Social Work Blog Social work updates from NASW
Are you particpating in a Day of Service event? Did you sign up for Give An Hour? Leave a comment below and tell us about your experience.
President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden have included the Martin Luther King, Jr. day of service as part of their inauguration events. Events are occurring around the country. There are three ways we suggest you participate:
Sign up for Give An Hour
NASW is hosting a virtual event, encouraging social workers who are licensed and practicing clinically to go to www.giveanhour.org and sign up. You will commit to donating one hour of your time to provide critical mental health services to U.S. troops and their family members.
Let us know you will participate in our virtual event by going to http://pic2009.org/page/event/detail/dayofservicejanuary19/wpl#rsvp and replying.
Create your own event
You may already have an event you are hosting on this day, or you may want to create your own event. You can go to http://pic2009.org/page/event/create to list your event on the inauguration website so others can sign-up to help out.
Attend an event in your community
Go to http://pic2009.org/page/event/search_simple to find a list of events occurring close to your location. Choose one and rsvp that you will attend.
Please pass this information along to your colleagues. Thank you for being a part of this important day.
I live in a small community of about 13,000 and attended a presentation on the Friday Backpack program held at a local Lutheran Church. About half of the people attending the program did so in response to Barack Obama’s urging to give back on MLK day. As a result–middle school students and their parents are planning a service learning project, another church women’s group is considering joining the ecumenical project and I wrote a letter to the editor citing hunger issues in Oregon, contributing factors and how people can respond (locally with food donations to this program and nationally with support of key legislation.)
My daughter and I volunteered with over 200 others in an action led by our state senator, Jeff Smith to clean up several blocks of the street in St. Louis that bears the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By everything we saw, the event was successful. The street looked better, and those who joined in felt connected with his dream and with a diverse group of folks who shared in his aspirations. My daughter was totally engaged and may invite Senator Smith to speak at her school so more join this action next year. Thank you for encouraging this way to foster the ideals of Dr. King.
I volunteered at PADS on MLK day and it was wonderful to see that the children were happy and well mannered. It helped me to stay focus and grounded in not taking everyday life for granted. I am grateful that there is an organization like PADS to keep women and children from sleeping in the streets and keeping them safe.
I have a question and would appreciate anyone’s answer. I do school based counseling in an elementary school and I am based right at the school, even though I am employed through an outside agency. Today – with the inauguration – school staff wore Obama t shirts and obama buttons in celebration of our new president. I participated and when I later went to my agency, the Human Resource person approached me and told me I was in violation of the Ohio Revised Code because I had an Obama Button on. I can accept that it might be against a state code during a political election, as this would be a political activity. But to wear an Obama button to celebrate inauguration day is not the same thing. I do not see this as a political action. Am I wrong? I would appreciate opionions
Because my daughter is off of school that day, my options were limited to child friendly events. I went to donate the gift of life by Donating Blood at the American Red Cross. Also as chairperson of my town’s civic improvement commission, we sent a memo to the City Council encouraging everyone to participate in the Day of Service and hope to coordinate a larger event in our town next year.
President Obama is an agent of change intuitively. To be able to galvanize so many for this experience is beyond words. I am very proud to have him represent me; I am very elated to be part of this movement and content to have participated in this day of volunteering.
I volunteered on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the St. George’s Episcopal Church’s Soup Kitchen which has been serving a hot lunch weekly for 17 years, I learned. The staff was most welcoming to me and it was gratifying to serve food to some 40 recipients. Thank you, NASW, for promoting this important event and helping me to step into volunteerism!
I signed up for “give an hour” – but I found it confusing. If you decide to do this – simply click on the icon for resgistering – next to where you log on. It feels good to be a part of Obama’s call for service!!
As a part of the planning committee, I help promote our town’s annual MLK celebration, which includes songs, speakers, and a scholarship award. It is held at a local church, and is an uplifting and unifying community event in Union, SC.
For over 20 years I have attended the MLK breakfast held at Quinsigamond Community College. I had already purchased my ticket when I received NASW’s email. It is a terrific annual event. This year Jonathan Kozol will be the keynote speaker. My son was one of the first prize winners of the essay contest at the inception of this annual breakfast.
As a LCSW operating in two rural mental health clinics for the past 11 years I have been providing a half hour of free service for my organization and the patients I serve every day of work. That’s 2.5 hours per week over 11 years. I already give back to my community and have been proud to do so!
I have already signed up for Give and Hour and I am glad that NASW is supporting this effort.