We Appreciate You!

Membership Appreciation activities are underway at AWWA and throughout all the sections. It’s our privilege to be able to acknowledge and express gratitude for all of the members of AWWA. It’s through the hard work and dedicated service of the AWWA members that the mission of providing safe water is accomplished day after day.

We, at AWWA and within the Section Services Group, are very cognizant that so many of our members are not only members, but are volunteers, as well. Our group works with volunteers throughout the sections every day, and we are amazed at the hours and quality of service that you all provide: without pay and often with little recognition. As the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, we’d like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You.” Thank you for contributing your time and talents to the mission of AWWA. We are honored to work with you and are inspired by your service. Please share our appreciation with all volunteers of your section. AWWA would not be the organization that it is without the contribution of its volunteers on every level. We salute you!

Volunteer Appreciation Toolkit

This year at the Summer Workshop we focused on section volunteer recognition programs as a kick-off to an effort that the Section Services Group is starting in 2009 to assist sections in recognizing local volunteers. Many sections already have excellent recognition programs in place. AWWA provides official means of recognizing section volunteers (e.g., the Fuller Award), but sections are the means by which volunteers at the local level are primarily acknowledged.

We want to celebrate the efforts that sections undertake to recognize volunteers. Sections have created many admirable and unique ways to recognize section volunteers. We know that sections appreciate the opportunity to share their programs and learn from other section programs. Consequently the Section Volunteer Recognition Toolkit accessible through the Section Resources area of the AWWA website, is available for sections to learn about and share volunteer recognition programs.

This year we are starting with a few basic items:
• Recognition Resources to Help You
• Volunteer Recognition Ideas
• Principles of Recognition
• 2009 Summer Workshop Volunteer Recognition Panel PowerPoint Presentation and Recognition Materials

We know that sections recognize volunteers in many ways and throughout the whole year. Sections are best equipped with the knowledge necessary to know when and how this recognition is best given. We will, however, begin highlighting volunteer recognition during the month of April when volunteers are recognized in National Volunteer Recognition celebrations throughout North America. In the meantime, we encourage sections to contribute to our toolkit. We will accumulate this information and add to it with additional resources. As time goes on, we’d like to hear your stories: ways in which you recognize your volunteers and ways in which you’ve been able to use the Toolkit.