Archive for the ‘Family Volunteering’ Category

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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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Posted in Events, Family Volunteering, Inspire, Just for Fun, Kids | No Comments »

This July 4th Keep the Spirit of America Alive

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Patriotic spirit is in the air! We are only a day away from fireworks, barbeque, and everything American! Not only is the Fourth of July a great day to relax, spend time with family, and celebrate being an American, but it is also a great time to give back to your country through the act of service.

It is easy to forget that we are all united citizens of this country, meaning that we are all intertwined and have a responsibility to help one another. We also have a responsibility to protect our lands from pollution, toxins, etc. Take a few minutes from your celebrations to remember these values and give back to your community tomorrow!

Below are just a few ways that you can celebrate America in your community!

  1. Make cookies for the firefighters, police men and women, or EMTs. Unlike many of us who get to relax today, July 4th is one of their busiest days of the year!
  2. Thank your favorite teacher for teaching you everything you need to know to be a responsible and successful American.
  3. Feed the hungry! Spend your morning serving at a local soup kitchen or donate food items to a food bank.
  4. Send a military man or woman a care package and thank you letter. It is important to thank our service men for protecting our freedom.
  5. Hold a picnic for the veterans in your community to thank them for their service to our country.
  6. Learn the history of your town by visiting your library. You will be a better-rounded citizen, if you make a conscious effort to learn your city’s history.
  7. Clean up a river or park in your neighborhood. Celebrate living in a beautiful setting by keeping it clean.
  8. Choose greener alternatives such as green cleaning products, recycled plastics, etc. Love your earth and it will love you back.
  9. Fly a recycled American flag, instead of buying a new one. RecycledUSFlags.com is a great resource to find one!
  10. Share your leftover food with someone in need. We all know that family cook outs mean a ton of food, take your leftovers to a neighbor in need. You could even invite them to the cook out!
  11. Invite a needy family to a day of all-American fun complete with a game of corn hole or horse shoes.

July 4th is a great day to unite your community. By participating in good works, you will exemplify what it means to be a good citizen and a great American. Keep America beautiful and the spirit of American patriotism alive today and year round!

How are you celebrating the Fourth of July? We would love to hear your plans in the comments section below!

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Posted in Family Volunteering, Kids, Service, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

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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Posted in Education, Emergency Preparedness, Environment, Events, Family Volunteering, Kids, Military, Service Learning, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

Stay Cool, Volunteer from Home!

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Yikes! It’s hot outside. We are expecting record high temperatures this summer. Who wants to go outside into the heat and humidity when there is an air conditioner on the inside?

Don’t let these high temperatures keep you from volunteering in your community during the summer. The summer is a great time to get into some indoor volunteer opportunities. What can you do? Check out our volunteer opportunities below!

  1. Plan your fall service project! There is nothing wrong with planning for service a little bit early. Service planning can actually take quite a bit of time. How can you plan your service project so early you may be asking yourself?
    • Decide on a service project location.
    • Check out their website. Find out whether or not you need to go through an orientation before you serve, get necessary certifications, etc.
    • Service project fill up quick, sign up early!
    • Recruit friends by calling them or sharing your project through social media channels
    • Make a list of supplies that you may need
  2. Gather gently used belongings that you can donate or sell at a garage sale to raise donations for your favorite charity! These are both great ways to volunteer without leaving the air conditioner because you not only get some cleaning done, but you can also largely help your community.
    • Go through your gently used goods and decide what you can give away and what you cannot possibly live without.
    • Sort these things into boxes or bags so that you know what you have
    • Locate your nearest shelter or donation center to bring your things too. Some organizations, such as the American Kidney Foundation, will even come and pick up your items!
    • If you are planning a yard sale get the word out by putting signs out around your neighborhood.
    • Decide what organization or causes you would most like to donate your proceeds to (maybe one that will benefit your local community?)
    • Let your neighbors know about your fundraising event and recruit their participation! It can be a great way to bring a community together in a beneficial way.
  3. Try micro-volunteering! Micro-volunteering is a form of virtual volunteering allowing people to serve nonprofits in an indirect way. A nonprofit may ask for a task to be completed online and a volunteer will respond to the task at hand. Service projects can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours. Websites such as sparked.com are great resources to find micro-volunteering opportunities!
  4. Assemble care packages or food baskets. Contact your local meals on wheels organization, church, or food bank and see what kinds of foods they are looking for. You can assemble meals for those who use their services and deliver them to be used for their community members. You can also check out veteran services to see how you can get involved in having an overseas pen pal!
  5. Bring out your inner artist! Turn your hobby into a service project!
    • Make pictures for a retirement center
    • Knit scarves, mittens, or hats for a local shelter
    • Make baby blankets for a women and children’s home
    • Make jewelry for a women’s shelter
    • Design dog or cat collars for an animal shelter or make toys

The summer is a great time to volunteer from home. Stay cool and help your community!

Do you have something to add to the list? Add it to the comments section below!

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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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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!

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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 ;-)

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50 Fun Ways to Volunteer Summer Style

Monday, June 4th, 2012

Summer vacation is here, that means it is time to volunteer! Whether you are an individual wanting to volunteer, or a family, summer is the perfect time to introduce community service into your life. Why? Summer means great weather, better moods, and less hectic schedules. It is a great time to be outside being proactive in your community or inside enjoying the air conditioner and helping your neighbors.

Not sure how to get involved? Below is a huge list of ideas to get your summer break started in the social good direction!

  1. Summer reading anyone? Sign up to read a book to children at your local library.
  2. Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
  3. Volunteer at a summer camp as a counselor.
  4. Sign your kid up for Grab the Torch Summer Leadership Camp.
  5. Plant a community garden.
  6. Be a lifeguard at your neighborhood pool.
  7. Sell cold lemonade to your neighbors for free
  8. Bring water to your local dog park on a hot day.
  9. Start a school supply drive for needy children starting school in the fall.
  10. Mentor a child through program such as the Boys and Girls Club
  11. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity
  12. Check with your local animal shelter to see if they need dog walkers
  13. Get your child to clean out their room and donate old toys to a children’s shelter or Good Will.
  14. Give blood to the Red Cross
  15. Help clean up a river in your community.
  16. Help a young child or adult learn how to read.
  17. Put a quarter in a jar everyday of the summer and donate your collection to your favorite charity!
  18. Volunteer to clean up an older neighbor’s yard.
  19. Make dinner for a family in need.
  20. Volunteer at your local museum.
  21. Volunteer at your community zoo.
  22. Clean up a nature trail.
  23. Plant a tree or a vegetable garden.
  24. Start a neighborhood watch program to improve public safety.
  25. Make sure your family is prepared for hurricane season.
  26. Hold a garage sale and donate your proceeds to a local charity
  27. Start recycling
  28. Hold a fundraising barbecue for your favorite charity.
  29. Adopt a shelter cat or dog
  30. Make cards for soldiers over seas
  31. Visit a senior in a retirement home.
  32. Teach a class at your local community center.
  33. Teach older adults how to use a computer.
  34. Volunteer at your local Fourth of July celebration
  35. Plant flowers at military cemetery.
  36. Volunteer to drive a senior citizen around
  37. Clean up your local park
  38. Volunteer your services at a nonprofit organization
  39. Volunteer for the Special Olympics
  40. Organize a dog and cat food drive for your local shelter
  41. Volunteer at a summer festival
  42. Join generationOn and Alex’s Lemonade Stand June 8-10 to help raise money for cancer research.
  43. Nominate a volunteer for an award contest.
  44. Register for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
  45. Nominate a community do gooder for Scholastic’s BE Big Contest.
  46. Help coach a youth sports team.
  47. Volunteer at a local fair.
  48. Collect cans and donate them to a food bank
  49. Teach English or learn a foreign language
  50. Check out one of our more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers to find an opportunity near you!
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Summer is here! Volunteer at a Museum!

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Now that Memorial Day has marked the beginning of the summer, get out and volunteer at a Museum! Volunteering at a museum can be quite rewarding. Whether it’s the tourists, employees, or fellow volunteers, you’re able to interact with people who are all interested in the similar thing. In society, museums play the role of collecting and caring for objects of scientific, artistic or historical importance and making them available to the public. With more than 17,500 museums in the United States, there’s bound to be one that serves your interests.

1. If you’re interested in finding out more about your own heritage, you may consider volunteering somewhere like the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Chicago, Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena or the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle.

There are also museums dedicated to specific artists, such as the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts or the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And if you’re a little bit country, or a little bit rock ‘n roll, don’t forget the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee or the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

2. When it comes to finding a job, it’s all about who you know and what you can do. And a museum can be the perfect training ground for launching your career.

Working at a museum can help sharpen professional skills like working with the public, organizing programs, raising

money and working with computers. It can also beef up your resume and help facilitate a move from one industry to another — such as a banker who transitions into becoming a history teacher by volunteering at a historical museum.

3. Job searching aside, studies have shown that volunteering leads to greater life satisfaction, lower rates of depression and better mental and physical health, according to the Corporation for National & Community Service.

It’s not just about getting out of the house and finding something to do. Volunteering at a museum expands your network and puts you in contact with patrons, fellow volunteers and museum administrators. If you’re looking for regular employment beyond your volunteer work, this could lead you to the next big thing.

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Celebrate Veterans on Memorial Day by doing this!

Friday, May 25th, 2012

Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. This Memorial Day, we invite you to celebrate soldiers by volunteering with the 5 easy volunteer opportunities!

  1. Honor fallen heroes by volunteering at a veterans’ cemetery on Memorial Day or any time of year. Volunteers can give cemetery tours, help with maintenance, raise and lower flags and more. Use the National Cemetery Administration website to find a volunteer opportunity near you.
  2. Volunteer to help The National Memorial Day Parade: If you will be in Washington, DC on Memorial Day 2012, you have the unique opportunity to be part of the parade of the year! It takes hundreds and hundreds of willing hands and feet to make this large parade a success. We are looking for many volunteers to help in the assembly area, along the parade route, and in the parade’s dispersal area near the White House. Each volunteer will get a special Parade T-shirt and (most importantly) a chance to meet and thank personally those who have served, and sacrificed, to keep our country free!
  3. Volunteers needed to distribute roses for Memorial Day! A group of volunteers is working to bring floral beauty to the graves at this Memorial Day. This Monday, May 28, more than 100 volunteers from Memorial Day Flowers will hand out more than 50,000 roses at the cemetery. Visitors are given two roses, one to place on a grave, and one to take home in remembrance. All of the flowers are donated by farmers throughout Ecuador. The idea was initiated by Ramiro Peñaherrera of Flowers for Kids. He’s part Ecuadorean and has family members buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Being that Ecuador is one of the largest rose producers in the world, he set out to get farmers there to donate roses for the cause.
  4. Honor Veterans by planting flags! Recently, over 200 volunteers spent Wednesday planting flags for Memorial Day on the grounds of Boston Common in downtown Boston in honor of those who served and died for our country.  The 33,000 flags represent all of the fallen soldiers from Massachusetts who have died since the civil war.
  5. Reflect on the service of Veteran’s: Simply celebrate Veteran’s Day with your family by reflecting on the service that Veteran’s have contributed to America. Propose such topics as, “Where would America be without the help of our veterans?” or “How has a veteran individually impacted your life?” Or if you are so fortunate to have a veteran in your life, celebrate, honor, and thank him for his tremendous bravery and service.

Whether you’re volunteering with your local veterans’ parade or simply reflecting on veterans’ service, we hope that you have a fantastic Memorial Day! Tell us how do you plan on  commemorating veterans this Memorial Day in the COMMENTS!

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