Archive for January, 2013

Five Tips for Adults Working with Teen Volunteers

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

Today’s guest post comes from Michael LaRue, a Teen Volunteer Leader with HandsOn Suburban Chicago.

 

1)      Let us know our boundaries: When you put teens in charge of something make sure you let them know their boundaries in the leadership. There have been many volunteer activities that I have participated in where I had no idea what I was suppose to do when it came to leadership. Whether it be overstepping my boundaries and giving instructions that the teen should not be giving. Or just standing there not knowing where to start because there have been people doing the jobs you thought were directed towards you.

2)      Impact is most important to us! When thanking a Teen Volunteer know that most of us know we are doing a good job. If we weren’t happy with the progress or success of a program we wouldn’t be doing it. Therefore, if you’re going to thank us know that the only thanks we truly need is seeing the smile on the leader’s face or the smile of the people we’re serving (in my case the students I mentor).

3)      Treat us with respect. Know that we are here to volunteer because we have passion for what we are volunteering for, As a teen leader I know that I don’t have full control and I would never expect that, what I do expect though is to be treated with respect for I am giving up time to help something that is important to me.

4)      Don’t treat us like we are kids. We may not be adults, but we do have an idea of what is going on. Tell us what we need to do and allow us to ask for change in order to improve what needs to be done.

5)      Don’t expect more out of teen volunteers than you expect out of yourself. We are a team; therefore we should be working together for a common goal, not separately.

 

Michael LaRue has been volunteering since he was a freshman in high school in his hometown of Arlington Heights, Illinois. In four short years, he’s worked with Riley Elementary School Homework Club tutoring students and helping them with homework. Through Buffalo Grove High School’s Interact Club, he’s helped to lead his peers in impacting their community in various ways.  Most recently, he’s become a Teen Volunteer Leader with HandsOn Suburban Chicago, taking a key leadership role in the CHiL program, where he leads and supports 20 volunteers who work with middle school students to improve their grades through homework help as well by acting as role-models and mentors.  

HandsOn Suburban Chicago is a partner and grantee of generationOn, Points of Light’s global youth service enterprise. Through a dynamic partnership called Ready-Set-Go!, generationOn and HandsOn Suburban Chicago have almost doubled the amount of direct service and leadership opportunities available to youth in northwest suburban Chicago. To learn more about Ready-Set-Go! and to access our free resources to train adults to be more effective managers of youth volunteers, click here.

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Six Tips for Preparing for Winter Weather Emergencies

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

Winter is quite firmly here.

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?  You can make sure you’re Good & Ready for winter weather emergencies with Points of Light’s emergency preparedness program.

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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Dr. King’s Challenge: What Are You Doing for Others?

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights leader whose actions sparked a national movement. The 13 years he dedicated to civil rights activities ignited concern and conscience within our country’s citizens. His courage and selfless devotion were undeniable, and for this his legacy continues to inspire Points of Light and volunteers around the world.

Just four days after the assassination of the civil rights icon, legislation was proposed to make his birthday an official holiday. It took nearly 20 years and countless politicians to gather enough public support to receive Congressional support, and the day was first officially observed in 1986.

During his lifetime Dr. King worked tirelessly toward a dream of equality. He believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. King’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve problems. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day programs meet tangible needs, such as revitalizing schools and feeding the homeless; but also build a sense of community and mutual responsibility by spurring conversation. On this day, Americans of every age and background celebrate Dr. King through volunteering and unite to strengthen communities, empower individuals, and bridge barriers.

There are many ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in your community, whether you’re leading a local nonprofit, organizing an event with your family or an elementary school student looking to make a difference.

Inspired by the legacy of Dr. King, America’s Sunday Supper invites people from diverse backgrounds to come together and share a meal, discuss issues that affect their community and highlight the power each one of us has to make a difference. These family and community suppers unite individuals for dinner and dialogue in the restaurants, coffee shops, community centers, faith-based organizations, and homes across the country. Leading up to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, individuals will participate in a community-by-community, nationwide conversation about our country’s most pressing social issues related to hunger, homelessness, and poverty.

When individuals reach across differences in economic, ethnic, racial, and religious identities, meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with neighbors can occur. A sense of community is gained by neighbors working together on projects, resulting in stronger civic engagement and bringing us all closer to Dr. King’s legacy.

How will you honor Dr. King with your service this upcoming MLK Day? Let us know in the comments below!

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10 Ways to Fight Poverty in America

Monday, January 14th, 2013

January is awesome! Why is January awesome?! Because January is Poverty in America Awareness Month. While poverty has plagued our society for decades, attention should be given to the poverty rate increase from 13.2% in 2008 to 14.3% in 2009-the biggest statistical increase since 2004. Similarly, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, between 2000 and 2008, the number of poor Americans grew by more than nine million. Now that you have been inspired to fight poverty in America, we have ten ways to fight poverty in your community and throughout America:

  1. Support a local or family-owned business. Small businesses keep communities together, while also pumping money back into the community and ultimately fighting poverty. These small businesses also often have interesting or unique items, which is always a bonus. 
  2. Plan a vacation around a learning or helping experience. Vacations are always fun; however, consider the communities around your vacation destination and the potential poverty within those neighborhoods. Take a few hours out of your day while you’re on vacation and volunteer.
  3. Donate to your local food bank. Hunger is a year-round issue, and forces people to choose between food and other expenses.
  4. Shop for good. Choose stores or services that support local groups. Buy local, it can be better for your health and wallet.
  5. Organize a food drive in your community. A food drive will provide a family food, while also bringing your community together and hopefully motivate other community to do more to fight poverty.
  6. Do a fundraiser! Plan a walk-a-thon, yard sale, lemonade stand, or benefit concert to raise money for a local organization. Why not have fun with your fundraiser while supporting a good cause?! These activities will surely be exciting and worthwhile!
  7. Research! Become aware of local policies and programs that affect low-income families. Find out where poverty is focused in your city, how widespread the poverty stricken areas are, and how you can help. 
  8. Share your research! Voice your concern and tell your community members that it’s Poverty in America Awareness Month so that they are also inspired to improve the community or will spread the word about this awesome month.
  9. Always show respect to people working at minimum wage. Be courteous and respectful of their efforts or just greet them with a simple smile. You never know how much a smile can improve their day.
  10. Use public transportation whenever possible. Your support helps to insure that public transportation remains available for us all.

We hope these tips have inspired you to support Poverty in America Awareness Month! Tell us what other community service activities you plan on doing to commemorate Poverty in America Awareness Month.

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Eight Benefits of Volunteering

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

New Year’s Resolutions are often made with the best of intentions and promptly dropped. Statistics show that about two weeks into the year one-third of those who make resolutions are close to quitting. By March, 85 percent will have thrown in the towel!

What better way to keep that resolution to volunteer than to reassess exactly how volunteering will benefit you? You may be surprised at some of the various benefits of volunteerism!Tour members volunteer with clean-up efforts

  •  Meet new people Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. It puts you in contact with folks with similar interests that you may not have encountered otherwise! Volunteer projects are a great way to make new friends or simply meet people with different life experiences than your own. You can not only develop lifelong personal and professional relationships, you can also hear about job openings, gather insider employment information and develop great references.
  • Network and gain connections In these uncertain economic times, the opportunity to network is nothing to scoff at. Volunteer projects offer that chance, and often in an arena related to your current skills. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and you can never tell who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.Earned Income Tax Credit Volunteer
  • Looks good on your resume & college application Volunteering demonstrates workplace, management, and leadership skills that can be documented in a resume. Work experience is work experience, with or without a paycheck. If you are developing new skills or thinking of pursuing a new career, volunteer work can give you valuable, practical experience. Career counselors and headhunters encourage job seekers to document pertinent volunteer experiences. Volunteer work support skills, character and balance in life. 90% of executives in a national survey of Fortune 500 companies believed volunteering built teamwork and provided valuable professional development opportunities.
  • Learn new skills Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. It is never too late to learn new skills and there is no reason why you should stop adding to your knowledge just because you are in employment or have finished education. Planning and implementing a major fundraising event can develop goal setting, planning and budgeting skills. Supervising and training other volunteers helps to develop supervisory and training skills. Volunteering is the perfect way to discover something that you’re good at while contributing to the benefit of your community.
  • Gain confidence and a sense 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 a cause close to their heart, they feel a sense of achievement at seeing the effect that their good work has on others. Volunteering around a personal interest or hobby can be fun, relaxing and energizing. That energy and sense of fulfillment can carry over to other aspects of your life and sometimes helps to relieve work tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations.2 guys volunteer planting
  • Better your health Those who participate in volunteer activities report higher levels of life satisfaction, sense of control over life, and feeling physical and emotionally healthier. A report featured in The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine found that people who give back to others lead more happy and healthy lives than those who do not volunteer. “People in general are happier and healthier, and may even live a little longer, when they’re contributing” to their community or an organization they are passionate about, said study author Stephen G. Post, PhD. A majority of study participants said their volunteer activities enrich their sense of purpose in life and lower stress levels. The survey also showed that those who give back are less likely to feel hopeless and lonely than people who do not volunteer.
  • Feel good by doing good! Volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others.  Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better!
  • Establish yourself in your community We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. It is easy to become disconnected with the issues that face your community as a whole. Why not bridge that expanding gap through volunteering? Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s wellbeing. What better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back? As a volunteer, you certainly return to society some of the benefits that society gives you.
  • Find new hobbies and interests Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of. You can strengthen your personal and professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons. Perhaps you’ll discover a previously unknown passion for education or making blankets for homeless shelters!

What are the benefits you’ve experienced through volunteering? Have you succeeded in keeping your resolutions? Let us know in the comments below.

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9 Ways to Make Volunteering a Part of Your New Year

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

It’s a brand new year and many of us have made resolutions to make our lives better in one way or another. We hope your resolutions include working to make your community better, too!

But where do you start? How do you make your community a better place? We have some tips to get started, and we’d love to hear about what you’re doing!

Find a cause you care about.

This is the best first step, because if you’re not connected to the work that you’ll be doing, it’s not going to be any fun. What do you care about most in your community? Does your local school system need a little help? Are there a lot of stray animals in your neighborhood? Do you love the way your library smells and want everyone to be as excited about books as you are?

Once you’ve found something in your community you’d like to make better, then…

Find a way to help.

One of the easiest ways to find a way to get involved in a cause that you care about it is to volunteer with an organization that’s already supporting that cause.  You can find thousands of volunteer opportunities with HandsOn Network affiliates across the country.

Do a little research.

Spend a bit of time on the websites of the organizations that host the projects you’re interested in. Find out how they support the causes you’re interested in and learn about the work they do in your community. If you find a nonprofit you’d like to support and a way to support them that sounds fun, you can…

Sign up for a project!

Each of our affiliates has a way to sign up for projects on their site. They’re not all the same, but it’s really easy!

Remember it’s OK to ask questions.

It’s alright to ask questions about the project before you show up. Project listings should have a person to contact if you have any questions about what the project is about and how you need to prepare. A lot of questions are answered in the project descriptions, but if your question isn’t it’s alright to get in touch with the event organizer so you’re ready for the day when you show up!

Show up ready to have fun.

You’re volunteering because there’s a cause you care about, right? That doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time! The best way to make sure you’ll have fun at your first volunteer experience is to go in with an open mind.

You might be asked to do something different than what you signed up for, or you might be asked to something you don’t know how to do. Keep an open mind and try it out, you might learn a thing or two, or find something you never thought you’d love to do! Volunteering can be serious business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.

Take time to reflect on your experience.

A lot of volunteer projects have some time set aside at the end of the project to think critically about the work that you just did. Reflecting on how working in a community garden can have an impact on the health of the local watershed or how it can influence kids to eat better is an important part of the volunteer experience. It doesn’t just give you a definite stopping point for a project, but it helps volunteers to better understand how their work has multiple effects in their community.

Keep making a difference!

Did you have a great time volunteering? Did you make new friends? Did you learn something new? Awesome! Why not let us know?

Tell us about it on or ! Did you not quite fit with the project or organization? That’s alright! There are a lot more organizations out there that need your help that could be a better fit for you.

Was your first volunteer experience great? Did you decide to find a different way to volunteer? Let us know in the comments!

Pass it along.

Did you have a great time volunteering? Why not bring a friend along with you next time? Not only will it make sure you know someone at the project, but you’ll be involving your friend in something you care about and making your community better! Plus there’s a great opportunity to take cheesy pictures to share on Facebook!

 

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