PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:

Dear VAN Members,
 
Happy Independence Day. I wrote last month about self-pride. I want to spend this month reflecting on civic pride. A few of you have said you enjoy what I write. Thank you! I enjoy writing, and I’d like to think I do a good job. But I do recognize when other people are better at it. So here are some excerpts from former president Barack Obama to The Ohio State University’s graduating class of 2013 on citizenship:

• ”And we don’t always talk about this idea much these days -- citizenship -- let alone celebrate it.  Sometimes, we see it as a virtue from another time, a distant past, one that’s slipping from a society that celebrates individual ambition above all else; a society awash in instant technology that empowers us to leverage our skills and talents like never before, but just as easily allows us to retreat from the world.  And the result is that we sometimes forget the larger bonds we share as one American family.

• “We’ve seen the petty divisions of color and class and creed replaced by a united urge to help each other.  We’ve seen courage and compassion, a sense of civic duty, and a recognition we are not a collection of strangers; we are bound to one another by a set of ideals and laws and commitments, and a deep devotion to this country that we love.”

• “And that's what citizenship is.  It’s at the heart of our founding -- that as Americans, we are blessed with God-given talents and inalienable rights, but with those rights come responsibilities -- to ourselves, and to one another, and to future generations.”

• “The founders trusted us with this awesome authority.  We should trust ourselves with it, too.  Because when we don’t, when we turn away and get discouraged and cynical, and abdicate that authority, we grant our silent consent to someone who will gladly claim it.”

I recommend reading or watching the entire speech. [Transcript here] and [video here]. In recent years I have heard a lot of doom, a lot of gloom, a lot of despair in what the future brings. Even whether or not there is a future. Let me remind you that there is always a tomorrow.

I’ll leave you with the end of that speech: “And so I wish you courage, and compassion, and all the strength that you will need for that tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”

Galen Roth, CVA
Volunteers Manager at the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio
VAN President

• Columbus Academy Annual Service Day: Friday, Aug. 30 from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm - Does your organization need a group of approximately 10 teen volunteers (who come along with 1-2 adult chaperones) to help with various service projects? Reach out to the Columbus Academy's Service Board Advisor, Christy Bening at beningc@columbusacademy.org for more info. 
• Looking to Increase Senior Volunteer Engagement in your Organization? Check out THIS article for some great tips.
• Make a Difference Day: Planning a service project for Make a Difference Day this year? Check out THESE grants through Serve Ohio to help make your project a big success with a big impact! Application deadline is July 23, 2024, and projects can occur between Oct. 1-31.
• Since the next ServeOhio Conference isn’t until March 2025 we want to invite our members to the AL!VE, Better Impact and Hybrid Conference 2024. I think this year’s topic should be a fantastic one for all our members, no matter what your experience level is in managing volunteers. Every currently active VAN Member is invited to join us for the virtual conference!
  • Topic: “Creating Influence in Your Organization: Thinking Beyond ‘A Seat at the Table’”
  • When: Wednesday, October 23
  • Where: Virtually hosted at the Columbus Main Library
  • FREE for VAN members to attend! More details to come as we get closer to the date!

We hope to see you at an upcoming VAN PD Session soon!