Archive for December, 2011

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A Long Winter’s Nap

Monday, December 26th, 2011

It’s that time of year again. We’re taking a little break, curling up with some blankets, and settling in for a long winter’s nap. We’ll be back in the new year, continuing to bring you stories, and how-to information to make every aspect of working with volunteers easier and more rewarding. Until then, check out some of our most popular posts of the past year.

We’re looking forward to the next year! What do you want to learn about in the next year? Let us know in the comments!

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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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#IHubs – Better Together

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Today’s post originally appeared on the Seattle Works blog on December 17.

Home. A week at HandsOn Network‘s Innovation Summit in Palmetto, GA was an incredible gift. And today, I’m happy to be sitting on my couch, alone with my own thoughts and a cup of black coffee.

Not a buttered biscuit or other trace of Southern breakfast in sight.

I went to the Summit to learn, and to more clearly define the next steps for Seattle Works. Going in, the idea of being there with nine other cities was a cool bonus, but not the point. Like our peers, Seattle Works received the Innovation Hub designation based on the great work we’re doing locally – for our own leadership andour own programs.

We got invited to this Summit to start thinking about what OUR next innovation would be. I was probably not alone in this mindset going in.

Funny thing is, when you give a bunch of smart, caring, community-building types an entire week to think together, they start seeing a lot further than their own backyards.

With each passing day, it became less about what each of us would create, and more about what each of us could learn from one another, what we could co-create and what we might leverage across cities.

What’s next?

In terms of the specifics, I still don’t know. It will involve building a stronger network of Seattle Works volunteer leaders.

It will involve a deeper of understanding of community issues and how to affect those issues in multiple ways – with volunteer time, with advocacy, with money.

It will be developed in partnership with and in response to the Seattle Works community, not handed down on high from me or anyone else on staff. I also knew those things going in.

What I did not know, is that it may be something that Seattle and one or two other cities co-create and try out at the same time. It may involve a combo of new things built from scratch here, and importing things that are working elsewhere but not yet happening in Seattle.

I’m home from the Summit with three important things:

1) an even stronger conviction that Seattle Works’ strategic direction is the right one

2) a bigger set of tools and resources to keep us moving in that right direction, and

3) a deeper sense of appreciation and admiration for our partners in this effort.

Long story short – we’re  better together.

Have you had an inspiring experience that helped you to improve your organization? Tell us about it, and how your community changed, in the comments!

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6 Tips for Preparing for Winter Weather Emergencies

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

winter is coming, winter emergency preparednessWinter is coming.

And with it, a new set of emergencies to prepare for. While hurricanes and tornadoes are rare during this time of year, emergencies related to snow and ice become more common.

Heavy snow fall and ice storms can paralyze cities, making travel difficult and sometimes making even going outside dangerous.

The midwest is experiencing firsthand what snow and ice can do to disrupt everyday life.

Just like any emergency, being prepared is critically important for ‘weathering’ the storm.

Do you know what to do if your city essentially shuts down for three days (or more) because of winter weather?  What if you lose power because of ice bringing down power lines?

Have you thought about how to prepare for serious winter storms?  Here are some tips to help you brave winter disasters:

  • When you know that serious winter weather is on the way, try to keep a full tank of gas in your vehicle.  It helps to prevent your fuel lines from freezing.
  • Minimize travel.  If travel is absolutely necessary, make sure you have an emergency kit in your vehicle and that someone knows where you’re going and when you should arrive.
  • Avoid driving when conditions are dangerous.  Sleet, freezing rain, snow and ice all make driving more difficult.  Even after the storm has passed, you may not even see patches of ice on the road.
  • Make sure you have a disaster kit with at least a three day supply of food and water (one  gallon per person per day), battery or hand-crank powered radio and flashlight, medicine, baby supplies (if needed), extra pieces of warm clothing and blankets, and extra supplies for your pets.
  • Don’t use a generator, grill, or any other device that burns fuel inside.  Only use them outside and away from doors, windows, and vents to keep carbon monoxide from entering your home.
  • Protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia by dressing in multiple layers of loose fitting clothing (tight clothing can restrict blood flow)

We have some great resources on mobilizing spontaneous volunteers in a disaster.  The American Red Cross has different emergency specific preparedness information available here, and ready.gov has great resources for preparing for winter weather emergencies and tips for what to do during the worst of the weather and after the storms have passed.

Don’t forget about your neighbors, either.  Check up on them to make sure they’ve got everything they need to ride out the storm and that they’re safe and warm.

Are you ready for winter weather?  Are you ready to watch ? Are you sitting under a plam tree wonder just what this “snow” thing we’re talking about is? Let us know in the comments!

 

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Spotting Good Deeds and Teaching Kids the Importance of Doing Good with #GoodSpotting

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Alice Speck, a stay at home mom and education advocate in Washington, DC.

As the designated Director of Development for my own two children, I have spent a lot of time contemplating how I can teach them the value of giving back to society. This time of year, we tend to focus on giving to community charities, to our houses of worship, and sometimes to struggling lands that we’ve never even visited.

But this sort of giving shouldn’t be just once a year, and it needn’t be financial or material.

We can make a big impact by helping a neighbor through a crisis, tutoring local schoolchildren, or even just by spreading greater awareness about the non-profits and socially-responsible businesses whose missions we find meaningful. In this final category, I am grateful to have discovered a powerful tool, the Case Foundation’s #GoodSpotting campaign.

Most of us are accessorized with smart phones, ready at any given second to take and share photos of our gorgeous children, intoxicated friends, or whatever else tickles our fancy. So why not share photos of people doing good?

It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s free, and it makes a difference. I first learned of the campaign around Thanksgiving, and I was instantly hooked. It was not only aligned with my values of what it means to give back, but it also gave me another way I could teach my children the importance of doing good.

Since my kids are age three and under, and don’t yet get the concept of money, I try to explain giving with objects like food or clothing, or through photos like in #GoodSpotting.

I sat my three-year-old down in front of my laptop to see the Case Foundation’s #GoodSpotting gallery and asked him to describe what might be happening in the photos. We have also gone on  #GoodSpotting safaris together around town.  I think he’s really figuring it out.

Maybe the best thing about #GoodSpotting is how much good you can find out there when you look for it. Come with me now on a photo safari of what a day of #GoodSpotting might look like.

  1. We head off to school in the morning, and pass Shaw Middle School where City Year is out front greeting students four days a week.
  2. Then we drive past the Central Union Mission on our way to school.
  3. At school, students collect food for Martha’s Table each month. This month it is breakfast foods!
  4. On the way home from school, I pop into Whole Foods to pick up a few things for dinner with my younger son. Lots of #GoodSpotting opportunities at Whole Foods.
  5. We drive home from Whole Foods and again pass Shaw at Garnet-Patterson Middle School. They’re collecting shoes for the community.

As you can see, #GoodSpotting is everywhere! #GoodSpotting is in our homes, it’s on the street corner, and in our local schools. Our communities are built stronger by the good that is being done within them. Thank you to the Case Foundation for calling upon us to spot good this holiday, in the true spirit of the season.

While the #GoodSpotting campaign may be coming to a close soon, I challenge all of you to continue #GoodSpotting if not for the inherent lessons for our children, but to spread awareness about wonderful non-profits in our city, and socially responsible businesses.

Happy Holidays,

Alice Speck

Alice is a stay at home mother of two in Washington, DC. She is a passionate advocate for education in DC, and can often be found spreading awareness on education and other causes on Twitter at .

 

 

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Improve Your Group Volunteer Experience! Engaging with Fellow Volunteers Brings Special Rewards

Monday, December 19th, 2011

Today’s post first appeared on VolunteerSpot on December 1, 2011. This post was written by Jessica Young, a social media specialist at VolunteerSpot. Jessica also coaches volunteer leaders in getting the most out of social media and her organization’s free online tools.

 We’ve all been touched by the “warm fuzzies,” those satisfying feelings when you know you’ve touched a life because you took the time to give back.  There are times, however, when you aren’t rewarded with a gratifying gold star.  You won’t always capture the smiles of the family whose home you helped build; nor hear the sigh of a child after they fill their tummy with food you helped prepare.

Volunteering is in many ways honest intentions with a seemingly blind result, and the warm fuzzies don’t necessarily creep their way into every volunteer experience.

Aim to get the most out of your volunteer time by recognizing the benefits to volunteering with a group.   Whether with members of your faith group, your child’s classroom, your workplace, team or Scout troop, or a neighborhood or civic organization, chances are you’re probably not volunteering by yourself.

5 tips for getting the most out of your group volunteer experience

  1. Making friends:  Seems like a no-brainer, right?  Maybe not.  Relationships unique to this type of shared experienced are special, they stand out and are based off common desires to give back and do good.  Recognize and celebrate them! Make the extra effort to stay in touch or find additional ways to volunteer with a new friend whom you already have common hopes and goals.
  2. Team-building:  Remember those dreaded group projects from school?   Little did we know as students that it was not just about the end goal, be it a presentation or report; but our teachers aimed for part of the lesson to be acquiring the skills to negotiate, share, and work with one another as a team.  The same goes for volunteering!  Working with a new and diverse group of personalities brings out unseen aspects of your own personality, engaging you in new ways and allowing you to become a vital part of a team operation.
  3. Stepping out of the box:   Especially in a new environment, or when asked to learn and perform brand new skill-sets, make an effort to step out of your comfort zone and encourage others in your group to do the same!  The volunteer experience often drags you out of the “same ‘ol, same ‘ol” and into the “I learned something new,” and “I met the coolest person. . .” when you’re willing to step out of the box and volunteer to do something you wouldn’t normally do.
  4. Praise and Compliments:  Giving back with others allows you the opportunity to support one another in ways which are not necessarily available to you at home or in the workplace.  Celebrate one another’s accomplishments; find fun and spectacular ways to thank others for their effort and positive attitudes.   Individual recognition within a group setting makes the entire giving back experience warm and fuzzy in its own unique way.
  5. Deeper Commitment: If you’ve enjoyed your volunteer experience and are ready for the next level, consider making a deeper commitment to the group you’re serving.  Can your group commit to a regular volunteer shift together? Can you engage others at your work, school, Church, etc. to take on a regular commitment?  Are you interested in a fundraising role or joining the advisory board? What special skills are needed that you can offer this organization, e.g. video production, carpentry, computer networking?  Most nonprofits and schools have many, many opportunities for help and welcome participation at deeper levels.

One more suggestion to get more out of giving back within a group is to simply ASK for the results of your efforts. {Volunteer savvy organizations will preempt the ask and share the impact of your service.} 

Inquire of the nonprofit or school you’re serving to show you how your service is making a difference.  They should be more than happy to connect the dots and quantify how your service adds value to their mission.  When practical, most will share actual statistics of the number of families fed, housed, tutored, etc. and others will be able to share anecdotes and stories of the impact of your good work – possibly directly from the service recipient.

Particularly during the holiday season when schedules are hectic, it’s very important to share your time and talents with others. Enjoy your warm and fuzzy rewards, you deserve them!

 

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“Healthy” Volunteering: 5 ways to incorporate health into volunteering

Friday, December 16th, 2011

T’is the season! That means after all of the holiday food we’re ready for the all-too familiar New Year’s resolutions of “I’m going to loose [5,10, 10.5…] pounds this year.”  While exercise and dietary changes are essential for a healthy body, we also must  not forget about the health of others. Here are several ways of “healthy” volunteering for you, your family, and your community!

1) Volunteer at a Medicinal supply organization! With so many countries unable to provide proper medical care to its citizens, local nonprofits have willingly stepped in to provide proper medical supplies to these developing nations. Volunteering at one of these organizations is rewarding as this allows you to bond with everyone around you, hear stories of the various countries receiving the supplies, and ultimately realize the impact of volunteering your time.

2) Volunteer for a 3k, 5k or go the distance and do a marathon! Whether you’re actually volunteering or helping runners sign up for the race, the distance you choose doesn’t matter. It’s the cause behind the race that makes the biggest impact. Many races are fundraisers that raise money for research, causes, and organizations. Whatever the reason, races are beneficial for you and your family as they provide valuable family time and help support important causes.

3) Volunteering is mentally healthy! More than likely (well we hope) you want to be volunteering so you’re already in a good mood and guess what? The people you’re around also want to be volunteering. Overall people are happy to be volunteering, the good vibes are felt and shared throughout the experience. As you reflect upon your volunteering experience, you  will realize all of the heartening memories generated from the positivity and you’re already looking forward to the next time you volunteer!

4) Volunteering as a Baby Boomer! For Baby Boomers and retirees volunteering reshapes the perceptions of aging, shifting the focus from frailty and dependency long associated with old age to being active, productive which leads to improved health and longevity.

5) Help make our returning soldiers and Veterans healthy! If you’re a counselor or mental health professional, you can use your skills to provide free mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and their loved ones. These services help soldiers to cope with the psychological and emotional consequences of a decade of war.

With these ideas, tell us how you plan on doing “healthy” volunteering during the holidays and through out the year.

For more information or to find local “healthy’ volunteering experiences near you go to HandsOn Network.

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How Much Are Your Volunteers Worth?

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

We all know volunteers are valuable, but now you can calculate exactly how much!

Although it is difficult to put a dollar amount on volunteer time, as they provide many intangible benefits; this may be as close as we get. This value is only one way to show the benefits volunteers bring to an organization.

Independent Sector estimated dollar value of volunteer time for 2010 is $21.36 per hour. The value does vary by state, as you can see below.

State Values for Volunteer Time Map

From Independent Sector

Note that 2009 is the last year for which state-by-state numbers are available. State volunteering values are one year behind the national value due to a lag in the government’s release of state level data.

Volunteering in America provides some context to these numbers with detailed information about the number of volunteers and volunteer hours per resident in the United States.Number of Volunteers Chart

As you can tell, volunteering in America has reached the level of a full-time job for many!

Volunteer Hours Per Resident

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, about 63.4 million Americans, or 26.8 percent of the adult population, gave 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service worth $169 billion in 2009.

Let your volunteers know just how priceless they are to you during this holiday season. To find ways to thank them, check out our previous articles on that very subject!

Six Tips for Recognizing Volunteers

Eight Tips for Writing the Perfect Thank You Note

Nine Basic Rules for Volunteer Recognition

UPDATE: Today’s post has been updated since it was published. Some information was incorrectly cited.

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7 Benefits to Volunteering for the Holidays

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The holidays are just around the corner (“AHH I still have so much to do!”). We all know this time can be extremely stressful, especially during holidays that require gift giving.

The holidays are often so overwhelming and stressful because the focus is centered on giving commercial goods to our loved ones. We become so fixated on giving the perfect gift to others that we often forget the real meaning of the holidays. Although the holidays are a time of giving, it is also important to help those around us who may not be fortunate enough to have a holiday full of presents, parties, and big holiday meals.

So instead of fixating yourself on the material part of the holidays, make a pledge of service to your community this holiday season! Not only will you feel less anxious about the holidays because you are making a beneficial mark on someone else, you are also making someone’s holidays a little cheerier than they may have originally anticipated. After all, your holidays might be a little better, as well knowing that someone gets to enjoy the time just as much as you do.

Are you convinced that you can stay away from the malls for one day to help someone else? Alright well here are some more benefits to volunteering this holiday season in case you need some more convincing.

  • Volunteering helps you develop new life skills you may not have learned otherwise. Do you want to learn carpentry, become more social, or practice a new language? You can do all these things through volunteering! Volunteering is the perfect way to discover something that you’re really good at while contributing to the benefit of your community (it’s a win-win situation).
  • Volunteering is a means of establishing yourself in the community. The commercial side of the holidays has caused a disconnect between community members. Bridge that gap by coming together as a community and helping those who are less fortunate this holiday season. It not only builds relationships between community members, but it also helps members understand the issues that affect their immediate community.
  • Volunteering provides a sense of motivation and a feeling of achievement. Volunteers are motivated in their work because they are able to work for a cause or passion that they truly believe in. When one is able to work for an important cause they feel a sense of achievement because they see the importance that their good work has for someone else.
  • Increase your career opportunities. Volunteering looks great on school and job applications. It is also a way to explore different career paths if you are thinking of a switch. If this is not enough motivation for you, then what is?
  • Volunteering is a great way to gain new real world experience hands on! Volunteering is a way to gain life experiences in ways that you never would have thought possible.
  • Meet a new group of people you may not have met otherwise. Volunteering with others in your community brings together a diverse group with similar interests who may not have met otherwise. You can not only learn more about your community, but you may also build new relationships and friendships!
  • Volunteering serves as a good reflection of your entire self. Volunteering as an extracurricular activity reflects beneficially on your character. It sends the message that you have a good work and self balance. Who knows you may even inspire your family, friends, and coworkers to volunteer as well?

We hope these benefits are convincing enough to get you involved in giving back this holiday season. Your service acts can be big or small depending on your interests and schedule. Make your holiday more meaningful and less stressful; help make your community a better place today!

New to service? Check out our friends at generationOn today for their Holiday Gift Campaign! Every time a pledge of service is made no matter how big or small, Hasbro will donate a toy to a child in need through Toys for Tots (up to 100,000 toys).

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Dr. Seuss

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