Archive for the ‘Volunteer Management’ Category

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!

Five Tips for Inclusive Service Projects

Thursday, May 24th, 2012

There is a perception that people with disabilities are limited to being the recipients of service. Volunteer managers are in a position to expand efforts to engage individuals with disabilities and challenge this perception within their own community. Read on to learn to be more inclusive as your work managing volunteers.

  • Research The National Service Resource Center has an accessibility checklist that will help you get started right away. This checklist will help you determine the programmatic and physical accessibility of your service project and site. Contact one of you local disability support organizations to address any problems the checklist may reveal.
  • Broaden Your Language Persons with disabilities are read to serve, but are they getting your message? recruiting materials should use welcoming language that encourages people with disabilities to apply.
  • Partner Are you performing any type of outreach activity? Consider partnering with disability support organizations to plan a service project.
  • Encourage open conversation For many, a disability is only an inconvenience that can be mitigated with a reasonable accommodation, which may or may not be needed to participate in your organization’s service activity. Encourage prospective volunteers to disclose a disability prior to the service activity, which allows for adequate preparation. When a prospective volunteer chooses to disclose, thank them for their willingness to share and their desire to serve. Describe the service activity and the types of work functions they will need to be able to perform the service. In most cases, an accommodation will not be necessary, but if you and the volunteer are unsure, contact one of your local disability resource centers for assistance.
  • Have the appropriate technology Creating an inclusive service environment is a continuous process. Adaptive technology is evolving at an increasingly rapid rate, so it is critically important to survey your program for accessibility on an annual basis. Make inclusion a component within your strategic planning and reveal the benefits of inclusion to any that may be skeptical about its importance. Embracing equality and diversity within your volunteer service teams will benefit individuals with disabilities and those without. It sets an example for community leaders and those that aspire one day to lead.

Inclusion starts with the actions and attitudes of those within your organization; it is a value that we share. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “everyone can be great because anyone can serve”. When you take the steps to achieve an inclusion service environment, you are giving someone the chance to serve and the chance to be great!

Celebrate the Movers and the Shakers

Monday, May 14th, 2012

“Through their guiding wisdom, enduring love of family, and inspiring commitment to country, older Americans continue to steer and enhance our national life.”- President Barack Obama

On May 1, 2012, President Barack Obama declared May: . The president stated that May should be a time for celebrating those who have contributed so much to our nation over their lifetime.

The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that older Americans have contributed 3 billion hours of service from 2008-2010. Although there are service groups that directly engage older Americans such as RSVP, Senior Corps, and AARP, how will your organization better engage this sector?

43% of Americans from age 55-64 engage in volunteering. Check out our tips below to learn how you can boost this statistic and embrace the skills and expertise that older Americans can offer to the service sector.

 

  • Activists: Many baby boomers come from a generation of activism. They desire a way to take a hold of this passion. Volunteer opportunities should be developed with this idea in mind. Whether your program is designed for neighborhood, community, or world activism, it is important to provide them a sense of fulfillment through service. Make sure that your organization’s mission is clear, so that baby boomers know they are volunteering for a specific cause. Allow older volunteers to form relationships through volunteering, it will make them feel more connected to the project.
  • Consumers: Older volunteers are sophisticated consumers who expect variety when making choices. Your organization should try to offer a variety of opportunities that will fulfill different interests and passions, so that older volunteers can find their niche. It is important that your organization offer a variety of short-term opportunities; to introduce beginners to volunteerism. Design projects to target specific groups to yield better results. Projects should also include skills that these specific audiences have developed over the years.
  • Workers: Many baby boomers are overworked in their professional jobs. When older American retire, their biggest complaint tends to be loneliness and lack of relationships that they once had in their jobs. It is important to understand that fact when recruiting older volunteers. Service should be designed to offer meaningful relationships to volunteers, while employing their skills, as well. Projects should allow the baby boomer to feel a new sense of fulfillment that they once felt in their profession. Allow volunteers to play an active role in planning volunteer projects, to rid the stereotype of older volunteers. Offer incentives and chances for advancement to volunteers, as well. 54% of volunteers state that they would offer more time, if they received incentives to work.

It is important to engage this sector of adult volunteers when planning your next service project. Older volunteers have a great deal of information, skills, and commitment that they can give your organization. Celebrate older Americans this month by giving them a new fulfillment through volunteerism!

Does your organization engage older volunteers? We would love to hear your suggestions in the comments section below!

Managing Volunteers 101

Friday, May 11th, 2012

Without volunteers, most non-profit organizations would cease to exist or suffer a drastic reduction in capacity to serve communities and achieve the organization’s mission. Therefore, a refresher course in basic volunteer management is always in order! The way you plan your service projects will significantly affect the success of your volunteer recruitment. The best way to increase your volunteer base is to retain current volunteers; retention is simply a matter of making volunteers feel good about themselves and their service. Class is now convened! Read on for a few key volunteer management reminders.

Accommodate Volunteers’ Schedules

Just as volunteers come from different backgrounds and community groups, they also have a wide variety of schedules. In order to engage the highest number of volunteers, consider ways to coordinate service events for people with varying schedules, needs, and interests.

  • Include volunteer efforts at different times of day and different days of the week.
  • Have flexible hours or recruit volunteers to serve in shifts instead of an entire day.
  • Plan projects around multiple impact areas or diverse opportunities within a single issue.
  • Offer family-friendly projects in which parents and their children can serve together.
  • Provide opportunities for first-time volunteers and for volunteers with more advanced skills.
  • Plan projects for individuals and for groups.
  • Include indoor and outdoor projects.
  • Offer short-term and long-term projects.

Communication & Motivation

From the very beginning of volunteers’ involvement in your service activities, you should maintain good communication with them. Motivate them to stay interested and involved in your project with a few simple steps:

  • Be prompt in your response to phone calls/e-mails. Return volunteer calls or e-mails within 24 hours.
  • Be thorough in your explanation of the volunteer duties. Volunteers will be more likely to sign up if they know exactly what they will be doing, and they will know what to expect at the project.
  • Use this opportunity to teach potential volunteers about the issue area, the community service organization they will be serving, and the potential impact of the project.
  • Use their names often; this helps develop a personal connection.
  • Keep the commitments you make. People will not support you if you don’t provide information requested, address issues they bring up, and/or miss scheduled appointments.

Cultivate Reflection

Reflection is an important part of offering closure to a project. Reflection allows volunteers to stop for a moment, think about what they’ve accomplished, share their experiences, and offer feedback for future projects or ideas for how they will continue to address the social issue. Reflection is designed to encourage volunteers to examine the project so that they see the impact of their service. Understanding how their service impacts the community will encourage volunteers to be involved in future projects.

Sample questions for reflection discussion:

  • What did you learn today—about the agency, your fellow volunteers, the service recipients, or yourself?
  • How do you feel about the project? Was it worthwhile? Was it time well spent?
  • What would you change about this project?
  • Do you plan to take future action related to this issue?
  • What other ideas or opinions can you offer this program or project?

Do you manage volunteers? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!

Five Tips for Volunteer Management from Groundhog Phil

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Don your best top hat, for today is Groundhog Day! Today we celebrate Punxsutawney Phil’s 126th prognostication!Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is celebrated on the second of February. The celebration began as a Pennsylvanian German celebration in the 18th and 19thcentury. Groundhog Day is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow. If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole. If the day is cloudy and, therefore, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club claims that Phil’s prediction is correct one-hundred percent of the time. However, spoilsport scientists say he’s no more accurate than your local weatherman: An analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that, from 1988 to 2010, there was no correlation between the groundhog’s prediction and the weather for the rest of the season.

Regardless of Phil the Groundhog’s accuracy, there are important lessons to be learned from Groundhog Day for the field of volunteer management. Read on for Phil’s lessons!

Have patience Winter can often seem endless, especially in the usually cold days of January! Every year we must exercise patience, waiting for the groundhog’s revelation, and even more so when Phil predicts six more weeks of winter! In your service and volunteer management, patience is just as important of a virtue. When you encounter red tape, when funding is at risk, or even when you just can’t seem to find a volunteer position that suits your skill set, patience is key. Let Punxsutawney Phil’s hibernation be your inspiration for peace and patience this winter!Phil

Keep an eye out for industry predictions As in any evolving industry, it is important to keep an eye out for new trends and best practices in the field of volunteer management. Just as Punxsutawney Phil prognosticates future weather conditions, movers and shakers predict nonprofit and volunteer trends for the year based on the past year. Keep an eye on blogs for this information to stay ahead of the curve; congratulations, you’re in just the right place!

Take risks When we put our collective trust in a rodent’s notice of his shadow each year to determine the season, we take quite a risk! Don’t be afraid to take risks in your field, especially as the new year is the perfect time to implement the new trends you’ve discovered.

Embrace silliness Its easy to get bogged down in the administrative burden and various minutiae of volunteer organization and begin to see it as a burden. If nothing else, Groundhog Day teaches us not to take ourselves too seriously and to embrace a little silliness. Why not send Groundhog Day cards to your volunteers? A little fun will fit into nearly any setting, and your volunteers are more likely to remember your organization fondly if you show your goofball side!

Don’t drive angry! This may be the most important lesson Phil teaches us this year. Keep a cool head!

Did you watch Phil’s prognostication this morning? How will you apply these tips to your service? Let us know in the comments below!

UPDATE: Groundhog Phil saw his shadow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter. From his , “BREAKING: A terrifying shadow = 6 more weeks of winter! No complaining. We haven’t even had winter yet”.

Related Posts

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Connecting Volunteers to Your Organization’s Leadership

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

Monday, December 19th, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

12 Tips for Recognizing Volunteer Managers

Friday, November 4th, 2011

This Saturday, November 5th is International Volunteer Managers Day. What exactly is this international holiday you may be asking yourself? International Volunteer Managers Day was first observed in 1999. It was developed to bring recognition and support to those who manage volunteer resources and promote volunteer activation. It is a way to celebrate these managers for their commitment to service around the world. In 2006, the International Supporters Group was formed to include key leaders and groups to spread the word about International Volunteer Managers Day as well.

Now you know a little more about this holiday, but how do you celebrate your organization’s outstanding volunteer managers? It’s simple! The following is a list of ideas that you can use to make your managers feel a little more special on their big day.

  1. Schedule an annual conference to fall on IVM Day and make the day a feature of the conference.
  2. Have the president of your volunteer management department write a letter to all volunteer managers telling them how much their work means to the organization.
  3. Send a thank you message to the extended staff members in your agency that may not be actual volunteer managers, but support the work of volunteers.
  4. Send an e-card about the day to your peers and colleagues.
  5. Encourage local volunteer centers to observe this day or at least mention it in their newsletter.
  6. Place a link to the International Volunteer Managers Day website on your volunteer page to increase awareness.
  7. Send a letter to your local newspaper editor to feature an article about the day on November 3rd.
  8. Create an annual award to celebrate the volunteer managers in your office.
  9. Host a luncheon for your volunteer managers.
  10. Request a special recognition for volunteer managers from your local mayor.
  11. Throw a party to recognize the volunteer managers in your agency.
  12. Create thank you gifts for your volunteer managers.

It is important to recognize the huge commitment that our volunteers make, but it is equally important to recognize those who manage these volunteers and provide resources to those who serve. International Volunteer Managers Day is the perfect day to provide this recognition to those who dedicate their lives to serving others. Hope these tips help you recognize the managers in your agency on November 5th!

Is your organization planning on recognizing its volunteer managers? Let us know how in the comments!

 

Connecting Volunteers to Your Organization’s Leadership

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Who is in charge of managing volunteers? Is there a process in place for handling new volunteers? Ensuring that volunteers are appropriately assigned and supported is a collective responsibility, and everyone understands how their piece relates to the whole.

A role for everyone.

Just as it is everyone’s job to respect the limits of the financial resources, it is also critical for everyone to understand how they contribute to effective volunteer resources management. Volunteer resources management is connected to strategic planning, IT, fund development, and evaluation, and personnel. Responsibility is jointly owned and translates into concrete, collaborative actions that lead to expansion and strengthening of volunteer involvement.

Focused and integrated.

Share management of volunteers with staff that has a vested interest in the
success of volunteer placements. When tasks related to planning, budgeting, data management, and evaluation are spread out among many units of the organization, the sense of leadership increases among all staff, and the amount of creative energy surrounding the utilization of volunteers is multiplied.

Barrier busting.

While issues related to liability, confidentiality, geographical location, and scheduling are real in most organizations, they can also become false barriers that mask more deeply rooted resistance to volunteer involvement. Proactively look for ways to reduce or eliminate barriers in order to maximize the benefit of their volunteer resources so they can most effectively contribute to upholding the mission.


 


9 Tips for Managing Unaffiliated Disaster Response Volunteers

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

The efficient and proper management of unaffiliated, often spontaneous volunteers in times of emergency is crucial to being able to respond to the disaster. Here are some tips for managing the power and talent of those who want to support disaster recovery efforts.

Understand that volunteers are a community. Volunteering is a valuable part of h healthy community. Volunteers come from all segments of society and often provide essential services. Everyone has the potential to contribute their strength and resources in the aftermath of a disaster.

Volunteers can be involved in more than just immediate recovery efforts. There are valuable and appropriate roles for unaffiliated spontaneous volunteers in mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery – as well as in other aras of community need. The response phase provieds an opportunity to direct volunteers toward longer-term affiliation and community involvement.

Management systems. Volunteers are a valuable resource when they are trained, assigned, and supervised within established emergency management systems. Similar to donations management, an essential element of every emergency management plan is the clear designation of responsibility for the on-site coordination of unaffiliated volunteers.

Shared responsibility. The mobilization, management, and support of volunteers is primarily a responsibility of local government and nonprofit agencies with support from the state level. Specialized planning, information sharing, and a management structure are necessary to coordinate efforts and maximize the benefits of volunteer involvement.

Volunteer expectations. Volunteers are successful participants in emergency management systems when they are flexible, self-sufficient, aware of risks, and willing to be coordinated by local emergency management experts.

The impact on volunteers. The priority of volunteer activity is assistance to others. When this spontaneous activity is well managed, it also positively affects the volunteers themselves and thus contributes to the healing process of both individuals and the larger community.

Build on existing capacity. All communities include individuals and organizations that know how to mobilize and involve volunteers effectively. Emergency management experts and VOAD partners are encouraged to identify and utilize all existing capacity for integrating unaffiliated volunteers.

Managing information. Clear, consistent, and timely communication is essential to successful management of unaffiliated volunteers. A variety of opportunities and messages should be utilized in order to educate the public, minimize confusion, and clarify expectations.

Say thank you. Don’t forget to take the time to thank the volunteers who are showing up to help with disaster recovery. Many of them will likely be the same people who were affected by the disaster. Taking the time to say thank you and show that you care about them can help them to recover from their ordeal.

AmeriCorps Members are a Vital Link in Joplin Tornado Response

Monday, June 6th, 2011

AmeriCorps member are among some of the many unsung heroes of Joplin’s May 22 killer tornado.

They were among the first to arrive and will be among the last to return home.

Although not the most well-known federal program, AmeriCorps place over 75,000 Americans in volunteer roles that help citizens and non-profit agencies increase their productivity and effectiveness.

Bruce Bailey, Director of Americorps-St. Louis, was in Kansas City on business at the time the tornado struck on Sunday evening. He arrived in Joplin by 9 p.m. Members of AmeriCorps-St. Louis were told as early as 7:30 that evening they needed to mobilize. The first team was on the ground in Joplin by 2 a.m.

A total of about 125 AmeriCorps volunteers from a variety of locations are in Joplin.

Bailey says, in terms of disaster caused by tornados, Joplin’s was the worst.

“I have worked in 34 states for at least 20 years, as well as overseas,” Bailey says. “The only thing I can compare the Joplin tornado with was the one in Greensburg, Kan. but that was a much smaller community.”

“I have never witnessed the consequences of something so intense or so powerful as what we’ve seen in Joplin,” he says. “That’s the negative.”

“On the positive side, I have never seen such amazing community cohesion, with people pulling together.”

In the first days after the tornado, hundreds of volunteers arrived in Joplin. Some had medical or nursing training. Some were experts with heavy equipment. But many others had no actual experience outside of their own willingness to work. The job of the AmeriCorps Emergency Response Team (ERT) is to effectively manage these volunteers.   It is, at the very least, a big job.

Non-medically trained volunteers were given a number of duties including transferring supplies, finding warehousing opportunities, setting up distribution points and sorting clothes and other supplies.

A large number of those have now gone home.

Abby Simons  an AmeriCorps-St. Louis member who serves as liaison with Missouri Southern State University, says the need for volunteers still exists.

“Right now, we need people,” the dark-haired young woman in her 20s says. “It’s not a day or two after the storm and many of the people who flooded in have gone home,” she states. “But we don’t want to forget about the need that Joplin still has.”

Simons, originally from Manchester, Mo., and a graduate of Truman State University with a degree in psychology, says volunteer coordination is a must.

“People want to give their time but they may not understand the process of volunteer management,” she says. “Many have never been in a disaster situation. It’s very important that volunteers should not mobilize without being self-sufficient in terms of housing, food and knowing what they are going to do.”

She says those wanting to help should contact the Volunteer Center. It is currently staffed by volunteers. The number to call in Joplin is .

“Make sure you are registered,” Simons says. “This is very important.”

In the first days after the Joplin disaster, people wanting to help lined up outside the Billingsly Student Center at MSSU where the Disaster Response Center was located. Every one of them was registered with AmeriCorps.

“Once we have projects in place, we would like to invite these people back,” Simons says.

Simons will complete her second year of service with AmeriCorps this summer. She had worked in disaster situations even before joining the program. She had taken part in church mission trips and, in college, helped New Orleans area residents after Hurricane Katrina.

“I went down to New Orleans and Mississippi three times,” she says.

The 25 St. Louis AmeriCorps members, plus 44 NCCC volunteers from Denver and 12 from the Washington State, have been sleeping in aerobic rooms and the Phelps Theatre at Missouri Southern. Next week, are in the process of moving to another location on campus during the day and Joplin’s Memorial Hall at night.

Simons says she can’t give enough praise to the MSSU faculty and staff, especially the IT Department which has helped establish computer links to the quickly-established Volunteer Center.

“They have gone above and beyond everything we asked,” she says. “They have supported us in everything we have done. We couldn’t have functioned without them.”

Simons says she knows the AmeriCorps team has been a vital step in the reaction to the Joplin tornado

“I think we have filled a huge role that could not have been managed so effectively if we were not here. This is what we are trained for,” she says.

Bailey says the work of AmeriCorps is by no means finished in Joplin.

“We’ll be providing service to people recovering from the tornado for some time,” he says. “This is especially good for the uninsured and under insured.”As we enter recovery, we’ll be helping out not only with temporary repairs but helping people rebuild their whole households.”