We all know that we couldn’t run a successful facility without the help of volunteers. They make up the backbone of most activity programs. Our friends at notjustbingo.com have outlined 5 simple ways that you can show your appreciation to your volunteers, and just in time for National Volunteer Month in April.

1) Make a photo album featuring photos of your volunteer helping out at past events.

2) Create scrapbook pages that include elements of some of your special parties or activities that your volunteer was a part of, like the beads from a Mardi Gras happy hour. Use one page per event, and collate the pages to create a fun book of your volunteer’s involvement at your facility.

3) Decorate wooden frames and include a photo of your volunteer with your residents.

4) Make homemade cards that allow your residents to show how much your volunteer means to them. After all, we want your volunteer to come back! Supply residents with stencils and paint to create the unique cards. They can also use paint-a-dot cards that are fun to color and make the photo come to life.

5) Host a surprise “thank you” party for your volunteer – with balloons and their favorite dessert – and encourage your residents to honor your volunteer. For instance, if your volunteer likes to wear baseball caps or to wear all-black, encourage your residents to do the same at the party – paying tribute to your volunteer.

Find more ideas from Notjustbingo on the S&S blog here.

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About Not Just Bingo:

Not Just Bingo is an online resource of fun, senior activity ideas for activity professionals of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They have been providing fun activity ideas online since 2009, and continue to assist activity professionals across the country by creating meaningful and engaging activity ideas for their residents that go “beyond bingo.” Not Just Bingo feels privileged to help activity directors better the living experiences of their residents while demonstrating that a senior’s quality of life can actually improve when they move to a nursing facility!

Want even more ideas each month? Visit www.notjustbingo.com for how-to activity ideas, monthly newsletters, and daily holiday ideas. You can also sign up for the Notjustbingo Membership to receive specialized activity ideas to keep your residents and staff engaged, active, and having fun!