Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) Celebrates Global Volunteer Month in April

Recognizing volunteers for their outstanding contributions in Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties.

North Bay, CA, April 4, 2022. Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) joins national affiliate, Points of Light, in celebrating Global Volunteer Month – a time to recognize the impact of volunteering and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges. Introduced in April 2020, Global Volunteer Month was launched as a galvanizing moment to inspire and activate volunteers, in addition to supporting our most vulnerable populations.

CVNL’s Volunteer Services, the Points of Light Affiliate for the North Bay, engage individuals, nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, and community groups in volunteering. This department matches volunteers and groups with the causes they care about and works to build the capacity of nonprofits and government agencies to utilize volunteers more effectively.

Over the past two years, through the pandemic, volunteers have joined the ranks with essential workers and first responders to combat COVID-19, support vaccination clinics, address systemic racism, and ensure equity and opportunity for all. Points of Light’s Civic Life Today report in Fall 2021 shared that 95% of people plan to maintain or increase their current level of involvement to do more after the pandemic passes. To meet that need, CVNL launched volunteernow.org, an online hub for volunteering and community engagement, where eager volunteers can connect with organizations in need of their help.

“Since the pandemic began, the need for volunteers did not stop and we have seen a renewed energy for civic engagement throughout our communities,” said Elaine Tokolahi, Director of Volunteer Services. “Here at CVNL, we continued to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers that could support the efforts of COVID response, respond to increased agency needs focusing on food insecurity, transportation, environmental clean-ups, and neighbor helping neighbor projects, while still training and supporting our disaster response organizations.”

During Global Volunteer Month, April 2022, CVNL will be highlighting one ‘rockstar’ volunteer per week from each of the four counties it serves to recognize and thank them for their integral work. “We look forward to inspiring others with the stories of people who are taking part in volunteerism and uplifting their community,” said Tokolahi. Nominations are open on a rolling basis and organizations and individuals are encouraged to nominate online at volunteernow.org.

“Global Volunteer Month provides the perfect opportunity to shine a light on the individuals and organizations who are making a difference in their communities,” said Rhonda Smith, Solano Volunteers Program Manager. “CVNL has many ways you can get involved – recognize volunteers, find virtual or in-person volunteer opportunities, or discover your passion on volunteernow.org.”

To find creative ways to get involved, volunteers are encouraged to visit volunteernow.org or the Points of Light website for more information on how to get connected. Those who wish to participate in Global Volunteer Month are encouraged to use #GlobalVolunteerMonth for social media posts.

About CVNL: For nearly 60 years, CVNL has advanced nonprofits and volunteerism by strengthening leadership, encouraging innovation, and empowering individuals in their communities. Passion alone isn’t enough when it comes to creating strong nonprofits. That’s why we work with leaders and volunteers every day to help them build the skills and connections that can take their impact to the next level. Together we offer comprehensive programs that support nonprofits and volunteers including training, executive search, customized consulting solutions, volunteer services, and corporate engagement. Heart of Marin™, Heart of Napa™ and Heart of Sonoma County™ events support nonprofits of every size and mission through recognition and cash awards. Other programs and services include the Sonoma County Human Race, Secret Santa, Court Referral Program, and Volunteer Wheels. We provide disaster preparedness training and serve as an Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC), overseeing spontaneous volunteers and donations for Napa, Marin, Solano, and Sonoma Counties in the aftermath of a disaster. We believe that with confident and prepared leaders, our nonprofits will be better equipped to create healthy, happy, and more equitable communities. Visit www.cvnl.org to discover more.