Today, Governor Roy Cooper declared April 7 – 13, 2019 National Volunteer Week in North Carolina to celebrate the work of volunteers. Gov. Cooper is encouraging state employees and North Carolina residents to mark the week by volunteering in their communities.
"Whether they’re aiding survivors of disasters like Hurricane Florence or providing meals for the hungry, volunteers play a critical role in our state every day,” said Gov. Cooper. “I hope that all North Carolinians will get involved in improving their communities by volunteering or supporting organizations that do volunteer work.”
Many North Carolinians including state employees volunteer in their communities regularly, especially supporting ongoing relief efforts following Hurricane Florence. Since Florence hit the state, more than 75,555 volunteers have performed over 1.7 million hours of community service in North Carolina to help with recovery.
During National Volunteer Week, Gov. Cooper encourages state employees to talk with their supervisors about using community service leave to volunteer at a local nonprofit organization. They can also participate in volunteer activities planned by state agencies.
Leaders from cabinet agencies and other state employees are participating in volunteer events as part of Governor Roy Cooper’s call to support National Volunteer Week. For example, Department of Information Technology Secretary Eric Boyette and other department leaders are volunteering Monday with the North Carolina Baptists on Mission to repair homes damaged during Hurricane Florence. Members of the Department of Environmental Quality will join Division of Marine Fisheries employees to clean up the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort on Wednesday. Secretary Erik Hooks and other leadership in the Department of Public Safety are volunteering throughout the week for numerous causes and organizations, including coaching youth basketball, helping repair homes damaged by Hurricane Florence, and helping collect food and prepare meals for people in need. The Office of State Human Resources and its Director Barbara Gibson are leading a workplace clothing drive for the nonprofit organization Dress For Success throughout April 15. Employees with the North Carolina Department of Revenue are supporting Leaders Are Readers, a project to promote literacy, by volunteering and collecting books throughout the week.
National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 by Presidential Proclamation to acknowledge and promote the value of community service across the country. National Volunteer Week has been federally celebrated each year since then, as well as through many state and local offices across the country.
Information on volunteer opportunities is available through the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, an agency within the Office of the Governor that promotes community service and volunteering across North Carolina.
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