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Organization Spotlight - November 2005

The Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network has been indirectly organizing volunteers from thousands of communities to support the resolution of serious social problems for more than 10 years. In 2003, The Points of Light Foundation was added as an affiliate to the Citizen Corps programs. The partnership was established to raise awareness about emergency preparedness, response training, and volunteer service activities through the Volunteer Center National Network and the national, state, and local Citizen Corps councils.

The Points of Light Foundation's mission is to “engage more people more effectively in volunteer community service to help solve serious social problems.” It supports the efforts of Volunteer Centers and agencies that coordinate volunteers, rather than directly mobilize or coordinate specific volunteer opportunities. The Points of Light Foundation supports volunteers from various areas of the community such as businesses, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, youth, and older adults.

The Points of Light Foundation's goal is to encourage volunteering as a standard of life for all people and provide sufficient resources to support these volunteers. This goal is achieved by placing emphasis on volunteers as key to solving serious social problems such as homelessness, violence, poverty, personal abuse, substance addiction, and health. Volunteers serve the community without a monetary reward, which reduces the cost of resolving these social problems. The Points of Light Foundation’s support of the MRC program is an example of how its indirect coordination of volunteers can benefit the overall community.

To learn more about how your MRC unit can collaborate on volunteer services with the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, visit their Web site at http://www.pointsoflight.org/.

Last Updated on 5/25/2006