tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15064201753604222912024-03-19T06:02:44.755-07:00CalSERVES Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP) BlogCalSERVES VIP utilizes AmeriCorps members to create and strengthen volunteer management systems at nonprofit and government organizations all around California. Our goal is to enable these organizations to serve the highest need children and families in the state over the long haul with effective systems that will utilize community service to fortify their services.CalSERVEShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988757158365918289noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-3743453790149071342013-08-16T11:19:00.000-07:002013-08-16T11:20:05.274-07:00VIP Leader Reflections, Part II<h4 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
2012-2013 VIP Leaders share reflections of their AmeriCorps service, including what they've learned, successes and accomplishments, challenges overcome, and advice to the next group of AmeriCorps members.</h4>
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When I started as the Lead here at Jewish Family Service, I was literally wide-eyed and fresh-faced. Right out of college, I was given real and tangible responsibility, a position of great potential growth, and a chance to understand the nonprofit world from within. I cannot express my gratitude enough not only to the AmeriCorps program, but also to JFS for taking a chance on me. My responsibilities ranged from volunteer interviewing, placement, and screening. Meanwhile my professional development expanded in leaps and bounds (almost unbeknownst to me!). I got to offer support to my VIP team, participate in JFS events, and get to know my own leadership style and strengths. I have the utmost respect for my coworkers and the fellows of the VIP program here in San Diego.</div>
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If you are considering applying to this wonderful program, I would like to take a moment to encourage you to do so. If you are looking for work experience, the VIP program offers its members a chance to get nonprofit experience, work on a team, develop some serious people skills, and provide an invaluable service to the San Diego community. If you are looking to utilize your creativity and ingenuity, the VIP program provides a space for members to build infrastructure—sometimes out of nothing! If you are interested in networking in the field, VIPs not only work side-by-side with the other staff members of their host organization, but also with the many partner organizations within the VIP program. Being an AmeriCorps alum is a prestigious title, but being a VIP alum is a designation I carry closer to my heart and wear with pride.</div>
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<i>Margot Schein, VIP Leader at Jewish Family Service of San Diego</i></div>
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This past year as a VIP Leader has been a gift, both personally and professionally. Professionally, I have honed my experience in leading and facilitating meetings and trainings, learning strategies to engage both fellow VIPs and volunteers alike. Personally, I overcame the challenge of being both a role model and a friend, learning how to create a balance between the two. In my second year with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, I was excited to be the lead on KOREH L.A.’s library restocking event this year, working with the administration of a partner school to manage the donation of over 1,000 brand new books to their school library. My advice for future VIP Leaders would be just to relax and enjoy your time, because the friendships you make in AmeriCorps will be some you will treasure forever!</div>
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<i>Kelsey Larsen, VIP Leader at the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles</i></div>
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<b>Top 5 Things You Should Know About Being in AmeriCorps</b></div>
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<b>5. Do not procrastinate. </b>Even though you have 12-months, do not wait until the end of your term to finish any sustainability projects because anything and everything will come up to distract you.</div>
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<b>4. You will have busy and slow days.</b> You should take initiative in different projects in your organization and/or find new volunteer opportunities in the community.</div>
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<b>3. Member Development can be fun!</b> This is a chance for you to learn new things as well as have some fun with other AmeriCorps members. </div>
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<b>2. Your cohort can be a great support system.</b> The other AmeriCorps members are probably the only people where you do not have to explain your circumstances (ex. we are the “domestic” Peace Corps).</div>
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<b>1. You made a commitment to serve as an AmeriCorps member, and you will get things done for America and your community.</b> There are days that might feel less eventful or meaningful, but remember that each day that you serve is a day that you made a difference.</div>
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<i>Jobelle Duka, VIP Leader at HandsOn Central California</i></div>
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As I reflect on my year of service, I can't believe that a year has already come and gone. When I decided to take on the position as the VIP State Leader I immediately felt honored. Having not only the opportunity to be in AmeriCorps, but to also lead, mentor, and coach a coalition of volunteer coordinators seemed both exciting and daunting. </div>
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The one thing I learned from this year of service is that in order to grow, either professionally or personally, individuals must be willing to push themself out of their comfort zone. Try new things. Take risks. Accept more responsibility. Engage and listen to individuals whom you know nothing about. These can create profound impacts in not only yourself, but also within the communities you serve.</div>
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I want to thank CalSERVES, Lauren and Sara for believing in me and allowing me the chance to take part in the VIP program. This organization will continue to do amazing work throughout California and I’m excited to see the results. </div>
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Lastly, to the next cohort of VIP Fellows I hope your AmeriCorps year pushes you out of your comfort zone, produces positive change, conveys pride, and that you continue to uphold the ideals of service with you for a lifetime. </div>
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<i>Cody Cibart, VIP State Leader at CalSERVES</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-84711001728154555992013-08-12T10:18:00.000-07:002013-08-12T10:19:38.211-07:00VIP Leader Reflections, Part I<div style="text-align: center;">
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2012-2013 VIP Leaders share reflections of their AmeriCorps service, including what they've learned, successes and accomplishments, challenges overcome, and advice to the next group of AmeriCorps members.</h4>
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I think that one of the things I am most proud of from my year as a VIP Leader is the strength and camaraderie of our AmeriCorps team. I have worked hard to provide fun activities for each meeting, celebrate birthdays, plan get-togethers outside of work, and to create a sense of comfort and support. Each AmeriCorps knows that they can talk about their issues, whether it is work related or personal, to both me and their team. I think this has created a strong bond amongst our members, but it has also allowed us to catch and solve issues as they arise and before they are too late. This is the first year that HandsOn Inland Empire has had, that we have not lost a single VIP. While I can’t take all of the credit for that, I do think that the safe haven and open door policy I have created has definitely helped some of the AmeriCorps through their year. My suggestion to future VIP Leaders is to ensure that you are not only managing the AmeriCorps, but that you are also supporting them. This year is not easy. For many it can be a first real job. And with the low pay and stress of the job, it can be tough. But working through it as a team, can give them the support they need to continue their year successfully. </div>
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<i>Erin Weaver, VIP Leader at Inland Empire United Way</i><br />
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As I finish my third term with AmeriCorps and get ready to move onto other areas of life, I am proud of having accomplished many things I set out to do this year, not only professionally, but personally. I wanted to take on the role as leader of a crew to challenge myself to be able to meet deadlines, encourage others and tackle my arch-nemesis: Paperwork. I can successfully say I have not only accomplished these goals, but have also grown in my abilities to communicate and interact in many challenging situations. If I could impart any advice to an AmeriCorps member, no matter if you are brand-spanking new or an old hand at this: remember to approach every situation with an open heart and a mirror. The open heart allows you to be impacted by those around you, not just impart “wisdom” to those whom you think need to hear it; and the mirror allows for you to see yourself and the ways in which you can grow and change. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of AmeriCorps and this year’s Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County AmeriCorps crew. </div>
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<i>Jennifer Harman, VIP Leader at the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center</i><br />
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HARD WORK!!! Is the first thing I think of when it comes to being a VIP lead. It has been a very fast, busy year for me! I truly have loved every minute of the experience, every conversation filled with laughter and love I’ve been able to give and receive. I’ve made friends in my fellow VIP members that will last me a lifetime of memories. I’ve learned to trust myself more than I ever have before. I’ve learned that it really is the smaller things in life that keep your heart whole. My advice to anyone coming in would be stay committed to the journey you are about to go on, enjoy the relationships you will build in the process, and allow your heart to grow with every experience! Best of Wishes!</div>
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<i>Airika Narcisse, VIP Leader at City of Duarte</i></div>
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Today is my last day, and looking back over all of the challenges, successes, failures, relationships, volunteers, team meetings, and everything else that has happened throughout the course of the year, knocks me off my feet a little bit. To see the growth of all of the VIP Fellows serving with CalSERVES, and those serving around the state, is something we should all take a moment to reflect on and be proud of. </div>
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Together we have achieved the goals set out for us at the beginning of the year. We have recruited thousands of volunteers, who have served hundreds of thousands of hours, to support the communities we serve. But perhaps more importantly is the intangible achievement that we see everyday as volunteer managers. We got our organizations to improve their services at the giving hands of volunteers. We got things done for America in the truest sense of the phrase. </div>
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I'm thankful to Sara Sitch and Lauren Serpa for achieving a vision they had for VIP that provided all of us the opportunity to serve communities throughout California this year. their tireless leadership is an inspiration, and shows how much positive change can happen if you have a vision, determination, and are willing to put in extraordinary effort. </div>
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<i>Alex Rowan, VIP Leader at CalSERVES</i></div>
<i><br /></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-30812172911718206672013-08-06T10:36:00.000-07:002013-08-06T10:36:05.049-07:00Healthy You & Me!<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Julianna Whittaker, VIP Leader at St. Joseph Health </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the big success stories from this year has to be our Healthy You & Me event. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole VIP team here at St. Joseph Health came together and helped plan, from the ground up, a health based, educational, free community wide event! We spent hours of planning with weekly meetings full of prep-work that included finding sponsors, recruiting volunteers, locating a venue, and much more! We recruited volunteers to present topics such as healthy relationships with your partner, biometric health screening (worth over $200!), stress and relaxation tips, how to eat healthy on a budget, tobacco prevention awareness for parents and children, and many more. </span></div>
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<i>Volunteers helping families register.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent the weeks prior to the event canvassing neighborhoods, schools and local businesses trying to get the word out about the free services being offered. We talked to current volunteers and asked them to help out with the outreach as well as volunteering for the day of the event. We were able to contact local high-schools which ended up being an amazing resource for recruiting volunteers. The day of the event went smoothly, even though we really didn’t know what to expect given that it was the first time holding the event! We had plenty of volunteers that showed up on time and ready to help out. Due to the fact that this was our first time holding this event in our community, we didn’t get as much of a response as we had hoped for, however the volunteers turned out to be more than what we expected. They ended up staying after their shifts and turned into participants! We were able to have our classes full, mixed with volunteers as well as community members.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our last session of Zumba, which really got everyone moving, (kids and parents alike!) we had a prizes raffle for those that had turned in evaluation forms. One volunteer in particular really stood out. She had attended the orientation that was planned a few days before the event, and was ready to help out in any way that she could. She was able to pass out lunches to the participants that attend. She also ended up receiving a biometric screening for herself, a yoga session, a Zumba workout, and to top it all off, she won a prize in our raffle. One of our VIP Fellows, Julie McGinty was sitting next to her at the end of the day. Our volunteer shared with her that this had been the best day she had had in a while. She explained that her situation had been unfortunate lately, but her experience at our event made her feel like things could turn around. She was so overwhelmed with gratitude, that she began to cry.</span></div>
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<i>The St. Joseph Health VIP Team.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a whole team, we didn’t know what to expect going into this event. We planned for just about everything, but at the last minute things can and seem to always change and go a different direction! Being around positive people really made a difference throughout the day. Knowing that you are making a positive impact on a person’s life is a big reason why I believe AmeriCorps VIP works, and why Healthy You and Me will hopefully become a tradition in the future with St. Joseph Health.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-58771298895266952742013-07-30T10:14:00.000-07:002013-07-31T09:46:32.974-07:00Involving Youth in the Community<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>By Maya Smith, VIP Leader at Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, partner site of the Volunteer Center of the East Bay</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Volunteer Center of the East Bay has been helping non-profits in the East Bay fulfill their volunteer needs since 1955. Its core purpose is to encourage and support local volunteerism to benefit volunteers, nonprofit and public organizations, and society as a whole. In addition to hosting the AmeriCorps VIP program, they also coordinate the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). RSVP connects caring seniors age 55 and older with non-profit agencies that recognize senior volunteers provide invaluable service by sharing their lifetime of skills, talents and knowledge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>VIP Fellows volunteering during Martin Luther King Jr. Day.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the Volunteer Center of the East Bay focuses on connecting seniors, VIP Fellow Maya Smith is looking to better incorporate youth with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. Although Habitat is a highly recognizable name, most people don’t know that they do a lot more than build houses. Habitat for Humanity’s vision is that “every person should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.” They have realized that building new homes in a blighted neighborhood is a good start but in order for families to truly feel secure, changes need to be made on a macro level. Three years ago, Habitat launched their Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, a program designed to transform neighborhoods using a holistic approach. </span><br />
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<i> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local youth joined Habitat on a Saturday to survey the </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Habitat coordinates with community residents, non-profits, faith communities, businesses and local governments to create and implement a shared vision of revitalization. Using this model, Habitat has been able to serve significantly more families and work with more volunteers. Neighborhood revitalization has proven to be a great way to involve youth volunteers. Because most of Habitat’s work takes place on a construction site, volunteer opportunities for youth under 16 are limited. Neighborhood revitalization events such as these have provided great opportunities for younger volunteers. Maya hopes to coordinate current Habitat clubs with these neighborhood revitalization events and connect youth from different communities across the territory that Habitat serves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Habitat led elementary students to build an outdoor reading area next to their school library.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Among their revitalization projects, Habitat has partnered with an elementary school to create an outdoor reading area, cleaned neighborhood roadways as part of the Caltrans adopt-a-road program, and removed over 550 gallons of waste out of a local creek. Together, Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley, neighborhood residents and local partners are changing the face of neighborhoods and enhancing the quality of life for all the families who live there.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-81549356206885945442013-07-23T11:02:00.002-07:002013-07-23T11:03:17.395-07:00Friends Outside Lend a Hand to Those from the Inside<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>By Emily Farver, VIP Fellow at Friends Outside and Jennifer Harman, VIP Leader at the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz</i></div>
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The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz has 18 programs that empower young people, families, seniors, working professionals, and people with disabilities to be the difference in their community. Each year the Volunteer Center collaborates with over 500 partners, including fellow non-profits and businesses, to ensure our community organizations have the capacity to recruit and welcome new volunteers. AmeriCorps VIP Fellows are partnered through the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County with local non-profits to help develop volunteer programs, bringing resources to children and families within Santa Cruz County.<br />
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One of these programs is Friends Outside, where Emily Farver is the VIP Fellow this term.<br />
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The re-entry process for our clients is a difficult transition, exacerbated by little to<br />
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Our organization has noted that many post- released clients confront boredom, which is a primary factor that increases their likelihood to get rearrested. Many clients have a challenging time obtaining employment, figuring out housing, and creating a healthy social network. Due to these difficulties, Friends Outside needed to expand our programs to provide participants free courses on life skills to integrate into their daily interactions. <br />
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The development of the Life Skills Workshops has been most successful by involving staff, volunteers, and our clientele in the process. As a result, we have built a program that reaches out to individuals in need and is taught solely by volunteers from our community who are professionals in their fields or have a strong passion for the topic. With the addition of this service, we have engaged a whole new set of volunteers into our organization. Thus far, we have held four classes, from Financial Aid Assistance instructed by an advisor at Cabrillo College to Stress Reduction and Time Management taught by a licensed Social Worker (LMSW). These classes have had a high rate of client attendance and have been well-received.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-60837558019230785232013-07-15T16:58:00.001-07:002013-07-15T17:00:33.608-07:00Turning A Story Into A Mission<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 16.75pt 0in 8.35pt; text-align: center;">
<i>By Teddy Hennes, VIP Fellow at Big Brother Big Sisters of Orange County and Maria Lemus, VIP Leader at OneOC</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #c54c00; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #c54c00; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With volunteer, training,
consulting and business services, we help Orange County’s nonprofits</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">become as effective and efficient
as they are passionate about their missions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OneOC’s mission is accelerating<b> nonprofit success</b>. Our
services are fully integrated, and strengthened through partnership with other
local service providers. Together, we work to accelerate the success of Orange
County nonprofits, enabling them to reach their full potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OneOC’s nonprofit partner, Big Brother Big
Sisters of Orange County, currently hosts AmeriCorps VIP Fellow, Teddy Hennes
as their Community Outreach Coordinator. Here, Teddy shares the impact that a
story can make for a nonprofit’s mission:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">“Stories are transcendent in their ability to
share experiences and provide relatable identities. We see throughout our
daily lives how the act of storytelling supersedes cultures and regions as the
primary way to connect us as human beings. The people we may never meet
or speak with understand us through the stories we share and the stories that
are shared about us. As such, there is no greater tool in a recruiter's
possession than the expression of his or her organization's volunteer stories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, we
feature the stories of our volunteer "Bigs" and mentee
"Littles" to motivate the thousands of <i>potential</i> Bigs in our
county to become <i>actual </i>Bigs who will create new experiences with their
Littles that will be shared with our community and beyond. That is not to
say that hard numbers are unimportant from a recruitment standpoint--they
are--but many individuals are not sparked because there are over 125,000
single-parent families in the area who could use our service; they are driven by
the tangible impact that our Big of the Year, Richard, has had on Julio and the
bond of friendship that has developed throughout their decade-long match.
It is Richard and Julio's <i>story </i>that connects with people in a
much more profound way than statistics could solely achieve. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every organization has a story to tell about its
volunteers, and every volunteer is a microcosm of that story. In many of
your nonprofits, these people are <i>the </i>difference between upholding your
mission and not, so engage your poten</span>tial volunteers with those relatable
experiences that inspired the volunteers that came before them.”</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-59435231488936413942013-07-08T11:36:00.002-07:002013-07-08T12:33:05.502-07:00Appreciating Your Volunteers<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Kelsey Larsen, VIP Leader at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">As the nonsectarian children’s literacy program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, KOREH L.A. trains volunteer reading partners to work with kindergarten through fifth grade students attending our partner schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Our volunteers work one-on-one with children identified by their teachers as “reluctant readers” for one hour per week, helping enhance the students’ reading skills and foster a love of reading. Four AmeriCorps VIP Fellows (including myself) work together to serve volunteers in different geographic regions of Los Angeles. KOREH L.A. also has a program supported by a fifth VIP Fellow called the Teen Literacy Corps (TLC), which involves high school students in the process of increasing literacy skills in elementary school children. TLC partners public and private high school classrooms with nearby LAUSD elementary school classrooms, and trains the high school students for one-on-one reading mentorships. </span></div>
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One of the most important and fun aspects of volunteer management is recognizing and appreciating your volunteers for all the amazing work they have done. This year alone, KOREH L.A. had over 400 volunteers working with over 600 students in 60 schools, not including our TLC program. Here’s some creative ways we’ve shown appreciation to volunteers. We hope you can use these tips to celebrate the work of your great partners!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>KOREH L.A.’s Volunteer Appreciation Tips:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Have a culminating celebration. </b>Because we work with schools, the school calendar provides an easy structure for the “end” of the year’s volunteering. However depending on your program, any time could work for this (December, or the end of the day’s events). This year, KOREH L.A. held an end of year appreciation brunch for all of our KOREH volunteers, where they had a chance to come together as a group, eat some good food, celebrate, and be recognized for their service. Our volunteer brunch was a great sendoff to our 2012-2013 volunteers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcoming volunteers to our Appreciation Brunch</span></div>
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2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Give shout outs! </b>Be sure to recognize both the individual and the group. Individual recognition should be as personal as possible and doesn’t need to be expensive – at the brunch, our volunteers received certificates with their name and the name of the school where they volunteered, as well as a handwritten thank-you from the VIP Fellows. During our Fall Enrichment Seminar, a festive and educational holiday gathering for our volunteers, we highlighted “great stories” volunteers had shared with us about their experiences. We also love to mention volunteers on Facebook and Twitter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KOREH L.A. Volunteer Nikki Turbin shares the KOREH L.A. love!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -24px;">3. <b>Let them share their stories and advice. </b>Since recognition comes not just from Volunteer Coordinators but from other volunteers, allow volunteers to be heard! At all of our events, we provide time for volunteers to discuss their experiences with one another. Often, it’s hard to get them quiet again! Another way to connect volunteers is by asking volunteers to share their wisdom or experiences on a blog post. If you have a volunteer who wants to share their expertise at an event, let them! At her regional volunteer meeting, VIP Fellow Kaitlin Schluter reached out to a volunteer with a background in child development to share some tips with other volunteers, providing them with valuable guidance. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VIP Fellow Kaitlin Schluter leads volunteers in discussion at her regional meeting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <b>Give them something they can take away. </b>Before our volunteer brunch, we reached out to the LAUSD School Board President, who agreed to speak to our volunteers about education. This year, each of the VIP Fellows also held a regional meeting for their volunteers, where they led a discussion on a topic that volunteers wanted to learn more about and provided them with ideas for new activities to do with their students. Whether it is a speech from a respected individual on a topic they care about, or some extra resources, our volunteers appreciate the new ideas and information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5.<b> Recognize loyalty. </b>Give a special mention to volunteers who have been serving for a long time (In the case of our program, this is multiple years, however it could also mean coming to more than one service day, serving for one month, etc.). At our brunch, we had volunteers raise their hands or stand up for the number of years they’ve been volunteering with us. This encourages volunteers just beginning their service to keep coming back!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-87359350958220188562013-06-20T09:27:00.000-07:002013-06-20T09:30:03.337-07:00Volunteer Management<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i> by Alex Drey-Mulari, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow at THINK Together in Ontario, CA</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">HandsOn Inland Empire (HOIE) is the volunteer department
at Inland Empire United Way. In conjunction with hosting volunteers at the
United Way, HOIE manages a website that allows volunteers and non-profits in
the area to come to one place to connect. The department also organizes two
large-scale school makeovers a year, manages corporate volunteer groups, and
trains community members to become Volunteer Leaders. Through the department’s
combined knowledge of volunteer programs and management, they are able to successfully
support 7 AmeriCorps VIP Fellows. Alex Drey-Mulari is one of the Fellows currently hosted by HOIE. Alex works at THINK Together as a volunteer
coordinator and he wrote the following from his experience throughout the year.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Volunteer Management is a huge umbrella term, and there
are certainly many ways to approach it. Here at THINK Together, an academic
support program in Southern California, we get to oversee all aspects of
volunteer management. Over my term of service I had the wonderful opportunity
to develop and strengthen many skills related to volunteerism. Here are some of
my personal experiences with coordinating volunteers, and I hope that you can
gain some insight into what it takes to work with volunteers.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>First, always be present in your job, by being energetic
and engaged.</b> This does not mean that you need to a social butterfly if you are
not that type of person. You should always look happy while
doing your job, especially when interacting with current or potential
volunteers. Always remember that volunteers are giving their precious time, and
they want to feel excited about what they are doing. Your position is key to
taking the volunteer’s desire to serve, and making it as enjoyable as possible.
Also being energetic is more fun anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Next, I would suggest getting to know your volunteers.</b>
This could be in the form of a volunteer interview, included in their volunteer
application, or even just asking them questions. Volunteers serve for a myriad
of reasons, and it is important to understand why each individual is
volunteering. If they want to spend time tutoring children, then do not assign
them to spreadsheets. Also, find out what kind of recognition the volunteers
like. If they want a standing ovation in front of everyone that’s great, but
maybe a hand-made thank you card is more their style. Taking that extra time to
be on a first name basis with all of your volunteers really helps keep
volunteers around, and again the experience is more fun this way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>The last skill I think that is essential to effective
volunteer management, is scheduling of time.</b> Many a time during my service,
even today as I am writing this piece, scheduling has been an issue. I had
volunteers scheduled to attend orientation to work for our summer programs, and
turns out the summer ended before they could even start. Due to this
interference I fell behind in other work, and had to scramble around last
minute. This is a terrible position to be in, so being on top of everything is
much more preferable. Learn what needs your immediate attention, and what other
tasks can wait until later. Managing volunteers starts with managing your own
time properly, and that is a skill I am continuing to develop.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKqF7Y4hxgOdccz9dryaaeaODTIgGW-xfQLrmsnNNZ9-YIQTEpKbJAc7a1FY3ZTj55eyokFefc85MjO7dHg1nKb6XnacPHPQiQLz5rXs3SdCGZG11_piMqH1-Qaiskzb9WvbxCM1_RbQ/s1600/HandsOn+Inland+Empire+AmeriCorps+Team+Volunteering+at+HOIE+Kids+Pack+Program.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKqF7Y4hxgOdccz9dryaaeaODTIgGW-xfQLrmsnNNZ9-YIQTEpKbJAc7a1FY3ZTj55eyokFefc85MjO7dHg1nKb6XnacPHPQiQLz5rXs3SdCGZG11_piMqH1-Qaiskzb9WvbxCM1_RbQ/s320/HandsOn+Inland+Empire+AmeriCorps+Team+Volunteering+at+HOIE+Kids+Pack+Program.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Alex (on the far right) with VIP Fellows from HOIE.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-17600738752396399602013-06-14T09:58:00.000-07:002013-06-20T09:35:04.986-07:00Sustainability 101<style>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>By Maggie Hollingsworth, VIP Fellow at Fresno State Career Services</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a college campus resource, Career Services finished strong; a happy ending to a productive school year. More students have made contact with us to improve their earning potential this year then they have in the past several years, and they know about us thanks to the help of our volunteers, the Career Ambassador Team. The 21st century economic depression, which was due (mainly) to increased energy costs and irresponsible mortgage lending practices, affected the entire nation, and with unemployment rampant, college students felt the brunt of it. Career Ambassadors helped students learn resilience through our mission, “to improve [students’] self-knowledge, career-literacy, job-search preparation, and expanded opportunities to connect to employers”.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talking to students about how and why they should utilize our services was easy; developing the program was the challenge. And now, the challenge is to sustain the program that I’ve built with the help of Career Services staff, and the feedback of the Career Ambassadors. The process of program sustainability is this:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making sure the position description is right;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coming up with a recruitment strategy, screening process, and orientation timeline that can be used annually;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Communicating frequently with the staff member who will soon be managing the program, and adapting it as necessary;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finalizing all of the volunteer materials, and organizing it in a hard and digital copy;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviewing volunteer records; confirm they are complete;</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last thing I would recommend to guarantee that the organization's Volunteer Coordinator, and the (returning or new) volunteers can get along without you, is to integrate them as soon as possible, and research an online interface for them to communicate all aspects of the program (calendar, discussion board, to retrieve program forms, etc.) in a simple and organized way. For Fresno State, it’s Orgsync, and it’s amazing. </span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-44418916804473407522013-06-11T14:15:00.000-07:002013-06-11T15:30:06.725-07:00Creating Opportunities for High School Volunteers<div style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Briana Keating, VIP Fellow at Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa</span></i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Catholic Charities serves people in need through three program areas: caring for seniors, counseling immigrants, and challenging poverty. As the VIP Fellow and sole member of the Volunteer Department at Catholic Charities, I spend much of my time fielding calls from people, many of whom are youth, interested in volunteering in one of these program areas. One of the challenges I have faced is trying to find a place for high school volunteers to fit. Youth can be great volunteers because of their enthusiasm, desire to help others, and ability to learn new things quickly.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Unfortunately, we do not have enough volunteer opportunities to accommodate every interested youth and we frequently encounter volunteers who just want to fulfill their required volunteer hours then never show up again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
an attempt to come up with a solution to this challenge, my supervisor and I
have developed a new volunteer program at Catholic Charities called the Caritas
Corps, set to launch this August. Named for the Latin word for charity, the
Caritas Corps will be a youth service corps for high school students. Youth
will have the opportunity to volunteer in one of our many programs: from
tutoring children at our homeless shelter to building food boxes for the Rural
Food Project to making phone calls to seniors living alone.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXEnL377KaRSJjDVej_kB6gP-hptgsIYKsvYYDd8KT1HFyZsnJEfs3p6VNXvnggvMTQ7F-DlRInmGa5B6rsFknN0x1wDVlkBr5JavpMow9qPDS58KObV4NhovVYKTY8LVlAluAQ0ps3o/s1600/Untitled1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXEnL377KaRSJjDVej_kB6gP-hptgsIYKsvYYDd8KT1HFyZsnJEfs3p6VNXvnggvMTQ7F-DlRInmGa5B6rsFknN0x1wDVlkBr5JavpMow9qPDS58KObV4NhovVYKTY8LVlAluAQ0ps3o/s320/Untitled1.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
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<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">High school students and community
partners joined VIP Fellow, Briana Keating (right) for a presentation and
feedback session on the Caritas Corps. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interested youth will have to go through an application process which includes a written statement of intent and an interview. The hope is that the interview process will help us to pair volunteers with programs that best fit their skills and interests. Volunteers will be asked to make a commitment to one program over the course of the school year, allowing them to make greater impacts and greater connections with staff and the clients we serve. I will also be coordinating monthly service days where teens can volunteer and gain service hours without making a long-term commitment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Caritas Corps was developed
to provide more than just a volunteer opportunity, but also as a way to
encourage and develop social awareness in youth through education and social
events. We want to help develop socially minded individuals who will grow up
with a passion for service and who will continue to give back to their
communities. Additionally, this is a really exciting new program for Catholic
Charities as it will allow us to utilize youth volunteers to their full
potential and help us to fill a huge need for volunteers in our agency.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-74606611171881365222013-06-07T09:28:00.001-07:002013-06-20T09:30:41.897-07:00Making a difference at the Sonoma County Family YMCA<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Heather Seney, VIP Fellow at the Sonoma County YMCA</span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">As
a community-based nonprofit, the Sonoma County Family YMCA is an
integral part of the Santa Rosa community. The Y focuses on
strengthening the community through programs
in youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. When
you think of the Y, the first thing that comes to mind may be the Y’s
fitness programs. Or perhaps taking swim lessons when you were a kid.
And let’s not dance around the fact that you may
want to sing that song—<i>you know which one.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">But
many people, including myself before joining AmeriCorps, may not
realize that the Y also has many after school programs. The Y runs
nearly 20 after school and childcare
programs throughout Sonoma County, each providing enriching experiences
for youth during before and after school hours.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QD8fGXr856Y/Ua_DW_dshKI/AAAAAAAAAPw/4P3pbBu4k24/s1600/Basketball_Coaches_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QD8fGXr856Y/Ua_DW_dshKI/AAAAAAAAAPw/4P3pbBu4k24/s320/Basketball_Coaches_1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">With
so many different programs, the Y has a diverse selection of volunteer
opportunities. I love that the Y’s volunteer program has an opportunity
for everyone. If you’re
looking to do office or administrative work, the Y has you covered. If
you’re looking to work with youth, perfect! You enjoy sports? We have
opportunities to coach, assist with an aquatics program, or lead a
fitness program. Are you just looking to help out
for a couple hours? Volunteer at the Y’s Harvest Run or Healthy Kids
Day! I always tell volunteers that if they discover a position isn’t
what they expected, it’s okay, the Y has another opportunity that may be
a better fit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">When
I first arrived at the Y, I expected to find a volunteer program that
needed to be developed—that’s why I’m here. But I was surprised to learn
there wasn’t a single
volunteer in any of the after school programs. I’ve always been an
advocate for education, so naturally, I saw a great opportunity for
volunteers to offer academic assistance, develop positive relationships
with youth, and in general, elevate kids’ experiences
at the Y’s after school programs. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-malhK7YCmEw/Ua_DZTx6UxI/AAAAAAAAAP4/UNP6X1U8ZPA/s1600/HKD_Volunteer_FacePaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-malhK7YCmEw/Ua_DZTx6UxI/AAAAAAAAAP4/UNP6X1U8ZPA/s320/HKD_Volunteer_FacePaint.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Since
August, the Y’s after school programs have benefited from volunteers
who have spent hours upon hours helping kids to master math problems,
inspiring kids to love
reading, and engaging youth in various educational and recreational
activities. There were definitely challenges to developing a volunteer
corps in the Y’s after school programs, but it’s incredibly gratifying
to hear about and see first-hand the impact that
volunteers have had this year.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> As
the year begins to wind down, I am happy to report that the Y has
established a partnership with Sonoma State University (SSU)’s Join Us
Making Progress (JUMP) program
for next school year. Through the partnership, JUMP will refer SSU
volunteers to one of the Y’s highest-need after school programs
throughout the year. In addition, the Y is in the process of developing
an intern program which will place university and college
students in the Y’s after school programs next year, as well.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">To all the Y’s volunteers (and the Y staff who help support volunteers)—YOU ROCK!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3k4Qfy7kICE/Ua_Df3pQjfI/AAAAAAAAAQA/rTPCMeRTBA0/s1600/HKD_Volunteers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3k4Qfy7kICE/Ua_Df3pQjfI/AAAAAAAAAQA/rTPCMeRTBA0/s320/HKD_Volunteers1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-72428757148444567592013-05-30T11:14:00.000-07:002013-06-03T15:18:59.674-07:00A Catalyst in the Community<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By VIP Leader, Erin Rea and VIP Fellow, Mahriana Collins at Napa
County Office of Education</span></i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
At the Napa County Office of Education one of our partner
sites is Catalyst Coalition. Through Catalyst Coalition many programs are run
on a daily basis. The two AmeriCorps members we have in prevention work with Mariposa
groups: programs empowering young women to make their own smart decisions and giving them
the resources and knowledge to resist peer pressure. In addition to Mariposa
groups, which happen at the local middle schools one day per week, Catalyst has
also been working on an anti-marijuana campaign helping kids to “use your head,
not weed” and to “be ahead of the crowd." This effort is just beginning and has
already made positive changes. Catalyst also
works with gang prevention, tobacco prevention, and alcohol prevention. <br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Mariposa is
an exemplary effort in Napa County towards girl empowerment, as well as
underage youth substance abuse awareness and prevention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johana Guzman, Catalyst Coalition’s
Prevention Coordinator, with the help of AmeriCorps members, has expanded the
group from a few dedicated female youth to over 50 girls at the local middle
and high schools. Through their participation in activities, programs and
events, the Mariposa members have
brought attention to vital issues in their community. Last summer, several of
the original/founding members were recruited to serve as Mariposa Leaders
called the official Mariposa Advisory Council. The Mariposa Peer Volunteer Leaders, high
school students,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>completed 30-hours of
training to run the Mariposa group in middle schools. I (Mahriana) was honored to help
several Mariposa Leaders at Napa High School in creating an underage drinking
and driving awareness exhibit called “Wasted.” After installing the exhibit on
the walls of a common space at their high schools, the girls continued to reach
out to their peers during lunch via a Casey’s Pledge awareness table. The
exhibit was called ‘Wasted’ not because the lives of innocent victims of
underage drinking and driving are wasted, but because drinking and driving is a
choice that teens choose to make. The girls wanted to educate their peers about
the power that they hold in making that choice, and to give them vital
information towards making that decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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volunteer Leaders address topics that affect young women such as online safety, alcohol
and drug abuse and violence prevention. During bi-weekly planning sessions, the
Advisory Council members develop agendas based upon important topics to be
discussed during their after school sessions. These girls are leaders in their
community, inspiring adults to take action around the issues that affect all
youth. Furthermore, the Mariposa group members have reached out to members of
the community, youth and adults alike, to help sponsor and volunteer during
community events aimed at increasing awareness and honoring Prevention
Champions!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233947778025050871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-21905931507254037592013-05-23T17:35:00.001-07:002013-06-12T08:48:47.102-07:00Establishing Purposeful Community Service through CSU Monterey Bay<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>By Steven Goings VIP Leader at CSU Monterey Bay</i><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The Service
Learning Institute is the crown jewel of California State University Monterey
Bay. CSUMB is one of four
public universities with Service Learning as an academic requirement. We also hold the distinction of being
the most honored university in the country for community service; having twice
won the President’s Award for Community Service in Higher Education. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> At CSUMB,
although Service Learners perform community service they are NOT volunteers; consequently
there has been no comprehensive development of <i>volunteer</i> programs at CSUMB until they brought on their first AmeriCorps
VIP Leader, yours truly, in 2010. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl8uA6ebVeqyJ9MQeKfx3TxWYPxJ8soaizwhOaDdJiRiJRdLKoIKFgdqR3P_M_1W94h3dOxK01lMzj1PYJ5N5i2izXYSVTQY7K9tPEdSTYoAE7FtAsheeUYavzh9u-OxeMdQs8ij11uc/s1600/Steven+with+BSU+Students+on+Make+a+Difference+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl8uA6ebVeqyJ9MQeKfx3TxWYPxJ8soaizwhOaDdJiRiJRdLKoIKFgdqR3P_M_1W94h3dOxK01lMzj1PYJ5N5i2izXYSVTQY7K9tPEdSTYoAE7FtAsheeUYavzh9u-OxeMdQs8ij11uc/s320/Steven+with+BSU+Students+on+Make+a+Difference+Day.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">VIP Leader Steven Goings with volunteers</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> My charge was to do the recruiting, infrastructure capacity building and volunteer management
expected of any VIP, and to extend the values associated with the SLI, like social justice and compassion, into the co-curricular areas of our university like Athletics, Greek Life, and Student Clubs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Indeed, the
mission of the SLI is to foster and promote social justice by cultivating
reciprocal partnerships. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">But I soon realized that social justice was not the only motivation students had for volunteering. In fact, some students just wanted to have an enjoyable experience! So I came up with a way to combine service learning values with more individual motivations by initiating the Purposeful Service Opportunities (PSO) program.</span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuodNWolF9g/UZ5oa7Av_GI/AAAAAAAAAPA/LlX_zoUYTtQ/s1600/Untitled2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuodNWolF9g/UZ5oa7Av_GI/AAAAAAAAAPA/LlX_zoUYTtQ/s200/Untitled2.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Steven Goings </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> PSO is a series
of WebPages and resources on the SLI website that list volunteer opportunities as “purposeful
service” opportunities. Any
student can sign up for any opportunity as a regular volunteer, and they have the opportunity to
transform any volunteer activity into purposeful service by submitting a reflection
on the social justice implications of their service or by explaining how their
service relates to their own “purpose in life”. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">These Purposeful Service resources not only connect volunteers to organizations but also promote thinking about the relationship between social justice and their own volunteer experiences.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Purposeful Service events that have been firmly established here at CSUMB include widespread participation in Make a Difference Day, World AIDS Day, Cesar
Chavez Day and the Pursuit Youth Expo. There are now
annual Purposeful Service awards that recognize service across campus communities. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The ultimate
goal is to provide both entry and advanced level purposeful service
opportunities for our students; to create a cohesive, connected volunteer
community that is no longer segregated in their individual silos; and to
encourage interdepartmental collaboration on volunteer social justice projects
that coordinates rather than duplicates efforts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> I think we are
well on our way!</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-63644859435739119322013-05-20T13:46:00.000-07:002013-05-20T14:07:19.737-07:00The Volunteer Round Table Seminar <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Our local
VIP Fellows serving at CalSERVES and Extended Child Care have partnered up to
facilitate a monthly Volunteer Roundtable (VRT) seminar. These seminars provide a unique
professional development opportunity for the dedicated volunteers throughout
our partner site programs. Volunteers have the
chance to network with volunteers at different organizations, and learn about
topics ranging from leadership to emotional intelligence. The VRT also gives our VIP Fellows the
opportunity to develop their own leadership skills by creating and facilitating
the seminars. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Capacity
building is an important aspect of the VRT that has made it a focus to our
local team. By giving volunteers
additional training they develop into even more high value volunteers and they
also feel more connected to our programs because of the opportunity to
participate in such a unique seminar series.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">An
important aspect of the VRT is the emphasis on open discussions. The volunteers delve into issues and
come up with creative ideas about leadership that they can use in their
volunteer roles. By creating a space for the volunteers to
have their perspectives heard, we have open and useful discussions around
leadership topics. It makes for an
interactive and engaging seminar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #222222;">The VRT is also a sort of appreciation for our
volunteers. It allows us as
facilitators to show that we care about their own development as volunteers and
as individuals. What’s more, by
learning new leadership skills, the quality of their service also increases,
and everyone comes out on top. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #222222;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The VRT has been a success in our program, and we encourage other volunteer programs to develop similar enrichment programs for volunteers. You will be amazed at how thankful volunteers will be for a worthwhile training experience!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-078t2kuLvRg/UZp0duSG2jI/AAAAAAAAADc/Wrx0__p2zlU/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-078t2kuLvRg/UZp0duSG2jI/AAAAAAAAADc/Wrx0__p2zlU/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">VIP Fellows Meghan Schuttler, CalSERVES, and Sydney Tanimoto, ECC, appreciate their volunteers at the VRT</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8.5pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-59696580912632990312013-05-15T12:46:00.003-07:002013-05-15T12:46:56.829-07:00Volunteer Training Program @ CalPoly San Louis Obispo <i>By Nick Bilich, VIP Lead with the Gender Equity Center, a partner site of CalPoly San Luis Obispo</i><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
An aspect of capacity building that we’ve implemented this spring at the Gender Equity Center is our updated volunteer training program. A crucial aspect of designing any capacity building project is answering the “<i>why</i>?” question for potential volunteers—<i>Why</i> volunteer with our organization?</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
Our Center is (like a LOT of nonprofits) focused on aspects of social justice. Many potential volunteers can be unaware of: <br />
<ol>
<li>the ability to become involved in a movement they’re passionate about, and </li>
<li>that our site provides the opportunity to exercise their energy and talent towards an important goal. </li>
</ol>
Thus, this training project is designed to educate our community about <i>WHY</i> our Center exists, and show people the impact volunteers can have by investing in the Gender Equity Center.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
A specific tip I’d like to highlight as we’ve designed this training is <b>how it’s marketed to highly invested volunteers AND marginally invested volunteers</b>. The first group is comprised of those passionate about gender identity education, feminism, and social change. These volunteers are attracted to the potential ability to impact our community through the education they receive, and the subsequent application. It takes less of an effort to attract these volunteers, because they seek out these opportunities and education. </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
The second group however, is not as deeply concerned about the goals of the volunteering, but is looking for some added value gained in the experience. For us, it’s important to emphasize that our volunteer training is a GREAT resume builder! Socially competent employees are very attractive in today’s job market, and our volunteer training can provide someone education to increase their understanding of what types of people could potentially be in their workplace. Also, volunteering gives the individual opportunity to cite the hours they’ve devoted to our Center on their resume. Mentioning all these aspects of the volunteer training allows us to throw the net wider than we might have otherwise.<br />
<br />
I would encourage those developing similar programs/trainings to consider how they can market to groups who might be in the “marginally invested” category. You might get more volunteers than you think!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yVeHHefHUhM/UZPVWShucpI/AAAAAAAAACo/RXh4VSMM-KE/s1600/AmeriCorps+Human+Pyramid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yVeHHefHUhM/UZPVWShucpI/AAAAAAAAACo/RXh4VSMM-KE/s320/AmeriCorps+Human+Pyramid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick (bottom left) and other VIP Fellows as part of a human mesa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-48210029267614981082013-05-07T13:25:00.002-07:002013-05-07T13:25:58.665-07:00Engaging Youth Volunteers at South Bay Community Services<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">By Liz Ertel, VIP Fellow at South Bay Community Services, a partner site of Jewish Family Service</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Youth are
often thought of as the recipient of community resources, rather than the
solution to community problems. As a result, nonprofits don’t always look to
young people when recruiting volunteers. However, youth</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> are an untapped
resource of volunteers. They are excited, energetic, eager to help, and full of
fresh ideas. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">High school students,
and now even middle school students, have required service hours for school,
service clubs, and college applications. Utilizing youth volunteers simply
requires a different approach because these volunteers need constant
engagement, stimulation, and unique schedules.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chula Vista Learning
Community Charter School students help put together food packages for families
at South Bay Community Services’ food bank.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here at
South Bay Community Services - a nonprofit social services organization serving
youth, children, and families in Chula Vista, CA - requests from youth needing
volunteer opportunities for school or for court are very common. Unfortunately,
we could not accommodate every request. After turning away what felt like
hoards of youth, we set out to create new opportunities to engage more young
volunteers in various programs to involve them in their own community. Since SBCS
started off as a youth drop-in center in 1971 and has a history of utilizing youth
to further its goals to improve the lives of families in the South Bay, we wanted
to build upon that legacy.</span></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Youth volunteers from
United Methodist Church Westlake village pose during a graffiti clean-up. The
church youth group chose to spend their spring break volunteering at SBCS. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Recently, SBCS begun a Buff-a-Block program in partnership
with the city of Chula Vista to clean up trash and graffiti in an assigned area
of the city. This was one of our first
volunteer programs geared specifically towards youth volunteers. After only a
few months, the program has proven to be very successful in cleaning up the
city of Chula Vista and serves as a great way for youth to volunteer in the
community during the afterschool hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here at
SBCS, we hope to continue to open up more youth volunteer opportunities and
that other non-profits will do the same. If non-profits are creative and open
to new partnerships, they can give youth the opportunity to take responsibility
for their own communities. When
youth volunteer, they gain confidence, take on more leadership roles, and begin
the journey to a lifetime of service. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-6999775828573381192013-04-09T13:06:00.001-07:002013-04-09T13:09:45.127-07:00Santa Rosa Area AmeriCorps members recognized for AmeriCorps Week<style>
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</style><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For AmeriCorps Week last month, CalSERVES VIPs took an active role in
the community through service and by spreading the word about AmeriCorps’
Impact in Santa Rosa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We began the week
with a service project at VIP partner site Catholic Charities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our VIP team cooked dinner for over 60 people
staying at the organizations Family Support Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Items on the menu included mama’s fried
chicken, pappy’s homemade mashed potatoes, and salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our team had a great experience working
together to cook the meal, and also to serve it to the families at the
center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></i>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> CalSERVES
VIP Fellows preparing dinner at Catholic Charities</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our VIP team didn’t stop there; we also received a
proclamation from the mayor that recognizes the impact of AmeriCorps in Santa
Rosa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we drafted the proclamation,
we didn’t only want to recognize the role of VIP in Santa Rosa, we wanted to
highlight the role of all AmeriCorps members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So we went in search of the numerous AmeriCorps members at organizations
throughout Santa Rosa in an effort to bring us together and recognize our
collective impact in the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></i>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">AmeriCorps members after receiving a proclamation from Santa Rosa
Mayor Scott Bartley</span></span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Local VIP Leader, Alex Rowan, accompanied by six other
AmeriCorps members, received the proclamation and gave a compelling speech to
the City Council that gave an overview of the collective service efforts of all
AmeriCorps members in Santa Rosa. From tutoring at risk students, to homeless
outreach, to gang prevention, to family support networks, to energy
independence, it was great to see the broad and meaningful impact of AmeriCorps
service in our city. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alex
Rowan, Local Leader, delivering a speech about AmeriCorps impact in
Santa Rosa</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></i>
</div>
lauren.serpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13307776455457252971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-34558635610118547212013-04-02T12:03:00.001-07:002013-04-02T12:03:41.046-07:00Cesar Chavez Day of Service @ JFS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">VIP Fellows at Jewish Family Service in San Diego came together this week for a wonderful
and meaningful Cesar Chavez Day of Service. We partnered with a local nonprofit
called ArtReach that enters lower income schools to give art lessons to
students, and together, we went to Washington Elementary School for a day of
service that really benefited the school and the students.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DGnTBbPubo/UVSUyveU9FI/AAAAAAAAABo/mryCnh1pPUM/s1600/JFS+Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DGnTBbPubo/UVSUyveU9FI/AAAAAAAAABo/mryCnh1pPUM/s320/JFS+Garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the first half of the day, we spent time in the garden with
students from Washington’s after school program, Prime Time. Samantha Vargas, VIP
Fellow at the International Rescue Committee, led an interactive discussion
with the students about who Cesar Chavez was, the work he did, and how our
gardening could relate to this great man. Then Lauren Kraft, VIP Fellow at Feeding
America San Diego, passed out healthy snacks, played healthy food-friendly
music, and gave out bilingual folders on healthy eating while the rest of us took to gardening. We definitely breathed
some new life into the school garden!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nPWbwzujLYA/UVSUu4Y-GuI/AAAAAAAAABg/oqVmHGxsaas/s1600/JFS+Painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nPWbwzujLYA/UVSUu4Y-GuI/AAAAAAAAABg/oqVmHGxsaas/s320/JFS+Painting.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span id="goog_527754820"></span><span id="goog_527754821"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the afternoon, we painted two murals depicting Cesar Chavez and farm
workers. The students were incredibly helpful and we could not have
completed the project without them. They were creative, dedicated, and
interested all while following directions from the artist. The murals will be
up in the school for all of the students to take pride in. I even gave them a talk about what AmeriCorps was and why we were there helping them improve
their school. I definitely made sure to tie our dedication to service to the lifelong work
and service of Cesar Chavez.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">¡Sí se puede!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i>by Margot Schein, VIP Lead at Jewish Family Service of San Diego</i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-61612623909514229552013-03-21T12:30:00.000-07:002013-03-21T16:43:14.191-07:00AmeriCorps Week Recap: VIP Fellows in Action<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CalSERVES VIP Fellows from around the state did some amazing
work during AmeriCorps Week.
We got the word out, and showed our communities why AmeriCorps
works. From service projects, to official
governmental recognitions, to our contest winners, our AmeriCorps Week efforts
demonstrated our passion for service, and our valuable impact in communities
throughout California. I want to highlight some of the unique AmeriCorps Week activities at Jewish Family Service, Cal Poly, and here at CalSERVES.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">VIP Fellows
at Jewish Family Service of San Diego received recognition for their service by
their U.S. House Representative Scott Peters, Assemblyman Brian
Maienschein, and Senator Diane Feinstein! Representatives from the Peters and Maienschein offices also attended a lovely luncheon put on by Margot Schein, VIP Leader at JFS, to show official public support for the program
and their work. At the luncheon,
JFS CEO, Michael Hopkins, spoke about the value of service and volunteerism. There was even a guest appearance
from our Program Coordinator Lauren Serpa and Program Manager Sara Sitch who travelled all the way from Santa Rosa to
attend the event during their program site visits. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1K0fX4IRfc/UUpQcEGe63I/AAAAAAAAAA4/PqFbuAshnDU/s1600/JFS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1K0fX4IRfc/UUpQcEGe63I/AAAAAAAAAA4/PqFbuAshnDU/s320/JFS.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">JFS VIPs at the AmeriCorps Week Luncheon, with Program staff Lauren Serpa and Sara Sitch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The VIP
cohort at CalPoly SLO received an official proclamation from the San Luis
Obispo County Board of Supervisors recognizing AmeriCorps Week in the county. They also spread the word to potential
future AmeriCorps members while passing out AmeriCorps swag at a Farmer’s
Market in downtown San Louis Obispo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQSdFlr55-I/UUpQg9Xg5pI/AAAAAAAAABA/gyprsA4AHwM/s1600/CBOS4+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQSdFlr55-I/UUpQg9Xg5pI/AAAAAAAAABA/gyprsA4AHwM/s320/CBOS4+copy.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CalPoly SLO VIPs outside the county office with the AmeriCorps Week proclamation in hand.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The VIP team here at CalSERVES kicked off AmeriCorps Week
with a service project, at VIP partner site Catholic Charities, where we cooked
dinner for the sixty people staying at the organization’s Family Support Center.
We also received a proclamation from the Mayor that recognized the collective impact of
AmeriCorps in Santa Rosa. From tutoring at risk
students, to homeless outreach, to family support networks, it was great to see
the broad and meaningful impact of AmeriCorps service in our city being recognized by the City Council.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZIbDAAgveM/UUpQlalRe3I/AAAAAAAAABI/4CgX6CQtXF8/s1600/Cal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZIbDAAgveM/UUpQlalRe3I/AAAAAAAAABI/4CgX6CQtXF8/s320/Cal.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CalSERVES VIPs with other AmeriCorps members receiving a proclamation with the City Council. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m glad to see our VIP program getting the word out and
about. AmeriCorps service is a unique opportunity that is often challenging and
unglamorous, but when we step back and realize our collective impact, it is
clear that our service is important and invaluable to the individuals and
communities we serve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">by Alex Rowan, Local
VIP Leader at CalSERVES</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16333383734526527514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-44138703006054712262013-03-19T12:12:00.000-07:002013-04-09T12:56:42.745-07:00Why not start early? How to get kids started in service:In volunteering it’s all about the three C’s of compassion, caring and community. However, a fourth, and often-neglected ‘C’ could be the most valuable: children.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRajvDv_wuEdcOMfRNqTkYd3oUvqJC_WyZ3rYB9lcqXe7LtpTFattaViNiP6K2ShLk66l0hQE-K-nnY7l32RB8Isb0pWtU3SnDb6vwC97uU2NWIPk0AeRtdQUQiEEutYJviI38YR9PskY/s1600/DEC9AEBD-CE92-4E15-8FF3-99FC9643F96B.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRajvDv_wuEdcOMfRNqTkYd3oUvqJC_WyZ3rYB9lcqXe7LtpTFattaViNiP6K2ShLk66l0hQE-K-nnY7l32RB8Isb0pWtU3SnDb6vwC97uU2NWIPk0AeRtdQUQiEEutYJviI38YR9PskY/s320/DEC9AEBD-CE92-4E15-8FF3-99FC9643F96B.png" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Research has shown that a positive volunteer experience when young will increase the likelihood of that individual continuing engagement as an adult. With the right approach, young people can directly benefit any nonprofit organization. For the youth willing to contribute their energy, proficiency with technology (including social media), and fresh ideas, the benefits their service are numerous.<br />
<br />
Here are some ideas for getting children more involved in service:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Focus on service learning:</b></li>
<ul>
<li>School groups or classes can volunteer together under the direct supervision of a teacher or adult. This can involve conducting an enrichment activity through student-led clubs for those with specific skill-sets, e.g. band members providing instrument lessons for the disabled, educating a retirement community about smartphones, or peer-to-peer groups focusing on anti-bullying techniques.</li>
<li>Established youth organizations can offer a service project they complete as a unit/troop/team, under the supervision of the adult group leader. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Get the whole family involved. </b>Families can volunteer as a multi-generational unit, with parent involvement. This works great on tasks like making crafts, creating artistic performances, preparing food (just no knives for the kids!), painting, cleaning, and other group activities that accommodate varying skill levels.</li>
<li><b>Create a place for "helpers."</b> Have certain duties set aside during community service projects in which kids can act as helpers. At a food bank, "helpers" might include greeters at the door as volunteers or clients sign in. In a nonprofit office, "helpers" can assist office workers by shredding paper, organizing desks, or picking up after activities. Get creative and find roles that directly connect to someone else's role so that the child has some direct supervision.</li>
</ul>
Based on their skills and interests, children can be lend a hand on many projects. Empowering youth volunteers in social work and direct service is exactly what Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the Children, has set out to do. Kielburger was just 12 years old when he took action against child labor and exploitation in Pakistan. Now 30, he is an author and global activist for the rights of children. Check out this interview he did in 2010 in which he discusses the potential that every child can harness:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EAoN0Sx28CI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Are there opportunities for young individuals to contribute to your program?<br />
<br />
<i>This article was written by Cody Cibart, AmeriCorps VIP Statewide Leader at CalSERVES.</i> lauren.serpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13307776455457252971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-50644288450333395452013-03-18T17:09:00.002-07:002013-03-18T17:14:27.192-07:00AmeriCorps Works... for our video contest winner!Congratulations to our AmeriCorps Week video contest winner - the local CalSERVES VIP team! This video speaks for itself - take a look at how AmeriCorps VIP and other programs are making a difference in the lives of the children in the Santa Rosa community. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf9qFe7vE34&list=UU8I-emaVExBm_UWB6gDEo3w&index=1">Take a look on YouTube</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf9qFe7vE34&list=UU8I-emaVExBm_UWB6gDEo3w&index=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCEImnwbW4x7nwnk4Re3ICvC_zSiPJHl28f9OszgpCYTIJ0Pj96s2fQvsFa-Esz3IikidEXJnY3Eq0wgvbEIUh8ipaCHa09p38EN0sH500t_Nmc7XH0HUIarrOv8yQWV4QVCjC-4bV3Q/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-03-18+at+5.11.54+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Note: if the dance sequence at the end of the video didn't make sense - take a look at the recent trend of Harlem Shake videos online!<br />
<br />
We hope you all had a great AmeriCorps Week!lauren.serpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13307776455457252971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-82579605008775095182013-03-14T11:00:00.000-07:002013-03-18T17:15:02.960-07:00AmeriCorps Works... four final photo contest winners!Today we get to announce our final two photo contest winners! Take a look at these great shots:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Winner: Best Volunteer Photo</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEwew6-3TxiRPaU4pExSswWxsDkvTWzjGU8CZCEyeAWGONU8LZJtFeHqfIy7MhHTRn-LYDu8Swh7y3ztSUs8VI0biugcHXSLvneZ7tTiZizPLUvkr0JUNc5w029OOcI4PPCR6WM93YKU/s1600/DSC04918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEwew6-3TxiRPaU4pExSswWxsDkvTWzjGU8CZCEyeAWGONU8LZJtFeHqfIy7MhHTRn-LYDu8Swh7y3ztSUs8VI0biugcHXSLvneZ7tTiZizPLUvkr0JUNc5w029OOcI4PPCR6WM93YKU/s1600/DSC04918.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Our pick for Volunteer Photo comes from Luis Alberto, VIP Fellow at the Boys & Girls Club of Tustin through OneOC. We love seeing young volunteers get excited about service! Luis says, "This is Ori helping to make cupcakes for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin fundraiser." </div>
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<b>Winner: Best Overall Photo </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGimtEcf2chCLpJyOUYq4osu-vh3a-hNJxQrKGpbdACqij5c_PinTtvkA7KiOuzhQtsbs3mF3ThGp6o9PGyvMrtfo2iwuKLJ8b2kvdOMEfLRrnziPLo88nMHUuoDqwsz-4iA_xHOHLWY/s1600/SAM_1273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGimtEcf2chCLpJyOUYq4osu-vh3a-hNJxQrKGpbdACqij5c_PinTtvkA7KiOuzhQtsbs3mF3ThGp6o9PGyvMrtfo2iwuKLJ8b2kvdOMEfLRrnziPLo88nMHUuoDqwsz-4iA_xHOHLWY/s640/SAM_1273.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b>We love this creative photo from VIP Fellow Nick Larson, and we've picked it as our Best Overall Photo! Nick serves with The Link: Youth in Action through Cal Poly SLO. Here is some of what Nick had to say about this photo:</div>
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<i>"One of the most difficult populations with whom I have ever worked is eighth grade boys. I discovered this while taking a group of six middle school students on an overnight camping trip with students who are part of a gang prevention program for at-risk youth. They were a group with very-little-to-no previous experience with activities like kayaking, hiking, and camping, not to mention being away from computers, tv, videogames, and phones. These boys were not perfect angels, but they showed up and participated gladly. Two days and one night in the great outdoors definitely made an impact on them. Two weeks later, they still talked about it. The boys experienced something completely new, their faces revealed a light, and now there are new possibilities that life can bring them."</i></div>
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Congratulations to Luis and Nick! You've got some prizes headed your way!</div>
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Now, hold on to the edge of your seat... our video contest winner will be announced next week...</div>
lauren.serpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13307776455457252971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-24466662860260370282013-03-13T11:00:00.000-07:002013-03-13T11:00:05.164-07:00AmeriCorps Works... for our (first 2) photo contest winners!Thank you to all of the creative VIP Fellows who entered in to our AmeriCorps Week photo and video contest! We're proud to announce a couple of our winners today... drumroll please!<br />
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<b>Winner: Best Service Photo</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_AxETyt-ur5x0n-hZZRlyoE7Ewd2K29rfEwXiskMrQNHdyZLnuDQ_ko2ho9r_TUwxd8qhhGjmb-uCDjNmn1pMecP0NYtcxJltRM6NfoLhfjiwdrtO5iyhfEJ6yi39ckAde4gV3H2u48/s1600/28+Amy+Chi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_AxETyt-ur5x0n-hZZRlyoE7Ewd2K29rfEwXiskMrQNHdyZLnuDQ_ko2ho9r_TUwxd8qhhGjmb-uCDjNmn1pMecP0NYtcxJltRM6NfoLhfjiwdrtO5iyhfEJ6yi39ckAde4gV3H2u48/s640/28+Amy+Chi.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VIP Fellow Amy Chi (left) with volunteers for Western Youth Services.</td></tr>
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Our winning Service Photo comes from Amy Chi, VIP Fellow with Western Youth Services through OneOC. Here's what Amy says about this picture: <br />
<i>"The name of this event is the Valentine's Day Card Project. For a week Western Youth Services, a nonprofit mental health organization, coordinated a card project for Valentine's Day. We wanted to provide an opportunity for the children who seek our services to work on a fun activity and to reflect on the meaning of the holiday. We were able to collect a large array of colorful, thoughtful, and very lovely slips [from the kids]. On Valentine's Day, we took all 241 slips over to Soka University in Aliso Viejo, where students volunteered their time and helped us turn all the slips into beautiful cards." </i></div>
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<b>Winner: Best Member Photo</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjg8x2LYaHIOUACRw8EhQV-uChXut6piprtsZ87gP6QKIss7QNCueGrn6OY-DlslrNzqa7hvzRv75FhMd37sObiwJcBVG23lBeCnecX8xIVDK2J1ISyhc9MkTcespIo3_8bmDpw1CEQJY/s1600/Tyler+House+After+Hannah+Elliott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjg8x2LYaHIOUACRw8EhQV-uChXut6piprtsZ87gP6QKIss7QNCueGrn6OY-DlslrNzqa7hvzRv75FhMd37sObiwJcBVG23lBeCnecX8xIVDK2J1ISyhc9MkTcespIo3_8bmDpw1CEQJY/s640/Tyler+House+After+Hannah+Elliott.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a>Our pick for Member Photo comes from Hannah Elliott, VIP Fellow with the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center throug<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">h Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz.<b> </b><span style="font-size: small;"></span>This picture depicts Hannah (on the far left<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>in <span style="font-size: small;">her AmeriCorps gray <span style="font-size: small;">T-shirt</span>) </span>with the group
of volunteers that gathered to build a garden at Tyler House, a residential
substance abuse recovery program for teens.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Congratulations, A<span style="font-size: small;">my and Hannah! Keep a lookout for some prizes coming your way in the near future<span style="font-size: small;">!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out our blog tomorrow to see our final two photo contest winners<span style="font-size: small;">...</span></span> </span></span><style>
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lauren.serpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13307776455457252971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-4645896802132746012013-03-12T11:34:00.000-07:002013-03-12T11:34:00.234-07:00AmeriCorps Works... for those Made in AmeriCorpsJoin <a href="http://www.americorpsalums.org/" target="_blank">AmeriCorps Alums</a> in showcasing how individuals and communities have been "Made in AmeriCorps." Get some tips on joining their effort <a href="http://www.americorpsalums.org/?acweek2013" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />lauren.serpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13307776455457252971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506420175360422291.post-32120888146194132802013-03-11T12:04:00.000-07:002013-03-11T12:04:00.049-07:00AmeriCorps Works... for individualsEver wonder why AmeriCorps works? Take a look at "Woodlande's Story" for a little piece of what makes AmeriCorps so impactful.<br />
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