Members' Guide 

  

You Deserve National Recognition! 

Register Now for the Volunteer Service Awards Program! 

  

The Junior League of Omaha (JLO) is participating in an exciting new initiative called the Volunteer Service Awards (VSA) program.  The program allows League members who put in at least 100 hours of service on League projects each year, in a specified 12-month period, to receive national recognition for their efforts from President Bush and the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. 

The Junior League Volunteer Service Awards are supported by AJLI to honor and recognize the hours that Junior League members contribute to build better communities through, or as a result of, their Junior League membership.

For Provisional and Active members, the hours that count should represent the time commitment that members make to enable their Junior League to provide training and volunteer support for League programs that serve their community. Lifting up these hours of League service highlights the huge contribution that Junior League members collectively make to our communities through their participation in the Junior League. Hours spent in non-League volunteer activities in which League members would customarily participate to support their families, churches, schools, etc., or volunteer work on projects beyond the scope of League projects, do not count for the AJLI-funded awards given to Active and Provisional members.

For Sustainers, recognized hours are not only those dedicated to Junior League activities (including those projects that were started by their League but are now separate organizations or programs), but also include activities in which Sustainers use their League training to better the community, such as service on the Boards of local nonprofit organizations.

Hours for the Lifetime Achievement Award can be counted beginning with the date a League member joined the League. Validation for the hours is determined by the VSA Administrator in each League. To document League hours, we suggest existing records, such as the member's League placement card. Volunteer hours performed outside the League should be reported according to each organization involved. A member should submit a total for each organization, along with a letter from an executive in that organization specifying the role and period in which the member was involved. The VSA program is based on the honor system, so letters do not need to list the individual days/times of the service.

This table summarizes the different awards by level: 

	Leagues within the U.S.	Leagues Outside the U.S.*
100 - 249 hours (in 12 months)	U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award Bronze Level	AJLI President's Volunteer Service Award Bronze Level
250 - 499 hours (in 12 months)	U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award Silver Level	AJLI President's Volunteer Service Award Silver Level
500 + hours (in 12 months)	U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award Gold Level	AJLI President's Volunteer Service Award Gold Level
4000 + hours (in a lifetime)	U.S. President's "Call to Service Award"	AJLI President's "Lifetime Service Award"

All you have to do is track your volunteer hours in an easy-to-use online service log and our VSA program administrator will handle the rest.  By May/June of 2007, you will receive your awards package, which includes a special President's Volunteer Service Awards lapel pin, a personalized certificate suitable for framing, and congratulatory notes from President Bush and the Council on Service and Civic Participation. 

  

To enroll in the program, go to http://vsa.ajli.org and register today.  Begin entering your volunteer service hours, going back to April 1, 2006, and ending March 31, 2007.  A very detailed description of the program, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found by clicking on the "About the Awards" tab of this special program website.  For other questions about the program, contact Brooke Gravett at 933-2747 or by email at bradyag@cox.net.