RALEIGH -- Governor Roy Cooper has declared April 23 – 29, 2017 National Volunteer Week in North Carolina. “Every North Carolinian can play a role in improving our communities and our state,” Gov. Cooper said  in a press release. “From helping victims of disasters like Hurricane Matthew and last year’s wildfires recover to providing meals for the hungry, volunteerism can make a difference at every level.”

Gov. Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper will participate in several service opportunities across the state during National Volunteer Week:

Monday, April 24: The governor and the first lady will deliver Meals on Wheels’ two millionth meal to seniors in Wilson County.

Tuesday, April 25: Gov. Cooper will help tutor and mentor students at Enka Middle School in Buncombe County.

Thursday, April 27: Gov. Cooper will join Habitat for Humanity to repair a home of Hurricane Matthew victims in Cumberland County. The first lady will volunteer with Note in the Pocket, a non-profit organization that provides clothing to children who are homeless or living in poverty.

Friday, April 28: The governor and the first lady will help process donations at the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina in Wake County.

Information on volunteer opportunities is available through the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, an agency within the Office of the Governor that promotes community service and volunteering as a means of problem solving across North Carolina.

Gov. Cooper also encourages North Carolina state employees to consider using their 24 community service hours at approved service organizations, and several state agencies have planned volunteer activities for the week. More information on community service leave is available at oshr.nc.gov.

“The spirit of service is an important part of our history in North Carolina,” Gov. Cooper said. “This National Volunteer Week, make a plan for giving back, and ask your friends and family to join you.”

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 by way of a Presidential Proclamation signed by President Richard Nixon. The Proclamation sought to acknowledge and promote the value of community service across the country. National Volunteer Week has been federally celebrated each year since then, as well as through many state and local offices across the country.

For more information on National Volunteer Week events and activities in North Carolina, visit volunteernc.org.