Posts Tagged ‘volunteer’

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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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Great Ways to Show Your Volunteers You Love Them

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Happy Valentines Day to all! We hope that you are enjoying your chocolates, cards, or flowers from your sweetheart today. Did you know Valentines Day can be more than just honoring the love you share with your significant other? It is also a great way to show your volunteers just how much you love them and the tremendous service they give to you and your organization! Below are some great suggestions to show your volunteer love not only just today but always!

We Are Thankful for Our Volunteers This Holiday Season

12 Tips for Recognizing Volunteer Managers

Recognizing Volunteers on Labor Day

6 Tips for Recognizing Volunteers

Four Tips for a Different National Volunteer Week

Giving Thanks for Volunteers

The Nine Basic Rules for Volunteer Recognition

National Volunteer Week, which runs from 4/15 to 4/21, is also a great way to recognize your volunteers and the work they do for your organization. You can recognize them not only with a service award, but also by sharing their inspirational story! Submit your stories by 3/31.

 

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Global Youth Service Day

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Today’s guest post comes from Youth Service America.

Editor’s Note: Simone Bernstein is a sophomore at St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York and a member of the YSA Youth Council. She is co-founder of StLouisVolunteen.com, a youth-led volunteer, intern and scholarship resource for students, families, schools, and nonprofits. StLouisVolunteen.com organizes and hosts an annual spring STL Youth & Family Volunteer Fair.

As military dependents, my brother and I appreciated the generosity of our community when my dad was deployed. Friends, neighbors and the kindness of strangers helped us get us through the long and challenging months of my dad’s deployment. My brother and I wanted to pay it forward and find ways as youth that we could give back to support our community. We were both active in scouting and our religious school service projects, but we wanted to do more. Unfortunately, many nonprofit agencies required volunteers to be 18 years or older to volunteer on site.

As we got older, through word of mouth, we learned of opportunities for youth to volunteer on site at a variety of nonprofit organizations in our community:  at the local library, the VA Hospital, our city’s children’s museum, and an emergency crisis nursery. However, there was no local website or resource specifically geared towards youth and family volunteerism listing these opportunities. My brother and I created StLouisVolunteen.com  to fulfill that basic need. We created a simple resource for area schools and youth to promote volunteer opportunities.  We categorized the various organizations that offer volunteer opportunities for students by age group and area of interest. Each spring we host a community-wide Youth and Family Volunteer Fair to share the variety of opportunities available for teenagers and families with young children to volunteer in our community. The Volunteer Fair marks the kick-off to Global Youth Service Day(GYSD), the largest service event in the world.

I first learned about GYSD when I was researching youth service ideas and opportunities on the Internet.  I knew I wanted to be part of this global celebration that unites and connects youth throughout the world with the common goal of making a difference to improve their communities. GYSD provides information and grants for youth to create their own projects and/or partner with non-profit organizations. As a current member of the YSA Youth Council (watch the PSA we made!), I have the opportunity to not only increase the impact of my project from last year, but also show young people around the world that they too can use service to solve important issues in their communities. But my favorite thing about GYSD is that it shows age is not a barrier to serving! Anyone at any age can do something to make a difference.

I am asking you join me and my fellow youth council members for GYSD on April 20 -22, 2012 and either plan or join a service project. No project is too small and every single thing you do has potential to make a tremendous impact.

This video originally appeared on the Youth Service America Youtube Channel.

 

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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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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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How to Be a  Mentor

Ten Ways to Celebrate National Mentoring Month

National Thank Your Mentor Day

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Stay Out of the Cold and Volunteer from Home

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

With the freezing temperatures, tornadoes, and torrential down pours lately, why would you ever want to leave your home, if you do not have to? All of us at HandsOn Network can definitely relate to your predicament. We have compiled a list so that you can still help out your community  without having to take off your Snuggie anytime soon!

How exactly are you helping out those in your community who may need help by sitting in your house? Volunteering does not always have to be face-to-face. You can plan for your service projects, fundraise, recruit volunteers, watch a discussion provoking documentary, etc.

Below is a list of just 5 ways that you can become involved from your spot on the couch.

  1. Plan your springtime service project NOW! There is nothing wrong with planning for service a little bit early. Service planning can actually take quite a bit of time. How can you plan your service project so early you may be asking yourself?
    • Decide where you want to serve
    • Check out their website. Find out whether or not you need to go through an orientation before you serve, etc.
    • Sign up for a project that sounds interesting to you
    • Recruit friends by calling them or sharing your project through social media channels
    • Make a list of supplies that you may need
  2. Gather gently used belongings that you can donate or sell at a yard sale to raise money for your favorite charity! These are both great ways to volunteer without leaving home because you not only get some spring cleaning done, but you will also largely help those in your community.
    • Go through your gently used goods and decide what you can give away and what you cannot possibly live without.
    • Sort these things into boxes or bags so that you know what you have
    • Locate your nearest shelter or donation center to bring your things too. Some organizations, such as the American Kidney Foundation, will even come and pick up your items!
    • If you are planning a yard sale get the word out by putting signs out around your neighborhood.
    • Decide what organization or causes you would most like to donate your proceeds to (maybe one that will benefit your local community?)
    • Let your neighbors know about your fundraising event and recruit their participation! It can be a great way to bring a community together in a beneficial way.
  3. Try micro-volunteering! What is this you may ask? Micro-volunteering is a form of virtual volunteering allowing people to serve nonprofits in an indirect way. A nonprofit may ask for a task to be completed online and a volunteer will respond to the task at hand. Service projects can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours. Websites such as sparked.com are great resources to find micro-volunteering opportunities!
  4. Assemble care packages or food baskets. Contact your local meals on wheels organization, church, or food bank and see what kinds of foods they are looking for. You can assemble meals for those who use their services and deliver them to be used for their community members. You can also check out veteran services to see how you can get involved in having an overseas pen pal!
  5. Are you artistically inclined? Turn your hobby into a service project!
    • Make pictures for a retirement center
    • Knit scarves, mittens, or hats for a local shelter
    • Make baby blankets for a women and children’s home
    • Make jewelry for a women’s shelter
    • Design dog or cat collars for an animal shelter or make toys

These are just 5 ways that you can volunteer without having to spend much time away from the warmth of your house! All of these suggestions will greatly benefit your local community in more ways than one!

Are you volunteering from home during these last few months of this dreary weather? We would love to hear your ideas and service projects in the comments section below!

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My Experience in the Beloved Community

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Today’s post comes from Luci Miller, an AmeriCorps member on the Digital Engagement team  for Points of Light. 

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

January 16 marked the national celebration of Martin Luther King Day of Service. As a passionate proponent of social justice Dr. King has always been an important public figure to me. I have always admired his amazing public speaking skills, love for all of humanity, and emphasis on nonviolent social change.

Although, I am a big Martin Luther King fan, I never truly understood the importance of the national day of service aspect, until recently. Due to the fact that I am a recent college graduate, this day just meant a day out of school for me. Since becoming an AmeriCorps member for Points of Light, this day became so much more to me.

As an AmeriCorps member, I was asked to host a Sunday Supper as part of my commitment to service. A Sunday Supper is a means of sparking conversation between neighbors about important issues that may affect the community on a day-to-day basis. I decided to host my Sunday Supper with my family members so that we could move away from eating dinner in front of the television and actually speak to each other. This dinner became so much more than that. I wanted to understand their viewpoints on certain issues that I see in our community on a daily basis, so we discussed the issue of poverty.

My parents brought up excellent points about how the issue of poverty should not be an issue that we just become immune to, but rather a very visible issue.

The discussion actually bonded my family and we even discussed the idea of trying to do something about our community’s poverty rate by volunteering as a family at a local shelter.

We would have never had this discussion without the Sunday Supper. The issue of poverty and homelessness has become a very present topic of discussion in my household. It is great to see how one discussion can spark action, making Dr. King’s idea of nonviolent social change even more of a reality.

In honor of Dr. King I also decided to serve at a local elementary school with other AmeriCorps members. We were assigned the task of painting certain rooms in the school building.

 

I was a bit apprehensive about the service because it required me to use artistic skills that I unfortunately do not possess and it started early in the morning (I am not a fan of waking up early). My feelings immediately changed when I saw the turn out at the project. Over 90 volunteers showed up to serve at the school on Martin Luther King Day. Every volunteer was eager to help out his or her local school. The thing that touched me the most during this experience was the enthusiasm for volunteering that the children had. Children who were much younger than me could not wait to get inside and begin painting. They kept talking about how excited they were and how much volunteering meant to them.

It was so amazing to see the impact that a child can make on his or her community. It truly made me understand that Dr. King was correct when he said, “Anybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

 

I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to fully understand Dr. King’s day of service. He was correct in his idea of the beloved community and the idea of nonviolent social change. One small act of kindness can really make a huge difference in your
neighbor’s daily life.

Live out Dr. King’s belief in the beloved community and make a habit of serving your fellow neighbors on daily basis. Who knows what your community will look like with a touch of your goodwill?

Did you serve your community on Martin Luther King Day? We would love to hear about it in the comment section!

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Happy Martin Luther King, JR. Day of Service 2012!

Monday, January 16th, 2012

Today’s post features an info-graphic that visually displays the amazing impact your service today will make in communities around the nation! To learn more check out our blog post: “Serve for a Cause.”

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Want to Make a New Years Resolution Stick? Volunteer!

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

It’s almost that time of year again. After spending too much time in the malls, eating a ton of food, and socializing with too many awkward family members Christmas will come to a close. Now what? It is New Years resolution time!

“Yay! I cannot wait to make another resolution that I will never actually be able to keep.” When most people make a New Years resolution, they tend to try to cut back on things that may negatively influence their lives such as fast food, but what about resolving to do something good?

A New Years resolution that may not be so hard to keep is volunteering your time to help your community! This resolution will not only influence your life positively, but also the well-being of your community.

How exactly can you turn this resolution into an action rather than a statement? Easy! Follow these 5 tips that help you keep a New Years resolution and apply them to volunteering.

  1. Make sure to choose your activity wisely: Now it is great to be an overachiever, but let’s not kid ourselves you will not fit an activity into your routine, if it is not something that you enjoy. For example, if you are not the outdoorsy type, cleaning up a river bank probably is not your thing. Instead of choosing the newest trend in service, choose your project based on your interests. There is an activity for everyone and every passion.
  2. Quit being self obsessed: Volunteering allows you to be selfless and take yourself out of the daily stresses of normal life. You are able to try something that you have never had the time to do in the past. While you should choose an activity that you enjoy, you should also choose the activity for the right reasons. Get a group of friends together and help out a cause today!
  3. Be mindful of your decision: Choosing an activity that you are passionate about will promote growth from your experience. For example, if you are interested in helping your community’s education you should choose a project such as tutoring. Seeing the effects of your service such as your student passing a test, may make you want to serve in bigger projects or devote more of your time. You will grow from the experience because you are devoting yourself to something you truly care about. You are selflessly pursuing your passions.
  4. Understand your limits: Reward yourself for the great work you participated in. Go grab a bite to eat with the people who you volunteered with or go home and take a bubble bath. Just do something that will not only be enjoyable but will be a relaxing reward for you. You will be more likely to complete an activity and fit it into your routine if you can reward yourself after. After all, who doesn’t like coming home and relaxing after a hard day’s work?
  5. Recruit some friends: Tell your friends about your resolution and ask them if they would like to participate as well. You are more likely to go serve in person if you have people with you who share in your interests and support your efforts. Who knows they may even want to make service their resolution this year?

Do these tips work? See for yourself, make service your New Years resolution. Service not only will benefit your community, but it will also benefit yourself! This year make a resolution that you can actually keep! Pledge to serve today.

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Planning an Employee Service Project

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Today’s post comes from Julie Murphy, Senior Director of Government Affairs at Points of Light. She is also the head of the Washington, DC Office for Points of Light.  In this role, she is responsible for relationship management and communications with public policymakers in the promotion of volunteerism, service and policies that encourage civic engagement.  She joined Points of Light in January of 2008. 

When the idea surfaced of a volunteer service project for the Points of Light DC staff in conjunction with Thanksgiving, I thought to myself, “This will be a piece of cake because this is our bread and butter.”  (Yes, a delicious mix of metaphors, appropriate for the holiday!)

The process of identifying and conducting an employee service project revealed to me, however, how challenging and how valuable our work is and how the relationships between individuals and those in need can become a deep bond through service.

We are a motley crew here in DC with competing schedules and high energy.  When we decided that we would like to do a service project as a way of giving thanks, Norman Walton, our DC Operations Manager and I quickly contacted several organizations, assuming they would welcome us with open arms.  Many never got back to us; others had as many volunteers as they needed.  One project to load food boxes for distribution on Thanksgiving turned out to be a 30 minute drive from downtown Washington.

It was looking discouraging and the irony was not lost on our team. It was made evident to us that the work that our affiliates do every day across the country is far from simple and far from automatic.  Many organizations could use help year round but do not have the bandwidth to operate a nimble and comprehensive volunteer management program.

Finally, we happened upon A-SPAN, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network.  Our first contact was with Sarah Morse, Manager of Volunteer Programs & Special Events.  When we arrived at their offices and in-take center, she provided our intrepid team of Kerby Teller, Khyati Desai, Kelly Zito, Norman Walton and I with an overview of A-SPAN’s mission and programs, oriented us to their offices and introduced us to their Executive Director who was more than gracious.

We then spent the next 2 hours sorting through piles of donated clothes and personal hygiene products.  We even came across a HandsOn Gulf Coast T-shirt, well worn and a tangible reminder of the scope of our footprint!  The only challenge we had was when Norman and Kerby came across a mint-condition Cal Ripken baseball jersey that each of them coveted!

At the end of our time at A-SPAN, we were able to step back and proudly survey two rooms full of clothes and toiletries, fully organized by size and type and available to those in need.  We left feeling that, even in a small way, we had made a difference.

The DC office of Points of Light hopes to establish a long-term relationship with A-SPAN.  As with most acts of service, what the giver receives is beyond measure and we were privileged to have had this opportunity to build a stronger connection to the many around us who must go without during this holiday season.

 

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