What did you give in 2011? Chances are you gave at least some of your time, skills, and resources to those around you need - be it family, friends, or complete strangers you served through a nonprofit or other cause.
How did giving make you feel? It probably made you feel pretty good. And if it did - why not do it more?
Maybe next year you'd like to increase your skills? Make new friends? Make a difference in the world? Well: then volunteer! Volunteering will help you better yourself and your community all at once.
Let's make this year make a real difference - let's make a year when we give more of ourselves and our tie to the causes we care about.
Cheers to a fulfilling and impactful 2012!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Holiday Project - a movement bringing holiday hope
What if you were confined to a hospital during the holidays? I don't know about you, but I know I would love some extra company if I were away from my family like that - especially over the holidays.
The Holiday Project, a movement started in Washington DC, is quickly making its way across the country to make a difference in the lives of individuals confined over the holidays. All across the country, chapters of the Holiday Project are planning projects of bringing holiday cheer and love to those confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions.
Join a nationwide movement this holiday season and participate in this season of giving by giving some company to those who will enjoy it: check out Holiday Project, see if there is a chapter in your area (there are a few in California!), or join in on the cause by seeking out opportunities in your area at your local volunteer center or a neighborhood nonprofit (try a hospice, hospital, or nursing home for ideas).
The Holiday Project, a movement started in Washington DC, is quickly making its way across the country to make a difference in the lives of individuals confined over the holidays. All across the country, chapters of the Holiday Project are planning projects of bringing holiday cheer and love to those confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions.
Join a nationwide movement this holiday season and participate in this season of giving by giving some company to those who will enjoy it: check out Holiday Project, see if there is a chapter in your area (there are a few in California!), or join in on the cause by seeking out opportunities in your area at your local volunteer center or a neighborhood nonprofit (try a hospice, hospital, or nursing home for ideas).
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
"Tis the season... for group volunteering!
Be it families, groups from schools, faith-based organizations, or business employees, the holidays are a popular time for pulling together with the people you know and love and donating your time together. It's one of the best ways to make the season one of "giving."
Volunteering is a great way to make your holiday season meaningful and memorable. Not only can groups touch the lives of those in need, they can bond with each other and create shared moments that will last a lifetime.
Jessica Young from Volunteer Spot has some great advice for getting the most out of volunteering in groups - check out her article as it was re-posted on the HandsOn Blog. If you're managing groups of volunteers, pass along Jessica's advice - making sure short-term volunteers have a great experience can bring them back to your organization in the new year!
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| VIP volunteers at a gleaning project |
Volunteering is a great way to make your holiday season meaningful and memorable. Not only can groups touch the lives of those in need, they can bond with each other and create shared moments that will last a lifetime.
Jessica Young from Volunteer Spot has some great advice for getting the most out of volunteering in groups - check out her article as it was re-posted on the HandsOn Blog. If you're managing groups of volunteers, pass along Jessica's advice - making sure short-term volunteers have a great experience can bring them back to your organization in the new year!
Friday, December 16, 2011
VIP Winter Newsletter 2011 - Out Today!
Get a sense of what is going on around the state - take a look at our winter newsletter!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Meaningful Holiday Office Parties
It's the season of giving - so why not turn the office holiday party into an occasion to serve as well?
A recent blog from HandsOn suggests that one way to turn a holiday party into a giving affair is to volunteer together as an office. If you're a VIP Fellow, why not approach local businesses and see if they would donate their time to you as a way to give back together for the holidays? If you're at a VIP partner site, your not-for-profit has volunteer opportunities of its own - so why not have office staff lend a hand somewhere at the site where they don't usually get the chance to help out?
For more ideas on making office holiday parties meaningful, check out the original blog from HandsOn.
A recent blog from HandsOn suggests that one way to turn a holiday party into a giving affair is to volunteer together as an office. If you're a VIP Fellow, why not approach local businesses and see if they would donate their time to you as a way to give back together for the holidays? If you're at a VIP partner site, your not-for-profit has volunteer opportunities of its own - so why not have office staff lend a hand somewhere at the site where they don't usually get the chance to help out?
For more ideas on making office holiday parties meaningful, check out the original blog from HandsOn.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Get Involved!
Nora Armenta, VIP Leader at HandsOn Central Caifornia, helped recruit volunteers to paint the masterpiece behind her in this picture.
How do you get involved?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Avoid Holiday Burn-Out: Set Smart Deadlines
It's December, and we all know what that means: the calendar year is almost over, and we're all itching for a little bit of time off as the holidays approach.
But just because this calendar year is ending, doesn't mean our jobs or assignments are lightening up. In fact, the holiday season is the busiest for many organizations in the nonprofit world. This can often be the most difficult time of year to balance projects and assignments.
One of the best steps to take in preventing holiday burn-out is creating realistic deadlines for the tasks at hand. "Rome wasn't built in a day," they say, and leaving yourself with a "Building-Rome-in-a-Day" sized task-list will ultimately leave you stressed out or burned out.
Resolve not to let yourself get overwhelmed by mounting projects in the next few weeks. Make sure you're giving yourself realistic amounts of time for the tasks at hand. Maybe you have time for everything on your plate before January 1, or maybe some projects will need to wait until after the new year. If you're feeling like you can't finish everything you'd like to before year's end, sit down with your schedule and your supervisor and make a plan for finishing all of your projects that doesn't leave you feeling like you're stranded in the deep end.
For some great tips on making smart deadlines, take a look at this great article from Midntools.com on estimating project time accurately.
But just because this calendar year is ending, doesn't mean our jobs or assignments are lightening up. In fact, the holiday season is the busiest for many organizations in the nonprofit world. This can often be the most difficult time of year to balance projects and assignments.
One of the best steps to take in preventing holiday burn-out is creating realistic deadlines for the tasks at hand. "Rome wasn't built in a day," they say, and leaving yourself with a "Building-Rome-in-a-Day" sized task-list will ultimately leave you stressed out or burned out.
Resolve not to let yourself get overwhelmed by mounting projects in the next few weeks. Make sure you're giving yourself realistic amounts of time for the tasks at hand. Maybe you have time for everything on your plate before January 1, or maybe some projects will need to wait until after the new year. If you're feeling like you can't finish everything you'd like to before year's end, sit down with your schedule and your supervisor and make a plan for finishing all of your projects that doesn't leave you feeling like you're stranded in the deep end.
For some great tips on making smart deadlines, take a look at this great article from Midntools.com on estimating project time accurately.
Friday, December 2, 2011
What it's like to volunteer - from one of our volunteers!
Across the state, VIP Fellows will recruit over 15,000 volunteers. That's a big number... but what does that mean? What do they do? What is it like? Why would someone volunteer? It's difficult to grasp the impact of volunteering from a number on its own.
To give some more context, here is a picture of what volunteering is like for Blake Caropino, a volunteer at the VIP partner site Boys & Girls Club of Monterey County.
"I have been volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club in Seaside, California for about a month now and thanks to my AmeriCorps VIP, Joseph Garcia, I was able to quickly start leading activities with the children at the club.
It has allowed me to become a positive role model and rapidly become a new member of an already awesome community. In my short time at the club I have become an integral part in ensuring youth served are having a great experience in every activity I run with them. I am quickly learning that I am not only helping other members of the community grow but, that I am also gaining personal growth as well. This has been a fulfilling experience that I wish everyone would want to be a part of at some point in their life."
Thank you to Blake and all of our volunteers for sharing yourselves with our programs! Your service makes a real difference in your community, and we hope that it makes a difference in your life as well.
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