The 4,000 Hour Pin is part of a Volunteer Recruitment initiative borne out of President Bush’s call for all Americans to donate 4,000 hours of community service over the course of their lifetime. The 4,000 Hour Pin features red, white and blue rhinestones that highlights the number 4,000 with the American Flag. The pin is to serve as a readily identifiable symbol that as a wearer of the pin, you have achieved the significant milestone of 4,000 hours of service to your community and country. The pin and initiative was created by the VA Volunteer Program Managers in Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas. Their goal is to bring attention to the need for volunteers at VA medical facilities. Historically, the largest resource pool of individuals serving as volunteers has been the World War II and Korea era veterans and their families. Due to advanced age and mortality, VA medical facilities are losing vast numbers of people who have given much of their time and talents to serving veterans.
The pin is quite beautiful and creates a “WOW’ effect when people see it. It is our goal, when people ask about the pin, that individuals will answer by saying the pin was borne out of President Bush’s State of the Union Address, when he called upon all American’s to donate 4,000 hours of service to their communities and country and that people who wear the pin have achieved that milestone of service. It is suggested that the wearer of the pin also ask individuals if they would like to volunteer at their nearest VA medical facility and to contact Voluntary Services .
Our goal is to motivate people to service, to create a prestigious award for volunteers, and to galvanize public opinion to the importance of volunteerism, particularly at VA medical facilities .
*For more information on the 4,000 Hour Pin, please contact your local VISN 18 VA Voluntary Services.
