Welcome to the Volunteer Infrastructure Project, 2011-2012

Written by Patrick Link, CalSERVES Local VIP Leader

Those of us at the CalSERVES VIP office would like to extend a warm welcome to all the VIP Fellows, Leaders, and Site Staff beginning, or returning to, their service this year! Although the project is a mere two years old, each year it grows in its success and endeavors.  We wish you all the best as you begin over these next few months, and we extend our support for any bumps you encounter along your journey.

The impact we have on the communities we serve across the state is astounding! To give you some perspective, from 2010-2011, VIP participants across California at 140 different partner organizations recruited around 27,000 short-term and 12,000 long-term volunteers; those numbers continue to swell as we receive the final numbers from organizations.

However, it is impossible to determine the effect of those volunteers by their count alone. Imagine how many more children had a safe place to go after school; how many more hungry people were given a warm, nutritious meal; and how many more people received help they needed. During the year, it might be easy to become lost in the numbers and planning. If you encounter this, we encourage you to peer beyond all the paperwork, and realize the purpose behind your position: to serve your community. With the constant fluctuations of stocks and budgets, organizations require people like you to build and develop their volunteer infrastructure. Without your presence, many would be struggling to find support to stay afloat.

On that note, we would like to express our gratitude for your future service and hard work this year. Set your goals, formulate your plans, and go for it! You’ll be amazed at all you can accomplish in just one year.

Let us leave you with a few last words of encouragement based upon the CalSERVES vision of “Passion, Potential, Power”: we believe and remain amazed by your passion to make a difference, your potential to accomplish your dreams, and your power, individually and as a whole, to change the world.

Cheers,

The CalSERVES AmeriCorps VIP Office