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Celebrate Fat Tuesday by Volunteering!

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Get your king cake and your mask ready because today is Fat Tuesday! Even though this day is usually remembered as a day full of celebrations and preparing for Lent fasting, we can add another element to the mixture. Let’s make it a day to volunteer as well!

Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras is typically a celebration marked with rich foods that will prepare participants for the fast they will experience during the religious Lenten season. Traditional foods are consumed in celebration of the carnival such as fried pastries, breads, and eggs. Celebrations vary from state to state and country to country, but the overall message remains the same. It is a message of good will and celebration for the riches that we have been given.

Fat Tuesday is the perfect time to add volunteering to the celebration agenda! You can give thanks for the things that you have, by serving those who may be less fortunate than you. Here’s how:

  1. Is your town hosting a Mardi Gras parade? Help out by serving food, riding floats, or just getting out and meeting your neighbors!
  2. Serve food to parade goers. Who doesn’t love good ol’ New Orleans food, Jambalaya anyone?
  3. Make Mardi Gras masks with kids at your local daycare, shelter, or hospital. It’s easy! All you need is yellow, green, or purple construction paper, glitter, feathers, and an imagination. These masks will be a fun project for all ages!
  4. Teach youngsters about the history of New Orleans, Louisiana. Tell youth about New Orleans and why Mardi Gras is such a big celebration there. It is also important to teach kids about the progress that has been made since Hurricane Katrina.
  5. Serve your favorite fried foods to a soup kitchen. Share the Mardi Gras love with those who may not be able to celebrate it. Donate Mardi Gras themed foods to your local soup kitchen so that they may have a celebration too!
  6. Coordinate a Mardi Gras themed party at your local retirement home, shelter, school, or soup kitchen. Guests can wear Fat Tuesday themed outfits, play games, and eat some great Louisiana inspired food. Don’t forget that king cake!
  7. Make Mardi Gras themed bracelets with kids in local hospital care. String yellow, green, and purple beads together to make a bracelet in memory of Hurricane Katrina.
  8. Host a Mardi Gras themed pot-luck dinner with your friends, family, or neighbors. Have each guest donate money to your favorite cause. You can be merry and make a difference!
  9. Sign up to be a part of Meals on Wheels. Donate food and share that Fat Tuesday cheer with those who need it most.
  10. Do you have a musical talent? Volunteer your musical skills at a local retirement home for a Mardi Gras themed party.

There are so many ways that you can volunteer Fat Tuesday style! Today is a great day to not only enjoy all the festivities, but also a way to celebrate your community and its members by serving.

Are you volunteering today? What are you doing to spread the good in your community?

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Let’s Volunteer with Our Pets Today!

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Woof! February 20 is not only a day to celebrate our presidents, but also a day to give thanks to our pets because it is Pet Appreciation Day! I’m sure many of us can agree that our pets are truly man’s best friends, so why not show our love for them today?

Animals can put even the sourest person into a great mood, just by their presence. Whether your animal friend is a dog, a cat, or a hamster this is the perfect day to bring your pet out and share some good cheer with those who really need it. Why not show your appreciation for your pet’s love by taking them out to volunteer? Not only will you get to show your appreciation for your pet, but others will show their appreciation for everything your pet does for them as well!

“How can I get my furry friend involved in volunteering?” It is easy check out our suggestions below and share the animal love today!

  1. Pet therapy programs: Bring your furry friend to a nursing home, hospital, or classroom to share cheer and keep a lonely person company. The American Heart Association recently found that stress levels could be reduced for patients in long term care when accompanied by an animal. Animals provide comfort to someone who may be experiencing a stressful time. Organizations such as the Delta Society provide training for dogs that want to volunteer!
  2. Local pet shelters: Show your local homeless pets some love today! Volunteer at your local Humane Society or animal shelter. You will not only make these animals happy, but playing with the animals will be sure to put you in a good mood.
  3. Cleanup: Gather a team of volunteer pet lovers to clean up your neighborhood dog park. You can really show your dog just how you love him or her by providing a clean play area. By volunteering with other pet lovers, you may be able to make more friends for your furry ball of joy!
  4. Donate food: Check your local animal shelter to see what supplies they may need. Donate food, toys, etc. for your local shelter. Your donation will be greatly appreciated!
  5. Make a birdhouse: Today is not only a day to show appreciation for your four legged friends, but also your neighborhood pals. Make a birdhouse to hang outside your window. You won’t believe all the beautiful birds you will see!
  6. Check-up time: Make an appointment at your vet’s office, if your animal is due for a check up. It is always good to make sure your pet is in tiptop shape and up-to-date on his or her shots. If your cat or dog is not spayed or neutered, make sure to make an appointment.
  7.  Adopt: In the market for an animal to love? Visit the Humane Society or local animal shelter. You will find a needy animal that wants nothing more than to love you and be loved back. Adoption is a great way to show your animal love!

Volunteering for animals or with your own animal can be a very rewarding and entertaining experience. Check out generationOn for great volunteering ideas to do with both your kids and your animals! Check out the Humane Society or ASPCA to find a local shelter near you and to learn more about pet adoption!

How are you volunteering for animals today? Please share with us below! We’d love to hear about it.

 

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HandsOn Manila and the Ati Community of Boracay

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Today’s post comes from Brandon Kwong the Development & Marketing Coordinator for the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc.

Brandon was born and raised in the San Francisco area of California, and attended the University of California, Irvine—receiving a BA in Psychology & Social Behavior with minors in Educational Studies and Urban & Regional Planning. He now resides in Atlanta, GA where he works at the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS) as the Development & Marketing Coordinator. At the time period of which this blog post describes, Brandon was an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) serving at CPACS.

This past October, under very unique circumstances, my friend and I had the chance to go overseas to the Philippines for a Volunteer Vacation through HandsOn Network/ HandsOn Manila. This incredible opportunity was especially astonishing for me; being a 4th generation Chinese American, I had never traveled to anywhere in Asia, let alone been outside of the United States. Our travels first began by flying into Manila (from Georgia to California, to Japan, then to the Philippines), arriving really late at night. Getting off the plane, we had no idea what to expect or where we were supposed to go—or who we were even supposed to meet for that matter. After stumbling around the airport for a bit, we were thankfully greeted by a few representatives from HandsOn Manila. While riding in the shuttle and looking out the windows, I was in complete awe of the surrounding cityscape. Even though all of the buildings, streets, highways, and bridges seemed nothing more than what I would have normally seen in a semi-congested US city, it was still quite surreal.

The next morning, we were greeted and picked up by Ms. Perrey Belen, our to-be guide for the rest of our trip in the Philippines. Perrey took us to the HandsOn Manila office, which was a very small yet humbling space. We were introduced to all of the services and volunteer opportunities that HandsOn Manila provides and coordinates. Despite their size, it was an incredible honor to work with such an established organization that truly provides the driving force for volunteer mobilization, utilizing corporate and civic engagement within Manila and the Philippines. While at HandsOn Manila, we also learned about the community we would be serving during our time in Boracay, a tourist island south of Manila that has been ranked as the 2011 World’s 4th Best Choice island to see.

The Ati community pertains to the indigenous people of Boracay, who have been forced to relocate from their original homes due to the high tourism of the island. Most of the Ati live in small makeshift communities in the back of the island, away from the main tourist areas. We were told that the Ati are not even allowed on the main tourist beaches because of their much darker complexion. The particular Ati community we volunteered at was organized by a small group of nuns, led by Sister Victoria. These nuns have a partnership with HandsOn Manila to have volunteers come in and help with their daycare and school. Sister Victoria explained to us that a while ago, the government had awarded land to the Ati community. However, they are still unable to occupy the land that was set appointed to them because of large resistance by claimants and private property owners.

Arriving in Boracay—first by plane, then boat, and finally by tricycle (a motorcycle with an attached covered side-carriage, and the primary mode of transportation around the island)—it was undeniably the most beautiful place I had ever seen; by the end of the trip, I was convinced I would probably never experience any such beautiful place again in my life. After getting off the tricycle, we quickly got settled and hopped on another tricycle where Perrey took us to meet the Ati we would be working with for the next couple of days.

We started off our first day with the Ati by going to the school/ daycare where the ages of kids ranged from about 4 to 10. During the day, many of the adults are away working, and the children are taken care of by the nuns and a few other Ati adults. We served the children breakfast, which had juice and a small piece of bread for each little one. HandsOn Manila had provided us with various coloring workbooks to give to the kids. It was a little bit difficult since the Ati children did not speak English at all. In fact, they don’t even speak Tagalog (the most commonly spoken Filipino language), but a completely different dialect, so they are unable to communicate with many of the Filipinos around Boracay. Fortunately, most of the kids were quick learners, and were good enough to teach the others in their own language.

After spending instructional time with the children, they were most excited to play with my friend and I while the Ati adults were beginning to prepare lunch in the back. Playing with the kids was honestly one of the most fun activities. In their culture, the Ati do not normally have any formal education system or any concepts of a school. The nuns first introduced the idea of a school, as well as introducing the children to wearing clothes. Thus, the kids were purely happiest when just playing around. Taking a break from the kids, my friend and I went to the back to help prepare and serve their lunch. Ati food primarily consists of a lot of soups and leafy greens with very minimal spices.

We left after serving all of the children and after trying a small bowl for the three of us, but we came back the next day with small gifts we had bought from the market—markers, erasers, and various stickers with numbers and the alphabet. This time around, we arrived in time to jump in and play with the kids in a few of their native games and help cook another meal for everyone. Overall, it was incredible learning about and experiencing the Ati culture. I can only hope the resettlement of the Ati community in Boracay becomes resolved soon between the government and property owners.

To learn more about HandsOn Manila visit: http://www.handsonmanila.org.ph/main/

To learn more about Volunteer Vacations visit: http://www.handsonmanila.org.ph/volunteervacations/

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Short on Time? 6 Quick Volunteer Ideas!

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’ve always wanted to volunteer, but I don’t have the time,” or “I just don’t know where to start”?

Challenge your definition of volunteering and you might just discover that you are doing it already! A volunteer, to put simply, is someone who gives his or her time willingly and expects nothing in return.

Have you ever helped a friend write a letter or a job application? Have you helped at your child’s school with an outing, at a book sale to raise money, or a community sports event? Ever “paid it forward” and committed a random act of kindness like helping a stranger with his or her suitcase at the airport? These acts are all forms of volunteering. I bet you didn’t even notice the time it took out of your day!

If time is short but you want to get involved, lending a hand can become a way of life. Here are six quick and easy ways to volunteer and start making a difference.

• Multitask!

You have to go food shopping. Why not call an elderly neighbor, or someone who can’t get out, and do his or her shopping? How about picking up a few cans for your local food bank? You are going anyway!

• Like to chat?

Do you have 30 minutes to spare, maybe once a week, and access to Facebook? Check out Language Exchange. You could partner up with someone wanting to learn your language and maybe learn his or hers, too.

• Throw a swap party!

Grab your friends for an hour and have a swap party. Choose a theme (books, clothes, toys, etc.). You might come away with something you didn’t know you needed, and all of those unused items will be recycled as something someone didn’t know they needed. All the unclaimed items can be donated to the charity of your choice.

• Are you a gamer?

Did you know that you can play online games for free that donate to charities on your behalf? One example is Charitii – a charity-donating crossword Web site that raises money to provide clean water, food for the malnourished, and protection of the rainforest worldwide.

• Utilize your own connections

If there is a cause that really means something to you, you can help raise awareness of its work using your own network. You never know who might be listening who can help! Colleagues at work, friends and family, acquaintances that you find yourself chatting with – help spread the word by talking to people. If you have time free during your lunch hour, maybe that charity needs help writing e-mails or posters that need to be put up. Why not write to your newspaper to tell of the good work that the charity does?

• Do what you know!

If you can cook, you can help. If you can read, you can help. Are you a computer programmer? A nurse? There are countless ways of using your existing skills to benefit others. Cook someone a meal, advise on health matters, fix a computer for an elderly neighbor or underfunded organization. Become aware of the people around you and figure out how much time you can spare each month. Even half an hour can make a huge difference for those who could benefit from your skills.

These are just a few small ways of donating a little bit of your time to help others. They are all unique volunteer activities and there are hundreds of more options out there. Small acts of kindness count, and add up overtime!

How do you volunteer in short time periods? Let us know in the comments below!

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February is the Time to Donate Your Cans

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

February is a very special month indeed! It is a month full of Valentines love, heart awareness and black history. With all of these fun things going on in one month, can you believe there is even more events to celebrate? (GASP!) Yep, that’s right February is also National Canned Food Month!

This month is a great time to volunteer without straying from your hectic daily schedule. Donating canned foods can be a lot easier than you think and can actually help a great deal of people.

How exactly can you incorporate this service idea into your schedule? Check out our tips below to get inspired to feed those in your community!

  1. Partner up: Ask your local grocery store about placing a canned food donation bin in the store, so that customers can donate to the cause. It is an easy way to attract donations because people will just pick up an extra can during their shopping trip. Hand out flyers to shoppers so that they understand your cause and the people that their donation will be helping.
  2. Make it a food collection competition: Compete with friends, neighbors, classmates, or family members to see who can collect the most food. You can design a scoreboard and who ever collects the most cans, wins the prize!
  3. Host a movie night: Invite your community to watch a movie such as a documentary about hunger in America. The price of admission into the movie is a canned good! You will get great discussion and help your community members understand the impact that their donation will make.
  4. Host a casual Friday: Ask your boss if your company or organization can join in on the canned good fun. If a majority of employees bring in a canned good, all employees will be rewarded with a casual attire day.
  5. Make your next event a donation opportunity:Whether your kids have a big sporting event, or you are hosting a
    party encourage attendees to bring cans instead of gifts.
  6. Raffle:Make your canned donation an event. Ask local companies whether they would be interested in donating a gift to
    your cause. Whoever donates a can, gets a chance to win an awesome prize!
  7. Get your kids’ teachers involved: Ask your principle if you can get the school involved in the donation. Have the teachers do something for the amount of cans donated. For example, if every student donates a can, the class gets a longer recess.
  8. Make it a theme: Put a theme around your donation cause. For example, Tomato Tuesday every person must donate a canned good that contains tomatoes. More people will donate if they have a little twist added to the mix.
  9. Ask your neighbors: Kill two volunteer birds with one stone. Offer to do something nice for someone in your neighborhood such as clean their house, mow their lawn, rake leaves, or shovel snow in exchange for canned goods.

Canned food donations are an easy way to truly help your community members who may be in need. Food banks and soup kitchens often run low on supplies after the holidays, and your decision to donate canned goods will change that fact.

We hope that these ideas help make your canned food celebration both meaningful and fun. Are you donating canned goods this February? We would love for you to share your stories in the comment section below!

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Carry Out That New Years Resolution!

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

You survived January 2012, now what? Did you make that New Years resolution stick through the chilling January temperatures? If Groundhog Day has taught us anything, it is that there is going to be another 6 weeks of winter (Yikes!).

So let’s not get discouraged, let’s get out and volunteer to keep that New Years resolution throughout the whole year! Statistics show that after the first month of trying to stick to a New Years resolution only 64% of people who set them will actually stick to them.

If you resolved to help others and your community in 2012, you do not need to be another statistic in this continuous cycle of failed resolutions. Helping others does not need to be a complete life change or turning away from a bad habit. It is just a positive addition to your life that will benefit you in so many ways (hey maybe with the positive feeling you get from volunteering you will be able to move to new goals like losing weight)

So why do people find it so hard to stick to resolutions such as volunteering?

  1. Many people believe that they do not have enough time to volunteer during their hectic schedule. Come on we have heard this excuse so many times, why do you think people don’t exercise?
  2. Some people do not know where to volunteer their time or what organizations need volunteers.
  3. Volunteers get intimidated by the many options available in the nonprofit world. There are a ton of action areas it can be difficult to choose just one!
  4. Some people do not see problems in their community, so they do not believe that their community needs volunteers.
  5. Others will get distracted by various plans. It can be difficult to volunteer on the weekends especially when you work all week.

Do these excuses sound like similar phrases that have come out of your mouth this past month? Well, it is good you are looking at today’s post. Let’s find solutions to these excuses. You do not have to be super volunteer to help your community. Make baby steps. No one completes their resolutions over night; if we did losing weight would be number one on our lists!

Excuse #1: You may be extremely busy, and volunteering just does not have a place on your schedule. Okay, so you cannot go out on a Saturday morning and volunteer physically to a soup kitchen or volunteer for a Habitat for Humanity build. But you can…

  • Donate canned goods to a food bank or soup kitchen
  • Donate gently used clothes or appliances to a shelter or donation center
  • Make decorations for a retirement home or hospital
  • Conserve water and energy
  • Recycle
  • Save your change and donate it to your favorite cause or charity

Excuse #2: There are so many charities and nonprofits in every city; it can become overwhelming when you are searching for a volunteer opportunity. There are many organizations that can help you find a volunteer opportunity that will guide you to the perfect match! Check out:

Excuse #3: Yes, we know there is an overwhelming amount of volunteering opportunities available. To make your volunteering choice less intimidating pick out something that you are truly interested in, so that you will want to continuously do it. Who wants to keep up with something they do not enjoy. Volunteering opportunities fall into a majority of these categories:

  • Animals
  • Elderly
  • Military
  • Youth
  • Environment
  • Disaster relief
  • Homelessness
  • Poverty
  • Women

Excuse #4: It is sometimes difficult to observe your community’s needs on a daily basis. The truth is every community needs and relies on volunteer work. Your contribution no matter how big or small will make a huge difference to your community and its members. Never believe that volunteering in your community will go unnoticed!

Excuse #5: It is normal to just want to relax during your time off. There are volunteering opportunities for every level of volunteer. You can volunteer from your couch, your kitchen, or your workplace. You can choose projects that are big or small just do something that you enjoy and it will not seem like work, because the benefits will outweigh the costs.

It is 2012; do not let yourself give up on another resolution. Make this year count! You will begin to see the rewards of your service quicker than you think. Just try it; what do you have to lose?

Are you volunteering in 2012? Share your ideas with us; we would love to hear them!

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Make a Play to Fight Hunger

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Ready…Set…Volunteer! This Sunday, February 5 is every American’s favorite day SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!! Woohoo hear the crowds roar with excitement! Who can resist watching funny commercials, seeing Madonna perform for the halftime show, seeing your favorite teams fight to the death, eating yummy food, and just participating in some good ol’ American fun!

Here at HandsOn Network we are not only excited about the opportunity to hang out with friends and family while watching the greatest sports event of the year, but also for the opportunity to make a party out of a service event. What do you mean, you may be wondering to yourself? You got me all hyped up about a day of good ol’ day of American fun to then have the obligation to volunteer?

Wrong, turning your Super Bowl party into a service project is just as easy as predicting that you will see a million Doritos commercials on Sunday.

So how does this happen, how can I make my day of fun into a day of service as well? Easy, we have a list full of simple fun ways to make service a good call rather than a penalty to your excitement! Come on put that plate of chicken wings down and check out our service ideas below:

  1. Make a substitution: So we all know that eating fatty American foods is just part of the Super Bowl tradition. While this is still an option to your event planning, why not add a little twist to the mix? Ask guests to bring a couple canned foods to your party that can be donated to your local food bank. It is a win-win situation unlike Billy Cundiff, of the Baltimore Ravens who missed the winning field goal game tying which would have knocked the Patriots out of Super Bowl contention. You win because you get to hang out with your friends while  serving your community. Your local food bank wins because their shelves are stocked thanks to your wonderful donation!
  2. Team up: Add a little competition to your Super Bowl event. Compete with your neighbors (I mean it would not be the Super Bowl without a little competition, right?). Tell your neighbors about your idea to fight hunger for the Super Bowl and encourage them to do the same. Compose cheers, make signs, wear uniforms, etc. Whoever collects the most food gets the trophy. Competition adds a fun aspect to the service initiative because it keeps players’ adrenaline going! Isn’t that why the most of us watch the Super Bowl in the first place?
  3. Draft: While you and your community is in the midst of this great hunger competition make a pact to fight hunger year round. With all the fun you are going to have it will not be hard to recruit people for your hunger team! You can make this happen through making a donation calendar, assigning a bin to be stored in a local area for donations, writing up a schedule to define who will take donations to the food bank each month, etc. Just remember communication is key to any successful team!
  4. Celebrate your victory: After all this fierce hunger game play, you and your teammates are allowed to take pleasure in your hard work. Enjoy the game, eat great food, have fun with your friends. What is the point of competition if you cannot celebrate it at the end?

After the holiday hype, food banks tend to run low on supplies. By making your Sunday Super Bowl party into a “Fight Hunger” service project you will help this reality become a fact of the past!

Organizations such as Souper Bowl of Caring are great ways that you can get your event started, as well. Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth driven organization that actively fights hunger around Super Bowl time. They go around in their communities collecting money and food donations in a soup pan. They will donate 100% of their proceeds to a local hunger relief organization of their choice. Last year, more than $9.5 million dollars worth of donations were collected by youth volunteers across the nation. Learn more by visiting Souper Bowl of Caring’s website where you can register to participate and find many resources to get involved in this great cause.

Still hungry for more? Our friends at generationOn also have a huge resource database for kids, parents, and teachers to get involved in the hunger fight!

So put your game face on this Sunday and make the play to fight hunger for your community members! You will reap the benefits and go home with the gold thanks to your pledge to end hunger in 2012!

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Mentoring in America

Friday, January 27th, 2012

January is the start of so many good things:  a new year, a renewed surge of volunteers, and National Mentoring Month. It is important to celebrate our mentors: those who change our lives by being a good listener, setting boundaries, providing support and criticism, and celebrating milestones with us.Hands As we wrap up the month, lets look back at this year’s presidential proclamation for inspiration on ways to carry the spirit of National Mentoring Month throughout the year!

Presidential Proclamation–Mentoring Month

    Across our Nation, mentors steer our youth through challenging times and support their journey into adulthood.  During National Mentoring Month, we honor these important individuals who unlock the potential and nurture the talent of our country, and we encourage more Americans to reach out and mentor young people in their community.

    The dedication of mentors has helped countless young men and women succeed when they might have otherwise fallen short of their full potential.  Mentors can provide a steady presence and share their valuable knowledge and experiences.  Even brief amounts of quality time set aside by these compassionate adults can have a lasting impact on the development of a child.  Mentors can also support the lessons of parents and teachers by encouraging students to complete their schoolwork and by instilling enduring values of commitment and persistence.  From coaches to community leaders, tutors to trusted friends, mentors are working with today’s youth to develop tomorrow’s leaders.mentor

    We know the difference that a responsible, caring adult can make in a child’s life.  Effective mentoring programs can result in better school attendance, positive student attitudes, and a reduced likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use.  Across the Federal Government, we have provided resources to expand mentoring opportunities for America’s young people.  We are increasing mentoring efforts in Native American and rural communities and are working to ensure our investments are coordinated, effective, and focused on those most in need.  To help build healthy families and communities and provide our youth with strong role models, I launched the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative.  First Lady Michelle Obama and I have also established mentoring programs within the White House, pairing staff with young men and women in the Washington, D.C., area.  For information and resources about mentoring opportunities, I encourage all Americans to visit:  www.Serve.gov/Mentor.

    Many Americans have realized their promise because a mentor encouraged them to reach for new heights and guided them along the path to achievement.  The contributions of these engaged adults extend beyond the lives they touch and have a lasting impact that strengthens our country and our future.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2011 as National Mentoring Month.  I call upon all public officials, business and community leaders, educators, and Americans across the country to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

 The president   IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Yesterday was National Mentoring Day. What did you do to thank your mentor? How will you celebrate the support system mentoring provides throughout the year?

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8 Benefits of Volunteerism

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

New Year’s Resolutions are often made with the best of intentions and promptly dropped. Statistics show that about two weeks into the year one-third of those who make resolutions are close to quitting. By March, 85 percent will have thrown in the towel!

What better way to keep that resolution to volunteer than to reassess exactly how volunteering will benefit you? You may be surprised at some of the various benefits of volunteerism! Tour members volunteer with clean-up efforts

  •  Meet new people Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. It puts you in contact with folks with similar interests that you may not have encountered otherwise! Volunteer projects are a great way to make new friends or simply meet people with different life experiences than your own. You can not only develop lifelong personal and professional relationships, you can also hear about job openings, gather insider employment information and develop great references.
  • Network and gain connections In these uncertain economic times, the opportunity to network is nothing to scoff at. Volunteer projects offer that chance, and often in an arena related to your current skills. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and you can never tell who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.Earned Income Tax Credit Volunteer
  • Looks good on your resume & college application Volunteering demonstrates workplace, management, and leadership skills that can be documented in a resume. Work experience is work experience, with or without a paycheck. If you are developing new skills or thinking of pursuing a new career, volunteer work can give you valuable, practical experience. Career counselors and headhunters encourage job seekers to document pertinent volunteer experiences. Volunteer work support skills, character and balance in life. 90% of executives in a national survey of Fortune 500 companies believed volunteering built teamwork and provided valuable professional development opportunities.
  • Learn new skills Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. It is never too late to learn new skills and there is no reason why you should stop adding to your knowledge just because you are in employment or have finished education. Planning and implementing a major fundraising event can develop goal setting, planning and budgeting skills. Supervising and training other volunteers helps to develop supervisory and training skills. Volunteering is the perfect way to discover something that you’re good at while contributing to the benefit of your community.
  • Gain confidence and a sense of achievement Volunteers are motivated in their work because they are able to work for a cause or passion that they truly believe in. When one is able to work for a cause close to their heart, they feel a sense of achievement at seeing the effect that their good work has on others. Volunteering around a personal interest or hobby can be fun, relaxing and energizing. That energy and sense of fulfillment can carry over to other aspects of your life and sometimes helps to relieve work tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations.2 guys volunteer planting
  • Better your health Those who participate in volunteer activities report higher levels of life satisfaction, sense of control over life, and feeling physical and emotionally healthier. A report featured in The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine found that people who give back to others lead more happy and healthy lives than those who do not volunteer. “People in general are happier and healthier, and may even live a little longer, when they’re contributing” to their community or an organization they are passionate about, said study author Stephen G. Post, PhD. A majority of study participants said their volunteer activities enrich their sense of purpose in life and lower stress levels. The survey also showed that those who give back are less likely to feel hopeless and lonely than people who do not volunteer.
  • Feel good by doing good! Volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others.  Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better!
  • Establish yourself in your community We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. It is easy to become disconnected with the issues that face your community as a whole. Why not bridge that expanding gap through volunteering? Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s wellbeing. What better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back? As a volunteer, you certainly return to society some of the benefits that society gives you.
  • Find new hobbies and interests Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of. You can strengthen your personal and professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons. Perhaps you’ll discover a previously unknown passion for education or making blankets for homeless shelters!

What are the benefits you’ve experienced through volunteering? Have you succeeded in keeping your resolutions? Let us know in the comments below!

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Why is Martin Luther King Day a Time to Serve?

Friday, January 13th, 2012

January 16, 2012 marks the twenty-sixth anniversary of Martin Luther King as it was first observed. Many campaigned for a federal holiday in Dr. King’s honor after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan officially signed the holiday into law in 1983. The holiday was officially observed by all 50 states in 2000.

English: Photograph of President Ronald Reagan...

 

Martin Luther King Day turned from a “day off” to a “day on” in 1996 with the King Holiday and Service Act. The bill was presented by U.S. Senator

Harry Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis.

Service to the community was extremely important to Martin Luther King and should be an action taken by all to honor his memory. Dr. King believed in applying the principles of nonviolence to efforts of bettering the community. He believed in the beautiful idea of the “Beloved Community,” one in which all members helped each other and everyone was seen as equals because they believed in this idea of a loving community.

 

 

 

Martin Luther King Day is a perfect day to serve his message of equality and love for one another through volunteering. The selfless dedication for one another was exactly what Dr. King dreamed about. Volunteering is a beautiful way to show how you truly care about those in your community. There are so many opportunities for you to carry out King’s message of service to one another to make this beloved community, here are a few of ourfavorites:

 

  • Discuss issues in your beloved community at a Sunday Supper
  • Help out your co mmunity members by volunteering on January 16
  • Watch a movie with your community about social issues and discuss how these issues affect your community
  • Check out our toolkit to plan your service project

Martin Luther King Day is a call to action for your community, not just a day off. Who knows you may find your perfect service project through your MLK Day of service!

What are you doing to serve on Monday? We would love to hear about it!

Today’s video came from The Corporation for National and Community Service’s Youtube Channel.

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