The Volunteer Promotion Project is a project of the Community Foundation’s Millennium Group, which serves as a community resource for building civic engagement in our region.

The purpose of the Volunteer Promotion Project is to promote volunteerism in our region by enlarging both the number of people who volunteer for community service projects as well as the number of volunteer opportunities. The Project has a special emphasis on reaching youth to help instill a desire to serve the community and provide an example of “why” youth should volunteer their service.

The Project supports the True North Volunteer Center, a volunteer recruiting organization which was formed in the fall of 2003 and is housed at the Duluth YMCA. The Center provides a central location for accessing volunteer resources in northeast Minnesota and Douglas County, Wisconsin. Using a searchable data base on its website, the Center matches volunteers from the general public with a comprehensive list of volunteer positions from nonprofit organizations.

The Millennium Group is collaborating with other nonprofit and civic groups in Duluth, such as the YMCA, the American Association of University Women, and the Junior League, to promote the True North Volunteer Center.

One of the members of the Millennium Group and the Volunteer Promotion Project’s Committee was invited to emcee the True North Volunteer Center’s February 6, 2004 kickoff event. Attendees included the Mayor of Duluth. The Millennium Group was recognized in the program and in remarks from program speakers. The event’s keynote speaker was Shar McBee, author of “To Lead Is To Serve.” She also conducted a workshop on attracting and keeping volunteers for event participants.

In 2004, the Community Foundation awarded $1,500 from its Unrestricted Endowment Fund to become a True North Volunteer Center Sponsor. Sponsorship support will be used to market the Center’s website and for expenses for volunteer training events to be held in 2004.