A community-wide social media initiative to acknowledge and encourage volunteer efforts in the Shoals community
THE SHOALS– It only takes one person to help change the world … and with so many Shoals citizens actively engaged in volunteer work, the Shoals community is a better place. #ServetheShoals Challenge is a social media initiative developed in collaboration with multiple community partners, including United Way of Northwest Alabama, the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, and the University of North Alabama, that will amplify the volunteer investments made in North Alabama. “We each have the power to change our world, whether we spend 5 minutes, 5 weeks or 5 years performing a service to others – it adds up and makes a real difference,” says Martin Abroms, UNA Board President Pro Tempore.
Billions of tax-payer dollars are saved each year through the efforts of a diverse pool of compassionate individuals, better known as volunteers, and those agencies that are being served by their talents. April is nationally recognized as a time to reflect and show appreciation to volunteers who are actively giving time, resources, energy and heart to the service of others in communities across America. Thousands of men and women in the Shoals community are serving others in a variety of ways.
#ServetheShoals Challenge is an organic initiative to create engagement and track the conversation that surrounds community volunteer service. “The Shoals area has an abundance of citizens who serve our community on so many levels. This project will highlight the philanthropic nature of those citizens and will create an avenue to pair those volunteers with the programs that specialize in that service,” explains Shoals Chamber of Commerce Chairman Andy Mann.
Andy Mann
Beginning April 1 and continuing through April 30, 2016, community volunteers are encouraged to post photos of their efforts to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #ServetheShoals. “With so many of our community members using social media to communicate, #ServetheShoals is an excellent real-time conversation about how incredibly giving the members of our community truly are. We have great people who are helping grow business, deliver meals to those in need, stand up for abused and neglected adults and children, take part in litter-free events – and so many other things,” says Keith Sims, incoming Board President of United Way of Northwest Alabama.
Project organizers will collect the social media photos in an effort to measure the breadth of volunteer efforts in the Shoals. Organizers will then spotlight some of those volunteers and organizations they are associated with throughout the year. Additionally, one winner will be selected randomly from the photos to receive a prize at the end of the Challenge.*
*For more information on the requirements for posting entries to the #ServetheShoals Challenge, visit www.servetheshoals.org, or contact the United Way office at 256 764 5892 or bhaddock@uwshoals.org.
