Community. It’s what UCT members and local councils are all about. Whether it’s volunteering or supporting community causes and charities through other projects, our members throughout the U.S. and Canada show they care for their communities year ‘round.
The past few years have been tough ones for members and local councils, as well as for the communities where they live. COVID – and the restrictions imposed because of it – has put a damper on many activities, but we’re making sure UCT’s programs that support and recognize their endeavors stay on track for 2022. Here’s a rundown:
Join Hands Day
Join Hands Day is a multi-generational volunteer opportunity that allows UCT members to work side-by-side with children and teens to do good in their communities. While the “official” Join Hands Day is the first Saturday in May, local councils can hold their projects at any time during the year. We’re leaving this project to the discretion of local councils as to whether they wish to or can hold joint community service events at this time.
Bridges of Friendship Award
In an effort to address the importance of our local councils’ partnerships with community organizations, UCT Charities established the Bridges of Friendship Award to grant two cash awards of up to $5,000 each annually to two local charitable organizations, one in Canada and the other in the U.S. These two organizations will be chosen by the Bridges of Friendship Award committee from nominations of local charitable organizations submitted by UCT local councils that have worked with and supported them. Nominations are due by no later than APRIL 1.
Volunteer of the Year Award
While the Volunteer of the Year Award has been suspended for the past few years due to COVID, it’s being resumed for 2022. The award is an honor presented by UCT to recognize a member who has provided outstanding volunteer service to his or her council and community during the past year. We know the pandemic has made volunteering difficult, be we also know that there have been members giving their time to their communities despite COVID, so we’re encouraging councils to reward them with a nomination. Those are due by no later than APRIL 30, by the way.
Medal of Honor Program
This longtime program rewards local councils for their community service efforts. Whether mailing a physical book or submitting an electronic version of it, the deadline date for submitting Medal of Honor Program activities is May 1. The program for 2021-2022 has been tweaked to accommodate how COVID-19 is affecting local councils and their communities.
Local/Regional Council Newsletter Contests
A number of UCT’s local and regional councils keep their members informed through newsletters. We’ll be conducting our annual newsletter contests for them and offering cash prizes at the international level in 2022, so we urge councils to take a look at their 2021-2022 newsletters, and choose the one they believe to be the best and email it or mail it to me by no later than MAY 1.
UCT Safety Poster Contest
UCT sponsors an annual safety poster contest for students in public, private, and parochial schools and for students with intellectual disabilities every year. Schools across North America are eligible to participate, once contacted by a UCT local council. Safety poster judging is conducted at the international level for posters winning first place at local and regional levels, and we plan for that to happen in 2022. Winning posters should be forwarded to the UCT home office for judging by June 6.
That just about covers it. Members should feel free to contact me at lfisher@uct.org or at 800.848.0123 x1130 with any questions or concerns.
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