Archive for the ‘Impact’ Category

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The President Wants to Recognize You for Your Great Work!

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

For more than two decades, Points of Light honors and encourages organizations throughout the nation to celebrate National Volunteer Week, providing visibility, thematic focus and resources to enable them to commemorate this signature week of volunteer recognition,. National Volunteer Week is April 15-21, 2012.

During National Volunteer Week, we at Points of Light and HandsOn Network encourage people to recognize the outstanding impact of volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Created by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, the President’s Volunteer Service Award program is a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. 

Recognizing and honoring volunteers sets a standard for service, encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation, and inspires others to make service a central part of their lives. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard – measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime.

To date, the President’s Council has partnered with more than 80 leadership organizations and more than 28,000 certifying organizations to bestow more than 1.5 million awards to the Nation’s deserving volunteers.

Depending on which award package is ordered, award recipients can receive: An official President’s Volunteer Service Award lapel pin, a personalized certificate of achievement or a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States.

Any individual, family, or group can receive Presidential recognition for volunteer hours earned over a 12-month period or over the course of a lifetime at home or abroad. The following are the eligibility requirements for each age group: Kids, age 5-14, young adults, individuals age 15-25, and adults age 26 and up.

Criterion for the bronze presidential award include the completion of  50-74 service hours for kids, 100 to 174 hours for Young Adults, 100 to 249 hours for adults, and 200 to 499 hours for families and groups.

Criterion for the silver presidential award include the completion of 75 to 99 hours for Kids, 175 to 249 hours for Young Adults, 250 to 499 hours for adults, and 500 to 999 hours for families and groups.

Criterion for the gold presidential award include the completion of 100 hours or more for kids, 250 hours or more for young adults, 500 hours or more for adults, and 1000 hours or more for families and groups.

Additionally, volunteers of all ages with 4,000 or more service hours over a lifetime can receive the President’s Call to service award.

We hope that during National Volunteer Week and throughout the year, you choose to recognize and honor volunteers with the Presidential service award for their amazing service and impact on their communities.

 

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8 Ways to Raise Awareness About Bullying During No Name-Calling Week

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Two years ago, as 18-year-old Bobby Tillman was leaving a house party, a group of teens randomly beat and killed Bobby. Coroners reported Bobby was stomped so badly that one of his bones broke and pierced his heart. The slightly built Tillman was randomly selected as he passed a group of teenagers who said they intended to attack the next male they saw.

Whether it occurs randomly, via text message, via facebook, or because one person disagrees with someone’s sexual preference, bullying is an ongoing problem. 2010 bullying statistics revealed about 56 percent, of all students have witnessed a bullying crime take place while at school. Similarly, there are about 282,000 students that are reportedly attacked in high schools throughout the nation each month.

January 23rd thru the 27th is No Name-Calling Week. According to nonamecallingweek.org, No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and raising awareness about bullying. Want to know how you can eradicate bullying in your local schools and communities? We have 8 ways you can help raise awareness about bullying during no name-calling week!

  1.  Have the whole school make posters against bullying to be hung in classrooms and on the school walls. This will get the students to begin thinking about the consequences of bullying. Also, seeing the posters in their classrooms will remind students of the importance of bully prevention or reporting bullying.
  2. Host a poster contest! A poster contest will get students even more involved and excited about eliminating bullying!
  3. During your school’s morning announcements stress the importance of kindness and positive problem solving. Including positive messages in the morning sets the tone for students’ day and encourages kindness with amongst each other.
  4. Make announcements during lunch to remind students to report inappropriate behavior concerning calling names.
  5. Report “Random Act of Kindness”: Encourage students to report random acts of kindness by their peers and announce the acts of kindness during the morning announcements. This will encourage positive behavior amongst students throughout the week and school year.
  6. At the conclusion of No Name-Calling Week perform a skit at your school-wide assembly. A grade-level or school wide assembly brings together everyone. Students see and understand that this is a school-wide cause.
  7. Host a pep rally! This exciting event can include parents, community leaders, and/or highlight a bullying story to address the seriousness of bullying and its potential consequences.
  8. Have your students compile a “Top 10 reasons not to call names” list. This fun, while beneficial activity will encourage thought-provoking reasons to eliminate bullying and name calling.

In addition to impacting the victim’s life, bullying is a national issue that potentially affects parents and other students. This week we hope you choose to raise awareness in your local school and community and continue to report any acts of bullying. Tell us how you plan on eliminating bullying in your school in the comments section.

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How We Celebrated Martin Luther King Day 2012

Friday, January 20th, 2012

For the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of service, Points of Light Institute and its affiliates mobilized over 250,000 volunteers to serve in their communities.

In the following video, our amazing community leaders, Vice President Joe Biden, and Points of Light CEO Michelle Nunn, reflect on their days of service and their commitment to living out Dr. King’s legacy of social justice for all.

 

The next video features Vice President Joe Biden speaking at Gerard College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for this year Dr. King Day of service. Biden begins his speech by noting that sometimes we lose focus and, and begin to question social justice.  Next, he asks the audience where we have come since Dr. King’s movement for change. And how much more is in our power to continue to change society? Every person, regardless of race, age, gender, etc has the power to continue change in our society.

Biden recalls being a Congressman when the vote to make Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) Day a national holiday was occurring. When fellow Congressmen were opposed to making MLK a national holiday, they were unaware of the impact. They were unaware that people throughout the country would be so motivated to take action and live out Dr. King’s legacy.

Biden reassured the audience that this day is not just “a small thing”. The biggest thing you can do for another human being is to show that you understand what they are going through and to engage in at least one act of kindness. On MLK Day, we gave meaning to King’s legacy, even if, for some people, it was only for a day.

Biden expressed that right now he is more optimistic about the potential of this country and our ability to lead the world than he has ever been because he’s old enough to remember what it used to be. To Biden, Dr. King was the epitome of optimism. Dr. King truly believed in social change and progression.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Biden quit his job with a top-paying law firm to become a public defender in East Delaware. Shortly after Dr. King’s assassination, Biden recalls the fires that erupted in the African American neighborhoods of East Delaware.  Ironically as Dr. King had dreamed, in 2008, President Obama drove through East Delaware to pick up Vice-President Biden to become sworn in as the first African American President of the United States.

We hope that you were inspired to make changes in your community. Share with us any inspirational stories that you may have in the COMMENTS section.

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10 Ways to Fight Poverty in America

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

January is awesome! Why is January awesome?! Because January is Poverty in America Awareness Month. While poverty has plagued our society for decades, attention should be given to the poverty rate increase from 13.2% in 2008 to 14.3% in 2009-the biggest statistical increase since 2004. Similarly, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, between 2000 and 2008, the number of poor Americans grew by more than nine million. Now that you have been inspired to fight poverty in America, we have ten ways to fight poverty in your community and throughout America:

  1. Support a local or family-owned business. Small businesses keep communities together, while also pumping money back into the community and ultimately fighting poverty. These small businesses also often have interesting or unique items, which is always a bonus. 
  2. Plan a vacation around a learning or helping experience. Vacations are always fun; however, consider the communities around your vacation destination and the potential poverty within those neighborhoods. Take a few hours out of your day while you’re on vacation and volunteer.
  3. Donate to your local food bank. Hunger is a year-round issue, and forces people to choose between food and other expenses.
  4. Shop for good. Choose stores or services that support local groups. Buy local, it can be better for your health and wallet.
  5. Organize a food drive in your community. A food drive will provide a family food, while also bringing your community together and hopefully motivate other community to do more to fight poverty.
  6. Do a fundraiser! Plan a walk-a-thon, yard sale, lemonade stand, or benefit concert to raise money for a local organization. Why not have fun with your fundraiser while supporting a good cause?! These activities will surely be exciting and worthwhile!
  7. Research! Become aware of local policies and programs that affect low-income families. Find out where poverty is focused in your city, how widespread the poverty stricken areas are, and how you can help. 
  8. Share your research! Voice your concern and tell your community members that it’s Poverty in America Awareness Month so that they are also inspired to improve the community or will spread the word about this awesome month.
  9. Always show respect to people working at minimum wage. Be courteous and respectful of their efforts or just greet them with a simple smile. You never know how much a smile can improve their day.
  10. Use public transportation whenever possible. Your support helps to insure that public transportation remains available for us all.

We hope these tips have inspired you to support Poverty in America Awareness Month! Tell us what other community service activities you plan on doing to commemorate Poverty in America Awareness Month.

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10 Ways to Celebrate National Mentoring Month

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

There are so many amazing things happening in January and National Mentoring Month is one of them! From school aged children to young adults, a mentor is valuable to a child’s growth and development and can help leave an impression on someone for the rest of their lives. By simply giving just an hour each week you can develop a meaningful relationship that can encourage and inspire a child or young adult for their entire life.

  1. Become a mentor in your community. Organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the United Way offer a plethora of opportunities for anyone interested in mentoring a child. You can also mentor young adults. There are many recent grads and college-aged students who need guidance in looking for jobs or making important life decisions. 
  2.  Learn more about mentoring: Do your research and read inspiring stories about the impact of mentoring. Hopefully, this will inspire you to mentor a youth in your community.
  3. Partner with a mentoring organization. There are organizations solely dedicated to providing mentors for youth. Conduct research to seek these organizations out.
  4. Join “I Am a Mentor” Day.
  5. Think about the mentors in your life and post a tribute to them online. Simply thanking your mentor is very fulfilling for both you and your mentor. Reflecting on the impact of your mentor will also inspire you and teach you about the values of mentors.
  6. Read the latest research and find resources on mentoring. Learn about the statistics and the social impacts of mentoring. One study reported that 52% of youth reported that having a mentor helped significantly with skipping school.
  7. Serve your community on MLK Day of Service by deciding to become a mentor. Martin Luther King, Jr. day is a national service day. Contribute to this day of service by becoming a mentor.
  8. Make a donation to a mentoring organization in your community. If you are unable to devote your time to mentor a youth, monetary donations are appreciated.
  9. Go to YouTube on Thank Your Mentor Day™ (January 26) and make the National Mentoring Month videos the most popular of the day. Help spread the word about this amazing cause!
  10. Explore ways to help children succeed academically through mentoring.   A mentor can always provide a child with the extra “push” to excel academically. 

We hope you enjoyed these useful tips for National Mentoring Month and are ultimately inspired to become a mentor!

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January 16: A Day On, Not Off

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

So with all this talk about Martin Luther King Day being next Monday (January 16) you may be asking yourself “What exactly should I focus my service project on?” That is a perfectly reasonable question with all of the service options available during this time.

There is no specific cause that should be honored on this national day of service. King envisioned a community where members helped their fellow man out with their successes and their struggles.

His vision is inspiring to all who want to make a difference in their community. King’s love for a strong community should guide your service decisions during this time. The following are a few service areas that were important to King and can be honored during MLK Day.

  • Poverty: “The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” Poverty is a horrible reality within all communities with 46.2 million people in the United States living in poverty. You can do something about this:
    • Donate food to a your local food bank or soup kitchen
    • Hold a clothing drive for your local shelter
  • Education: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” Only 39% of the United States population completes college within four years. The education system within the United States has received harsh criticism over the last few years. There are many things you can do to help:
    • Organize a school supply drive
    • Tutor
    • Volunteer to clean up your local school
    • Mentor a child
  • Community: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Dr. King highly emphasized the importance of community bonds and service to the community. The current volunteering rate in the United States is 26.3 percent. It is important that individuals not only give back to the community in which they live, but also learn about their surroundings.
    • Learn about your community’s history
    • Identify cultural and religious groups in your community that may be neglected and discuss how their needs can be met.
    • Host a Sunday Supper
  • Youth: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Dr. believed in the importance of building up the nation’s youth because they are the future. Our mistakes will only be replicated by them if we do not teach them otherwise. 21 percent of all American children live at or below the set poverty level.
    • Organize a toy drive
    • Volunteer at a women’s or family shelter
  • Military/ Veterans: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” It is important that our communities across the nation honor the work that our military voluntarily performs to ensure our safety.
    • Assemble care packages for military members overseas
    • Write letters
    • Help a military family in need by babysitting or cooking a meal

The above facts are just a few reasons why we should make Martin Luther King Day a “day on, not a day off.” Not only does this day of service honor the memory of Dr. King, but it also strengthens our nation’s communities.

How will you make Dr. King’s dream a reality January 16?

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10 Ways to Serve on Dr. King’s National Day of Service

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

It’s a new year! While this means countless resolutions and packed gyms for many people, it also means that the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service is quickly approaching. On this day millions of people will answer one of Dr. King’s most important questions: “What are you doing for others?” by volunteering in their local neighborhoods and communities. Need community service ideas to do on this national day of service? We have 10 opportunities for you, your family, and neighbors!

  1.  Volunteer to do landscaping, walkway repairs or painting at your local public school. This will surely help to brighten a child’s spirit when they see the improvements to their school. 
  2. Are you an architect? Architects and landscape architects can provide neighborhood businesses and home owners with pro bono advice on how to improve their storefront facades, home exteriors, or front yards.
  3. Participate in fire Safety Canvassing!! Volunteer with Fire Fighters and
    other community partners to distribute door hangers to area residents. Anyone age 12 and up can participate!
  4. Get out and restore your local park! Whether it’s removing trash, debris, or those intrusive plants that could potentially harm park wildlife, volunteering at your local park will allow you to appreciate and preserve your local park.
  5. Gather to assemble goodie bags to be distributed to the homeless and less fortunate. Bags can be filled with non-perishable snacks, a warm blanket and a pair of socks.
  6. Help Clean up your local animal Shelter!
  7. Donate Blood! January is National Blood Donor month, what better way to start your year, then giving blood. Blood is traditionally in short supply in the winter due to holiday traveling, inclement weather and illness. January in particular is a difficult month for blood donations, yet the need for blood never ceases.
  8. Prepare for a disaster. Create and distribute fire safety information  You can also check homes for working smoke detectors!
  9. Be green.  Replace regular light bulbs with energy efficient ones.  Go door to door and help seniors in your neighborhood do the same.
  10. Hold a resume building workshop.  Look for free space with computers, such as a library, school, or community center to bring together interested participants to review resumes and give feedback.

Throughout your service activity, have fun and reflect on the legacy of Dr. King. Comment and tell us what you are doing on this national day of service!

 

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How Much Are Your Volunteers Worth?

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

We all know volunteers are valuable, but now you can calculate exactly how much!

Although it is difficult to put a dollar amount on volunteer time, as they provide many intangible benefits; this may be as close as we get. This value is only one way to show the benefits volunteers bring to an organization.

Independent Sector estimated dollar value of volunteer time for 2010 is $21.36 per hour. The value does vary by state, as you can see below.

State Values for Volunteer Time Map

From Independent Sector

Note that 2009 is the last year for which state-by-state numbers are available. State volunteering values are one year behind the national value due to a lag in the government’s release of state level data.

Volunteering in America provides some context to these numbers with detailed information about the number of volunteers and volunteer hours per resident in the United States.Number of Volunteers Chart

As you can tell, volunteering in America has reached the level of a full-time job for many!

Volunteer Hours Per Resident

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, about 63.4 million Americans, or 26.8 percent of the adult population, gave 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service worth $169 billion in 2009.

Let your volunteers know just how priceless they are to you during this holiday season. To find ways to thank them, check out our previous articles on that very subject!

Six Tips for Recognizing Volunteers

Eight Tips for Writing the Perfect Thank You Note

Nine Basic Rules for Volunteer Recognition

UPDATE: Today’s post has been updated since it was published. Some information was incorrectly cited.
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AmeriCorps Week Showcases the Impact of National Service

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

This year’s National AmeriCorps Week, May 14 – 21, is a particularly important opportunity to elevate the value and importance of AmeriCorps and national service. In light of recent budget debates in Congress and the threatened elimination of funds for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in 2012, AmeriCorps Week showcases the extraordinary impact of national service members every day across our nation.

AmeriCorps Week shines a light on the more than 80,000 members currently serving in communities across the country – individuals who are effectively serving and meeting critical needs in our country’s communities. We see this impact front and center in our HandsOn Network where, over the last 12 months, HandsOn Networks’ AmeriCorps members have recruited and mobilized more than 53,900 volunteers in more than 1,200 service projects impacting more than 70,000 citizens.

In addition to 80,000 current members, more than 600,000 have joined AmeriCorps Alums, a division of Points of Light Institute, and have given more than 860 million hours in service since 1994.

We believe in the leadership potential of these individuals and have supported them both as an organization and a strategy to continue to create change. We have 26 chapters of AmeriCorps Alums throughout the country actively engaging thousands during AmeriCorps Week in service projects, networking events and thought leadership with elected officials.

The value of AmeriCorps service has been felt in communities both large and small – at Points of Light Institute affiliates, managing volunteers in disaster relief efforts and at the countless organizations that we partner with.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has said he believes the future of his city depends on citizens rolling up their sleeves and working together to tackle complicated challenges – and AmeriCorps Alums have played a major role.

“AmeriCorps Alums working in city government and nonprofit organizations throughout Philadelphia bring a level of experience and commitment to service that directly impacts our collective capacity to engage every day citizens in solving problems and strengthening their communities,” said Mayor Nutter.

The National League of Cities highlighted the impact of AmeriCorps volunteers in an editorial by AmeriCorps Alums Executive Director Ben Duda this week. The article reaches 30,000 mayors, city council members, city managers, police and fire chiefs, public works directors and others who make decisions about local operations. It is important that these individuals understand the valuable impact of service and how they can engage both current AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Alums to address local challenges and create change.

To share best practices, AmeriCorps Alums has convened a national training and professional development webinar called “How to Translate Your AmeriCorps Experience into Future Leadership Opportunities” on May 18 at 12 p.m. EST. This session will showcase the transformational force of service and how it can make an impact in solving our country’s challenging issues.

To register for the webinar or get engaged with your local AmeriCorps Alums, please visit www.AmeriCorpsAlums.org.

National service has a critical role to play in our country as we face tough challenges and restricted funds. At Points of Light Institute, we look forward to celebrating AmeriCorps Week with our service partners and colleagues and lifting up currently serving members and the hundreds of thousands of Alums – they are at the forefront of possibility for community change.

Yours in Service,

CEO, Points of Light Institute
Co-Founder, HandsOn Network
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2011 National Conference on Volunteering and Service

Monday, May 9th, 2011

This year’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service is being held in New Orleans; a city that understands the effect that volunteers can have on a city. After hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill, thousands of volunteers from all across the country came to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to help rebuild and recover. These volunteers have given of their money and time to help rebuild, but there’s still a lot of work done to bring the Gulf Coast back to the way it was before the recent disasters.

While, overall, the conference helps people who work with volunteers in the nonprofit and for profit sector, there are three program tracts that will help attendees to tailor their experience to be the most useful for them. The tracts look at the impact that volunteers can have on their community, the strength that volunteers bring to bear when they serve, and how volunteers help to build and support communities.

volunteer, volunteering, volunteerismLooking at the impact of volunteers highlights the individual, institutional, and community change that volunteers can bring about through their service. Sessions in the impact track focus on specific solutions that volunteers can bring to economic, environmental, and health problems, disaster management, and veterans’ and education issues that our communities face.

The strength of volunteers is highlighted in sessions that help volunteer managers to more efficiently direct that strength. These sessions will help to harness the innovative ideas, partnerships, and passion that volunteers bring to the organizations that they serve with. Proven methods and emerging trends in volunteer management will be shared in sessions that can help volunteer programs to adapt to the ever changing social and socio-economic realities of society and the volunteering sector.

These sessions will help you to learn how to more effectively manage volunteers and manage for results, how to bring the power of technology and media to bear to support your programs, how to leverage partnerships for results, and how to work with businesses to build successful employee volunteer programs.

Sessions that focus on community not only look at the places where live, but the groups that people belong to and build themselves. These communities can be harnessed to create massive change, and are already primed for volunteering, leadership, and service.

Boomers and youth have a lot to contribute to their communities. There are Cities of Service across the country that are using volunteers to address some of those cities’ most pressing issues. Faith-based and neighborhood organizations are stepping up to fill in where services are lacking in communities. Service is being reimagined across the country, especially service in rural areas.

This year’s Conference is taking shape to be the largest Conference to date. There will be knowledge shared and connections made here that couldn’t happen anywhere else. And, among all of the learning and networking, we’ll be sure to take some time to celebrate everyone that is working so hard to improve their world through service.

To find out how to register for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, click here. To find out more about what will be happening at the Conference, follow @NCVS and like the Conference Facebook page.

You can find out more about the National Conference on Volunteering and Service on the Points of Light Blog, which looks at what the Conference offers the volunteering sector, and a video from New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu.

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