Service In Sync® (SIS) is a program encouraging PCMA members to come together and give back to their local communities on behalf of the meetings industry during the first week of November. Network for the Needy (NFTN) promotes volunteerism through the meetings and convention industry and is sponsored in part by a generous grant from GES Exposition Services. Thanks to the outstanding PCMA members, 2008's SIS was a great success! Check out what these outstanding chapters did in 2008!

Canada East spent 63 volunteer hours sorting food at three food banks in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

Canada West worked at Quest Food Exchange in Vancouver. The chapter sorted 3,500 pounds of food. All good food was sent to social service agencies and the damaged food was sent to be composted.

Capital and Chesapeake assembled more than 5,000 care packages and raised $2900 for the USO.

Greater Midwest held a clothing drive to benefit Catholic Charities. The chapter gathered over 50 bags of clothing including hats, gloves, sweaters and jackets for the winter season.

Greater Philadelphia served breakfast and provided a fall cleanup at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia.

Gulf States spent 45 volunteer hours sorting and packing food at the North Texas Food Bank.

Heartland collected over 800 books for the Heartland Book Bank in Kansas City, MO.

New York spent 30 volunteer hours with the Coalition for the Homeless-Grand Central Food Station and traveled to the streets of New York to hand out hot meals to the homeless men and women of New York City.

New England held a toy drive for children for Horizons for Homeless Children. Toys, games and personal items as well as $125 in donations were collected and donated.

Northern California teamed up with Florence Crittenton Services to pack up an old day care center and held a professional clothing drive for their "Back to Work" program.

Pacific Northwest packed over 16,000 pounds of food in Boise, Portland, Seattle and Spokane area food banks.

PCMA Headquarters collected 1,723 food items for the Greater Chicago Food Bank.

POWER conducted an online food donation drive and collected $360 for Feeding America. The donation site will be kept open year-round so the chapter can continue to contribute.

Rocky Mountain hosted an autumn craft party for children at The Children's Hospital in Denver. The chapters set up craft tables and face painters in the lobby of the hospital for an afternoon of fun.

Southeast cooked dinner for patients at the American Cancer Society Winn Dixie's Hope Lodge in Atlanta. In Orlando, members stacked and sorted food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Southwest & Pacific collected $3500 worth of food, total between drop-off points and an online food drive coordinated at local food banks throughout the Southwest & Pacific region.

For more information on SIS, please contact Liz Giannini at lgiannini@pcma.org or 312.423.7231.