To assist you with planning and carrying out this event, we have created a downloadable Community Service Guide and Community Service Checklist and provide you with customizable media releases, PSAs, Proclamation and Thank You Letters to help generate publicity for your service event.
We want to showcase your event!
Advisors are encouraged to submit a National Week of Service project report to the national office by May 15, 2011. Photos are also appreciated. Send your reports and photographs to nclausen@skillsusa.org.
Publicize Your Event Locally with our Media Guide
To locate media resources for your community, including contact information for area newspapers, television and radio stations, use our SkillsUSA Advocacy Site. Go to the site, click on Media, enter your zip code and then click on Local Media. Click on the links to see full contact information for each media outlet.
Family-to-Family Service Project
Family-to-Family is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting families or communities that have abundant resources to families or communities that have much less. The program creates a bridge between suburban communities with enough to share and some of our country's most impoverished areas. The organization supports dozens of needy communities located in nearly 30 states with monthly shipments of food and friendship. There are many different ways to participate from shipping care packages, to collecting and sending used books, or even creating birthday parties in a box for children that never had the opportunity to celebrate their special day. Program members take on the responsibility of shopping for, packing, and sending a carton of necessities to a family they sponsor. Student groups that participate are encouraged to write letters to the families they sponsor, deepening the connection between them. To learn more or to start participating in Family-to-Family at your school, go to: www.family-to-family.org.
Habitat for Humanity
Many local SkillsUSA construction programs volunteer for Habitat for Humanity as there is a natural alignment with the skills students are learning and the skills needed for the organization. Habitat for Humanity International welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information on Habitat for Humanity or to find your local program affiliate, please visit: www.habitat.org.
Red Goes Green: How Green is your SkillsUSA Program?
We’d like to learn about local chapter service projects based on eco-friendly procedures, environmental education or sustainability. We are encouraging eco-friendly projects to be conducted during the SkillsUSA National Week of Service and these efforts will be showcased in the future. Please send green suggestions for SkillsUSA or information on your green initiatives to: Chris Powell, SkillsUSA Green Team, at cpowell@skillsusa.org or call him at 703-737-0621.
President's Volunteer Service Award
SkillsUSA is now an official certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award. Your chapter's service qualifies for this award. To find out more, visit this link
Previous Chapter Community Service Reports
Find out what other chapters did and get inspiration for your own chapter community service projects.
