Volunteer Gifts, What Hasn't Been Done

[mawbell 0]

:hammer: Hi, I am looking for ideas that our residents can make for a party favor for our volunteers for volunteer week in April. Anyone have some they would like to share. Thanks

Linda

[Guest cindymaybe]

I'm in search of volunteer gift ideas for our volunteer banquet coming up in April.

Everything in Positive Promotions we've done.

 

We asked the volunteers what they would like to get and the answer is

"Oh anything you give us will be nice."

"You guys always give us good things, you'll think of something."

 

What are we going to do?

Please somebody help!!! :-?

 

Cin

[Guest Guest_Kathy]

We use a Die-Cut machine from our local craft store and they have dies that are shaped like boxes and/or bags. We buy the paper from the Craft store and can use the Die Cut machine for FREE......So we usually buy white/ivory cardstock and cut out a ton of boxes and or bags at a time. We then bring them back here to the facility and save them for all sorts of events. Then we get the rubber stamps out and embellish according to our theme. We even have done soroity party favors, wedding favors and brithday parties for staff, families and community gorups! We then have them buy a die at the craft store so that we have other boxes/bags to choose from...anyway I digress.....

So we stamp the boxes/bags fill them with all sorts of candies or cheap trinkets from Oriental Trading and candy (candy being the central theme). We especially enjoyed doing "Take Out"boxes with that crunchy chinese noodles that you get at the store mixed with M&M's, nuts and drizzled with white chocolate...and we added our own fortune cookie and a gift certificate from our favorite Chinese Restaurant. We gave these to nursng staff with a tag that said "We are fortunate to have you with us".....Well it can also work for volunteers.....

We have a blast with our Die Cut boxes/bags and our rubber stamps always come in handy!

[LaineyBeth 0]

I know what you mean--we always seem to give the same bags, pens, lunch bags, clocks....the list goes on and on. My facility just celebrated 40 years and we gave these beautiful silver key chains--they were cheap too. Or what about plants? The begonias should be pretty and cheap around the end of April. Then its a lasting memory--they can plant it. Might be more work for you having to pick them up but it might work.

 

Good Luck! Let us know if you get any great ideas!

 

--LB

[Guest Guest_terryg]

Last year I bought silk flowers and cut the flowers so there was a bloom on a stem. We then took BIC pens and wrapped the stem around the pen using green floral tape (all the way so it covers the whole pen, but still enough space to put the cap back on.) Then we stuck all the flowers in blocks of green floral foam. We then made a pickett fence out of popsicle sticks we painted white and glued around the blocks. Stuck a sign in it that said "Please pick one" and put a big sign over the whole display that said "You help us to blossom". It was a big hit and I still see the Volunteers using them a year later.

[Pennie 26]

Listed are some sites you might want to check out. They may offer some different items for your volunteers and at affordable prices. On ABC, which I use every year for this, states you must buy in lots of 3. You don't have to you can order just 1 or any number needed. The price is still the same.

 

Everyone gets small item at the door when they register, like pencil, paper pomotional type items.

Then everyone (groups are considered one) gets a plaques of some type, the large organziations get a large plaque with a place to add years of service (then I only need to buy the yearly attachement for it) and others may need a different size plague depending on their services etc..

Then we do door prizes, everyone gets something. The prizes vary; in size and cost . Noone cares about this since all get something, they love the door prize drawings, just like our residents enjoy bingo :-P

Of course speeches are given, awards presented (plaques), regular things like this it all ends with a buffet style lunch. Be sure to include your volunteer residents. Have some of the residents man the greeting table, give out the awards, do a speech or poem, get them involved in some way.

 

abc distributing

 

Recognition Gifts

 

The Thanks Company

 

Thank Em Promotions

 

Volunteer Gifts

 

Volunteer CHEER

[bigchris 1]

Cindy,

 

I would suggest moving away from those companies and getting creative. We started taking our volunteers on quarterly "trips". Last year we took them to the North Pole and On a cruise. They seemed to enjoy the effort and the creativity.

 

 

Chris

[Pennie 26]

Hey Linda,

I posted this under Volunteer Gift, on the board but i should have posted it here :-? You may want to look at it also. This is from Bunny:

"Bunny" <bunnyhopping@yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: Ideas for volunteer party favors

 

 

Our volunteers are as good as gold--favors gold foil wrapped candy

bars...centerpieces, could be shallow containers of round rocks spray

painted gold and gold chocoalte coins with small white candles tucked

in them. Or an assortment of mismatched silk flowers all sprayed gold

and put into clear vases filled with gold packing shred.

Volunteers are the stars in our night sky...fill star shaped soap

molds with plaster and create paperweights that you paint and or

write on. Star shaped garland is pretty on a mirror around a candle

or several small vases with white flowers in them.

Volunteers reap with joy what they planted in kindness....decorate

the tables with small rose or other potted plants, and buy enough

mini ones to send one home with each volunteer. We bought a case of

24 for only 24.95 from a wholesaler, so they are not out of the

question. Ask for the Tom Thumb size....they are sweet!

Some other possible awards to offer your volunteers depending on your

facility .....lunch for two in your dining room for a ny lunch or

dinner with one days reservation. A new hairdo ( or manicure or

massage) from your on site salon. A certificate to be spent in your

crafts "store".

[Guest Tinki]

Have you guys thought about Volunteer Week Yet? It is at the end of April.

 

Karen

[Guest Tinki]

Here is a list of websites that sell volunteer gifts.

 

www.volunteergifts.com

www.voluncheer.com

www.anopenheart.org

www.cabam.ca

 

Karen

[Chet 0]

How about a volunteer tea. Purchase tea cups with saucers and let the volunteers take the tea cup and saucer home. Serve some snacks.

[Guest Tinki]

Here are some ideas from www.members.activitydirector.com

 

Take a Pic!

To celebrate your volunteers doing volunteer week give them a beautiful picture of the residents.

Before hand let your resident know about the picture day, request the residents to wear solid colored shirts. On the day of the picture arrange your residents in a good set up for a great picture. Then start snapping! After you get a great picture, buy some nice picture frames to put the pictures in. Then have a party to present the volunteers with their pictures.

 

Helping Hand

Two great idea for a gift to give the volunteers!

1. Buy give certificates from nail salon for a manicure, and on the evenlope write “Thanks for the Helping Hand”

2. Buy baskets and manicure supplies at the dollar store. Then decorate the basket and place the presents into the basket and on the basket hang a sign that say’s “Thanks for the Helping Hand”

 

Karen

[bigchris 1]

One year I introduced pies for a gift at Christmas. It went over very well! They were from a local baker that made them from scratch and also had diabetic pies as well.

 

 

BC

[arya 0]

For me the idea of giving gifts in such instances has always been to make something by myself and not taking the aid of any shops or customer care units. This makes people feel that the bond of intimacy is really there else things feel a lot distant.

[katlipstick 0]

We are going to have a service in our chapel, and have a blessing of the volunteers hands. Our gift to them will be a nice bottle of quality hand lotion. They spend so much time usin their hands to give, (and washing them over and over!) After the service, we will have a social with fruits, cheeses, and little cupcakes.

[GQGeorge 0]

It appears that Florida ain't the only state suffering either. Hopefully we can end the morally corrupt war in Iraq and repatriate those war-bucks back th the United States to aid the American public. ====================================== 20% more people on food stamps in 2008 than 2007 in Wisconsin 15% more people on food stamps in Iowa 13.8% increase in California 30% increase in New York 18.5% increase in Massachusetts Record number in Washington state on food stamps 31,000,000 Americans received food stamps in Sept, up 2,000,000 from the month before One in ten Americans on food stamps, number likely to increase

 

 

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[themusiclady 1]

The gifts I cherish which I've been given over the years are the photographs and little handwritten notes from staff, residents and family members....something that preserves all the happy memories and makes me feel really appreciated!

 

One year someone made me a CD of photos from all my groups that year, told me she'd been planning it for months: inexpensive but priceless.