Welcome to the new year!

Congratulations to the 2012-13 VIP Fellow crew for making it to the end of the first week of the service term!

This year, our program includes 140 AmeriCorps members serving across 16 California counties.  VIP Fellows will send the upcoming year of service building sustainable volunteer programs at not-for-profit organizations such as food banks, school, women's shelters, libraries, and others that bring services to California's highest-need children and families.

Throughout the year, it is our goal to connect 16,800 volunteers who will give 84,000 hours of service to those most in need in our state.  We are excited to see all the great things we can get done with all of that effort!

Cheers to an inspiring new year!

AmeriCorps VIP Hits Chicago for National Conference on Volunteering

Bryan, right, with HOIE staff members Denise and Megan at the conference

 By Bryan Nakawaki, AmeriCorps VIP Leader at HandsOn Inland Empire

Between June 17^th and 20^th, I attended the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago, Illinois—an event that proved hugely educational! Over the four-day period I attended sessions discussing service-learning, disaster preparedness, best practices in volunteer management, and a variety of other informative and useful topics. I also had the chance to learn about a number of non-profit organizations doing great work across the country, including the Israel Idonije Foundation, founded by a member of the Chicago Bears.

Especially interesting was a series of discussions on how to engage youth in volunteerism, sponsored by Generation On. Through this series, I was able to learn how to deeply engage youth in service and how to develop projects that tap into the social, emotional, and psychological needs of students so they walk away as powerful agents of change. After attending this series, I was anxious to get back to the Inland Empire to put these valuable strategies to use!  

After each day of the conference, the team from HandsOn Inland Empire and I also tried to immerse ourselves in the city, visiting iconic landmarks (Willis Tower, Soldier Field, the Cloud Gate sculpture), watching some of the local sports teams, and tasting the city’s signature pizza and hot dogs.

Both culturally and practically, the conference offered me a tremendous chance to grow as a person and a volunteer organizer. To say that I simply feel more prepared to lead volunteers and engage citizens in acts of volunteerism would be an understatement. I also feel more knowledgeable about the challenges our nation faces and how we, as a team, can combat them.

This conference was nothing short of an incredible experience, and I look forward to attending future conferences in cities throughout the country! 

Ongoing Training for Volunteers: 6 ideas to get you started

VIP Americorps member Mira Fielding with volunteers from her partner site, Circle of Sisters, at the 8th Annual Power of Know Conference put on by the Women’s and Gender Studies students at Sonoma State University

Ongoing volunteers provide invaluable support to your organization - so do them a favor and help mix up their volunteer experience by providing some ongoing training!  Help them learn more skills, grow personally or professionally, or learn more about your organization's cause.  Go beyond the basic training and orientation to give them a special training experience that shows them that you care and are invested in them.

Having trouble finding training topics to provide to those volunteers who have been around for a while?   Here are 5 quick tips to get you started:

1. Ask your volunteers what they want to learn about.  Volunteers will be more invested in the training and appreciate it more if it is a topic they are interested in.
2. Ask your organization's staff what they would like volunteers to know.  The people who work with volunteers day-to-day will have a good idea of what additional skills could really help your organization.
3. Provide training on leadership.  Your dedicated volunteers are great candidates for volunteer leaders who can help train, orient, or recruit others to get involved in the organization.  Help them get started by boosting their confidence with some leadership skills.
4. Take your volunteers with you to a training you are going to attend.
5. Invite volunteers to the organization's staff trainings.
6. Check out available workshops and trainings at your local volunteer center, chamber of commerce, or university.  You may as well take advantage of trainings that are already offered in your area!

Keep your volunteers happy!

There is some great wisdom in today's Volunteer Match blog article about keeping volunteers happy.  Their three overarching tips for keeping volunteers at their best? Learn what motivates them, engage them in two-way communication, and show your appreciation for them.


How do you keep your volunteers happy?