Tips for inclusive service projects

Let's make sure that all with a heart of service can lend a hand through our programs!  To get started, check out this recent blog article from the HandsOn Network that includes great tips on creating inclusive service projects.

Environmental service projects in the City of Duarte

It's spring - the birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, the sun is out - and it's a great time to start those outdoor service days!  It's the perfect season for clearing hiking trails, maintaining community gardens, or sprucing up buildings that need a little extra care.

City of Duarte volunteers working hard to plant new trees.

The City of Duarte kicked off their season of outdoor service with a tree-planting project on Earth Day.  VIP Leader Airika Narcisse tells us that "San Gabriel Valley recently got hit with serious wind storms knocking down some of our cities oldest trees," so she and her team of VIP Fellows organized a group of volunteers to plant new trees.

Will you be taking advantage of the warm weather to accomplish any outdoor service needs this summer?  Tell us about your projects in the comments!

More of the City of Duarte's dedicated volunteers!

Rural Volunteering: a toolkit

Do you work with a rural volunteer program?  Then you know the special challenges that come with working in smaller communities that often have fewer resources, less infrastructure, and yet just as much need for service as other locales.

Thankfully, a VISTA AmeriCorps program with the Office of Surface Mining conducted research on rural volunteering and has shared its insights in a Rural Volunteering Tooklit.  Check out their research and resources here!

What's Next? : Life After AmeriCorps Resources

This is a re-post of our original entry posted on June 1, 2011.  It still encompasses some of our favorite Life After AmeriCorps resources, perfect for VIP Fellows as they start to decide what their next steps are.

As the year is starting to wind down and some of our VIP Fellows are getting ready to transition out of their current positions, "what's next?" seems to be the question on everyone's mind.

A year as a VIP Fellow provides experience in leadership, organization, service, and other skills that come from a year of building capacity, working on a team, and managing volunteers.  We  know our members are well prepared for the road ahead, whether they are going back to school, continuing to serve, or launching themselves into (or back into) the job market.  Here are some of our favorite resources that provide some information you might find helpful if you're looking for a job or to continue serving after AmeriCorps.

• A job hunting guide specifically for AmeriCorps members, developed by Education Northwest’s AmeriCorps program officers.

• The AmeriCorps Alums Career Center: provides not only job postings related to civic service, but also has professional development resources and tips as well.  Under the tab "For Alumni," select "Career Center."

• Idealist: job, internship, and volunteer opportunity search site for the nonprofit and public service sector.

• Indeed.com: a way to search multiple job search sites at one time. 

• Non Profit Expert: almost exhaustive list of nonprofit job search resources.

• Peace Corps: if you're looking to serve abroad for a couple of years with all expenses paid.

• Go Abroad: a search site for volunteer opportunities around the world.

• VISTA Campus Life After AmeriCorps Resources - these informational guides are geared towards AmeriCorps VISTAs, but most apply for all AmeriCorps members.

 Do you have any other helpful "life after AmeriCorps" resources to share?  Let us know in the comments!

Inspiration Friday: Senior Tech Day in Santa Cruz

Check out this video about one of the great projects involving volunteers from YouthSERVE, a VIP Partner Site in Santa Cruz.  What a great way to bring the new generation of skilled young volunteers into a valuable service opportunity!

Celebrate Volunteers 55+ and the difference they make: May 7-11 is Senior Corps Week:

This week is the second annual Senior Corps Week, celebrating the service and community contributions of volunteers ages 55 and over.  These Baby Boomer volunteers make up a large and vital part of the service movement in our country.  Did you know that there are over 300,000 senior citizens serving through Senior Corps programs like RSVP, Foster Grandparents, and Senior Companions? 

See the Huffington Posts's story about Senior Corps Week and post pictures of senior citizens volunteering.  Or, get news from the Senior Corps on Facebook.

And, did you know that President Obama declared May Older Americans Month in this proclamation from last week?  This month is a great time to appreciate the older and wiser citizens around us, especially if they serve around you.

How will you be appreciating older Americans this week and month?

Check out Volunteer Match's Secrets of Volunteer Recruitment

Volunteer Match's free guide, 101 Volunteer Secrets, was gleaned from members for the Volunteer Match community and holds some great gems of wisdom.  Take a look, download it here, and find some great tips!

New programs on the horizon for VIP partners: It's amazing what volunteer programs can do!

All around the state, about 140 VIP Fellows are building infrastructure in our state's essential nonprofit and educational organizations.  In organization after organization, we see new programs starting and new services provided once a steady stream of volunteer effort can be established behind an organization.  It's incredible to hear about the needs that are being met with a dedicated base of people willing to serve their community.


One of the latest program additions comes from VIP partner site Creative Mediation, a non-profit organization that provides mediation and conflict resolution services to the citizens of San Luis Obispo.  Creative Mediation will be starting up a new military mediation program for families of those serving in the armed forces.

AmeriCorps VIP fellow Kelly Donohue (second from left) and the staff at Creative Mediation 

visit Vandenberg Air Force Base in order to begin a new mediation program.