Who Wants an Award from the President?

President John F. Kennedy famously said “One person can make a difference, and everyone  should try.” For over 100 years Girl Scouts across the nation have been making a difference by serving others, be it the girl in the next tent, the park down the street, or the community at large. Now you can be recognized for that service through The President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Never heard of it? The award recognizes, celebrates and inspires community service leaders and volunteers to take positive action that changes the world. Americans of all ages – from youth (5 years) to adults– are invited to participate and be recognized by our nation’s president for being active citizens.

What are the requirements? Citizens must have achieved the required number of hours of service over a 12-month time period or cumulative hours over the course of a lifetime. Families and groups can also earn the award together. Click here for more detailed information about the criteria, requirements, and a chart of award types and hourly requirements.

As a certifying organization Girl Scouts of Western Ohio gave out 10 awards for a total of 934 service hours in 2014 and 6 awards for a total of 676 service hours in 2013. That represents only a tiny microcosm of all of girls, volunteers, and service hours our members give to their communities each year and we’d love to recognize more of our members in 2015.

On this President’s Day let’s celebrate the vital role individual volunteers play in making a difference, and remember as Ronald Reagan said “no matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take the place of volunteers.” Check out these Volunteer Stories to hear in their own words how their volunteer activities changed not only the lives of others, but theirs as well and get inspired to begin your own volunteer story. If anyone from our council is interested in earning the award, contact Elizabeth Vessell, Program & Partnerships Team Leader, Cincinnati at ElizabethVessell@GSWO.ORG for more information.