National Doctor’s Day is celebrated annually on March 30 to show appreciation to doctors. The holiday dates back to 1933 when Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a doctor, decided to honor physicians like her husband. She sent greeting cards to physicans and placed flowers on the graves of doctors who had passed away. Her display of recognition proved to be very powerful! The U.S. Congress established a National Doctor’s Day almost 60 years later!

Fun Fact: The date for National Doctor’s Day is the anniversary of the first use of general anesthetic in surgery.

 

If you forgot that today is National Doctor’s Day, don’t worry! There’s still time to send a free ePraise, or write a handwritten thank you note , like Edora Brown Almond. The simple and genuine expression of appreciation in a note can be mean more than any expensive gift!

April is National Volunteer Month, and I encourage organizations to honor their volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 15-21. I’ve been able to learn a lot about volunteer through my work with local non-profit organizations on their events and my personal volunteer work. After all, one of the best ways to learn about appreciation is to be appreciated!

If you’re looking for volunteer appreciation ideas, I recommend you grab a cup of coffee and watch our 10 minute Recognition TV webisode. I share popular themes for volunteers and volunteer appreciation event ideas you can use this year.

In the video, I also recommend a few free resources that will help your volunteer appreciation event planning go smoothly. You can download all these resources from our Recognition Resource Center or by clicking on the links below.

Volunteer Appreciation Ideas eBook



Employee Event Planning Check List



Award Presentation Guide

 

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook. 

I recently told you about an inspiring volunteer experience our creative team had at Kids’ Food Basket here in Grand Rapids. Buzz went around the office after we returned, and more teams were asking me how they could get involved, too.

A few weeks passed, and our day out in the wild was about to become a distant memory when we, a recognition company, ended up receiving a little recognition ourselves. Yes, to our surprise, a poster showed up at our front door decorated with thank you letters and photos from the kids who benefited. We proudly displayed our poster in a common area, and, as a result, our little mission (and KFB, more importantly) got even more exposure. Hooray!

Since Volunteer Appreciation Week is in one month, I know there are lots of volunteer coordinators and leaders who are working on their volunteer appreciation plans. To help you out, I've lsited five great free volunteer appreciation resources you can use this spring: 

When is National Volunteer Week 2012 and how will you celebrate volunteers this year?