www.dallascityhall.com, www.volunteernorthtexas.org

(Dallas, Texas, (April 17, 2005) – The impact of Dallas residents who share their time and talents to make a difference in our community through ServiceWorks!, the City of Dallas Volunteer Program, will be honored during National Volunteer Week, April 17-23. National Volunteer Week’s theme, “Inspire by Example,” reflects the power that volunteers in our community and around the country have to inspire the people they help, as well as, to inspire others to serve. National Volunteer Week is about thanking our community’s most valuable assets – volunteers – and calling the public’s attention to all that they do to improve our communities.

“One of Dallas' most precious characteristics is a strong commitment to volunteerism”, said Julie Thomas, executive director of the Volunteer Center of North Texas. “Each year we are humbled by the stories we hear of selfless contributions made by our extraordinary citizens. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this week and salute all those who give of themselves to make Dallas a better place to live.”

“It’s easy to overlook the importance of volunteers because they rarely sing their own praises; yet they change so many lives,” said Robert K. Goodwin, president and chief executive officer of the Points of Light Foundation. “National Volunteer Week is a way of saying ‘Thank you!’ to the selfless men, women, and young people who embody the American spirit of caring for one another.” Mary Suhm, Acting City Manager, commented, “A great resource for any city is its people. In Dallas, we are blessed with a wealth of concerned and active citizens who, given an opportunity, will lend their time and energy to a variety of programs in order to improve the quality of life in our city.”

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest study on volunteers, over 64 million Americans volunteered their time – nearly 29 percent of the population.

National Volunteer Week began in 1974, when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing an annual celebration of volunteering. Every president since has signed a proclamation promoting the week. (more)

2005 National Volunteer Week - page 2

“The City is about community. If one has the time to contribute and help the community be a better place, one should,” said one ServiceWorks! volunteer.

ServiceWorks!, the City of Dallas Volunteer Program, places volunteers as support team members in all city departments. Volunteer opportunities are varied and include such diverse positions as office work, landscaping, customer service, research, and community ambassadors. ServiceWorks! is a collaboration of the Volunteer Center of North Texas and the City of Dallas that provides volunteer administration and consultation to the departments of the City of Dallas.

The Volunteer Center of North Texas promotes volunteerism through the recruitment and referral of volunteers and resources to over 1700 nonprofit agencies in Collin, Dallas, Tarrant and surrounding counties. For 34 years, the Volunteer Center has provided programs to support and assist local organizations that offer a wide variety of health and human services, and advance causes such as arts and culture, animal advocacy, education and environmental issues. Individuals, groups, students and businesses also rely on the Volunteer Center to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information about volunteerism and local volunteer opportunities.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, sponsors of National Volunteer Week, support the vital work of millions of volunteers, who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities nationwide. To be connected to a local Volunteer Center and learn more about the volunteer opportunities in your community, call 1-800-Volunteer or visit www.1-800-Volunteer.org.

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