National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, is a time to celebrate individuals creating positive change in their communities. This year, Points of Light is also recognizing 10 national nonprofits that are making a tremendous impact on our country’s most critical challenges.

Therefore, we are delighted to have chosen the United Methodist Communications as one of our 2012 National Volunteer Week nonprofit honorees who unite individuals through service to demonstrate a collective spirit through partnerships to help strengthen communities across the nation.

Today's post is written by Rev. Larry Hollon, Chief Executive of United Methodist Communications.

Just think what we could accomplish if we all spent an occasional weekend helping a neighbor or volunteering in our communities. We can do more together than any one of us can do alone.

Through United Methodist Communications’ partnerships with local congregations, more than 4,500 churches have mobilized more than 500,000 volunteers to serve 4,000,000 people in 15 countries through community outreach events in 2010-2011. Those are the kind of numbers that speak for themselves, but the life-changing stories from these events shout decibels louder than the statistics.

I’m reminded of Jimmy Parton, a dying man in Gastonia, North Carolina, whose home had become dilapidated as polio, leukemia and colon cancer ravaged his body. The local codes enforcement department had contacted Mission Possible, a team of volunteers from Myers Memorial United Methodist Church. The team dispatches into the community several times a month to tackle projects like building wheelchair ramps and repairing roofs.

Jimmy’s wish was to provide his blind daughter and caregiver niece with a better place to live. Windows, doors and lights needed to be replaced, the kitchen needed to be re-wired, the floor needed to be raised and the yard was in disarray. From every corner of the community, volunteers of all ages stepped forward to help as Jimmy watched in wonder from his bed.

In just one day, the volunteers had not only finished the repairs, cleared the yard and cleaned the home, they had exceeded their goals by purchasing new appliances and a ceiling fan.

The next day, Jimmy died. His niece called the act of kindness “a miracle.”

An ocean away, thousands of other miracles unfold throughout Africa. In two short years, with partners from every sector and from around the world, United Methodists’ have helped cut the impact of malaria in half through Imagine No Malaria.

Efforts from volunteers like 10-year-old Emily Hayes are saving lives. Emily’s pastor gave each child in the Pennsylvania congregation a dollar and a challenge—find a way to multiply a buck to lead the church’s support in Imagine No Malaria.

A budding harpist, Emily inspired nearly 20 other performers to volunteer their time and talents to join her for a free-will donation concert benefiting Imagine No Malaria. In one night, the volunteers multiplied the dollar into $1,400.

On May 19-20, United Methodists will join hearts and hands with our neighbors around the globe for the third annual Change the World event. It’s a weekend of simple acts of kindness that demonstrates the impact we can all make if we work together. I invite you to join us.

Together we can feed the hungry, plant community gardens, clean up parks and coordinate efforts to save lives.  When we work together united by a common mission, we extend our reach and the scale of our abilities to create change that's transformational. Connecting with others makes us much bigger than ourselves, able to do much greater work.

If you’d like to organize a Change the World event or find one in your area, visit www.umc.org/changetheworld.

As the chief executive of United Methodist Communications, the Rev. Larry Hollon leads the global communications efforts of The United Methodist Church including the creation of the award-winning Rethink Church campaign which highlights the many opportunities available within local churches to engage with the world.  A visionary leader in global health issues, Hollon’s leadership has been instrumental in raising millions of dollars to save lives through malaria prevention.