Archive for May, 2010

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For Our Veterans on Memorial Day

Monday, May 31st, 2010

by Decker Ngongang, Vice President of Programs, Mobilize.org

To date, there have been approximately 2 million service men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of those millions of brave souls, almost 1.26 million of them are within my generation, the Millennial Generation.

They are young men and women who are returning home to our campuses and our communities, facing obstacles and opportunities that seem swept under the rug in the every day lives of many of my peers.

This spring Mobilize.org hosted a Democracy 2.0 Summit to explore the unique issues facing our returning Millennial veterans.

Using interactive keypad voting technology we identified and discussed the most pressing issues and used them to develop veteran-led solutions at the community level.

The guiding research behind our summit was the “ done by Civic Enterprises.

What the report, authored by and John Bridgeland, shows and what the veterans at the summit continued to mention, is that an understanding of the value our veterans can offer our communities is missing and often overlooked:

  • Nearly nine out of ten OIF/OEF veterans (89 percent) strongly agreed or agreed that Americans could learn something from the example of service of Veterans, yet only half consider themselves leaders in their communities as a result of their military service.
  • Nearly seven in ten respondents (69 percent) said that they had not been contacted by a community institution, local non- profit, or place of worship.
  • 70 percent of OIF/ OEF veterans felt motivated to volunteer in their communities.

The theme of committed service beyond the battlefield resonated throughout the event; as veterans discussed the pressing issues they face returning home, there was a continued refrain of problem solving and motivation to help their fellow veterans and civilians address the issues we all face.

The veterans did not consider their service complete once they were discharged, rather they saw in their communities a place they desired to serve with their peers and with their families.

Whether they served through a tuition assistance program for returning veterans, or by creating farm-based therapy programs for other veterans, or by volunteering at a boys and girls club; these veterans consistently saw community-based service as their next mission and in some cases the best therapy.

Many of these young people have seen their friends die or severely injured, and the way they seek to memorialize them is to continue serving in their honor.

These veterans are also working to change the stereotypes often associated with those who serve our country.

Their capacity to serve doesn’t end on the battlefield, and this Memorial Day, Mobilize.org is excited to support organizations like The Mission Continues and their initiative.

Through this program, Veterans have the opportunity to inspire, lead and work side by side with the civilians whose freedoms they have protected.

With so many Millennial veterans returning to our communities, we must be intentional in engaging them in the many battles we have to improve our schools, our environment, and to provide for the less fortunate.

What I and the Mobilize.org team learned at the Beyond the Welcome Home Summit is that the best way to thank our veterans and to honor their service is to once again empower them to serve at home.

Veterans want to meet the needs of their communities and many want to serve any way they can – we just have to reach out, invite them and ask how, not if, they want to help.

For an inside look at Beyond the Welcome Home, check out the special featuring a few of our Democracy 2.0 Award winners.



Posted in Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Special Needs Youth Gain Job Skills through Volunteerism

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

by Barbara Blalock

Over the past year I have had the privilege of working with local High School students enrolled in a Job Skills program and this partnership has proven to be a win-win experience for everyone involved.

Every semester three to four students have volunteered in support of  my organization, Treasures 4 Teachers, to volunteer their time.

The student volunteers have a variety of special needs but that certainly didn’t keep them from making a difference!

When the students arrived they were always excited and eager to get to work.

I always let them know how important their service was and what a difference it made for teachers and students in the classrooms we serve.

Over the past year the students that have volunteered have completed the following tasks:

  • Sorting cards that come in all mixed up
  • Making bookmarks from the cards
  • Sorting black and white tile pieces
  • Making games from the tile pieces
  • Stocking the shelves
  • Cutting foam into shapes
  • Folding letters
  • Stuffing envelopes
  • Helping test kits that were being developed for classroom use

Some of the job skills the student volunteers worked on with us are simple, but still important.

Some of the skills the students learned from the experience included:

  • Completing an application
  • Touring the facility and meeting other volunteers
  • Signing in and out each day
  • Taking appropriate breaks
  • Organization skills
  • Completing tasks
  • Following directions
  • Communicating with each other
  • Team building

Without this program these students might never have had the opportunity to learn these skills.

At the end of the school year the students proudly presented me with a handmade card signed by each of them telling me how much they appreciated the opportunity of volunteering and all that they learned.

Needless to say, I had tears in my eyes and warmth in my heart.

I want to encourage other non-profit organizations and volunteer managers to try and find ways to engage young volunteers with special needs in volunteer programs.

It has been a wonderful and fulfilling experience for me.

About the Author
Barbara Blalock is the Executive Director and Founder of Treasures 4 Teachers, Inc. a non-profit organization in Tempe, Arizona that provides vital materials to educators and students through proactive, environmentally-friendly programs. Treasures 4 Teachers seeks out and collects unwanted, but reusable materials and turns these materials into usable classroom resources.

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Posted in Cultural Differences, Equip, Inspire, Mobilize, Service, Volunteer Leader, Volunteer Management, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

Powerful Grassroots Voices

Friday, May 28th, 2010

By Zach Maurin, Co-founder and Executive Director of ServeNext, and an AmeriCorps alum

Since my service with AmeriCorps seven years ago and my three years with ServeNext, seeing the impact of individuals and programs has been amazing. Yet, it has been equally inspiring when people across the field come together on behalf of the larger service movement.

I remember being in college in Washington, DC when individuals, programs, and leaders across sectors helped united to save AmeriCorps in 2003.  More recently, our field rallied across the country to help pass the historic Serve America Act. These experiences helped crystallize for me the importance of grassroots organizing around service and the need to remain proactive as a field. We must work together to ensure that those who serve have a voice that is heard by key leaders.

That’s why I’m so excited to announce that last February, thanks to the support of many of those in the service movement, ServeNext won a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project that allows us to launch our most ambitious effort yet: the inaugural year of our Field Corps community organizing program.

Field Corps will recruit, train, and support an annual cohort of community organizers to build and lead local networks.

The goal is simple: so many people care about service that we want to unite that passion into collective grassroots action so that more leaders understand the impact of service programs and more citizens serve.

In June of 2010 we will select 10 organizers for the inaugural year of the program. You can apply here until June 15 and you can also use this online form to nominate others who would be interested.

To create the strongest program possible, we’re looking for exceptional people who are leaders in their communities, but leadership can show itself in all kinds of ways, so traditional organizing experience isn’t required.

We are looking for people who are active in their communities and plan to remain there.

Field Corps is a six month program designed for working professionals, running from August to January, and requires a commitment of about 10 hours/week and includes a stipend.

Organizers will receive extensive training in organizing grassroots campaigns, communication and social media, legislative advocacy, strategic planning and more.

Our search is nationwide as we look for 10 great people to build and lead local grassroots networks in different areas. You can read more about the program at servenext.org/fieldcorps.

This is our most ambitious effort yet and any help towards its success is much appreciated – to Tweet it and to share on Facebook.

Our vision is to build networks across that country that will be permanent, vibrant constituencies to form a powerful grassroots voice for the service movement.

We are excited to get the first year going to help build this momentous period for service and social innovation into long-term public and political will.

We believe that the grassroots is a critical component to make this happen!

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Posted in Equip, News & Links, Service, Tools You Can Use, Volunteer Leader, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

A Tribute to Janice

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

One of our colleagues, Ellen Ferber, lost her mother Janice last week.

After hearing stories about Janice from Ellen and reading her obituary, I am reminded once again (as I am in my own life) that apples don’t fall far from the tree.

Janice was a strong, sassy woman with family and community values, and an all around class act.

At such a vulnerable time, all I see is strength and commitment from Ellen, characteristics that we see in all of our volunteers and volunteer leaders each and every day.

I would like to pay tribute to a woman who I may have never met but who I feel like i know.  Thank you, Janice, for raising a daughter who has committed herself to a life of helping and leading others in service.

As her co-worker, I would like to honor the grieving process that Ellen will experience and promise to be there for her – to listen, to offer advice and to celebrate long after the official tributes to Janice are over.

Our work is not easy and does not slow down or stop for many reasons.

Although I am at my best when busy, I know this is not true of everyone.

The grieving process will be long, and we promise to be there for you, Ellen.

Janice Marie Cospito
(August 18, 1936 – May 20, 2010)

Virginia Beach, VA

Janice Marie Cospito, 73, of Salt Meadow Bay Drive went home to be with the Lord, Thursday, May 20, 2010. Born in Brooklyn, New York she was the daughter of the late Albert and Ellen Cripps and was predeceased by a beloved sister, Ilene Cripps. Janice will be remembered as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who was passionate for Christ and invited all to her family table.

Left to cherish her memory is her husband of 54 years, James Cospito; a daughter, Ellen Ferber and husband Jim; three sons, Dr. Peter Cospito and wife Stephanie, James Cospito and wife Lianne and Anthony Cospito and partner Arlu; six grandchildren, Derek, Kristen, Meaghan, Jonathan, Kyle and Katelyn as well as a beloved friends, Muriel Behrens and husband Don, Jennifer Huffman and husband Glen, as well as a wide circle of intimate friends.

Janice’s life will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 22, 2010 at Virginia Beach Community Chapel, Virginia Beach. Pastors Tim McIntyre, Rich Hardison and Rick Leineweber will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service in the church’s fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Missions Ministry of Virginia Beach Community Chapel, 1261 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, 23451 or to the American Cancer Society, 4416 Expressway Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23452.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Oman Funeral Home & Crematory, Chesapeake.

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Posted in Faith, Inspire, News & Links, Volunteer Recognition, Volunteer Reflection | 8 Comments »

5 Tips for Talking About Volunteering with Children

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

As the school year comes to a close, you might be wondering what to do with your kids this summer.

May we recommend volunteering?

You can ensure that a child’s volunteering experience is positive and memorable!

By implementing a few simple but effective tips and strategies, you can ensure that young volunteers leave their service project feeling inspired and empowered to continue doing good work.

1. Be cognizant of word choice

Children are developing and growing their vocabulary each day.

If you feel a word may not be as developmentally appropriate as another word, substitute it or explain the concept the word conveys.  Alternately, choose two or three words or terms to explain the same concept.

For example, when explaining volunteering to a child who is six, consider helping the child make a connection.

“Volunteering is when you do something nice for someone else — maybe even someone you don’t even know – and you don’t ask for anything in return.”

2. Model or show final results

Give children something to work towards.

Many children, especially under the age of nine, are not yet at the developmental stage in which they can “imagine” what something will be like at a later point.

When working with a child on a craft-type project, have a completed example on hand.

When working on a project where the final product cannot be shown, describe the desired outcome using steps and descriptive terms that are on the child’s level.

3. Reinforce success

Continually remind children that they are on the right track.

Positive reinforcement — “good job” or “you are an amazing volunteer” — is a tactic that gives a child the assurance and motivation that they are going in the right direction.

It also further helps the young person experience the joy that volunteering and giving can bring. However, be specific in your praise.

“Your message about peace is beautiful” or “This yellow card you made will really cheer somebody up!”

4. Provide constructive feedback

Do not hesitate to correct a young person if they are off track.

Allowing a child to proceed if he or she is doing their assigned job incorrectly is less beneficial than correcting them.

Providing constructive feedback will ultimately allow them to be successful in the end and have a positive volunteer experience.

One way to phrase correction is to say,

“This looks really great, but let me show you something that will make it even better.”

5. Stay age-appropriate

Consider the participant’s age as it relates to their developmental level.

Sharing instructions or even defining what it means to volunteer to a young person who is six differs from sharing the same message with a young person who is twelve.

With younger children (ages six to eight), give directions that are broken down into steps. It is difficult for a child who is six to fully comprehend a set of complex instructions presented as a whole. However, don’t underestimate a young person’s ability to understand instruction by speaking to them below their level.

Take Action! Search for a project, evaluate the ones you find, start your own or join a Kids Care Club!

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Posted in Equip, Get HandsOn, Mobilize, Tools You Can Use, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 5 Comments »

A Note of Thanks

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

from Hands On Nashville’s Executive Director, Brian N. Williams

The devastation is overwhelming. The need is overwhelming. The outpouring of volunteers has been equally overwhelming.

The Flood of 2010 and its images of buildings floating down interstates, children being rescued by boats, and the elderly being carried by strangers to safety will stick with us for a lifetime. What will also stay with us is the spirit of volunteerism that has taken over a city taken over by water.

We have images of Middle Tennesseans helping their neighbors haul personal belongings to curbside trash heaps, and cleaning up, piece by piece, as we move toward the next step of recovery – rebuilding and restoring.

On May 2, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean announced that those wanting to help with flood relief efforts in Middle Tennessee should go through Hands On Nashville (HON).  The community responded to Mayor Deal’s call to action. Between May 2 and May 21, over 14,000 people in our community have donated over 60,000 hours to flood recovery at nearly 800 sites through Hands On Nashville alone.  Keep in mind these numbers do not include the hundreds of volunteer referrals made each day by Hands On Nashville staff. Nor does it represent the countless hours put in by volunteers through other organizations or grassroots efforts started by community members.

Again, the volunteer effort is overwhelming. And it needs to be.

To the nearly 16,000 people who have registered in the Hands On Nashville database, thank you. To those who have found an opportunity and have helped this great city of ours, ‘thank you’ does not adequately do justice to the gratitude owed you.  To those of you still wanting to help, there are many opportunities as we move into the rebuilding process.   We must continue to help our neighbors – whether they are down the street, across town, or in another town.

Nashville, continue to “Be the Change. Volunteer.”

~ Brian N. Williams
Executive Director
Hands On Nashville

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Posted in Disaster Relief, Environment, Impact, Inspire, Mobilize, News & Links, Service, Stories from the Road, Volunteer Leader, Volunteer Management, Volunteer Recognition, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 7 Comments »

failure to forget

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Its been over a month now since I spent 20 hours trying to leave Haiti and come home to hoodies and hot showers.

People ask me what Haiti was like.

I tell them it was unbelievably fun.

They focus on the unbelievable, as they get that puzzled, is Kate Gosslin dancing or having a seizure, look on their face.

“Is he serious, a disaster area FUN?”

For me, Haiti was fun.

It was like a dream come true in many aspects.

I played in the dirt, showered when convenient, came home every night tired and lost some lbs in the process.

I played with sledgehammers and table saws, watched people with nothing give more than I could imagine.

I saw a baby be born and a dead body lay beneath hot tin on a road and watched ordinary people sacrifice themselves for their fellow man, woman and child.

I watch gardens grow amongst the remnants of unchecked deforestation.

Haiti was a mind blowing roller coast ride of juxtapositions and I loved it.

I thrived on it.

My soul danced in the dust and heat and mosquitoes and pain and misery with joy.

I am not so naive as to believe that Haiti is “fun.”

My skewed sense of altruism was always put into perspective by the cover of my passport.

“I could leave.”

As a US citizen I could make a call to the terribly ironic, American Airlines and leave.

I could leave the tent cities, the suffering, the oppressive heat and the grinding poverty because I was born in a different country.

All the same, I loved Haiti.

My life simplified itself very quickly and I cannot stop thinking about it.

Right now I am somewhere over Kansas, flying home from another school transformation project, and I just finished editing my Haiti photos.

Each image was a stark reminder that I will fail for the rest of my life at forgetting Haiti.

I will fail at readjusting to my old lifestyle, because it kills my soul.

And so I will land in Denver in an hour and try to rescue my garden from the clutches of an evil May snowstorm, and life will go back to normal.

Well its a new normal.

My life still faintly echoes with diesel generators, children’s laughter, blaring horns and women in labor.

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Posted in Disaster Relief, Inspire, Service, Stories from the Road, Volunteer Reflection, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

What Leads Us to Act in Service to Others?

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

What leads us to act in service to others?

What compels us to want to change our world, and to believe that we can?

Sometimes single moments can change our lives – a glimpse into someone else’s world that enables us to truly empathize and to want to help.

Often the initial spark can be the realization of our own power to make a difference.

We must believe that we can make a difference in order to feel compelled to act. Or that spark might be awakening to our won vulnerability, through tragedy or death.

While a single moment can be a catalyst, a lifetime of preparation helps create the framework for our service lives.   Whether they realize it or not, most people’s decisions to serve are influenced by people and events in their past.

I have seen many people inspired to serve as a tribute to the legacy of ancestors and mentors who have gone before them.  They want to repay service they have received or to emulate role models they have loved.

Many are prompted to act for the sake of their children and the generations ahead of them.  Others want to thank the world for Art by Synthia St. Jamesthe blessings of their lives.  And while many act from a place of privilege, it is perhaps most inspiring to hear from people who find a way to serve others when they themselves are suffering.

The opportunity to serve others is available to all – across income levels and geography and circumstance.

Often the first steps of our service journey are the beginning of our own personal transformation, opening us up to experiences beyond anything we ever imagined.

However we get started, in helping others, we move beyond ourselves and find ourselves renewed.

What is the story of the spark that ignited your service journey?

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Posted in Inspire, Service, Volunteer Reflection, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

It is not just the school down the street, but the school down the road

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

by Kris Smart, Director of Programs, Chicago Cares

It is not just where your kid goes, but where every kid goes that makes a real difference in the future, in the community, in the city you live in, in the country you are from.

The first time I walked into a Chicago Public School was a Saturday morning after riding a school bus across town with 40 other volunteers.  We met at a coffee shop, then gathered on the bus, and rode through the vast diversity of Chicago’s neighborhoods towards McCormick Elementary School in Little Village.

When I got off the bus, I stepped onto the asphalt of the playground and noticed a US Map painted on the blacktop next to a World Map.  The colors were bright, and kids were hoping from one state to the next, looking at the different countries, laughing.  When they noticed us, they smiled and ran over to the volunteers to greet us.

In the classroom, a second grade class, we sat in the low tables, tiny chairs with construction paper and glue sticks, glitter and sand.  We talked about Oceans, who lived in the Ocean, what was the water made out of? We talked about creatures and sand and we learned together about coral reefs.  I told them about my Ocean, the Pacific, and how as a girl I would collect shells walking along the water’s edge.

We made our own oceans out of 2 liter bottles, water, sand and salt.  There were smiles, and laughter, and glitter in our hair.  They were happy.  These kids, who come out every Saturday to discover their world with a group of equally committed adult volunteers.

That was in 1998. All those second graders have graduated High School and many moved on to College.  Many of those volunteers are still going every Saturday to McCormick Elementary School to make a difference for the next set of second graders.

We do this.  We do this every day, not not just Saturdays, and not just at McCormick.

We build community when we get involved. At the pantry.  At the senior center.  At the homeless shelter. At the Park.  At the home for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

We build community when we pack a box of food for a family.  We build it when we play bingo with a senior who is otherwise isolated.  We build it when we work with an adult to create a resume and cover letter.  We build it when we turn a lot into a garden, growing produce for the community.  We build it by getting involved. By being a part of something larger.  By forging a connection.

We build it through service.

On June 12, I will watch the sunrise over my city from the south side of Soldier Field.  I will stop a moment from unloading boxes from the back of a truck or setting up computers in my tent to see the light hit the glass and reflect back off skyscrapers. I will drink in the way it makes Lake Michigan dance.  And then I will continue to ant boxes, unload trucks, set up computers and get ready for the 6,000 Chicagoans who will join me that day in building a better city.

We will not only paint, landscape, organize libraries and create murals and mosaics at over 40 schools in one day, but we will raise money to make it possible to support communities across Chicago through service the other 364 days in the year.

If you can, think about coming out.  Or sponsor me! Every dollar counts, and you know what? So does every hour.

Originally and re-posted here with her permission.  Follow Kris on Twitter .

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Posted in Fundraising & Development, Inspire, Mobilize, Service, Volunteer Leader, Volunteer Reflection, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

The Long Haul

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

by Melissa Grober, Director of Partnerships, HandsOn Network

I thought it was pretty cool that hair and pantyhose could be combined to absorb oil in the Gulf (called a “hair boom”).

Apparently, so did a lot of other people, as suddenly I saw people in the online community running off to donate their hair to the oil spill clean-up efforts.

How disappointing, then, that the hair boom is a bust.

According to Unified Command, commercial sorbent boom is much more effective at absorbing oil and has the added advantage of not sinking the way hair boom does.

Another case of good intentions gone wrong.

This happens a lot in the disaster world.

The past several weeks have been challenging for many of our affiliates, particularly in the southeastern part of the country.

Between major flooding, tornadoes, storms, and the oil spill, we’ve had more disasters to respond to in 30 days than we had in all of last year!

(Perhaps an exaggeration, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true…)

The oil spill in the Gulf presents a special kind of challenge to volunteers.

Many people want to help the wildlife and help to clear oil from the shore. But volunteers sometimes end up doing more harm than good, both to themselves and to the wildlife they want to help.

This is why Unified Command has decided to use only highly trained paid workers to handle the clean-up efforts.

Our affiliates, however, are working hard to find appropriate ways for volunteers to address critical needs in the Gulf.

Most disasters are not like the oil spill, however.

Communities affected by disaster often need a lot of volunteer support.

Since the flood disaster in early May, Hands On Nashville has signed up 15,000 volunteers.  They have coordinated 830 projects, and  their volunteers have contributed an amazing 63,000 hours of service since the flooding began.

Photo by Nathan Johnson, Hands On Nashville Volunteer

Hands On Nashville has done such a good job coordinating volunteer efforts that it was highlighted by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate for their exemplary work.

The remarkable efforts of the many volunteers in Nashville and HandsOn Nashville got a huge shoutout from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams last night!

While our affiliates have done a great job in coordinating the work of people who want to help so far, much of the work is still to come.

Our strength as a network in responding to disasters lies in our efforts to promote not just immediate response but also long-term recovery.

Organizations like the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army are great at serving the immediate needs of people affected by disaster, like shelter, food, and urgent care.

We often work side-by-side with these organizations, providing food and water to emergency workers and handing out supplies. And when the immediate needs have been handled and the media attention subsides, our local affiliates and volunteers continue the long, hard work of recovery.

We coordinate volunteers to help with mold abatement in flood-damaged houses.

We help to rebuild damaged schools and community centers. And we provide job training and skill-building resources to people who have lost their jobs.

We’re connected to the needs of communities and we meet those needs through our greatest asset—people who care.

We drive people with good intentions to good volunteer opportunities, and we’re in it for the long haul.

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Posted in Disaster Relief, Environment, Impact, Mobilize, News & Links, Service, Volunteer Management, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

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