is Pioneers Day, celebrated on November 2nd. This year, November 2nd is very special to all Pioneers, as it marks the anniversary of the organization’s founding in 1911.
As we celebrate Pioneers Week, Pioneers recall a century of dedication to service, fellowship and loyalty, the principals on which we were founded. Through the contributions of hundreds of thousands of Pioneers members, past and present, these principals remain as important to Pioneers today as when we were founded 100 years ago. Pioneers Week is an excellent time to reflect on our heritage and recommit ourselves to improving the quality of life for all people, especially as we celebrate our Centennial.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in Pioneers Week by visiting the VolunteerNow! section of our site to find out what events are planned in their local community.
Happy Pioneers Week and thank you for improving the places we live and work.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Make a Difference Day - October 22
Make A Difference Day is celebrated each year on the 4th Saturday in October and is the nation’s largest day of volunteering. Together with long-standing partner HandsOn Network, the generosity of Newman’s Own and hundreds of carrier newspapers, USA WEEKEND rallies millions in a single day to help change the world.
National recognition for volunteers
Helping others on Make A Difference Day — and submitting your project for award consideration — gives your favorite charity a chance to receive a $10,000 donation from Newman’s Own.
Each year, projects from across the country are honored for their contributions. Honorees are recognized in a special April 2012 issue coinciding with National Volunteer Week, led by Points of Light Institute. Award honorees will receive their awards that month at an event in Washington, D.C.
This year:
- 10 National Honorees will receive a $10,000 charitable donation from Newman’s Own.
- 3 City Awards will recognize the volunteer efforts of three cities. $10,000 charitable donations are made in each city by Newman’s Own.
- A $10,000 Encore Award will be funded by the Gannett Foundation and USA WEEKEND. This award goes to a former National Honoree who shows continued excellence in volunteerism.
To be eligible for awards, projects must be registered in the DAYtaBANK prior to Make A Difference Day and then updated with details of the day by the deadline.
Deadline for awards consideration is December 1, 2011.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Make Your Mark This Week
Make Your Mark Week (formerly Kids Care Week) is celebrated during the third week of October, this year October 16-22, 2011. The week inspires and mobilizes kids to use their energy, ingenuity and compassion to “make their mark on the world” through hands-on service to help others in their local and global communities. During the week, young people focus on issues that matter most to them by doing small acts or service projects that add up to making a big difference.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Memories from Fellow Pioneers
With just over a month to go until we celebrate our Centennial anniversary, here are a few of of the memories featured on the Pioneers website. Click here to read all of the memories that were shared by your fellow Pioneers.
"I started working for the telephone company in Bremerton, Washington in 1940. Since I didn't have a lot of service, they put me on the night shift. I had finished my shift and was ready to leave when the Chief Operator came running and said "Come back, we need you!" The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor and most of our ships were destroyed or sunk. All of the operators came back to help. It was certainly a big job. In Washington state, I worked in Bremerton, Seattle and Olympia. In Oregon state, I worked in The Dalles and Portland. I worked as an operator when I moved around during the war. Finally settling in The Dalles, Oregon where I worked as Evening Chief Operator and then Chief Operator. The office closed in 1973 and I went to Portland, Oregon. In 1976, I retired and moved back to The Dalles." Helen George - Qwest Pioneer
"In 1987 as president of the MidState Empire Chapter in NY, one of our life members suggested that we clean the Appalachian Trail. I explained that we were already doing a section of it every year and he said no I mean the whole trail. I thought that it was a great idea and pursued it. We spent over 500 hours mapping out sections of the trail and determining how many people would be needed for each section of the trail, coordinating the pickup of the trash removed, etc. In April 1988 over 2,000 volunteers cleaned the entire trail over a single weekend. The weather cooperated in the north but there was snow on the south. My entire family took part as I'm sure was the case with other volunteers as well. I'm very thankful to my Chapter administrator Cliff Genez and all of the many member of the MidState Empire Chapter for their efforts to make this project a "Great one"." John A. Bauman, AT&T Pioneer - Florida Chapter #39
"In 1987 as president of the MidState Empire Chapter in NY, one of our life members suggested that we clean the Appalachian Trail. I explained that we were already doing a section of it every year and he said no I mean the whole trail. I thought that it was a great idea and pursued it. We spent over 500 hours mapping out sections of the trail and determining how many people would be needed for each section of the trail, coordinating the pickup of the trash removed, etc. In April 1988 over 2,000 volunteers cleaned the entire trail over a single weekend. The weather cooperated in the north but there was snow on the south. My entire family took part as I'm sure was the case with other volunteers as well. I'm very thankful to my Chapter administrator Cliff Genez and all of the many member of the MidState Empire Chapter for their efforts to make this project a "Great one"." John A. Bauman, AT&T Pioneer - Florida Chapter #39
"My best Pioneer memory is a love story, how the love of Pioneering and volunteering lead to my happy ever after story. I first met Rick while we were attending the annual assembly is Indianapolis in 93. We both were representing our local Tennessee councils – he the Knoxville area and me the Jackson area – about 300 miles apart. Our 2 councils had always competed for the Tennessee Council of the Year. That competition developed our Pioneer friendship leading to our first date – Dipping DOGS at a state meeting. After long distance dating for 8 years we married. Our honeymoon was spent volunteering at the Bellsouth Senior Golf Classic in 2001. We love our Pioneer family who helped bring us together. Now 10 years later we continue to be active in Pioneering and the love story continues." Melinda Davis - AT&T Pioneers, Tennessee Chapter #21
Friday, September 16, 2011
Help Pioneers Dish It Up Go Viral!
Help us reach our goal of feeding 1 million people by going viral! Our first ever International Centennial project, Dish It Up, is well under way in over 45 states and provinces across the US and Canada. Please help us meet our goal! Here is your chance to participate in some quick and easy micro volunteering opportunities!
Complete one or more of these activities each day for the next (and last!) 7 days of the project:
Complete one or more of these activities each day for the next (and last!) 7 days of the project:
- Send this email to 10 people and ask them to participate in helping Pioneers Dish It Up go viral!
- Post a link to the project on your personal and/or Pioneers unit’s Facebook page and ask your friends and family to “like” it and repost
- Share some of the heartbreaking statistics with your online community about hunger (i.e. "50.2 million Americans struggle with hunger and 17.2 million of them are children." Visit the Feeding America web site. Or, “38% of those helped by Canadian Food Banks are children and youth.” See the Food Banks of Canada website.)
- Share these moving Hunger Counts videos and request support for Dish It Up through volunteer time, food, or funds.
- Tweet on how your community is participating
- Tweet and update Facebook while you are at a Dish It Up event
- Email your friends and family and ask them to help spread the word
- Ask 10 people to donate $10 using our secure online donation form
- Share with your connections on LinkedIn
- Include project information as your next blog post
- Drive your friends and family to the August 2011 Pioneers Projects and Programs Periodical focusing on Dish It Up.
- Post pictures and videos from your project as it is happening or right after on Facebook, Twitter, your website, blog, etc.
- Text 5 friends and ask them to participate with you
- Share the link to the press release
- “Like” Pioneers a Volunteer Network on Facebook
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Dish It Up kicks-off September 11
Pioneers across North America will kick off Pioneers Dish It Up on Sunday, September 11, the U.S. National Day of Service and Remembrance. Numerous volunteer efforts focused on addressing hunger will run through September 25th.
During this time, Pioneers volunteers will be collecting healthy, nutritious, non-perishable food donations, as well as transporting food to food banks, filling backpacks with healthy snacks or easy to prepare “weekend” food for children and serving food at local shelters or soup kitchens.
“The United States has 49 million people who do not have access to enough food, and in Canada over 800,000 individuals access food banks on a monthly basis,” said Carey Wirtzfeld, president of Pioneers. “We’ve been engaged in amazing volunteer efforts for 100 years and this year, as a tribute to our Centennial, we decided to address the issue of hunger in the US and Canada.”
With the support of partners such as Liberty Mutual and Feeding America, as well as local retailers, Pioneers have a goal of providing one million healthy meals to individuals across North America through a variety of community service activities. Volunteer efforts will occur in hundreds of cities across 45 states and provinces.
“The hunger issue isn’t going away,” said Doug Montgomery, Feeding America. “In 2010, food pantries and soup kitchens served more than 37 million Americans – this is an increase of 46% from 2006. Events like Pioneers Dish It Up are meeting a tremendous need, by not only focusing on filling food banks, but by raising awareness about the importance of bringing healthy food into our communities.”
Every Pioneers member is encouraged to participate by visiting us online for a list of food collection and drop-off sites in their community.
Examples of healthy food that Pioneers are collecting include:
Whole wheat pastas
Brown rice
Canned fruit (packed in own juice)
Canned vegetables
Canned meats (tuna, salmon, ham, chicken or turkey)
Canned or dry beans (such as black, kidney, pinto, navy, garbanzo)
Peanut butter (plastic jars, please)
Pioneers can also participate by making a financial contribution through our secure online donation form. Each dollar donated can provide eight meals for people in need.
Together, we can make a difference in the fight against hunger!
During this time, Pioneers volunteers will be collecting healthy, nutritious, non-perishable food donations, as well as transporting food to food banks, filling backpacks with healthy snacks or easy to prepare “weekend” food for children and serving food at local shelters or soup kitchens.
“The United States has 49 million people who do not have access to enough food, and in Canada over 800,000 individuals access food banks on a monthly basis,” said Carey Wirtzfeld, president of Pioneers. “We’ve been engaged in amazing volunteer efforts for 100 years and this year, as a tribute to our Centennial, we decided to address the issue of hunger in the US and Canada.”
With the support of partners such as Liberty Mutual and Feeding America, as well as local retailers, Pioneers have a goal of providing one million healthy meals to individuals across North America through a variety of community service activities. Volunteer efforts will occur in hundreds of cities across 45 states and provinces.
“The hunger issue isn’t going away,” said Doug Montgomery, Feeding America. “In 2010, food pantries and soup kitchens served more than 37 million Americans – this is an increase of 46% from 2006. Events like Pioneers Dish It Up are meeting a tremendous need, by not only focusing on filling food banks, but by raising awareness about the importance of bringing healthy food into our communities.”
Every Pioneers member is encouraged to participate by visiting us online for a list of food collection and drop-off sites in their community.
Examples of healthy food that Pioneers are collecting include:
Whole wheat pastas
Brown rice
Canned fruit (packed in own juice)
Canned vegetables
Canned meats (tuna, salmon, ham, chicken or turkey)
Canned or dry beans (such as black, kidney, pinto, navy, garbanzo)
Peanut butter (plastic jars, please)
Pioneers can also participate by making a financial contribution through our secure online donation form. Each dollar donated can provide eight meals for people in need.
Together, we can make a difference in the fight against hunger!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Every Dollar Helps Feed Eight Hungry People
While donating food to Pioneers Dish It Up: Feeding Families Healthy Food is a great hands-on volunteer experience for Pioneers to participate in together from September 11th – 25th, your cash donations can go even further. A food bank or pantry can purchase food in bulk at a much greater discount than retail price. When you make a cash contribution to Dish It Up, your contributions benefit local food banks and hunger programs.
The easiest way to make a cash donation to Dish It Up is through our secure online donation page, plus your donation is tax deductible, where applicable by law. The best part is that each dollar you give can provide up to eight meals to people in need.
Please join the Pioneers in feeding one million people who are facing hunger in the United States and Canada.
A $100 donation, in celebration of the Pioneers’ Centennial, started by Alexander Graham Bell in 1911, will help provide a meal to 800 hungry people. Donate online now by clicking the button next to “I want to make a donation to Dish It Up".
Together, we can make a difference!
The easiest way to make a cash donation to Dish It Up is through our secure online donation page, plus your donation is tax deductible, where applicable by law. The best part is that each dollar you give can provide up to eight meals to people in need.
Please join the Pioneers in feeding one million people who are facing hunger in the United States and Canada.
A $100 donation, in celebration of the Pioneers’ Centennial, started by Alexander Graham Bell in 1911, will help provide a meal to 800 hungry people. Donate online now by clicking the button next to “I want to make a donation to Dish It Up".
Together, we can make a difference!
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