IMRF staff to donate $1,000 to top volunteer's charity
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) is partnering with Generations Serving Generations, a project led by the Illinois Department on Aging and the Serve Illinois Commission, to support and promote the "Year of the Volunteer."
The theme for the 2015 statewide movement is, "You Are The Difference," which aims to inspire more Illinoisans to volunteer their time. Despite the benefits to both the individual and the community, the 2014 Volunteering in America report shows that volunteerism is on the decline nationally. In Illinois, only 26.7% of the population volunteered in 2013, which ranked Illinois 26th among the 50 states and Washington D.C.
"The "Year of the Volunteer" is a call to action to celebrate current volunteers and encourage new ones," said Generations Serving Generations Director Jane Angelis. "It is also a time to build infrastructure for better communication between service organizations in the future."
"Volunteerism can be a do it yourself program. You can make a difference in your community; you can make a difference to yourself."
IMRF, the best-funded public pension in Illinois, will support the "Year of the Volunteer" by celebrating the volunteer efforts of IMRF members and retirees. IMRF is asking all Illinoisans to share examples of IMRF members or retirees who have made a difference in their communities through volunteerism. Any Illinoisan may go to the IMRF website and share a story of an outstanding IMRF member or retiree volunteer. Starting in June, IMRF will highlight one volunteer story per month through the end of the year on www.imrf.org. In December, IMRF will unveil the most compelling member or retiree volunteer story, and IMRF staff will donate $1,000 to the winning volunteer's preferred service organization. Visit www.imrf.org/volunteer-stories to nominate your favorite volunteer.
"Volunteerism can be a do it yourself program. You can make a difference in your community; you can make a difference to yourself," said IMRF Executive Director Louis W. Kosiba. "What the Year of the Volunteer should do, in part, is let people know how they can volunteer, let them know what opportunities exist in their communities, but also outline the benefits at an individual and community level."
About IMRF
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) was created by the Illinois General Assembly. Since 1941, IMRF has partnered with local units of government to provide retirement, disability and death benefits for public employees. With a funded status of 96.9 percent and $34 billion in assets, IMRF is well-funded and sustainable. Today, IMRF has about 400,000 members and serves nearly 3,000 different units of government, including towns and villages, libraries and park districts, and counties and school districts (non-teaching personnel). The average member who retired in 2013 had 22 years of service and received an annual benefit of about $16,500. For more information, visit www.imrf.org.
