Volunteer Appreciation Activities in Schools

Whether it's helping students to read or learn English, or helping out in the classrooms, library or cafeteria, most schools rely on the good will of volunteers to give their students the best possible education. And though most people volunteer just for the sake of helping others, it is nice to offer a thank you to let them know they are appreciated. But you don't have to break the fiscal budget to show them what their service means to you. The only thing that really matters is that each thank you is sincere and from the heart.

Parties and Food

Everybody likes a party, especially when there is food involved. A staff and volunteer get-together is a great way to offer a relaxed environment in which all can enjoy themselves. You can ask the cafeteria to whip up something special, order pizza and ice cream, or fire up the grill and have a barbecue. Add that personal touch by centering the party on a theme, like "Volunteers, Our Angels," and serve angel food cake for dessert. Whether it's college students or senior citizens helping out, they'll appreciate knowing a time was set aside especially for them.

Student Art

Some of the best ideas are the simplest. Have your students create some homemade art to give to the volunteers. If you're making homemade cards, you can enhance them with a theme--for example, if you go with the angels theme, have the students glue cotton balls to blue construction paper to show the volunteers what angels they really are. If your volunteers are helping children learn how to read, consider making them book markers as thank you notes. Another inexpensive idea is homemade buttons. Just have the students decorate white paper with their thank you, and send them off to a button-maker to be finished.

Gifts and Awards

Almost everybody loves candy and sweets. You can really show your volunteers how much you appreciate them by giving them a customized chocolate bar with a thank you note for an outer wrapping. Gift baskets filled with something sweet are another great way to say thanks. You can add a personal touch by having students decorate the bag, or get some tote bags with the school logo on them and have the students customize the bags on one side. Another great keepsake is a CD with a photo slide show of each volunteer's time at the school.

If your volunteers have children, offer to do a "parent's night out," so those volunteers can go out to dinner or a movie with a gift certificate you provide in a homemade gift bag. And if you have a really special volunteer or a great volunteer who is leaving, give her a custom-made award and put her photo up on the "Volunteer Wall of Fame."

References

• Volunteer Recognition Ideas