Where There Is A Need There Is A way

December 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The strength in any community is its people. A strong community is often driven by volunteer efforts. Supporting local volunteers is an integral part of any community. That all sounds nice, but how do we implement a successful volunteer project? How do we take what is little more than good intentions and turn them into useful projects that benefit members of a community that are in need?

Volunteerism must start with the desire to help or to aid. The need can be anything from homeless women to illiterate adults, but recognizing the need is often the spark that determines the form a volunteer effort will take. Once a need has been recognized, one must next determine how to best meet that need. Is it better to set up shelters for the homeless as a temporary measure or are volunteer efforts better suited at helped homeless people become productive members of that society? Meeting the need will help to determine who can best help meet that need?

Finding volunteers is often the most difficult part of any volunteer effort. By first determining how to meet a particular need, you may find it easier to locate specific community volunteers to help meet that need. “Advertising” your need for volunteers may sound crass and expensive, but remember that advertising can be viewed as a volunteer effort as well, so ask local businesses, churches and newspapers to donate advertising to your cause.

Volunteer efforts are one of the most effective ways to develop a strong sense of community. Helping those less fortunate, filling a need or cultivating our youth are honorable efforts and should be applauded. The most amazing thing is that most volunteers don’t want to applause or the press, they simply want to help.

If you are interested in developing a volunteer project for your community start by finding what is needed, how to best fill that need will soon follow.

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Back To Basics

December 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Have you ever stopped to notice that many of today’s teenagers and “tweens’ suffer from the belief that they are entitled to everything? From the latest smart phone to the hottest gaming system, we often hear “Give Me” more than anything else. Have you also noticed that volunteering is less popular among our young people than ever before?

To be sure these two attitudes, entitlement and not wanting to volunteer to help others, are not problems that all of our young people have. There are many young people that see a need, plan and develop a volunteer plan and successfully implement. There are also scores of young people that seem to have forgotten two important adages: Do unto others and the gift is in the giving.

It used to be a requirement of many high schools that their students participate in at least one volunteer effort. Today this requirement has been erased from many chalkboards. Often only kids that participate in specific extracurricular activities have a requirement of volunteering.

We have to ask then, what would happen if we brought this back, instituted a policy of volunteering throughout the school year? Would it change our children? Remind them that there are those that are less fortunate then they are? Teach them a sense of humility or thankfulness? It very well might.

Since it is unlikely that school districts themselves will implement these policies, perhaps it is time for parents to step up their own volunteer efforts, to show their children the joy of giving and the satisfaction of helping others. Our teenagers could work diligently on volunteer efforts surrounding literacy, the environment, health and welfare and a variety of other projects.

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Collective Volunteers

December 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Developing an all encompassing volunteer plan is a big undertaking. Many communities opt to tackle problems one by one, but some are turning to a large format volunteer program to better assist their residents. A great example of this is volunteering for literacy.

Almost all cities and communities across the nation tackle literacy in their own way. Some offer adult tutoring, others focus their efforts on English as a Second Language and others focus on early childhood development. While all of these efforts can play a role in increasing literacy, perhaps a better method is to create a community wide literacy volunteer program to better serve the needs of the community as a whole.

Such a program would naturally be made of distinct volunteer efforts, each aimed at assisting a particular need or group of people. Adults would still have access to assistance with learning to read and very young children would still have story time, only the manner in which the effort is focused would be changed.

A book drive is a wonderful thing, but when held in conjunction with other literacy efforts, it becomes even more powerful. Developing an all inclusive plan for volunteers may be the most effective way to manage volunteer efforts.

The example above, literacy, represents a large problem across our country and makes a good example of how to combine efforts. This concept can easily be used to fill almost any community need. Homelessness, poverty, immunizations, senior support, health and wellness drives almost any need that requires a volunteer force can benefit from a plan that focuses on the entire problem not simply a system.

Volunteering offers everyone a benefit. Communities, volunteers and those they help all get a little something out of the bargain. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more people would simply pitch in and help out in their community?

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Defining The Volunteer Experience

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The dictionary defines a volunteer as a person who performs an act or work without the benefit of payment. You will note that the definition does not include that the act must be for the benefit of poor or less fortunate people. While most volunteer efforts are aimed at helping those with less financial resources, the true spirit of volunteering simply means doing something to help someone else without benefitting yourself.

This broader definition of volunteering reminds us that there are many ways that we can impact our community through volunteering in addition to popular efforts like soup kitchens and coat drives. To volunteer should be more accurately defined as to help.

Consider for a moment some of the people and groups that could benefit from assistance apart from those people and groups whose needs are addressed by other community efforts. Senior citizens may benefit from a simple visit while a local kindergarten may welcome volunteer help for crafts or outings. Local churches might appreciate help cleaning the sanctuary or a local hospital might appreciate extra help with directing visitors. Volunteering your time and your efforts to help is what matters.

Along this same vein, it is not necessary for a volunteer to be well off or wealthy. Instead of donating money, a volunteer can simply volunteer their skills. A marketing grad student might help a local organization design flyers while a computer whiz may help another organization develop a website. It isn’t always about how much money you can give but about what special skill or talent you can share with your community.

Somehow we began to focus not on the actual act of volunteering, but on the dollar sign attached to it. Of course those who are financially able can and should use their resources to help, but someone can be rich only in talent and still be a valuable volunteer.

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The Formal Volunteer

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

While many organizations in a community have a staff which they employ, they often rely on their volunteer staff to ensure that their efforts and programs are successful. These volunteers work on service projects, help with volunteer recruitment and organization and project management. Community service is rewarding and an important part of any community spirit.

Consider, for example, your local library. The public library has a paid staff. These employees handle the day to day operations of the library, leaving big gaps that are the perfect fit for volunteers. Literacy programs, story time, shelving and maintenance are just a few of the areas that a local library may require the assistance of volunteers for.

These opportunities are almost endless. Perhaps your community has a drama program that could benefit from your help in advertising or building sets. A local charity may need help developing fund raisers and implementing drives. Even large art museum’s need volunteer docents. The point is that throughout your community there are a variety of opportunities if you are interested in volunteering.

For those that prefer a more hands on approach, many communities have organizations that maintain local roads, build low-income housing or run errands for the disabled. These organizations are always in need of an extra set of hands.

A great example is assisting a local hospital or Red Cross organization with blood drives. As a volunteer, you may not have the training and know-how to actually draw blood, but the organization could utilize your time and efforts to help with publicity, to document donations or to simple sit with donators after they have had their blood drawn.

If you are interested in a particular community organization, take a few minutes to ask what they need help with and what their volunteer program entails, you might be surprised at how valuable your help will be.

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Teens Taking The Volunteer Path

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Volunteer opportunities are literally endless for teenagers interested in helping their community at large and the world. Fostering a strong sense of community is important in for our teenagers and one of the best ways to teach teens the importance of their community is through the use of volunteers. Scouting groups and youth groups have long used community service projects as one of their most important lessons. Today’s youth can use their time and talents to help their communities in a variety of ways.

Animal shelters have long been a popular volunteer projects for teenagers. Local animal shelters are always looking for volunteers to feed animals, clean cages, play with cats and walk dogs. Many shelters are also looking for help with fund raisers and food donations. Your local humane society is a great place to start looking for a shelter that needs help.

Students with a flair for drama and a soft spot for children can volunteer their time by entertaining children at a local hospital. This can mean simple puppet shows to more complex productions – the point is simply to bring a smile to the face of a sick child and to help them forget. Be sure to check with the hospital administration regarding age and other requirements.

While selling lemonade may be a bit passé, the idea works. Teens can have great success selling lemonade (or cookies) for a cause. This community service project will teach the volunteers a lot about planning and running a business as well. Try teaming up with a local paper for advertising and be prepared squeeze a lot of lemons!

Throughout a community these opportunities and others exist. They are a great chance for teenagers to learn the importance of volunteering and to develop a sense of pride that can only be felt after helping someone else

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Engaging Teens in Community Service Programs

December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Engaging Teens in Community Service Programs
1. Teens can learn many life lessons through volunteerism. Volunteering through community service is a way to learn about helping others. Volunteering to help someone in need is a worthwhile endeavor. It feels good to be a part of something positive that instills pride. This concept can be moved to action starting early in a child’s life.
Family Affair
2. Teens are likely to become engaged in volunteerism if they see parents actively involved in giving back to the community. Children that are encouraged to participate in volunteerism as part of a family affair often continue on their own as into adult hood. Teens are responsible for some really empowering service projects that help those that are homeless, fighting illness, and who are just lonely and in need of human companionship. Taking time to get involved teaches the important lesson of importance of having empathy towards others.
3. Giving Service from the Heart
Often teens think that the only reason to give is to get something in return. Teaching them that volunteering and lending a hand is balanced living will help them to become empathetic and responsible members of society.

4. Volunteerism is Addictive
Volunteerism a feel good deal. There are so many options that finding a way to be of service is not hard. Hospitals need volunteers to read to children and deliver reading material to all patients. Community centers and libraries need volunteers to tutor younger students. Older teens who excel in sports can return to the field where they pitched or punted and volunteer to help the team.
Volunteering Across Generations
Seniors can always use a hand. A teen offering to shovel snow or rake leaves for a neighbor, is generally, always welcome. Sometimes these summer winter relationships become something special where both parties learn valuable gifts. Your teen will likely gain additional self confidence from beginning to see the world through

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Volunteerism for School Credit

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Volunteerism for School Credit

1. Most school districts require that students complete, “x” amount of hours performing community service before graduating. This enriching project can take the form of helping seniors, reading to younger children, or volunteering at a hospital. Community Service is simply giving back to the community.

2. Volunteering Builds Leadership Skills

Teens that are active in their community develop a sense of leadership and involvement and learn firsthand the benefit of volunteering. If you can identify a role model who leads by example you will gain even more insight on giving back. A mentor or role model is a person we look up to that does the human and compassionate thing because it is the right thing to do.

3. Volunteering is part of the school experience

Rewarding in itself, community involvement helps you see the benefits of volunteerism and community involvement firsthand. You will see where you fit into the big picture and that you make a difference. That isn’t a clich. You bring your unique gifts to the table.

4. Volunteering Boosts Self-Esteem

Getting an uninvolved and disinterested young person involved in community programs will help boost self esteem and get you on track with something positive. Tapping into your interest is one of the best ways of getting involved in community.
5. Last Minute Credit Efforts
Teens should have a firm project idea by the middle of their junior year, and look to start over that summer. If your teen has procrastinated and June is around the corner a project has to happen right away. One way to quickly get credit is to talk with neighbors and agree to perform a task for a certain period of time that will help lighten their load. Taking out trash, shoveling snow and running store errands under contract are creative ways to fulfill community service Check with your counselor to clear projects.

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Changing the World, One Young Person at a Time

December 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Volunteers fit new windows at The Sumac Centre...
Image via Wikipedia

Volunteering is a call for many people. Some individuals want to be close to those they are helping by distributing goods or serving food at a homeless shelter, but others want to work by marketing the charity or raising funds to help those in need. Volunteers will help where they feel that their talents will offer the most good for others. Young people more so than older volunteers will fight to be where they can help the most people.
Many adult volunteers do not believe that the younger volunteers have what it takes to make a difference, but young volunteers are using their voice to make important changes. Whether they are on the front lines or behind the activities, young individuals are making changes in policies and finding more ways to get the funding an organization needs to help others.
Young volunteers have a desire to help others and they have a fresh outlook on the process. Many older volunteers are cynical because they do not always see a change in the hard work that they put into helping others. Young volunteers have the determination to do what older volunteers do not have and they demand change. They use their volunteer efforts to learn and fight for something larger than they are as individuals.
Parents who have children that are driven to change the world can nurture their child’s ambition by volunteering by their side. Older adults who volunteer closely with the youth of American are feeling inspired like they were when they were younger. Adults are influenced by the innocence of younger volunteers and learning to listen when they had lost that skill from being hardened. Young volunteers should not be pushed aside; others should nourish them in the organization because they are the next generation in nonprofit organizations.

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Free Concert for Service Volunteers

December 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Free Concert for Service Volunteers

1. An added perk for volunteers of music events is attending a show for free. The price tag to attend a concert for a star act can be close to a hundred dollars a ticket. By volunteering you offer service through volunteerism and get a night out for free.

2. Offering Your Services

Contact the organization hosting the venue and speak with someone in marketing. Tell them that you are interested in volunteering at musical events and that you have loads of black in your wardrobe.

3. Additional Advantages of Volunteering

Volunteering to serve as an usher or greeter is also a great way to spruce up your resume. Employers look for people who are civic minded. Volunteer credit carries weight and can make a difference in a tight race between two job candidates. Keep a record each time you volunteer along with the contact information for the person you reported to.

4. Dazzle with Your Punctuality and People Skills
A few tips for keeping the door open in the event you want to do this more than once. Be on time and show up prepared. A helpful volunteer is punctual, polite and dressed the part. These three tips are likely to get you an offer to come back.
Remember to send a short letter of thanks it keeps your name fresh to the person making the callbacks.

5. Enjoy the music Come dressed professionally in the specified uniform and color. Go light on the fragrance or skip it all together. People with allergies run the risk of a flare up whenever they venture out. Be kind. Make sure and smile and have fun with it.

6. Spread the Word
If you have a good experience with volunteering any where let people know. Volunteers make a difference.

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