Sign up to volunteer for Hospitality Helping Hands (HHH) when you register for PCMA's Annual Meeting, a way for meeting industry professionals to give back to the community where the annual meeting is held. HHH will offer three hands-on community service projects in San Diego on Sunday Morning, January 8, 2012, the day of PCMA's Opening Reception. All registration fees for HHH will go directly to the local-charities PCMA volunteers will be serving at next year.

"Anyone who has participated in any of PCMA’s Network for the Needy activities know how deeply those we serve appreciate our efforts and what a rewarding experience it is for everyone that volunteers," says Maureen Eberle, associate vice president of sales at the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, who is co-chairing HHH in San Diego. "We are currently researching charity and non-profit organizations to help those with the greatest need. Attendees who register for HHH will not only be given a unique way to network and make new friends with meeting planners and other hospitality professionals, they will also be given a fulfilling experience where they make a difference."

Eberle has proudly participated in many charitable events organized by the PCMA. Last year, she spearheaded three community service projects in San Diego that PCMA sponsored through its Service In Sync program's Southwest and Pacific Chapter. Ninety local hospitality professionals and 14 students from San Diego State University’s Hospitality Program participated in the following projects:

• Project Not Forgotten – Local PCMA members filled 70 backpacks with $650 worth of necessities for wounded soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• San Diego's Family Health Center – Service In Sync volunteers provided 300 hygiene kits for the homeless.
• San Diego Senior Community Centers – Ninety PCMA volunteers, including 14 students from San Diego State University's Hospitality Program, hosted a 40th Anniversary Party for 120 low-income seniors providing everything from food and beverages to music, prizes, flowers and fun.

HHH and Service In Sync are just two of the volunteer programs that are a part of PCMA's Network for the Needy, promoting volunteerism throughout the meeting and conventions industry. For more information on San Diego's HHH event, please contact Eberle at maureen.eberle@visitsandiego.com or (619) 525-5281.