DOVER (March 3, 2017) – Hundreds from the state’s nonprofit, government, business and civic sectors will gather March 23 at Dover Downs Hotel for the annual Delaware Conference on Volunteerism, the state’s leading conference for organizations and individuals making a difference in their communities through volunteerism.

Presented by the Department of Health and Social Services’ State Office of Volunteerism (SOV) and the Delaware Association of Volunteer Administrators (DAVA), the conference will feature instructional workshops, networking opportunities and a service project that will benefit Delaware’s volunteer-led Code Purple shelters for people who are homeless.

Andrea S. Taylor, principal owner of Taylor Consulting in the Philadelphia area, will give the keynote address. Taylor’s work utilizes an intergenerational lens to focus on a variety of issues including youth mentoring, addiction prevention, productive aging, workplace communication/interaction and nonprofit capacity-building. Her clients include federal agencies, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, school districts and nonprofit organizations.

“I am grateful to the Delaware Conference on Volunteerism for bringing together people to learn new ways of maximizing the volunteer spirit of Delawareans,” Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker said. “We recognize that government alone can’t solve all of the challenges we face, but working together with nonprofits, businesses and civic organizations we can better align the resources we all have to better serve people in need. That’s an important step in realizing our full potential as a state.”

Workshop topics at the conference include:

• Fundamentals of Grant Writing
• Targeted Volunteer Recruitment
• Data Collection for Impact
• Volunteer Background Checks and How to Prepare for the Unexpected
• How to Turn Your Volunteers Into Employees, Board Members and Donors
• Celebrating Service, Inclusion & Diversity

Jefferson Awards Foundation staff and volunteers will facilitate the service project after the final workshop.
“The conference offers a forum to come together as managers of volunteers and share new ideas to bring back and incorporate in our programs,” said Cheryl Christiansen, BBA, President of the Delaware Association of Volunteer Administrators.

The cost to attend the conference is $75 for Delaware Association of Volunteer Administrators members and $90 for non-members. Day-of-conference registration is $125. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, instructional sessions, and optional service project.

To learn more about the speakers and sessions, visit https://volunteer.delaware.gov.
Registration is available online at https://2017volunteerdelawareconference.eventbrite.com
For more information, contact April Willey of the State Office of Volunteerism at 302-857-5006 or dhss_VolunteerDelaware@delaware.gov

Conference Schedule:
• 8: a.m. – 9: a.m. Registration and Breakfast
• 9: a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Welcome Address and Keynote Speaker
• 10:30 a.m. – noon Morning Sessions
• Noon. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
• 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Afternoon Sessions
• 3 p.m. – 3:30 pm Service Project – Blessing Bags

The Delaware Conference on Volunteerism is sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Services, the Division of State Service Centers, the State Office of Volunteerism and the Delaware Association of Volunteer Administrators.

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The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

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