6 Ways to Celebrate Social Worker Appreciation Month
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Social work is an underappreciated field. These everyday heroes juggle large caseloads and focus on clients who are struggling to get the resources and support they need. It’s easy to forget that social workers also need support in order to thrive.
Fortunately, there are 31 days this year dedicated to acknowledging the commitment of our social workers. To honor the hard work they do, March is officially Social Worker Appreciation Month! This is a period to celebrate the social workers you know or who you work with throughout the year, and let them know you haven’t forgotten the difference they make in so many lives. Here are a few ways to recognize these individuals regardless of your budget or relationship.
Send Them a Treat Box
Pick out a gift box for your favorite social worker that is packed with goodies based on their interests. Bifties is a great place to start: the company curates items by black-owned businesses and allows you to choose from a variety of box themes ranging from celebration to innovation. You can also buy individual items like a positive thoughts candle or an affirmation card deck.
And does your social worker often miss lunch helping their clients? Look into different gift box options like Spoonful of Comfort and Mouth which specialize in food-based packages. Knack is also a good choice for premium gift sets that will let them know they’re truly special.
Purchase Self-Care Gift Cards
If you aren’t sure what kinds of gift items to get the social workers in your lives, look for local experiences instead. Pick up a gift card for a day spa, nail salon, local gym, or sound bath center based on the interests of the social workers you know. You can also look into a ClassPass gift card or similar option so they can choose the experience. One social worker might schedule a massage while another books a cycling class to sweat out their stress.
These gift certificates can serve as relaxing treats while also building healthy self-care habits.
Buy Them Coffee
You don’t need a large budget to celebrate Social Worker Appreciation Month. They’re making little differences for their clients every day, and you can do the same in return! Send your favorite social workers $5 through Venmo or your preferred payment app. Let them know that the money is meant for their morning coffee or an afternoon treat. This allows your recipients to choose how they spend the cash, guaranteeing that they choose something they like.
Write a Handwritten Note
Pick up a card at the store or use your stationary to write a note to the social workers you encounter. Positive words can brighten their day and acknowledge the hard work they do. Some social workers save letters from clients, colleagues, and other people from their circles for years because the thoughtful words helped them through difficult times.
Use Words of Affirmation
Even if you don’t have the time to write a handwritten note, you can still reach out to various social workers that you know and share how much you value their work. Acknowledge the difficult tasks they take on and let them know how you respect their ability to handle the job. Whether this is done via email or in person, your words of affirmation will matter to the person who hears them.
There are a few best practices to follow with words of affirmation:
Don’t expect anything in return. You shouldn’t wait for a thank-you note or a similar response. After all, you know how busy they are!
That’s also why you shouldn’t worry about trying to schedule lunch if it’s just not a good time. Checking in with loved ones lets them know you care, even when they can’t meet up with you.
Respond with encouragement and empathy when the social workers you know are stressed. You can still be their biggest cheerleader even if you don’t know what they are going through.
It’s okay to reach out to people who you aren’t close to. Just recently, people found themselves sharing their worries and emotional burdens with Elmo from Sesame Street over Twitter. A simple question—“How is everybody doing?”—led to thousands of responses. People needed someone to talk to, and this favorite childhood character was there for them. By reaching out, you could be somebody’s Elmo.
Make a Social Media Post About Social Workers
Once you celebrate Social Worker Appreciation Month with the people you know, pass on the love to others within your social groups. Draft a social media post or share an article or video that talks about social workers and everything they do. Highlight how March is Social Worker Appreciation Month and list ways to give back to social workers that your friends know. Your friends, colleagues, and acquaintances can learn about social workers and appreciate their impact on their communities.
You have the power to make the internet a more positive place! Start with your social media feed.
Support the Social Workers in Your Life Year-Round
Social Worker Appreciation Month is a wonderful time to reflect on the people in this vital human field. However, you can support the social workers in your life throughout the year by investing in their work. Recommend online communities and websites where they can grow professionally, or suggest tools like Notehouse that can streamline their daily tasks. When your favorite social workers thrive in their jobs, they can support the individuals and families they work with even better.
And as your special social worker knows, sometimes the best things in life are free! Check out Notehouse today to get them up with a free demo of our note-taking software that will make their life a breeze.
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