Start Planning a Year of Volunteer Appreciation - Think About Holidays . . . Thanksgiving!

As you think about taking time in the coming school year to thank your volunteers, along with starting the school year with a, "thank-you" (as I wrote about yesterday) don't forget to consider how you might thank your volunteers on Holidays! Today let's think about the perfect time to say, "thank-you" . . . Thanksgiving!

On a day when we take time to say, "Thank-you", thanking our volunteers is definitely appropriate! Consider the following ways to do exactly this . . . 

• Involve the children and parents by having them sign notes or place a large sheet of paper on each classroom door/next to the door and ask children and parents to leave a note to encourage and thank teachers when they arrive/leave class. Give the paper to the teacher - or take a photo of each one which you can copy and give to each teacher if you have more than one teacher in a room (which, of course for safety reasons, you do!)
• Make cookie turkey thank-you's . . . write on paper "tail feathers" reasons you are thankful for your volunteers. Wrap cookies in plastic wrap, put a turkey head on the front of the cookie and tail feathers on the back. Give to your teachers! 
• Give each volunteer a hand-written note to thank them for serving the children and families at your church!

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking! Have you ever planned a Thanksgiving Volunteer appreciation?