National PTA President's Letter
December, 2000

At the end of November, I traveled to the United Nations to be part of the opening ceremonies for the International Year of the Volunteer 2001 (IYV 2001). During 2001, Americans of all ages and in all places will be challenged to commit to volunteering as a unifying force to build stronger communities.

Resources designed to increase awareness of, and access to, volunteer opportunities include an IYV 2001 website, informational and promotional materials, and key messages to be used in national and local media.

The plan is to encourage volunteering in the United States and around the globe. The vision is for this year-long grassroots challenge to spread into future generations.

Success will be measured by:

As the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association, National PTA can serve as an effective model for volunteers during IYV 2001 and beyond.

Each of you, through your outstanding day-to-day work in PTA, serves as a powerful example of what is best about volunteering.

Please tell everyone you know about IYV 2001. Encourage other volunteers to join you in spreading the word about the value of volunteering. Explain the many and varied ways PTA volunteers can and do positively affect their own families, schools, communities, and the nation.

Thank you for taking this to heart. Thank you for making an important difference in the lives of children.

Ginny Markell
President, National PTA