Archive for June, 2012

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Plan A Serve-A-Thon for the Earth!

Friday, June 15th, 2012

Are you looking for creative ways to engage volunteers, respond to community needs, and raise money for a good cause? Consider a serve-a-thon!

Similar to walk-a-thons, serve-a-thons use a team-based approach to raise money for a designated cause. Participants secure sponsors who pledge to support their service, usually based on the number of hours served.

Here are a few steps to guide you in planning an environmentally based serve-a-thon.

Develop a plan. Form a committee you help manage the neighborhood cleanup project. State a specific purpose (i.e., clean up the local park, raise money for a specific cause/organization). Create a timeline and plan for implementing your ideas, and get the word out.

Build your teams. Team leaders recruit 6-12 friends, family members, coworkers, or others for their teams. They can even create team names to be included on the event t-shirt. Each member will be responsible for a minimum donation.

Set a location. Identify an area to clean up – a road, a series of roads, a park, a school, etc. Check the area for appropriateness before assigning teams to serve in that area. Ask your local government for recommendations of roads/areas that need to be cleaned. Don’t be afraid to ask if they will pick up the trash and recyclables you collect!

Secure resources. Buy or get in-kind donations of needed supplies, including trash bags, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

Keep your fundraising goal in mind. Make sure all teams are well informed, empowered, and equipped to fundraise. You want them to feel comfortable asking for pledges. Remind team members that they are giving people an opportunity to support a specific cause while beautifying the community, You can also take advantage of online fundraising tools such as Crowdrise or First Giving.

Review last minute details and communicate with volunteers. Ensure volunteers have project details, such as time and location, and that materials are ready. Educate volunteers about acceptable recyclable items (click here for a project playbook that includes an environmental service learning activity for youth!), and encourage them to be aware of safety at all times.

Collect donations and trash! Have teams collect all donations so they can be compiled and given to the cause or organization of choice. Lead your team in a safe and fun environmental project. Remember to separate trash from recyclables!

Recognize volunteers and celebrate. Thank volunteers for their work and for the donations collected. You may want to recognize the top fundraisers and/or the team that collects the most trash/recyclables.

Reflect and learn. As with any service project, take time to reflect on the experience, the impact of the project on the community, and what you learned about yourself, the issue, or the community.

Tags:
Posted in Environment, Volunteerism | No Comments »

Volunteering Brings Us Together

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

In America today, people of many different faiths and beliefs live side by side. In addition, the vast majority of organizations people give their time and service to are faith-based.  The opportunity lies before us to work together to build a society rooted in the values we treasure. Such a society can only be built on a sure foundation of mutual respect, openness and trust. This means finding ways to live our lives of faith with integrity and allowing others to do so, as well. This tip sheet is intended to underscore concepts that are fundamental to the process of stepping out of our proverbial comfort zones and interacting with others from different religious and cultural backgrounds in volunteering and service environments and beyond.

Respecting Boundaries
Our various religious traditions teach us the importance of relationships characterized by honesty, compassion and generosity of spirit. Additionally, our freedom to practice religion, described in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, requires us to exercise good will and good judgment with those of differing faiths. The tips below help to outline boundaries necessary when engaging with those of other faiths:
■ Respect other people’s freedom within the law to express their beliefs and convictions.
■ Learn to understand what others actually believe and value, and let them express this in their own terms.

■ Acknowledge the convictions of others about food, dress, religious practice, and social etiquette, and do not behave in ways that cause needless offense.

■ Recognize that all of us at times fall short of the ideals of our own traditions and, therefore, need to avoid comparing our own ideals with other people’s practices.

■ Work to prevent disagreement from leading to conflict.

Engaging in Dialogue

When we talk about matters of faith with one another, we need to do so with sensitivity, honesty and straightforwardness. These are some pointers for those who seek to engage with those of other faiths in religious dialogue:

■ Recognize that listening as well as speaking is necessary for a genuine conversation.

■ Be honest about personal beliefs and religious allegiances.

■ Do not misrepresent or disparage other people’s beliefs and practices.

■ Whenever we come across them, correct misunderstanding or misrepresentations not only of our own beliefs, but also those of other faiths.

■ Be straightforward about our intentions.

■ Accept that in formal interfaith meetings there is a particular responsibility to ensure that the religious commitment of all those who are present is respected.

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

Give your dad the gift of volunteering this Father’s Day!

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

Give your dad the gift of volunteering this Father’s Day! This Sunday is Father’s Day, and what better way to spend time with your father than by volunteering with your dad! Here are 5 ways to volunteer with your dad on father’s day!

 

  1. Celebrate Father’s Day by volunteering with your kids at a community garden. This is a great way to spend the day outdoors doing community service while bonding with your friends & family. You and your dad ca plant seeds, turn compost, and dig in the dirt.  Remember to bring all your banana peels, apple cores, any rotting lettuce you forgot was in the refrigerator, tops of carrots or peppers that you cut from your dinner preparations, and coffee grounds from your breakfast to also help feed the compost system.
  2. Celebrate all the fathers in your community by delivering donuts! That’s right, donuts are the ultimate comfort food and a pleasant way to say thank you to all the dads in your neighborhood. I’m pretty sure they’ll love this simple treat this father’s day.
  3. Looking for a way to have fun and do good at the same time? Do a Father’s Day 5K and 10K race. Volunteer opportunities include: Registration,  Split Timers – calling out times to runners as they pass by your assigned mile marker, Water Stop – fill cups of water, hand to runners, clap and cheer, clean up dropped cups after race, be race course marshalls by providing clear directions to keep runners on course, clap and cheer. At the finish line, you and your father can decorate, keep runners moving across the finish line, clap and cheer! Or you all can volunteer at the refreshment table by setting up food and drinks at the finish line for runners.
  4. Volunteer at a sports event! Many organizations are throwing Father’s Day fundraisers in the form of sports tournaments and events. Whether it’s a softball tournament, golf tournament, baseball tournament, etc, volunteer opportunities include, help with decorations,  distributing materials, providing decorations, or simply donating money to the organization and participating in the actual event. Volunteering at sporting events is a fun way to spend time with your father on his special day!
  5. Do something out of the ordinary! This father’s day, volunteer to just do something out of the ordinary to spend quality time with your dad to remind your dad that he is special to you and your family!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Environment, Family Volunteering, Just for Fun | 1 Comment »

Boost that Resume, Volunteer!

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Are you a recent graduate looking for a new job? Maybe you are someone who is looking a for a new career path to develop some skills? Volunteering is the best outlet possible to do all of these things!

Why? Volunteer work benefits your professional goals because it allows you to acquire new skills that your professional degree may not allow you to develop otherwise. Volunteer work is also a great way to cram the gaps in your work history.

Win-win situation, right? Not only do you help your community, but you also boost your personal life! Check out how volunteering can help boost your professional skills below!

Assertiveness: You can develop your assertive skills by serving as a fundraiser soliciting pledges or support. Recruit others to support an organization or cause.

Budget management: Plan or chair events with a budget. Volunteer for a board position with financial responsibility. Volunteering to be in charge of an organization’s budget will greatly help you in the financial world!

Change management/ strategic awareness: To develop this professional skill participate on an organization’s board or advisory council, participate in a focus group, or help write a group’s vision.

Computer skills: Computer skills are a necessity for most professional jobs. To increase your skill set develop an organization’s database or provide data entry for a group or project.

Conflict resolution: To hone in your conflict resolution skills serve on a board, manage a function or event, or serve as a subcommittee chairman.

Cultural awareness: To become more culturally aware, become a tutor or mentor, or volunteer in an activity that works closely with people unlike yourself. IT is important to expose yourself to all types of people to better develop this skill. Make this a habit and not a one time occurrence.

Creativity: In order to develop your creative skills you will need to step out of the box a little bit. Try volunteering at a children’s arts and crafts project or volunteer to paint a school mural.

Delegating: Want to get better at delegating tasks? Try chairing a committee or assuming a leadership role within an organization such as becoming a volunteer manager.

Event planning: You can become a bigger pro at event planning by coordinating volunteers or sitting on a committee for a big event.

Leadership: Leadership skills are big eye catchers on a resume. To develop your skills serve on a chairman board, be a spokesperson for an event or organization, or volunteer as a mentor to a young community member.

Organizational skills: Need to get more organized in the workplace? Volunteer to sort donations, provide clerical services, or plan an event.

Problem-solving: Problem-solving skills are a must! Better engage your skills by being an on-site manager for a big event or be a project leader.

By adding volunteer experience to your resume you will start building up that skill section in no time! Whether you are unemployed or looking to start down a new career path, it is always great to volunteer in your free time!

How has volunteering boosted your resume? We would love to hear your stories in the comments section below!

Related articles

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Education, Volunteerism | 2 Comments »

14 Ways to Better Engage Your Volunteers

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Most volunteer managers can agree, retaining regular volunteers can be a daunting task at times. It is important to not get discouraged when you are constantly seeing more new faces than familiar faces. Remember, one hundred percent retention of volunteers is an unrealistic goal.

You may be asking yourself, “how can I ever retain one volunteer if the odds are against me?’ Check out the tips below to help ensure a more active volunteer group within your organization or at your service projects!

  • Opportunities for evaluation: Evaluation can be informal. Just read your volunteer’s body language and verbal cues to see how they are feeling about the project. If their cues seem more negative than positive, ask them to come talk. You can ask them questions such as, “what do you like most about your job?” or “what can we do to make your time more fulfilling?”
  • Vacations and leaves of absence: To ensure volunteer enthusiasm and interest, offer regular volunteers the option of promotion for good performance. If your volunteer is feeling overwhelmed by personal obligations, allow them a leave of absence or vacation until they are able to serve again. Keep in touch with them to let them know that you care about their well-being.
  • In-service training: Training can be a great reward for dedicated volunteers to learn valuable skills for not only their volunteer work, but also their personal life. If your organization has a conference coming up or an opportunity to meet with a professional trainer in the field, reward them with the opportunity.
  • Staff meetings: Allow volunteers to attend staff meetings within your organization in order to give them a voice in projects. If that is not possible, coordinate volunteer team meetings so that they can share opinions.
  • Presentations: Invite volunteers involved in an interesting project to share their work at a staff meeting.
  • Advocacy opportunities: Invite your volunteers to advocate with governmental agencies, their opinion may mean more because they are not paid to give it.
  • Volunteer advisory council: Form a volunteer council to help develop policies and share project ideas. The council should have the chance to meet with your organization’s board members, too.
  • Expense reimbursement: Reimburse your volunteers for their out of pocket expenses such as gas or clothing. Making a small budget for reimbursement will pay off in the long run.
  • Benefits: Treat your volunteers like your staff members. Volunteers need food and drink, a safe working environment, and excess insurance if they are driving frequently.
  • Personnel file: Keep record of your volunteers’ involvement so that you can right a reference later or be reminded of good performance. This file will help you keep track of your dedicated volunteers.
  • Interesting tasks: Vary the work given to volunteers to ensure fulfillment and prevent boredom.
  • Respecting volunteers: No volunteer is “just a volunteer.” Remember, volunteers are unpaid staff members; they should be treated with the same respect as paid staff members.
  • Volunteer socialization: Create opportunities such as picnics or ice cream socials for volunteers to network and celebrate successes together.
  • Staff appreciation: Recognize and thank staff members that work well with volunteers. If staff feel appreciated, they are more likely to connect and interact with volunteers.

 

It is important to provide inclusive projects for both your volunteers and your staff members to guarantee retention. When volunteers feel their work is both meaningful and fulfilling, they are more likely to return.

How does your organization better retain its volunteers? We would love to hear your retention policies in the comments section below!

Related articles

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Volunteer Leader, Volunteer Management, Volunteer Project Development, Volunteer Recognition, Volunteer Recruitment | No Comments »

Celebrate National Preparedness Month!

Friday, June 8th, 2012

June is not only the month for summer fun; it is also a month to get prepared! June is National Safety Month. The summer hosts a number of fun activities for warm weather, but it is also important that you are safe about these activities. From the pool to the lake it is important to not only have fun, but also to be safe.

Summer time is also a host to weather emergencies such as hurricanes and high temperatures that can cause injuries. How will you prepare yourself and your family for these various natural emergencies? Below are 10 simple ways that you can prepare your family for any summer related emergency that may come your way!

  1. Make an emergency kit: Build an emergency kit so that you can survive after a disaster. Your kit should include enough food, water, and supplies to last you at least 72 hours.
  2. Learn your surroundings: Make sure that you have a safe place to go in times of emergency.
  3. Locate your lifeguards: If you are not a strong swimmer or you have small children at the pool, make sure you know where the lifeguards are located. Locating lifeguards ensure you will be able to find them when needed.
  4. Time for lawn upkeep: Hurricanes mean strong winds! Make sure that your trees and shrubs are trimmed to prevent house damage.
  5. Stay inside: Summer weather means high temperatures causing such things as smog. When the air quality is poor it is important to stay inside. Ensure your safety by monitoring your local weather report.
  6. Never leave your car unattended: High temperatures mean increased chance of heat related injuries. Never leave your children or pets in the car unattended!
  7. Become CPR certified: Have little kids? No lifeguard at your neighborhood pool? Take a CPR class with your local Red Cross chapter. Your breath could mean life or death for your child.
  8. Keep an eye out: Drowning is one of the top 5 factors of death in your children. Know where your child is at all times. Seconds can mean life or death.
  9. Life vests vs. water wings: Although water wings are typically marketed to protect your child. Most pools outlaw them due to their low safety rating. Purchase a life vest to ensure your young swimmer’s safety in the water.
  10. Stay hydrated: Spending a long day outside? Ensure your overall health and prevent yourself from a heat-related injury by drinking lots of fluids while outside.

Summer time is such a great time of year. By following these tips, you will ensure a care-free season for your entire family!

How are you preparing your family for the summer? We would love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Related articles

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Environment | No Comments »

Neighboring: The Essential Strategies

Thursday, June 7th, 2012

Volunteer programs and initiatives that view residents as assets and seek to engage the local community as an equal partner by empowering, mobilizing and building upon its assets, are best positioned to facilitate sustainable positive change. Whether it is a short term group volunteer project or a long term community initiative, more and more people are becoming neighbors and developing programs that have lasting impact on the communities.

Following are the seven basic strategies that individuals, organizations, and businesses can use when working with under-resourced communities to strengthen families and transform neighborhoods.

1. Understand the language and nature of volunteering in tough communities – Learning the language is an important aspect of working in tough communities.Volunteers are abundant in tough neighborhoods and have a long history of helping, but residents do not usually refer to themselves as “volunteers.” Often called “helping out,” “giving back,” or “neighboring,” the volunteering that takes place is not usually recognized or rewarded and happens more informally through neighborhood associations, churches, and on an individual basis.

2. Overcome barriers to volunteering – Barriers to volunteering include lack of time, financial resources, child care, transportation, as well as low self-esteem and confidence, negative perceptions of volunteering or outside organizations, as well as cultural and language barriers.These must be addressed in order to engage local residents.

3. Empower the communities to help themselves – Residents must own the issues and solutions and must witness the benefit of their involvement in solving their communities’ social problems. Outsiders cannot be “parachuted” into the community to rescue the residents. Residents must be part of the planning and decision-making process.

4. Cultivate community members’ skills and talents – The gifts and talents of the local residents need to be identified and translated into important assets needed to accomplish a project’s goals. Many residents believe they have no talents or skills to bring to the table, but only by building on existing assets within the community can real change be affected.

5. Strengthen existing community leadership – Organizations should identify existing leaders and help develop new community leaders. Local leaders help build community trust and ensure that the local perspectives and experiences are considered and understood.

6. Acknowledge that volunteering is an exchange – All volunteers need to be rewarded for their contributions in ways that make sense and have meaning to them. In tough communities an appropriate exchange could include meals, services such as tutoring, child care subsidies, and job opportunities.

7. Ensure community readiness – Building relationships and involvement takes time. It is a process that needs patience and flexibility. Communities may need help resolving conflicts or problems that are preventing residents’ involvement.

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

Volunteer to help a recent college grad!

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

With the plethora of graduation ceremonies I’ve attended recently, I began to think about how myself and others can hopefully help college graduates find jobs. I’ve compiled a list of five ways you or someone you know can volunteer your time to help recent graduates secure employment.

  1. Mentor a graduate student. Mentoring a college grad can include suggesting job openings, submitting a resume to someone in your organization with a job opening that your mentee may be interested in, reviewing and editing a resume, or simply providing encouragement. While college grads are excited about their recent accomplishment, the quest for employment can be daunting. Encouragement from a mentor can mean a lot to someone who has loss motivation and hope while searching a job. 
  2. Review and Edit Resume. While, there is no right or wrong way to write a resume, a college grad may need some assistance with adding their newly acquired education, formatting their resume, or help with the content for their qualifications and responsibilities of past jobs and activities.
  3. See a job opening? Since you’re mentoring an awesome college grad, they’re always on your mind. So, if you happen to come across a job posting that is applicable to your mentee, send it to them, whether it’s an email, pigeon, or the actual mail, get the word out to him or her. They may not have seen the posting or felt unqualified for the position. Additionally, remind them to keep their options open and to not discount jobs that may appear unqualified for.
  4. Help with the Cover Letter. Since, the cover letter is just as or maybe even more important as the resume; your awesome college student will be hopefully waving you down with all flags and flashing lights seeking your help with their cover letter. So, here’s what you can do: Set up a meeting or make edits with additional suggestions for their cover letter; provide cover letter samples.
  5. Advise your mentee to volunteer! Volunteerism is an excellent addition to a student’s resume. Since a college grad may lack work experience, they can make up for it with volunteering. We’re HandsOn Network are (surprise!) strong advocates for volunteering. And as a mentor, you can join them! Volunteering can be a rewarding experience for both you and your mentor, and an edition you can also make to your resume ;-)

Tags:
Posted in Economy, Education, Family Volunteering, Service | 7 Comments »

Celebrate World Environment Day, Go Green!

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

June 5 is the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day. World Environment Day is an annual event aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated day of environmental impact across the world. The United Nations mission is to empower individuals to become global agents of change for environmental issues through global action.

Since 1972, World Environment Day has been celebrated on or around June 5.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Green Economy, does it include you?”

The United Nations would love for all communities to get involved in their environment initiative. How can your community become active today? Check out our 30 ideas below to help make your community a more green economy!

1. Change your light bulbs. If every household changed one bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb, it would be equivalent to removing 1 million cars from the environment.
2. Turn off your computer. By turning your computer off, instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save up to 40 watts of electricity per day.
3. Recycle glass. By recycling your glassware, you reduce air pollution by 20 percent and water pollution by 50 percent.
4. Hang dry those clothes. Get a clothesline to hang your wet clothes. Not only will you save energy, your clothes will last longer!
5. Wash in cold or warm cycle. If every household in the United States switched to the warm-cold or cold-cold washing cycle, we could save enough energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
6. Recycle newspaper. Recycling just the Sunday paper could save up to half a million trees annually.
7. Get rid of your bottled water. Nearly 90% of bottled water is not recycled, bottle take thousands of years to decompose. Reduce, reuse, and recycle!
8. Brush your teeth without running water. You will conserve up to 5 gallons per day, if you do not run water while brushing your teeth.
9. Plant a tree. Get your neighbors together and plant a tree in the community. It will not only provide shade and a fun bonding experience, but will also improve your community’s air quality.
10. Use cruise control. By using cruise control, you can save up to 15% in gas mileage. Judging by today’s gas prices, this is a win-win situation!
11.  Buy local. Greenhouse gas pollution is created when food is flown from the farm to your table. You will not only help your community’s economy, but also cut pollution when you choose to buy local!
12. Adjust your thermostat. One degree warmer in the summer or one degree cooler in the winter will save your 10% in energy.
13. Turn off the lights. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room!
14. Get green with your lawn care. Choose natural ways for lawn upkeep instead of using pesticides and artificial fertilizers.
15. Recycle your old cell phone. Trying to keep up with cell phone trends? Make sure your recycle your old one to reduce landfill waste.
16. Donate. Before you just throw your unwanted items away, decide if someone else could benefit from your things.
17. Get rid of plastic bags. Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose and they pollute our oceans. Make the decision to switch to durable, reusable bags.
18. Pay your bills online. If every American household paid their bills online, we would save 18.5 million trees, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.
19.  Go veggie once a week. Not only will you be saving the animals, but you will save water and destroy less land.
20. Choose a better diaper. Whether you choose cloth or a more environmentally friendly disposable diaper, you will help save 3.5 million tons of waste in landfills.

 

Whether you decide to do a small or big act today, choosing a greener lifestyle will not only benefit your community, but also your wallet. Choose today to be the first day of the rest of your green life.

Are you making the choice to be part of the green economy? Share your story with the United Nations Environment Programme!

How are you volunteering to be greener in your community? We would love for you to share in the comments section below!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Environment, Events | No Comments »

Rock Out and Do A Little Good!

Monday, June 4th, 2012

Whether you’re looking for Garbage’s latest album, Endless Summer from the Beach Boys, or one of thousands of other albums available on fairsharemusic.com, when you download a song you’re helping to support charities.

Fairsharemusic.com is based in England, though, so the charities you’ll be helping are there. If there’s enough interest in their site in the US, they’ll expand their selection of charities that you can support to include US charities too!

Want to know how you can help them expand the charities that they support? Download a song or two, or a whole album! Half of their profits are donated to a charity you choose when you sign up!

If you’re not sure it’s a service you’d like to try, I’ll make it easy for you. or ! I’ll pick two winners who will get their five songs sent to them!

Fairsharemusic.com is a great service for buying songs for your ultimate summer playlist, and you get to help support charities with your purchase! Check them out today!

You can rock this town like Brian Setzer!

Are you looking for more easy ways to volunteer? Check out these posts:

Tags: fairsharemusic.com, ,
Posted in Volunteerism | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »