Posts Tagged ‘volunteer’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Volunteers, You’re Awesome Take a Bow

Monday, April 9th, 2012

We absolutely love volunteers! Not just because we are a nonprofit organization focused on volunteer listings and opportunities, but also because they are just plain awesome! Why?

Volunteers dedicate themselves to a cause or an issue in the community because they care and want to give back. They do not act for monetary rewards or even recognition. They volunteer their in many different ways from book drives to park clean up just to give back to their neighbors.

April is National Volunteer Month, so let’s celebrate the hard work volunteers are doing around the world by recognizing their efforts!

  • In 2012, 62.7 million people volunteered in America.
  • Thanks to those 62.7 million volunteers, 8.1 billion hours of service were logged for the United States. Imagine what the nation would look like without those 8.1 billion hours!
  • 26.5% of United States residents reported that they volunteered in some form over the past year in 2010. Those 26.5 percenters individually contributed 34.1 service hours in their communities.
  • The Independent Sector reports that those 8.1 billion hours of service were worth $178 billion in 2010. Each volunteer is worth $21.67 per hour, but they do the work for their love of the community, rather than salary.
  • 23.5% of volunteers are actively involved in food collection and distribution. How many residents would go hungry without these volunteers?
  • 26.7% of volunteers for education. How would our children succeed in school without the help of education volunteers?
  • 11.6 million Millennials volunteered 1.2 billion hours of community service to their community in the categories of fundraising, labor, mentoring, and food distribution. Do you still believe that young people cannot make a difference?
  • 9.2 million older Americans (65 years and older) donated 1.7 billion hours of hours to their communities. Older adults are able to find new meaning to their lives after retirement thanks to volunteer work.
  • Volunteers with HandsOn Network affiliates impacted the service economy by $546,638,278!

Are you still skeptical about the value of volunteer work? We hope not. Recognize the work being done in your community via volunteers. National Volunteer Week is just around the corner, April 15-21. Do something special for your volunteers! Whether you want to alert the media about your volunteer events and impact or you want to write personal thank you notes for your volunteers, make this a week of recognition for the unbelievable service work happening every day!

 

The statistics used in this report can be found in the 2010 Volunteering in America report conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

This infographic can be found via the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Related articles
Share

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Impact, Service, Volunteer Recognition, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Clean Up on the Community Aisle

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

In case you have just awoken from winter hibernation, spring has finally arrived! From the high levels of pollen to the newborn animals running around spring is in full swing and will not be ignored. Since we cannot hide from it, it is time to celebrate the new spring season with volunteer work (we would not be HandsOn Network if we said otherwise)!

While April is a time for blossoming spring weather, it is also Keep America Beautiful Month! Keep America Beautiful is a time to focus on preserving our environment through recycling, reducing waste, and beautifying communities.

April is a great time to celebrate these values by starting your own volunteer project such as a community cleanup! Follow our steps below to get your project off the ground and help keep America beautiful!

Develop a plan:

  • Form a planning committee to organize the project and develop a strategy.
  • State the purpose of your project.
  • Assign specific role to participants
  • Create motivating letters to get the word out to the community about your project.
  • Contact your local media to recruit their participation.
  • Plan how you will recognize your volunteers and funders.

Build your teams:

  • Recruit a volunteer team of all ages from businesses to kids. All ages can participate in this project! The more people that you are able to recruit the more you can accomplish and clean up.

Set a location:

  • Identify an area in your neighborhood that needs to be cleaned up. Your location can be any area in your community, as long as you get permission to use it for your project. If you are using kids, make sure that your area has a place that will be safe for them.

Secure resources:

  • You will need different colored trash bags (recycling and trash), gloves, hand sanitizer, water bottles, etc.
  • Coordinate with your local recycling and trash units to make sure everything is cleaned up after the project is over.

Keep your fundraising goal in mind:

  • Develop a story about the purpose and history of your project, so that funders understand the philanthropy aspect.
  • Empower and equip your team members to fundraise and interact with funders to ensure a successful event.
  • Use online fundraising
  • Pass around donation jars at local events such as youth groups, school, the workplace, or town hall meetings.

Review last minute details and communicate with volunteers:

  • Make sure that everyone on your project team knows where the event is, the time it is happening, and is aware of the necessary supplies and work attire.

Recognize your volunteers:

  • Show your volunteers how much you appreciate their time verbally.
  • Take pictures of the event and post them on social media channels.
  • Post a sign recognizing your funders.
  • Outreach for media help with volunteer recognition.

Reflect and Learn:

  • After the project is done, ask someone to lead a reflection of the day for the group. It is important that everyone understand the effort they put in to complete the project and how their efforts will better the community.

Park cleanupKeeping your community beautiful is a great way to better your economy, environment and well-being. This month get out and take pride in your community’s appearance. Let’s clean up our neighborhoods and make every month Keep America Beautiful Month!

For more information on planning a neighborhood cleanup project, check out HandsOn University’s toolkit resource to get started today!

Have you planned a neighborhood cleanup in your community, have any suggestions? We would love for you to share in the comment section below!

Related articles
Share

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Environment, Family Volunteering, Neighboring, Tools You Can Use, Volunteer Project Development, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

9 Steps to Bloom Your Community

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Today at HandsOn Network, in Atlanta, we are volunteering, as a staff, at a local community garden! Taking part in a community garden is not only a great way to help the environment, but it is also a great way to form neighboring relationships.

You can fill your community garden with anything from vegetables to flowers, whatever your community members decide, will work! The most important thing is that you make sure to organize your gardeners and that the garden is taken care of by its members.

We encourage your to get out and embrace this beautiful spring weather, by starting your community garden. Not sure where to begin? Here are ten tips that will get your neighborhood growing today!

  1. Organize your interests: Determine whether or not your neighborhood actually wants a garden. If it does, determine what your neighbors would like to have planted in that garden. Find out who would like to be involved, and what would be needed to get the garden started.
  2. Forms a garden party: Gather a list of interested community members who would like to play a role in the garden activities. These members will be vital in funding the garden, keeping up with its maintenance, and planning events.
  3. Survey time: Research what resources your neighbors already have for the garden i.e. tools, plants, soil, etc. Make a plan for donation asks and sponsorships for needed materials.
  4. Location, location, location: Determine the best location for your garden. Whether you keep it within the neighborhood or at a community headquarters, determine which location would be best for all interested parties.
  5. Clean up time: Prepare your chosen land before you get your neighbors in. Whether you need to recruit volunteers for help or you can do it yourself, make sure your chosen spot is suitable for growing vegetation before the big planting day starts.
  6. Organize the space: After you have determined what you would like to plant in the garden, you must organize the plots according to growing needs. Some plants cannot grow in certain areas, soils, or lighting. It is important to know your plants needs before you stick them in the ground.
  7. Let the youth be involved: Make a space for a children’s garden in your community garden so that the youth in your community can be involved, as well. It will allow them to learn about forming neighboring relationships, while also volunteering for the environment.
  8. Organize duties: Make sure your members are clear on their assigned task, so that your garden can be maintained. It is important to design a system or contract that is agreed upon by the members, so that you can keep up with the condition of your garden.
  9. Keep in touch: Organize a system that will keep garden members in touch with each other. Whether you want to exchange phone numbers or email addresses, it is important that all members can get in touch with each other in case anything comes up. It will also help maintain that sense of community between all those involved!

Starting a community garden is a great way to volunteer this spring. You will be giving back to your community, while establishing relationships with your neighbors.

So, get out and get your grow on this season!

Have you started a community garden; let us know your tips in the comment section below!

Related articles

Share

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Environment, Neighboring, Service, Volunteer Project Development | No Comments »

Spring Has Sprung, It’s Time to Volunteer!

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

The birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, and the pollen is everywhere. Today is the first day of spring! Goodbye cold weather and hello sunny days. Spring is a great time to have a new beginning by getting out and volunteering in your community.

Do you want to volunteer in your community this spring, but you are lost when it comes to finding things to do? No need to be confused any longer with this list of spring themed volunteering ideas!

  1. Make the flowers bloom: Clean up your community park for the spring. Plant flowers, repair playgrounds, or pick up trash. Whatever you can do to beautify your park to make it more enjoyable will make a difference!
  2. Walk a dog: Volunteer to be a dog walker or check out your local shelter to see if they need dog walkers. You can enjoy the beautiful weather, while hanging out with a furry friend.
  3. Get your feet wet: Join generationOn for their project of the month “Get your feet wet.” Track your water footprint for World Water Day to see how you can better conserve.
  4. Got lemonade? Set up a lemonade stand for good in your community. Pick a nonprofit or cause that you feel passionate about and raise money for them by selling lemonade to your neighbors!
  5. Build a house: Love being outside? Join a Habitat for Humanity build for the spring!
  6. Grow your own: Want to get more involved with your community members? Plant a community garden and buy local. Your neighbors can contribute all of their favorite plants to the garden. What a great way to live sustainably!
  7. Plant a tree: Arbor Day is just around the corner reduce your carbon footprint and plant a tree. Check out the Arbor Day Foundation to get started!
  8. Paint your school: Who doesn’t love a little color? Donate your artistic abilities to your local school and paint a mural.
  9. Spring break for good: Is your school’s spring break coming up? Choose an alternative spring break this year and make a difference. Check your school website for options. United Way also has many options for alternative spring breaks.
  10. Explore the zoo: Volunteer to be a mentor to a child and bring them to the zoo.
  11. Spring cleaning: Do you have a lot stuff lying around that you have no idea what to do with. Clean out your house and donate your goods.
  12. Egg hunt: Volunteer to host a egg hunt for the kids in your community.

Spring is a great time to volunteer because not only is the weather awesome, but you have so many volunteer options! Start your new beginning this season with these volunteer ideas or one of your own.

 

Are you volunteering or do you have another idea to add to the list? We would love to hear it, share your comments below.

Share

Tags: , ,
Posted in Service, Volunteer Project Development, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

How the phone patent changed volunteering!

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

 

It’s March already?! Sheesh! But hey cheer up because spring is right around the corner! March is also awesome because in March, Alexander Graham Bell patented the phone, an invention that changed the world AND volunteering! That’s right, the phone-which paved the way for other technological inventions, allows for people to participate in virtual volunteering! Here’s how:

  1.  Call, text, skype, or email someone who is homebound, in a hospital or a rest home! By simply using some form of communication and letting someone know that you care and are thinking about them is inspiring and can brighten someone’s day! Whether sick or healthy, it’s always nice to know that someone took the time out of their busy day to contact you.
  2. Staff an e-mail or chat room answer/support line: Whether it’s a phone answer/support line, people can write in questions and trained volunteers can answer them; or, volunteer to be part of an online support group, where members provide advice to each other via a chat room, list or newsgroup.
  3. Conduct online research: find information an agency can use in an upcoming grant proposal or newsletter. Gathering information such as similarly –focused organizations’ web site addresses or a particular government program or legislation could greatly benefit an agency’s clients.
  4. Welcome people in advance who are about to enter the hospital, go to summer camp, etc. from volunteers, via email or a special Web page or Intranet, and post-service follow up to the same group via email or the Web! This provides them with support and care!
  5. Help an organization dot their eyes and cross their T’s by proofreading papers and online publications to ensure that they convey a grammatically correct message to their audience!
  6.  Add an agency’s volunteer opportunities into online databases: We totally understand the benefits of a volunteer doing this as this is very beneficial to an organization and volunteers seeking volunteer opportunities.

These are just a few ways that technology and phones have contributed to the expansion of volunteering. Let us know how you plan on celebrating the phone patent anniversary in the comments!

Enhanced by Zemanta
Share

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Technology, Volunteerism | No Comments »

Spread the Volunteer Love for National Volunteer Week

Monday, March 5th, 2012

This year’s National Volunteer Week is April 15 through April 21! It’s a week dedicated to recognizing and honoring the amazing work of volunteers throughout the nation. Whether you’re serving your local school, nursing home, community organization, or mentoring someone, the service volunteers provide is PRICELESS, ha ha no pun intended! But in all seriousness, we are so thankful for the great service of volunteers and want offer you 4 ways to honor volunteers during National Volunteer Week or year-around.

  1. The Daily Point of Light Award: The Daily Point of Light Award was established by former President George H. W. Bush to engage individuals, families, businesses and groups to solve community problems through voluntary service. Recognize an individual or group that is inspiring change through voluntary action by submitting a nomination for the Daily Point of Light Award. If selected, your nominee will join an esteemed group of volunteers recognized on the Points of Light blog for their leadership and voluntary service, and receive a certificate signed by President George H. W. Bush and Points of Light Institute CEO Michelle Nunn honoring their achievement!
  2. Recognize a Point of Light on the Pointsoflight.org Tribute Wall: The Points of Light tribute wall provides you with access to an online community dedicated to recognizing volunteers. Whether you’re shouting out George H.W. Bush or posting a video or simply writing kind words about how a volunteer has inspired you or changed your life, the tribute wall is a way to point out the Points of Light in your life and/or your community.
  3. The President’s Volunteer Service Award: Established in 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program as 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.
  4. Celebrate people who went the Extra Mile: If you’re visiting the Washington, DC area or just surfing the exciting highways of the world wide web, visit the Extra Mile national monument. This new national monument in the heart of Washington, D.C. is a testament to the tradition, spirit and culture of service in America. From founders of major service organizations to civil rights leadersExtra Mile, the monument tells the story of people who have gone the “extra mile” to help others realize a better America. Comprised of a series of bronze medallions, it will form a one-mile walking path just blocks from the White House.

No matter what you do to recognize volunteers, make sure they know that their services help to improve your life or spark a light of volunteerism and inspiration in their community. Comment and tell us how you plan to honor your volunteers during National Volunteer Week and beyond!

Related articles
Share

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Events, Volunteer Recognition | 3 Comments »

Volunteer, It Is What All The Cool Kids Are Doing!

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

There are so many posts about ideas to volunteer with kids, older generations, and as a family, but what about teenage volunteer ideas? Well, it is good that you are reading this post today! At HandsOn Network we know that it is to get discouraged from volunteering, if there are a limited amount of resources to help you make a service decision.

Adolescents can make a huge difference in their community and can benefit from service work, as well. No only will you learn the importance of giving back, but service work is also very helpful when looking for jobs or applying to college.

Are you interested in adding community service to your to-do list? Check out our list of tips and ideas to get your project started!

  1. Love summer camp, but you are too old to still be a camper? Become a counselor in training! It is great way to still go to camp and volunteer at the same time. Camp counselors make a positive impact in the camper’s lives every summer; don’t you remember your favorite counselor?
  2. Interested in the medicine field? Check out your local hospital for volunteer opportunities. Many hospitals will hire young volunteers to interact with patients such as reading books to patients or sitting with families in the waiting room. You may even be able to help the nurses in the nursery, etc. It is a great way to get some hands-on experience in the medical profession!
  3. Give back to those who have given so much: Help out at your local nursing home. Whether you are playing games, cleaning, cooking, or planning events you are sure to have a good time! You will not only give back, but you may also learn some valuable lessons working with senior citizens.
  4. Woof woof! Help out at your local animal shelter or veterinarian clinic. Interested in veterinary science? This is the perfect opportunity to get experience, while helping animals in your community. You will have so much fun; it will not even feel like volunteering!
  5. Help your old elementary school: Want to reconnect with your old teachers? Hold a book or school supplies drive at your old elementary school. This is a great way to get experience in the education field, by working with school children.
  6. Volunteer at your local nursery: Does your church, town hall, or place of work have a nursery? Check to see if they need any extra hands to help with the children. You can volunteer to read stories to the kids or even help clean up.
  7. Volunteer to be green: Have a green thumb? Gather your neighborhood and start a community garden. Have every person plant their favorite flowers, vegetables, or fruits. It will be a great asset to your community, and will also help the environment!
  8. Love to read? Libraries are always looking for eager volunteers. Check with your town’s library to find out their various needs and how could help them through volunteering. This is a great service project to put on your resume!
  9. Good cook? Make food for your local shelter or soup kitchen. Short on time? Start a food drive at your school. Donate your collected items to your neighborhood’s shelter.
  10. Artistic? Make coloring books for homeless children. There are many websites with coloring pages ready to be printed. Put together a few books and donate them to a children’s or family shelter.

Volunteering is the perfect excuse to utilize the skills that you may not be able to use every day. What better way to learn about yourself and the career path you would like to take than volunteering your skills?

Have a hunger for more projects like these? Check out generationOn to find more projects for teenagers!

How has volunteering helped you? We would love to hear your story in them comments section below!

Related articles
Share

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Kids, Volunteer Project Development, Volunteering | 1 Comment »

Benefits of the Service Leader Certificate Program

Monday, February 27th, 2012

Today’s post comes from Stephanie Manciagli, an AmeriCorps member of the HandsOn University team. Stephanie is the Resource Development Specialist for HandsOn University.

In Stephanie’s post, she reflects upon the positive experience she had with the HandsOn Service Leader Certificate Program.

I recently took the Service Leader Certificate Course online through HandsOn Network and had the most amazing experience!  The course was exactly what I had hoped for: a great instruction for planning service projects and leading teams.  I am usually not very tech-savvy so I was very pleased with the course’s easy-to-use format.

Upon registering through the Hands On website, I received a confirmation email within seconds that directed me to the course home page.  The home page has links to each course and its accompanying assessment. To start, all you have to do is click the “Course 101” tab, and it will open up a new page to start the course. When you are done with each course, I liked that I could exit out of the course and the original course home page was still up.

The courses are set up like a slide show.   On certain pages there is text to read, and in others there is a speaker elaborating on bullet point text. The format allows you to pace yourself through the course, by pausing after each slide. Tabs on the left of the screen allow you to pause, rewind, and fast forward at your will, which is great for taking notes or taking a break.  I also liked that the course tracks and saves your progress as you go, so if you [accidently] exit out of the course, you can resume where you left off when you open the course again. Another thing I liked was the assessment questions that followed each course.  Realizing that I had retained the information that I had just learned reinforced my excitement for learning the material and challenged me to do better in each course…………………..

Courses 101-103 taught me the skills I need to know to be a Service Leader.  I have volunteered in the past, and have been interested in taking on leadership positions, but always felt that I lacked the proper skills to excel in such a position.  This course taught me what I need to know, such as, how to inspire action, mobilize others to effect change, and manage a team.  The text gives both broad outlines and specific examples of how to plan a project from beginning to end, which is extremely helpful for someone like me, who has only served as a volunteer at service events, and never planned an event.  Even more than teaching me the skills I need to know, I found these courses inspiring.  Every month I write in my planner, “Volunteer somewhere!,” or “Plan a Service Project,” but never actually do it, due to one thing or another.  After taking this course, I feel motivated and prepared to make a difference, and know I will feel proud as I reintegrate service into my life.

The Service Leader Certificate Program is an excellent way to advance your volunteer skills. National Volunteer Week is coming up (April 15 through April 21)  this is the perfect time to advance your service knowledge and become a certified service leader!

Have you taken this course? How did you benefit?

Related articles
Share

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Service Learning, Technology, Tools You Can Use, Volunteer Leader | No Comments »

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.

 

Share

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Family Volunteering, Impact, Mobilize, Service, Volunteer Recognition | No Comments »

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.

 

Share

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Events, Volunteer Recognition | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »