Welcome to Spectrum Empowerment Volunteers!
At Spectrum Empowerment, we are on a mission to create a world where autism is embraced with understanding and inclusion. If you're passionate about making a positive change and supporting individuals on the autism spectrum, we invite you to join our dedicated team of volunteers. Your time and enthusiasm can help us organize events, raise awareness, and provide vital resources to those in need. Together, we can amplify our impact and empower individuals with autism to thrive and shine. Join us today and be a part of a compassionate and inspiring journey!
President's Volunteer Service Award
The President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is the nation's premier volunteer recognition program, encouraging citizens to embrace a life of service through Presidential acknowledgment and national recognition. Spectrum Empowerment is proud to be an official Certifying Organization for the PVSA, granting us the ability to bestow Presidential recognition on our outstanding volunteers who meet the criteria set by both the PVSA and Spectrum Empowerment.
For Spectrum Empowerment members, the PVSA award period aligns with the school year, running from June 1st to May 31st. Awards are presented at Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels. For Teens (ages 11-15), the Bronze award starts at 50 service hours, while for Young Adults (ages 16-25), it begins at 100 hours. All service must be completed within the 12-month period from June 1st to May 31st.
For more information, please visit the PVSA website at: presidentialserviceawards.gov
NOTE: PVSA applications are accepted from June 1st to September 30th at the start of each school year. Please plan accordingly. Volunteers are responsible for managing this process independently, including recording their hours and maintaining communication with our PVSA Coordinator.
CRITERIA
Individuals meeting the criteria established by both the PVSA and Spectrum Empowerment are eligible for an award
PVSA Criteria (please go to PVSA website and read all rules carefully)
- Recipient(s) must be a United States citizen or a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States.
- Awards are issued for eligible service hours served within the certifying organization's designated 12-month time period.
- Awards are issued for volunteer service only; additional levels of participation with the organization (i.e., charitable support) are not a factor considered for the award.
- Service that does not qualify: court-ordered community service; paid service or financial donations; religious instruction and/or worship; service for family members; political lobbying; proselytizing.
- Awards are issued by approved Certifying Organizations.
- Service must be certified with an approved Certifying Organization that is legally established in the U.S., Puerto Rico or one of the U.S. territories.
Spectrum Empowerment Criteria
- Recipient must be Spectrum Empowerment dedicated volunteer, in good standing, during the award year.
- A minimum of 60% of service hours must be served through Spectrum Empowerment events that have been listed on the Spectrum Empowerment website. A maximum of 40% of service hours can be with other community service organizations.
- All hours must be completed during June 1st through May 31st.
- For service hours completed through Spectrum Empowerment, the volunteer's participation must be on record and signed by a Spectrum Empowerment leadership after the event. If you do not record and get signed your participation after each event, Spectrum Empowerment will not have a record of your service and will not be able to certify it for the PVSA.
- All non-SASO event hours must be verified by a supervising adult at the organization by submitting a signed Community Service Verification Form click here via email to the Spectrum Empowerment PVSA Coordinator at spectrumempowermentpvsa@gmail.com
How to Get Started (Note: New Process)
- Email your interest to the Spectrum Empowerment PVSA Coordinator at spectrumempowermentpvsa@gmail.com
- A follow up email asking to verify member's PVSA eligibility and a Google Doc “Hourly Service Log” will be created and shared.
- The member is responsible for logging every volunteer hour and ensuring that every hour has been verified by either Spectrum Empowerment or the outside organization.
- At the end of the SpetrumEmpowerment Membership year, May 31, the log will be verified by Spectrum Empowerment and all members who meet all the criteria will be submitted to the PVSA for an award.
If you are interested in achieving this prestigious award, it is critical to plan your service hours at the beginning of the membership year, considering the time during the year when your schedule will have the most flexibility and taking advantage of summer and school breaks.
We hope that this opportunity for Presidential recognition will inspire many of our volunteer leaders to take on the challenge and answer the President's call to service!
If you are interested in the PVSA, please contact the SASO PVSA Coordinator, Sanjeev Ganga at spectrumempowermentpvsa@gmail.com
Become a Spectrum Empowerment Volunteer
