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7 Tips for First Time Volunteers

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Make a Difference Day logo.Make A Difference Day is just a few weeks away! If you know how you’re going to make a difference on October 27, awesome!

You might say “But I’ve never volunteered before? How can I make a difference? I don’t even know where to start”

Today is your lucky day! We have seven tips to help make sure your first volunteer experience is a great one!

Find a cause you care about.

Is there something that you really care about? 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 project in the DAYta Bank.

Once you’ve decided on a cause you’d like to support, you can find a project near you in the Make A Difference Day DAYta Bank! As long as you’re looking, why not find a few different projects that sound like they could be fun and…

Do a little research.

Spend a bit of time on the websites of the nonprofits that are hosting the projects you’re interested in. Find out how they support the causes you’re interested in and the work they do in your community. If you find a nonprofit you’d like to support you can…

Sign up for a project!

The DAYta Bank makes it easy to sign up for a project! Once you find a project with an organization you like you’ll be taken to the signup page for that project. Sign up and you’ll be all set to volunteer on Make A Difference Day!

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? Awesome! Tell us about it on the 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! Try finding another project in the DAYta Bank or with HandsOn Network!

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

SUPER BONUS TIP!

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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Posted in Events, Inspire, Mobilize, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 2 Comments »

How to Host a School Supply Drive!

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

This blog originally appeared on Create The Good.

We’re halfway through the summer, meaning it’s almost time for kids to begin preparing to go back to school! A new school year marks new beginnings for kids and parents; however, for those who lack the resources to purchase school supplies, this time of year can be filled with anxiety and stress.

As a solution, you can collect supplies for schools! You can help children in school by giving them the tools they need to succeed. Donate school supplies or, even better, organize your own Equipped to Learn school supply drive. Here’s How you can host a  successful school supply drive!

STEP 1: GET HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

Whether you organize the drive on your own or make the organizing a group effort, you will need to reach out to a lot of people in order to make the school supply drive a success. So go ahead and recruit your family, work colleagues, neighbors and others in your community.


STEP 2: ADOPT A SCHOOL AND DETERMINE WHAT SUPPLIES THEY NEED

If you know a teacher, principal or school administrator, you can talk to him or her about your idea and find out the school’s supply needs. Or you can call a local school or district and ask the principal what supplies the school may need.

STEP 3: MAKE A PLAN

  • Put together the list of supplies needed.
  • Determine drop-off dates and locations.
  • Determine whether supplies will need to be sorted and prepped. If so, schedule the drop-off deadline at least one week before the date you plan to give the supplies to the school. Consider keeping an estimated tally of collected supplies. It’s helpful to know what you achieved when you celebrate your success.
  • Divide your tasks — don’t do it all yourself.

STEP 4: PROMOTE IT

  • Develop flyers
  • Tell the local papers
  • Tell all of your friends — word of mouth is a great promotional tool.
  • Reach out to PTAs, community organizations, faith organizations, YMCAs, libraries, etc., and ask them to help you promote the school supply drive. They could do so through bulletins, email blasts, mention at public meetings and/or allowing you to post your flyer in their buildings.
  • Post the school supply drive on your Facebook, Twitter or other social media and send out messages to your network.
  • Post signs near the drop-off location to make it easy for everyone to find you. Use large construction paper or poster board so people can read the signs from their cars.

STEP 5: DROP OFF YOUR SUPPLIES

Work with the school principal and/or administrator to determine the best date and time to drop off the supplies. Consider asking the principal to present the school with collected supplies during an assembly time. Make sure you invite the other volunteers to join you in presenting the school with the supplies. 

After everything is done, it’s time to celebrate your success!

Give yourself a pat on the back for all of your hard work. And remember to thank everyone who helped you — it will make them feel great. While the school supply drive is still fresh in your mind, think about what worked well and what didn’t. That way you can build on your success, if you decide to do this again.

 

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Michelle Nunn’s Cross-Country Trip to Discover People at the Center of Change

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

 

 

This post originally appeared on the Points of Light blog site on July 12, 2012.

For a month this summer, Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light, is taking a cross-country trip to learn from the people across the country who are rolling up their sleeves and tackling the critical issues before us. Across the nation, she will search out and share the stories of change agents – people who are creating new ways of using their time, talents, voice and money to address the problems they face in their communities. While the political parties are talking about the things that divide us, Points of Light will be identifying the enormous common ground that unites us – our patriotism and embrace of the responsibilities of citizenship, willingness to help our neighbors and desire to leave the world a better place than we found it.

Along the way, Michelle will be visiting HandsOn Network affiliates, AmeriCorps Alums, corporate leaders and civic innovators to check out citizen-led projects across the country. Her goal is to place a spotlight on people taking action and unearthing innovative solutions that leverage the power of individuals.

Michelle kicked off her trip by delivering a speech in the historic Amphitheater at the Chautauqua Institute on July 9. Chautauqua is a forum for big ideas and conversation, inspiring audience members to commit those ideas to action.

Click here for The Chautauquan Daily news article on Michelle’s speech.

Michelle, joined by her family, will head west though Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis, ending her tour in Seattle. She plans to be in Buffalo, N.Y,, July 10-11; Columbus, Ohio, July 12; Cincinnati, July 13-14; Detroit, July 15-16; Minneapolis, July 22-24; Portland, Ore., Aug. 6-7; and Seattle, Aug. 8-9, with lots of stops along the way.

 

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Posted in Events, Michelle Nunn | 1 Comment »

Party with a Purpose

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

For most people, summer vacation is a period of relaxation that may include cooking and eating, spending time (at the pool) with loved ones, and giving back to the community. No other season allows us so much time to relax and loosen up a bit. However, that is no excuse to stop doing good. This summer, have a party with a purpose!

Use the following steps to ensure a fun and charitable party:

Locate a local food bank or homeless shelter Locate a local food bank or homeless shelter and tell them that you plan on hosting a canned food drive. Ask them if there is anything in particular they need and any directions necessary to donate.

Send out invitations Invite friends, family, and neighbors to join you to party for good with food, drinks, and good company. Inform guests of your mission to donate as much food as possible to your local food bank, and ask that each guest bring at least 5 canned food goods. As an incentive, offer guests a prize of your choice to the person who brings the most canned food goods! Homemade certificates or even just the pride of being the top donor will elicit more competition than you’d expect.

Prep your party The day of the event, designate an area in your home where guests can donate their canned goods. Consider having a sign in that area that informs guests on the food bank you chose to donate to as well as facts and figures about homelessness and hunger in your community. Such as, in 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children.

Party! Eat, drink, and be merry at your party, knowing that you have brought together the people you love for a worthwhile cause.

Collect and donate goods Transport the canned goods from your home to the food bank or homeless shelter of your choice. Note how much the total contribution of food weighs.

Send thank-yous Email or send a letter to your guests thanking for them coming and donating. Include a shout-out to the person who brought the most cans, and also mention how many cans or how many pounds of food were donated!

The “party with a purpose” idea is great for families, friends, co-workers, and volunteers for holidays, birthdays, and throughout the year!

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Posted in Events, Just for Fun, Volunteerism | 4 Comments »

Olympic 2012 Volunteers: The ultimate volunteer experience!

Friday, July 6th, 2012

We are just a few weeks away from the 2012 London Olympics! While we are certainly excited about cheering on all of the athletes and celebrating their accomplishments, we would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work that over 2,000 volunteers will contribute to this year’s Olympics!

This year’s Olympic volunteers will have certainly earned their appropriate nickname, “Game Makers,” by the conclusion of this year’s game since without their help the games would not be a success. Games Makers will be on hand at all venues to answer your questions, help you find your way around and direct you to your seat. You can spot them by their snazzy, brightly colored uniforms.

However, becoming a Games Maker was not easy!  After many months of planning, Games Maker recruitment began in September 2010. There were over 240,000 applicants and over 100,000 people were interviewed.

Additionally, successful applicant have been required to attend at least three training sessions to make sure they are as prepared as possible for their role. Many volunteers have also been taking part in the London Prepares series test events: an invaluable opportunity to gain experience and a greater understanding of how a large sporting event is staged.

Furthermore, over 2,000 16-18 year olds are volunteering through the Young Games Maker program. Some will have roles on the field of play, for example raking the sand during the Beach Volleyball competition at Horse Guards Parade. Working in teams, they will each have a team leader to guide them.

Volunteers have been integral to both Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games since they were used for the first time at London 1948. So in 2012, the volunteer program will be coming home to the place where it all began.

Are you or anyone you know volunteering at this year’s Olympics? Tell us about the experience in the comments! We wish everyone attending the Olympics safe travels and good luck to all of your favorite athletes!

 

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Celebrate Independence Day by serving others!

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

Barbecues, family time, and soaking up the sun tend to go hand-in-hand with the fourth of July; however, why not do all of those activities in addition to serving others? That’s right, fourth of July is a perfect time to get out and serve others, as there are a plethora of volunteer opportunities set aside for this day.  Here are four ways you can have fun this fourth of July while also spending your time helping others.

  1. Volunteer for a Bicycle race!This is a great opportunity to volunteer while watching bicycle racing up close without leaving town. Often, cycling races involve a variety of for your entire family, Enjoy a few hours or an entire day of bicycle racing with plenty of time to prepare for the evening’s fireworks and other festivities.
  2. Volunteers are needed for all of those July 4th Parades! Parades and the fourth of July are synonymous with each other along with all of the hard work that goes into making a parade successful. Additionally, volunteers are also quite important for parade activities and logistics. Parade volunteer activities range anywhere from sandwich makers needed to serve parade participants to the banner carriers needed during the parade to volunteers needed to help clean up at the conclusion of the parade. Parade volunteer activities are endless and open for all ages, allowing for you and your family to participate.
  3. Road Race volunteers are extremely important to fourth of July races! Volunteers are needed to help keep the road free from any debris, pass out water, announce times to runners, and so on.
  4. Celebrate your service to others! That’s right dedicated volunteers, veterans, and active duty soldiers, this also your day to celebrate your year-long service to others! Many cities are hosting free concerts and events to celebrate the service of others and express sincere appreciation for their work. So, gather your family, get out, and enjoy yourself!

Today, we hope you’re able to take time to celebrate all of the things that make this country great, and that when you do it, you take a moment to think of everyone that’s working to make America an even better place to call home. Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

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Action Heroes Needed!

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Today is a BIG day for youth service! “Why?” you ask. July 2nd is the beginning of generationOn’s summer youth service campaign, Community Action Heroes. In partnership with Hasbro, generationOn wants parents to teach their kids or teens the importance of serving their communities.

Summer is the perfect time to get kids involved in volunteerism with all the extra time they have on their hands! GenerationOn will rally thousands of youth volunteers to become active heroes within their community.

How does it work? Interested parents and youth can access the Community Action Hero application through the generationOn website. Kids can choose a challenge team and project ideas. Once a pledge is made, kids can also challenge their friends to be heroes through the use of social media. Once the challenge is met, kids can share their projects through video, essays, or pictures to inspire other youth. All participants will receive a certificate of completion after the project as well!

What issues can your kid pledge to volunteer for?

  • Animals: Five to seven million animals are rescued by shelters annually. Your child can help animals in the community by donating cat or dog food, bathing and playing with shelter animals, cleaning a dog park, raising money for guide dog training, creating emergency preparedness packs for pets, raising money for animal shelters, etc.
  • Literacy: Although summer is a great time to catch up on a new book, many kids do not have access to reading materials in their community. Kids can make a big difference for their neighbors by writing letters to policy makers asking to make education a priority, reading to other children, holding a book drive, organizing a book fair benefit, etc.
  • Health: Summer is a great time to be active outside, but unfortunately not all kids are healthy enough to play outside. Your child or teen can be a hero for sick children by making a lemonade stand, making books to make a smile, bingo at a senior home, anti-bullying posters, toy drives, etc.
  • Environment: No matter your age or size, we all have the power to improve our environment. Your child or teen can learn the value of helping the environment by getting his or her household to use eco-friendly cleaner, cleaning up a park or nature walk, hosting a green thumb party, cleaning up a lake or river, starting a recycling program, etc.
  • Homelessness: 770,000 homeless children are currently enrolled in United States public schools; the summer time is even harder because they do not have the safety of a school. Your child or teen can get involved in solving this important problem by making a work of art for a shelter, making a pillow buddy, hosting a princess party to collect fairytale books, making health kits, collecting school supplies boxes, advocating for the homeless, etc.
  • Hunger: Although summer is a special time for certain seasonal meal favorites, many kids do not receive their proper nutrients because they do not get school lunches in the summer. Your child or teen can be a hero for hungry children by participating in meals on wheels, making lunches, sharing extra food from their garden, hosting a fundraiser event to tackle hunger, etc.
  • Military: Our military men and women volunteer their lives daily to better our country, Your child or teen can show his or her gratitude to military servicemen  and veterans by making care packages, sending letters, sending them fun items to bring a smile, hosting a veterans’ dinner, interviewing and sharing a veteran’s story with the Library or Congress, etc.
  • Emergency prep: Summer is a time to relax, but is also a time for many heat related disasters and emergencies. Be a hero in your community and get others prepared by providing hurricane victims with essential items, collecting smoke detector batteries, making and delivering first aid kits, raise awareness about summer emergencies, providing homeless shelters with evacuation plans, etc.

The world needs more action heroes, are you up to the challenge? We hope that your children will make the pledge to accept one of these eight hero challenges to better his or her community!

Check out generationOn, the youth volunteer enterprise of Point of Light, to learn more about the Community Action Hero Challenge.

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Pride Month: It’s Not All Just Rainbows

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Today’s post originally appeared on the VolunteerMatch blog site on June 21, 2012. The post was originally written by Cristopher Bautista, a current intern and blogger for VolunteerMatch. 

So this June is Pride month, when we celebrate the accomplishments of the LGBT community. I’m someone who works alongside nonprofit professionals. I’m also someone who benefits from the economic empowerment and healthcare services that local nonprofits provide. The fact that I’m a transgender person of color puts me in a demographic more likely to face employment discrimination and less likely to be able to access healthcare— it was this acute awareness of this injustice and my own negative experiences that motivated me to work for the nonprofit sector in the first place.

LGBT or not, we all need a home, food, employment, healthcare, and a sense of self worth. LGBT people are also people of color, immigrants, the young, the old, survivors of violence, the homeless, the poor, the under and uninsured, the unemployed, and the marginalized.

Regardless of how you feel about LGBT people and whether or not your organization is LGBT, those you serve and who work alongside you—a good chunk of those will be LGBT, whether they tell you or not. To serve your communities also means to serve the LGBT community.

So how can your organization adapt to the needs of LGBT people? Here are a couple pointers:

  • In the space where you interact with the people you serve, make sure there’s a visible sign that shows you are an LGBT ally. Think about hanging a rainbow flag someplace easily seen, or hanging “safe space” signs.
  • If you are a shelter, make sure that your policies cover the needs of transgender people, especially transgender women. (Read Transitioning Our Shelters: A Guide to Making Homeless Shelters Safe for Transgender People)
  • If you are an organization that serves women, make sure to mention that you also support transgender women somewhere visible on your website and print materials.
  • Train your employees in LGBT sensitivity. For those in the San Francisco Bay Area, public health consultant Willy Wilkinson actually offers free sensitivity training.
  • On your forms, think about adding a “preferred name” field. For most, it will simply be a place to write in a nickname. For transgender folks, this provides a space for them to disclose their transgender identity.
  • Make the extra effort to recruit LGBT volunteers, especially people of color and transgender people. In your recruiting efforts, make it clear that you want to serve the LGBT community, and part of that effort depends on volunteers.
  • When meeting transgender clients or volunteers, make sure to ask what pronouns they prefer. It might be an uncomfortable thing for you to ask, but asking about appropriate pronouns is common in the transgender community, and shows that you want to accommodate their needs. It will also be worth it to look up gender neutral pronouns.

June is certainly a month to celebrate the resilience of the LGBT community. This weekend is Pride weekend here in San Francisco, and I’ll be out there, waving my little rainbow flag. We’ve come a long way, and there is a lot to be proud of. But Pride is also a reminder that though there’s a lot to be thankful for, there’s a lot more we need to do.

To learn more:
How to Respect a Transgender Person (WikiHow)
Cultural Responsiveness in Serving LGBT Individuals and Families (Gil Gerald & Associates)
Caring for LGBT Seniors (Lavender Seniors of the East Bay)
Growing Leadership: Shining a light on LGBT people of color (Model D)

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Summer is here! Enjoy the weather by volunteering at a festival!

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

While the temperatures have said otherwise, today marks the first official day of summer! Summer offers you an abundance of opportunities to enjoy music, friends, family, and most importantly- the sun! Summer festivals attract people of all backgrounds to come together to enjoy one event dedicated to music, family fun, food, and more. Summer festivals also provide a fun and exciting way to volunteer.

Before volunteering with summer festivals, check out if the festival has any restrictions such as a minimum age requirement or weight lifting requirement. Next, decide how much you want to volunteer (e.g. a 4 hour shift or 8 hour shift). Many festivals require an application to see what kind of skills you can offer, to organize the volunteers based on preferred shifts, location, etc. After submitting your application, festival organizers will give you your assignment. Now that you’ve gotten the specifics taken care of, you’re free to have fun volunteering at your summer festival! Here are 3 festivals you may be interested in volunteering for!

  1. Be a Green Festival Volunteer in Washington, DC! The Green Festival occurs September 29 through September 30th Washington, DC and reconvenes in San Francisco and Los Angeles in November. Besides enjoying free access to the festivals, volunteers will have the chance to meet new people, have fun and support a great cause! Volunteers are a critical part of the Green Festival! The event would not be possible without them. As a member of our amazing volunteer team at Green Festival, you are an essential part of the nation’s leading sustainability event educating and activating people to make choices for a just and sustainable world!
  2. Volunteer with the 2012 Festival of the Arts in Lake Oswego, Oregon! This weekend, a dedicated group of people- from company teams to individual volunteers- work to celebrate the arts and produce a fantastic community event. It takes hundreds of volunteers to help it all come together, and volunteers like you are the driving force of the festival. There are a wide variety of volunteer positions open for the 2012 Festival. Shifts typically run in 3 hour increments, and are available all three days of the Festival. Volunteers are needed to greet guests, operate the festival’s information booth, or to handle administrative duties such as data entry and registration.
  3. Become a National Black Arts Festival Volunteer in Atlanta! From Friday, July 6th  to Sunday, July 15th! The National Black Arts Festival convenes in Atlanta, Georgia’s Centinnial Olympic  Park. To volunteer with this event, volunteers are encouraged to attend an orientation for all of the festival details. Share your pride, bring a friend and support the festival together. Orientations will uplift, inform, and educate you about NBAF. You can select from many fulfilling volunteer assignments such as, greeter, information booth guides, stage assistants, ushers, setup/load out, office support, etc.

For more information on all of these volunteer opportunities, check out the festival websites. Whatever you choose to do, all of us at HandsOnNetwork hope you have fun!

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10 Ways to Better Your Networking Skills for NCVS

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Today marks the start of National Conference on Volunteering and Service sessions! This year’s conference brings thousands of people together. From volunteers to nonprofit leaders NCVS is a great place to network. Not only will you learn about great resources to improve your organization and volunteer work, but also you will meet a great deal of people who can offer you are variety of things from knowledge to professional development.

How will you every find the time to actually network around thousands of people? Today’s blog post features 10 tips that will ensure you success at a big conference.

  1. Organize a plan of action: Know who you want to meet prior to the actual conference. Plan to register for the sessions featuring speakers that you are interested in. Make sure you know what organization will be there and who will be representing them. Make a schedule for yourself so that you do not miss anybody that you would like to meet.
  2. Plan ahead: Set appointments with attendees who you would like to meet while at conference. Try emailing or calling the person to see whether or not they have free time to go to lunch with you or have 5 minutes to speak with you before a session. Do not hope that you will run into them, chances are that you will not.
  3. Do not focus on meeting the big cheese: Try not to focus all your energy on meeting the celebrity speakers, as this opportunity is almost impossible. You will be one of hundreds to speak with that speaker during his session, not creating a very distinct impression. Focus on the other attendees, who know who you will meet and what they may have to offer you.
  4. Focus on your peers: The person sitting next to you may your greatest networking asset. You never know what they can offer you, right? When you walk into the session, take the time to introduce yourself to the people sitting around you. Find out which organization they are affiliated with to find out about possible job offerings or partnerships. This will become easier, the more that you do it!
  5. Ask questions: Break the ice by asking attendees questions about themselves. People are more likely to carry on a conversation with you when they feel comfortable.
  6. Turn off your phones please: Utilize your break time to speak with others. When you quickly run to your laptop or cell phone during break out sessions, people are less likely to approach you because you are giving off the message that you are busy.
  7. Friend request pending: Do not send a Facebook friend request or LinkedIn invite directly after you meet someone. Ask the person with whom you are speaking with if they would mind accepting an invitation, before you actually send it to them.
  8. Know their work: Many people are active bloggers or have active social media accounts. Seek out this information prior to conference. Let that person know that you read their blog to break the ice when discussing how you have heard of them.
  9. Make an introduction: When you meet a cool person share them with others. Introduce this individual to your connections at the conference whom he or she may be interested in based on the questions you have asked previously. Do not think about what is in it for me, rather how can I help you out.
  10. Follow up: Always thank a person who you connected with at a conference to leave a lasting positive impression on that person. A simple thank you email or handwritten note thanking them for their time spent speaking with you will establish that networked connection. That person may be more willing to help you in your professional endeavors.

 

We hope that you all have fun in Chicago this week! Remember, you will never have the opportunity to meet new people in a big setting, if you do not step out of your shell.

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