Archive for April, 2011

Wrapping Up the Skills Based Volunteering Boot Camp, Part 1

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Today’s blog post comes from Antoine Colonna d’Istria, an intern with HandsOn Network helping to developing Skills-Based Volunteering programs.

We left Atlanta on a cloudy Sunday morning and were greeted in Chicago by a cold but beautiful day. The team at HandsOn Suburban Chicago – formerly the Volunteer Center Northwest Suburban Chicago- welcomed us. By 1pm the representatives of the HON Affiliates / Volunteer Centers from all over the country arrive: Kansas, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, New York… all gathered in the “Windy City.”

The purpose of the Boot Camp is clear for us. We are in Chicago to go in depth in the subject and share best practices – a peer to peer exchange regarding Skills-Based Volunteering (SBV) to demonstrate to nonprofits how this powerful tool that can make a tremendous impact in their community.

But, was the purpose of the Boot Camp obvious for everybody? What are the Action Centers’ expectations? And how is SBV perceived and developed in their local communities?

Although they are all at different stages of development, our participants-HandsOn Action Centers in both larger and smaller cities-seem to have the same expectations about SBV. Seeing that SBV could help them meet the growing demand for services from their communities and local corporate partners, they’ve expressed a desire for a sustainable model and some pre-designed programs to implement. Perfect! This is exactly what the Boot Camp was meant for!

In our three day Boot Camp, we will detail the Strategic Action for Volunteer Engagement (SAVE) program developed by HandsOn Suburban Chicago. This program is organized in three stages: Ready, Set, and Go, designed to address nonprofit organizations’ capacity building challenges in a scalable and flexible way.

A key factor for successful SBV projects-and maybe the most important one-is the readiness of non-profits receiving the services of these types of volunteers.

There are few nonprofits ready to welcome and manage skill-based volunteers and projects. The first step a nonprofit organization needs to take to avoid difficulties is a deep readiness assessment. Taking this assessment will help to avoid engaging in risky projects that may discourage volunteers.

In the following blog posts about the Skills Based Volunteering Boot Camp, we are going to learn – through the SAVE program – how the “readiness assessment” phase will truly help the agencies to source internal SBV opportunities. The best way for volunteer centers to learn how to address the challenges that may come up, is to launch an internal SBV project for their own organization with all the various steps and processes.

Antoine Colonna d’Istria is intern with HON for 6 months to help developing Skills-Based Volunteering. He studies Corporate and Public Management at HEC and Sciences Po Paris after a BA in Philosophy at La Sorbonne. He is the co-founder of the young French non-profit Pro Bono Lab. Back in France, his objective is to help identifying community needs and replying to it in using corporate human resources and best practices in volunteer management.

MilanoAlturista’s Global Youth Service Day Events

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Odile Robotti, President of MilanoAlturista.

What a day! This is Odile from MilanoAltruista, one of the new European affiliates based in Milan, Italy.

On Saturday April 16th we celebrated Global Youth Service Day with 12 different short volunteering projects  carried out by groups of teens varying in size from 4 to 15 people each, supported by a couple of us “old” volunteers. The teens were actually the ones leading the projects, while our regular volunteers were shadowing them.  These young adults are ready to lead, no doubt about that!

I hopped from one project to next, and although I didn’t manage to see them all, I was in contact with all our volunteers who were at the different sites. There was great excitement, enthusiasm and altruism in the air. We celebrated a generation that has a lot to give to the world (and the world needs it).

Some teens did their service selling Easter eggs in the streets of Milano to raise funds and awareness for  abused children (our partner organization was CAF, Centro Aiuto alla Famiglia). Irresistible smiles were displayed together with authentic sales skills  and eggs sold like hot cakes. Excellent work!

Other young volunteers spent the entire afternoon helping one of our regular volunteers, who is a professional chef (kind of like chef Ramsey), prepare a gourmet dinner for clients at A77 – a well known organization caring for AIDS patients. There was nice interaction between the clients (who came to the kitchen out of curiosity, for a chat, to say thank you or simply to ask what we were preparing for dinner) and our young volunteers. Everything felt natural. As I observed the kids, I thought “Could adults have done this any better?” The answer was no.

Similarly, I was struck by the warmth that teens demonstrated to the homeless people for which we organized a bingo plus snacks afternoon. When I asked our teen volunteers what they thought of the experience they said they had never fully realized that some people really have close to nothing and that you can make them very happy with a small gift and a smile. The American School of Milan prepared home baked cookies in lovely decorated bags which made everybody happy. An effort (for the middle school teacher who organized it and the kids who filled a huge number of bags) but it was well rewarded.

Another group painted a 20 meter mural together with the clients of our partner (a day care for disabled people). When I say together, I mean together: they all mixed up and had lots of fun. Sometime barriers are more in our minds than anyplace else.

A group helped il Volo (whose clients are young people with borderline personality disorder) decorate a restaurant where they were hosting a big fundraising event the same night: hundreds of colored balloons were blown and placed everywhere to cheer up the generous donors (and make them even more generous).

Other groups did gardening for our partner AIAS (a center for disabled), another worked at a communal garden, another did sorting of the many items collected for a school in India…

The common denominator? Altruism and youth leadership. Two things I really, really like.

Odile Robotti is the President of MilanoAlturista, A HandsOn Network Affiliate in Milan, Italy.

Want to see more pictures from MilanoAlturista’s Global Youth Service Day events? Visit our !

 

Global Youth Service Day With HandsOn Jacksonville

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Lezlee McDaniel, Community Engagment Manager with HandsOn Jacksonville.

Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is kind of a big deal here at HandsOn Jacksonville. For us here at HandsOn Jacksonville, GYSD will be celebrated from April 15th to the 17th. The students of our Youth Council worked together for over 6 months to be able to plan not one, but five projects for GYSD.  Together they brainstormed issues that mattered to each of them, and from there designed projects around their particular interest.  What they came up with is pretty exciting!

First up is an online tutoring session where students will be able to log-in to monitored chat rooms provided by a software sponsor for peer on peer tutoring.    Some of the students in the group share a huge interest in technology and loved their experience with online tutoring and wanted to share this with others.  Off in another part of town, a group will be meeting with Community Connections of Jacksonville to decorate a room for a new family coming to stay at the transitional home facility for women and children.  They will paint, decorate and buy toys to make the new space like home for one lucky family.

Next up a group is heading over to the Jacksonville Landing to celebrate the Earth Day Festival.  They have planned “green” activities for kids that day that include painting Earth Day tiles (a fun multi media art project to express themes of peace and of course, Earth Day) and designing “Eco Bags.”  In another group, a student took her membership with Best Buddies to a whole new level by getting her group to create their own team for the Best Buddies Friendship Walk at the University of North Florida.  These students have also set up a booth for children and parents to create Peace Tiles.

Lastly, one group has placed 25 pallet sized boxes at businesses all around town (including here in our office) to collect clothing and shoes for Haiti and Japan Disaster relief.  Along with Mission Harvest, the students will sort out the items and get them ready to ship.

All of this hard work and dedication is an inspiration to our office.  From their own hearts, five amazing projects will benefit people all over the city of Jacksonville.  This is truly an inspiring day of events for youth service and HandsOn Jacksonville.

If you are interesting in being apart of any of these events, please click here.

Lezlee McDaniel is a former teacher and exuberant new addition to the HandsOn Jacksonville staff.  She is the Community Engagement Manager whose focus is youth service.

Lenny Lend-A-Hand Asks YOU to Volunteer!

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Today’s blog post comes from Lenny Lend-A-Hand, HandsOn Twin Cities Mascot & Community Volunteer

Hellloo- Dolly! Lenny-Lend-A-Hand here representing HandsOn Twin Cities from the great state of Minnesota (I FINALLY was able to hang up my winter jacket, WOOT!).

Now that spring has sprung and spirits have been rejuvenated, it’s perfect timing to get out in the community and volunteer for National Volunteer Week.  HandsOn Twin Cities has been busy organizing over 60 projects, mobilizing over 1,000 volunteers in the metro area.

With the highest number of volunteers per capita, I’m proud to celebrate the great community members who make a difference here in the Twin Cities. Without our great volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish as much good as we do. Just one week isn’t nearly enough to squeeze in all of the thank yous we owe to our volunteers.

Since Earth Day is right around the corner, the majority of our projects are environmentally focused. There will be lots of rakes, gardening gloves, and mulch to go around! Staff will also be working with volunteers packaging food for local food shelves, as well as making hygiene kits and nutrition packs for families in need.

Personally, I’m looking forward to putting an artistic spin on community education by painting storm drains with the message “PLEASE DON’T POLLUTE! Drains to the Mississippi River!”  With the longest river in the nation rushing right between our Twin Cities, it’s our civic duty to engage, inform, and remind patrons to do their part in improving local water resources. (Plus with clean water, I’ll be even more excited to take a summertime dip in the good ole Mississippi!)

Speaking of civic duty, our nation’s President has called on the American people to not only appreciate their volunteers during National Volunteer Week (April 10th-16th 2011) but to engage in service as well.

“During National Volunteer Week, we celebrate the profound impact of volunteers and encourage all Americans to discover their own power to make a difference.  Every one of us has a role to play in making our communities and our country stronger. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by volunteering in service projects across our country and pledging to make service a part of their daily lives.”

– President Barak Obama April 7th, 2011

I couldn’t have said it better myself! So come on nation of do-gooders- go that extra mile, support your favorite cause, and Lend-A-Hand this week! Together we ALL can make a difference!

Cheers to Volunteers!

Lenny Lend-A-Hand is HandsOn Twin Cities Mascot & Community Volunteer. He can be found at volunteer projects around the Twin Cities. You can read about the work he’s doing at his blog.

The Mustard Seed Honors its Volunteers

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Today’s blog post comes from Lauren Cantrell, an intern at The Mustard Seed of Central Florida.

At The Mustard Seed there are few things that we value more than unity, our volunteers, and the individual. So we are extremely excited for the week of April 10-16 when we will witness a nationwide movement of individuals pushing aside their differences for the sake of their communities.

The Mustard Seed is a furniture and clothing bank.  When families need furniture or clothing they contact a referring agency (another nonprofit, school, social worker, or church) then that agency fills out a form telling us what the family needs.

Depending on the needs of the family or individual, we will disperse anything from beds, desks, drawers, appliances, or a combination of all of those things.  The items we give the families are donations from other individuals, retail stores, cruise ships and hotels.  We also recycle everything from metal to broken appliances and more recently mattresses.  Through the process of deconstruction we have successfully diverted over 80,000 cubic feet of material from entering the solid waste stream.

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week 2011, we hope that you will join us in our efforts to create a healthier society, a cleaner environment, and a nation of altruism.

Our volunteers are a dedicated group of college students, church groups, older adults, and members of other non-profit organizations.  As a nonprofit with only 8 paid employees, the success of our organization is contingent on the hard work provided by our volunteers!

Alone you can make a difference; together we can change the world!

 

 

Lauren is a student at the University of Central Florida working on her master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management.  She is the Treasurer of Habitat for Humanity UCF.  She is an intern at The Mustard Seed of Central Florida and loves every aspect of it from the people that she works with to the mission itself.  She also loves Dave Matthews Band, climbing, and music festivals.

LikeMinded: Connecting You to Ideas for Local Change

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Arthur Coddington, Director of Online Programs, Craigslist Foundation

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, it’s amazing to think of all the ways we can serve our community. Volunteering is one essential opportunity in a gigantic menu of possible ways to make a difference. We can take on public service positions, or operate community-friendly businesses, or be an active voice in community decision making – or simply be a good neighbor. Whatever we choose, we should feel good knowing we’re actively involved in making the world around us better.

At Craigslist Foundation, we’ve been thinking about all these different flavors of service, specifically whether people are finding out about all the great local projects happening across the country.

The result is LikeMinded, a project we’re launching today to help stories of great community projects get told. LikeMinded aims to help these stories travel far and wide so we can inspire one another into action.

The premise is this: if you do something for your community, and if I share a similar concern in my community, I should hear about what you’ve done. I should be able to build off your work instead of starting from scratch.

We would love to hear your stories. If you’ve done something cool for your community, share it on LikeMinded so others can know about it.

Seeing problems in your neighborhood and not sure where to start? Chances are, someone has had a similar experience and created a solution. We’d love to connect you to that solution.

A great way to get started on LikeMinded is through one of our short video tours or by checking out some of the great HandsOn stories shared already.

Give it a try and let us know how LikeMinded can best serve you.

You can also get our latest updates on and .

Arthur Coddington leads LikeMinded at Craigslist Foundation. He is currently in service as an advisor to photography org Open Show and is also current world champion in a sport called Freestyle Frisbee.

What Volunteers are to the City of Los Angeles

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Rafael González, Chief Service Officer for the City of Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, volunteers are the heart of the city.  You can count on them every day of the year in every corner and culture of the city ready to serve.   In times of community building, crisis, problem solving, generosity and celebration I have stood side-by-side with some of the most amazing people I have come across my many years.

People often ask me why I serve and why I value volunteerism.  It’s because I believe service plays a critical role as a strategy for social change.  More importantly, it’s because I believe that together people can transform communities and the status quo.

As far back as I can remember, volunteerism and justice have been a part of my values and life.  From organizing recycling drives for children’s shelters as a youth, to organizing door-to-door to address slum conditions in my neighborhood as an adult, I have taken it upon myself to serve my community.

I learned this from my parents and through our collective action as a family living in the downtown community west of City Hall.  No matter what financial or social struggles stood in our way, we always had our apartment door open to support and share with our neighbors.

This was imbedded in me at a very early age; the belief that service is the right thing to do and that change begins with the self.

For over 5 years I’ve had the privilege of serving in Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s administration, first as his Associate Director of Neighborhood & Community Services and now as his Chief Service Officer.  In both roles I’ve had the honor to meet and partner with everyday people who volunteer their time across the city on many levels.

They are the “moms & pops” who lead community beautification projects; high school and college students assisting immigrants on their pathway to U.S. citizenship; professionals who take time to mentor youth; parents who partner with teachers to build and sustain community gardens in our schools; neighborhood councils who engage in making local government accountable to its residents; local businesses who exemplify corporate responsibility and so many more examples of volunteerism.

It gives me hope that Los Angeles is one of many cities throughout the country that values volunteerism and service.  We are proud to be part of “Cities of Service,” a national movement that engages people to find new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.  Through this effort, Mayor Villaraigosa created “We Serve LA,” a local campaign with strategies to transform volunteerism and service into a powerful tool for civic engagement, community building and social change.

“We Serve LA” provides a shared vision for community involvement and promotes service as a defining characteristic of the culture of Los Angeles.  “We Serve LA” starts with building the much-needed infrastructure to expand service opportunities and effectively connect Angelenos to them.  It is our intent to make it easier for Angelenos from all walks of life and of every age group to connect with meaningful service opportunities and to make a difference in their City.  We aim to create an energetic and positive pathway to take Angelenos who care deeply about the problems we face from individual volunteers to a powerful force for change.

I firmly believe that volunteers are the good conscience and hope that makes Los Angeles a city of service.  Volunteers don’t wait for change to happen.  Volunteers make that change.  I truly believe that without volunteers, there is no movement.  What embodies the soul of the movement is the love that people have for Los Angeles and a common belief in citizen and neighborhood empowerment.   Los Angeles is a better city because of it!

Rafael González is the Chief Service Officer in Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s administration.  He is a lifelong Angeleno with over twenty years of experience as a community organizer, advocate and public servant.  He can be reached at .  For more information on Cities of Service go to www.citiesofservice.org.

 

 

 

Service Momentum

Friday, April 8th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Davida Gatlin, Manager, Training and Technical Assistance for generationOn.

During National Volunteer Week, the news is full of stories about people who more than heed the call of service, people who go above and beyond, seemingly never running out of ideas and time and energy. While we all are glad that it is so, we may sometimes wonder – I know that I certainly do – what it is that propels them? Now, I am not a scientist by any means, but I do know that Newton’s laws of motion were intended to apply to the physical world, not human behavior. Still, I think a little science may help us explain this phenomenon.

According to Newton’s first law of motion, an object at rest tends to stay at rest. Without force acting on an object, nothing will change. A person at rest too, tends to stay at rest. If we were to continue the metaphor, we could say that all people need then is a little push, some “force”, to get them going. And once in motion, people tend to stay in motion.

For me, that push came from my middle school guidance counselor who recommended that I join the Greensboro Youth Council (GYC), a volunteer organization for youth in Guilford County, North Carolina when I start high school. Established in 1962, the Greensboro Youth Council is a youth-driven organization in which high school students are given real responsibility for organizing and participating in events and projects that serve the community.

Over the next four years, I served in a variety of volunteer roles, from organizing an annual alternative Halloween event at the local mall, to sorting toys at our Santa’s Workshop project, to facilitating training sessions on topics such as applying for college or public speaking. As a senior in high school, I was elected GYC Chairman, responsible for leading the executive board, presiding over full council meetings, and overseeing project managers for our dozen events throughout the year. When I graduated, I was recognized for volunteering over 2,000 hours to my community during high school.

However, before my middle school guidance counselor mentioned the Greensboro Youth Council to me, I had never given service much thought. Sure, I knew I would join some sort of club in high school, and I was involved in other activities such as drama and debate. But what helped me maintain momentum was the opportunity to truly be an asset to my community. At GYC, we didn’t “just” volunteer, rather we were encouraged to lead and to take ownership of their projects.

Today, as Manager of Training and Technical Assistance at generationOn, I put the lessons I learned as a youth service leader to work. I aim to inspire others to be that “force” that propels young people to serve and to equip them with the tools and resources to build service momentum.

For tips on how you can engage youth as leaders in service, read former generationOn intern Hannah Dalporto’s February post on the HandsOn Blog. Also check out generationOn’s Do Your Own Thing Guide for Teens and Do Your Own Thing Guide for Kids, step-by-step toolkits that guide youth in creating and managing their own service project!

Continuing her service journey, Davida Gatlin joined generationOn in November, 2010. In her role as Manager of Training and Technical Assistance  she provides service, service-learning and philanthropy education resources and support to teachers and others who work to engage youth in service.

 

Twelve Tips for Planning an Employee Volunteer Event

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

Employee volunteer programs are starting to become important parts of companies’ business plans instead of just an afterthought in corporate planning.

Starting an employee volunteer program shouldn’t happen on whim. While it may seem easy enough to get a group of employees together for a volunteer event, some planning needs to go into your employee volunteer program or it won’t be as successful as it could be.

Try building a relationship with a local nonprofit and partner with them on planning your employee volunteer events. Work together with them to plan volunteer events where employees can have fun and can see that they’ve had an impact.

Make sure that resources are in place to support an employee volunteer program. Having a staff member whose responsibility it is to work with a nonprofit partner to ensure successful volunteer events is essential to the program’s acceptance and growth.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when planning an employee volunteer event.

Planning

  • Verify all of the logistical information before sharing the information
  • Be sure to choose a task that doesn’t require any special skills, or plan time to train the employees before the event
  • Communicating with the partner agency is essential to a successful and enjoyable event

Project Design

  • Work with organizations that have projects where employees and their families can see and experience the impact of their work
  • Make sure the project meets a real community need and is seen as a benefit to the community
  • Don’t simply have the employees and their families do a task, turn the project into a learning experience

Management

  • Provide an orientation to the families prior to the project
  • Provide opportunities for the families to interact with one another
  • Explain to your volunteers the mission and goals for the organization and what is hoped to be accomplished as a result of the project

Risk Management

  • Assess the project site before the event for safety
  • Identify any equipment or areas of the project site that may be unsafe or a liability concern
  • Inform family members that they must report any accident or injury and to whom they should report

 

Four Tips for A Different National Volunteer Week

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

volunteer, volunteering, volunteerism, National Volunteer WeekNational Volunteer Week starts on April 10. Traditionally, it’s a time for nonprofits to take a step back and focus on the work that volunteers do to help support their causes.

It’s a time of thank you cards and dinners, a time to recognize volunteers’ achievements over the past year and to celebrate the work volunteers do to support the causes that they’re passionate about.

This year, we’re proposing something a little bit different.

This year we want you to be sure to tell your volunteers how much you appreciate them, but we want you to do something else, too.

Tell everyone that you can how important your volunteers are to your organization.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Tell them how important volunteers are to your organization and how many more people your organization is able to serve because of the dedication of your volunteers.

Write a letter to your mayor, governor, or senator. Tell the story of volunteers and your organization. Highlight the importance of volunteers in providing services to people in need in your community. If there is a particularly compelling story about the impact a volunteer has had on a client, be sure to include it in the letter. Ask the person you’re writing to work to support the work of volunteers in the community so they can continue to achieve great things in their communities.

Write a letter to your funders. Highlight the importance of volunteers in supporting the work that your organization does. Mention your volunteers by name, and point out the important work that they’re doing with the organization. Be sure to talk about volunteers have achieved over the past year and how the organization is stronger because of the dedication of your volunteers.

Be sure to say thank you. If you’re having an event to honor your volunteers, be sure to take a moment to thank all of the volunteers that you work with for their work over the past year. If you’re planning to say thank you to the volunteers you work with as a group, that’s fine. Try taking some time at the event to talk to each volunteer individually and thank them, too.

Don’t forget to thank your volunteers throughout the year, too. While National Volunteer Week is a great time to highlight the work that volunteers have done over the past year and to thank them for their service, remember to thank your volunteers throughout the year for the work that they do for your organization.

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