Contact:
Fred Whiting
Points of Light Foundation
(202) 729-8177
fwhiting@pointsoflight.org

Corporate Volunteer Councils in Sacramento, Atlanta, and Montgomery County, Md., Recognized

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 19, 2006)— Corporate Volunteer Councils (CVCs)  in Sacramento, Ca., Atlanta, Ga., and Montgomery County, Md., are recipients of the 2006 Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year Award, according to the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.  CVCs are community networks of businesses that come together to learn how to start, strengthen and increase employee volunteering.

“The Corporate Volunteer Council of the Year Award honors the outstanding performance of member Corporate Volunteer Councils (CVCs),” says Reed Dewey, Director of the National Partnerships program for the Points of Light Foundation.  “The award recognizes a Corporate Volunteer Council’s success in maximizing its operations, effectiveness and accomplishments.”

This was the first year for the award, which was presented at the National Conference on Volunteering and National Service, which took place in Seattle, Wash., June 18-20, 2006.  Selections were made by three judges who were selected from the Foundation’s Corporate Volunteer Council Advisory Team. 

The award recipients are:

• The Corporate Volunteer Council of the Sacramento Region, winner of the “Fast Start” Category award.  The Sacramento CVC has a diverse membership including 35 workplaces representing a wide array of business sizes and industries in the Sacramento area. 
• The Metro Atlanta Corporate Volunteer Council, which was selected for its long history of growth, innovative meeting programs and use of technology as demonstrated by its Web site and e-newsletters. 
• The Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County, Md., which developed a community volunteer program that provided the opportunity to see best practices in corporate volunteerism. 

“These winners show how strong and vital CVCs can be,” adds Dewey.  “We’re very pleased by the response to the new CVC Awards Program that the Points of Light Foundation started.  CVCs have been very effective in helping companies link with the community around workplace volunteering.” 

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network supports the vital work of millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities nationwide. For more information about local volunteer opportunities, call 1-800-VOLUNTEER or visit www.1-800-VOLUNTEER.org.

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