JOIN HANDS DAY Brings Together Thousands of Fraternalists for Neighborhood Volunteering
Projects in 49 states and one foreign country for the eighth national day of intergenerational partnership-building on May 5, 2007.

05/18/07

OAK BROOK, IL - This year’s JOIN HANDS DAY, May 5, 2007, was a great success thanks to the efforts of the fraternal benefit system.  Created in 2000, JOIN HANDS DAY is a national day of service where youths and adults work as equal partners to plan and carry out local volunteer projects to benefit their communities.  

In 49 states, plus the District of Columbia and Latvia, almost 1,000 projects were registered for this year’s JOIN HANDS DAY.  JOIN HANDS DAY is sponsored by America’s fraternal benefit societies and is held annually on the first Saturday in May.  Details of this year’s many projects can be found on the JOIN HANDS DAY Web site (www.joinhandsday.org).

JOIN HANDS DAY President Visits Model City
On May 5, JOIN HANDS DAY President Frederick H. Grubbe joined volunteers in Appleton, Wisconsin, for a “Human Race” on Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ grounds.  Volunteers included participants from Equitable Reserve Association, the Appleton Volunteer Center, students at Fox Valley Lutheran High School and Habitat for Humanity (Fox Valley affiliate).  This Thrivent-sponsored event raised funds to support the local Volunteer Center, as well as many non-profits.  In addition to the Human Race, there were a variety of other events, such as Habitat for Humanity’s “build a birdhouse,” the assembly of packets for Stand-Up for Kids, a clothes collection by kids for kids and a face-painting booth.

“JOIN HANDS DAY is just one example of how fraternal benefit societies make a difference in their communities,” said Grubbe.  “Volunteering and contributing in their own neighborhoods is a key part of fraternalists’ daily lives.”

Bringing Generations Together in the JOIN HANDS DAY Model Cities
Appleton, Wis., was one of eleven cities named as a 2007 JOIN HANDS DAY Model City. This year’s Model Cities also included Brentwood, Pennsylvania; Rock Island, Illinois; San Leandro, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Bedford, Ohio; Joliet, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; San Antonio, Texas; and Imperial, Pennsylvania.   A "Model City" designation is an honor awarded to a fraternal benefit society that plans a larger-scale JOIN HANDS DAY project in the city where their society is headquartered.  Fraternal benefit societies develop Model City projects through creative partnerships with other fraternal benefit societies and community organizations.  The fraternal benefit societies that developed this year’s Model Cities were: Catholic Knights, Catholic Family Life Insurance, Equitable Reserve Association, First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, Greater Beneficial Union of Pittsburgh, KSKJ Life (American Slovenian Catholic Union), Modern Woodmen of America, Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas, Russian Brotherhood Organization of the USA, Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ), SPJST, Supreme Council of the UPEC and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Helping Wounded Soldiers on JOIN HANDS DAY
The home office of the Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas cooked breakfast for wounded soldiers and their families—approximately 150 people—on May 5.   Volunteers and home office employees helped cook and transport the food to the Fisher House—a low-cost living facility that serves military families during times of medical crisis.  Volunteers included the Army Fisher House Volunteer Group, GI's from the Intrepid Center (Amputee Rehabilitation Center), and GI's from the Brook Army Medical Center.  The Fisher House does not provide personal items, such as toilet tissue, paper towels and cleaning supplies, so donations of  these types of items also were delivered to the Fisher House on JOIN HANDS DAY.  In addition, Sons of Hermann had the Polkateer Dance Group perform for the families for entertainment during their breakfast.

“With all of the wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, we thought this would be a meaningful facility for a JOIN HANDS DAY project,” said Lee Vogel, Grand Vice President-Fraternal, Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas.

“The NFCA appreciates the efforts made by its member-societies and state fraternal congresses on JOIN HANDS DAY,” said Join Hands Corporation Chairman of the Board Michael Stivoric.  “While we, as fraternalists, JOIN HANDS year-round, JOIN HANDS DAY gives us the opportunity to reach out to people we don’t know, connect with other generations and develop relationships that would never happen otherwise.”

Sponsors of the Day
Sponsored by America’s fraternal benefit societies, JOIN HANDS DAY is the fraternal national day of service when youths and adults work together to plan and implement projects that benefit their local communities.

To learn more about JOIN HANDS DAY, visit the Web site at www.joinhandsday.org or e-mail actioncenter@joinhandsday.org.