Ninth annual JOIN HANDS DAY awards announced.
OAK BROOK, IL – The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) recognized this year’s ten JOIN HANDS DAY Excellence Award winners and nine honorable mention projects. The 2008 JOIN HANDS DAY Excellence Awards were presented at the Celebration of Fraternalism Luncheon held during the 122nd NFCA Annual Meeting, September 4-6, in Washington, D.C.
The ten awardees were selected from hundreds of volunteer projects that emphasized youth and adult partnerships on May 3, 2008. Each award-winning project received $1,000 and a distinctive glass trophy. The coordinating groups will choose how the funds are used. Some organizations donate the money to the beneficiary of the project or another benevolent cause. Others save the funds to use as seed money for the following year’s JOIN HANDS DAY event.
JOIN HANDS DAY, which promotes fraternalism and fraternal benefit societies, is the only day of service on America’s Season of Service national calendar that seeks to build youth and adult relationships through planning and participating in a day of volunteering. This signature event provides fraternal benefit societies with an opportunity to connect with other volunteer organizations to make an important impact on their communities.
In selecting Excellence Award recipients, the most important consideration is the quality of the youth and adult partnership in planning and conducting the event. Other criteria include the quality of the project to the community or persons in need, effectiveness of the mobilization group and the potential for relationships to continue after JOIN HANDS DAY.
“On May 3, fraternalists and non-fraternalists came together for JOIN HANDS DAY—to make a difference in their communities through helpful projects that connect youths and adults,” said Michael Stivoric, Chair of the Join Hands Corporation Board of Directors. “JOIN HANDS DAY gives fraternal benefit societies and volunteer organizations the opportunity to reach out to people they don’t know, to connect generations and develop new relationships.”
Eight of the ten winning projects were coordinated by fraternal benefit societies. The other two projects were conducted by local community groups and volunteer organizations.
2008 Excellence Awards Winners
Modern Woodmen of America: Camp 10594-3 of West Burke, Vermont: This multi-generational project included 200 volunteers who cleared one mile of walking trails. An unfinished platform on the observation deck was completed and a bridge was built over a marsh area.
Gleaner Life Insurance Society: Volunteers between the ages of four and 86, from the Harrison Arbor of McClure, Ohio, and the McClure Little League spread 23 tons of gravel in the community park. The park is used by many residents in this village of 754 people and is a focal point for local families and events.
The Spink County Extension Service: Along with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ Redfield, South Dakota, branch and the 4-H Club created a Pizza Garden for Eastern Star Nursing Home. A circular plot was planted in slices with wheat, herbs, vegetables and tomatoes. They expect a fall harvest to yield produce, which will be sold at the local farmers’ market and given to food banks.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans: In the Spokane, Washington’s West Central Neighborhood, the lowest income per capita neighborhood in the state, Riverfront Farm and Project HOPE received permission from property owners to till trash-filled lots for urban gardens. The West Spokane County Chapter of Thrivent Financial donated $1,000 in “seed” money to purchase supplies including tools that would remain after JOIN HANDS DAY in a ‘tool-lending library’ for residents in this low-income area. Sixty-five volunteers including Girl Scouts Troops, an elected city official and local businesses helped in this effort. Youths also built three handicapped-accessible raised planter beds and two compost bins.
Volusia County Environmental Management: In New Smyrna Beach, Florida, youths and adults from the Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Club, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and many other organizations were among the 650 volunteers participating in the 20th Annual Halifax/Indian River Cleanup. Eighteen tons of trash were collected.
Royal Neighbors of America: The society purchased and donated three Wii games to senior centers in Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. Youth and adult volunteers taught nursing home directors how to hook up the game consoles to their TV sets and provided gaming instructions. Youths taught the seniors how to play tennis, bowling, baseball, board games, card games and puzzles.
Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society: Lodge 865 in Tallahassee, Florida, educated the community about pet overpopulation at this Fort Braden School project. An essay contest and a pet food drive were held. Approximately 543 cans and 70 lbs of dry pet food was collected and donated to the Animal Aid Society for their homeless pet program. This project was so successful that the school’s principal has asked that they partner with them again next year and indicated that at least two other schools also want to participate.
Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union: Working with local churches and the Lioness Club of Bethlehem, Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union held “WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.” More than 700 pounds of items filled 35 boxes that were packed for shipment to military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans: KIPP Aspire Academy in San Antonio, Texas, is a free college preparatory public middle school that provides a “no excuses” approach to an intercity students in grades 5 to 8. Adult, student and youth participants worked together to create a special inner-city “Green Space” of flower beds and walkways next to the school. Youth participants learned skills planning and carrying out a project. Adults learned how a dedicated educational program at KIPP Aspire could change and transcend the lives of youths and make a difference in the community.
Modern Woodmen of America: In Twin Falls, Idaho, a diverse group of five Modern Woodmen of America camps, a Red Hat society; home schoolers, a motorcycle group, the Potato Growers of America, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, a builders association and church groups created the “best Christmas party ever” for residents of an assisted living center, complete with personalized Christmas cards, decorations, refreshments and Santa Claus. More than 500 presents were purchased, wrapped and presented to seniors at the surprise event.
2008 Excellence Awards Honorable Mentions
Modern Woodmen of America: Working with local Girl Scouts and high school students, collected a total of 2,183 canned goods and non-perishable items to replenish shelves at the Middle Tyger Community Center food pantry in Lyman, South Carolina.
Morton Health Homeless Community Clinic: Provided a picnic lunch to 280 of the homeless population of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Catholic Order of Foresters: In Sauk Centre, Minn., many community groups including the Catholic Aid Association, Boy Scouts, Camphill Village, Rotary Club, Lions, Sauk Centre Education Association, Gopher Prairie 4-H and First Lutheran Church mobilized to distribute 2,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs to every household. Organizers estimate the effort would save enough energy to light more than three million homes for a year.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans: Volunteers including Boy Scouts, Society of St. Andrew and the Salvation Army bagged 44,000 pounds of loose sweet potatoes and then distributed them to local food banks and in low-income neighborhoods in Cape Coral, Fla.
First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association: The Saint John the Baptist Catholic School’s seventh grade students in Whiting, Ind., demonstrated their computer skills to members of The First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association who had made financial contributions for their purchase.
Modern Woodmen of America: Handicap accessibility was constructed on the front and rear entrance of a building that had been turned into a outreach center for the youth of Jacksonville and Pulaski County, Ark. Youth volleyball and basketball team members assisted.
Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society: In Lebanon, Virginia, Boy Scouts, Green Valley Youth Group, Lebanon Baptist Church and the high school joined Woodmen members to collect food and other necessities for the food bank.
Cook County Middle School Student Council: Students volunteered in 22 different locations in Grand Marais, Minn., from daycare centers, museums, libraries, elementary classrooms, the community center, trails, nursing home, senior center, senior housing, North House Folk School, and littered alleys.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans: Combining forces with Global Youth Service Day in Nashua, New Hampshire, Thrivent helped to connect Community Service Teams with City Year for an inspiring day of service led by 17-24 year old AmeriCorps members and local middle school youths.
“Congratulations to the JOIN HANDS DAY 2008 Excellence Award winners, and we’ll see you out in full force next year, on May 2, 2009. Until then, join us in celebrating fraternalism by JOINING HANDS 365 days a year,” said Stivoric.
Sponsored by America’s fraternal benefit societies, JOIN HANDS DAY is the fraternal national day of service when youths and adults work together to plan and implement projects that benefit their local communities. To learn more about JOIN HANDS DAY, visit the Web site at www.joinhandsday.org or e-mail actioncenter@joinhandsday.org.
About the NFCA
The 123-year-old NFCA unites 73 not-for-profit fraternal benefit societies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. The association represents 10 million fraternalists in 37,000 local chapters, making it one of America’s largest member-volunteer networks. Fraternal benefit societies provide their members with leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, scholarship, financial and volunteer-service opportunities. Combined, the NFCA’s member-societies maintain more than $343 billion of life insurance-in-force and, in 2007 alone, contributed almost $418 million to charitable and fraternal programs, and volunteered more than 95 million hours for community-service projects. These statistics demonstrate the commitment that fraternals make to those in need and exemplify the true meaning of the NFCA signature phrase: Joining Hands to Touch Lives. For more information, visit the NFCA’s Web site at www.nfcanet.org.
