Families Can Make a Holiday Difference for Those in Care Facilities

Here’s Your Project:

Make festive decorations to donate to a senior center, homeless shelter, or community organization.

Supply List:

• Construction paper

• Scissors

• Glue

• Glitter

• Yarn

• Felt

• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils

How To Do It!

1. Contact a community organization and ask if they will accept homemade decorations. Ask if they have any rules about what the decorations can be made out of.

2. Arrange how you will deliver the decorations: by mail or by dropping them off.

3. Decide what decorations you will make. Snowflakes, snowmen, bows, and candy canes are all festive items that can be made out of paper or felt. Try some of our Internet Resources below for instructions.

4. Try making one of your decorations to work out any problems. Estimate how many you will be making so you know how many materials you will need.

5. Deliver your decorations. Take photos or ask for photos of the decorations being displayed.

6. Share the success of your project and thank everyone involved!

Preflection:

Before your volunteer project, ask these questions to be clear about what the goals and expectations are. If you are part of a group, talk about why you are doing a service project. Here are questions to guide your thinking or discussion:

1. Who are we helping?

2. Why are we helping them?

3. How are we helping them?

4. What are we most excited about?

5. What might be tough or challenging about our project?

6. What are everyone’s jobs during the project? What do we each have to do?

Reflection:

After your volunteer project, it is important to reflect on the experience. Ask these questions or, if you are part of a group, do the Whip Around reflection activity:

Reflection Questions

1. How did our project help people?

2. What worked well about our project?

3. What can we do better next time?

4. What is our next service project?

Pledge this project for the Holiday Gift Campaign and Hasbro will donate a toy through Toys for Tots on behalf of each person helping with your project before December 13, 2011! (Up to 100,000 toys!) http://www.generationon.org/global/big-happenings/holiday-gift-campaign

Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

·         Volunteers are needed to introduce new sports and recreational games to youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Black Hawk County. Volunteers are needed 3-7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 2-7 p.m. Wednesdays. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome. 

·         Care Initiatives Hospice is seeking volunteers to join the team as office assistant. Responsibilities include answering telephones, filing, and database entry. Opportunities exist Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

·         The Catholic Worker House needs volunteers to help with general maintenance. Opportunities exist daily with flexible times. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         On December 16 and 17, Waterloo West, Waterloo East, and Waterloo Columbus High Schools, will host the "Battle of Waterloo". Volunteers are needed for tickets, merchandise, brackets, hospitality, and runners. There are two volunteer shifts per day; 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 - 10:00 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at
272-2087 or access http://www.vccv.org/ for a complete listing of
volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley!

Thanksgiving: Thank a volunteer today

In this season of thanks, let’s all take a long look around us at the people, leaders and volunteers who give of their time and talents to help better our families and communities.  How many different activities are your kids involved in? How often do you run across a volunteer in your day-to-day life?

Have you thanked a Volunteer today?
Even better, take a minute and see if you can do something for that volunteer, offer your time, and become a volunteer for a day in the life of the volunteers of YOUR life!


• Scouts—If your kids are in Girl or Boy Scouts, ask the leader what you can do to help in December with service or holiday themed meetings. Can you shop for supplies, help with a service project, bring snacks or rally parents for a troop potluck?  Help from work by offering to setup a free online signup sheet making it easier for more parents to pitch in and help.
  
   
• Clubs-- What types of after school activities or clubs are your kids involved in? Piano lessons? Chess Team? Choir, Band, Debate, Drama, etc…?  Send each of the teachers or volunteers a special thank you note for their time and effort and ask them how you can help.  Maybe they could use extra hands setting up before the kids get there, or cleaning up afterwards? You AND your kids can pitch in, and that will help your kids appreciate what these teachers do for them!
  
   
• Team Sports—Fall sports are winding down and winter teams are getting into gear; think about all the time your kid’s coach spent teaching and encouraging your child with volleyball, swim team, soccer or peewee football…. Give your coach a call and say Thank You! Offer to help organize an end-of-season celebration – anything from a simple treat to a small party.
  
   
• Worship Leaders—From Sunday School teachers to Youth Group Leaders, Pastors, Choir Leaders and Committee Chairs, find a way to say thank you this year to the important people in your world of worship. A simple face-to-face thank you or handwritten note of appreciation speaks volumes and feels great.
  
   
• Nonprofit Volunteers—What organizations and causes are important to you and your family?  Call and ask how you can help – often nonprofits need extra hands during the holiday season. If they don’t need your service directly, consider baking a treat, writing thank you notes or gathering small gift cards as a show of gratitude for the volunteer leaders at the causes you care about.
  
   
• Community Volunteers—Think about all the festivals, carnivals, parades, and various holiday occasions where hosts of volunteers sweep in to create memorable events for your whole community!  It might be impractical to thank them all, but you could write a thank you letter to your Town Council, or write an open letter to the editor of your city newspaper thanking all the people that help make your community special.

By Karen Bantuveris, VolunteerSpot.com

Youth Volunteerism

Studies have shown that children who volunteer from an early age adopt healthy lifestyle choices, learn life skills and continue to volunteer into adulthood.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley helps children to begin volunteering as early as pre-school, with projects designed for ages five through eighteen years old. The VCCV provides all the information and resources needed to get children involved and stay committed. Staff is available by email or phone to give personal assistance regarding volunteerism.

What kind of support do youth get?
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley leads different service projects each month. These projects include step-by-step instructions, compassion and issues education, meeting activities, additional resources related to the project and information on possible partners. These projects are centered on issues such as literacy, hunger, poverty, the sick, and the elderly or seasons of service such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Earth Day and Veterans Day.

To get involved in youth volunteerism, call Jean Seeland at 272-2087.

In the Spotlight - Birthright

Birthright provides caring, non-judgmental support to girls and women who are distressed by an unplanned pregnancy. Using its own resources and those of the community, Birthright offers positive and loving alternatives. Birthright presents many services and refers for many more. They provide friendship and emotional support, free pregnancy testing and maternity and baby clothes. They also give information and referrals to help clients meet legal, medical, financial, and housing needs. Birthright treats each woman as an individual who deserves kindness and respect, as well as personal attention to her unique situation. All Birthright services are free, absolutely confidential, and available to any woman regardless of age, race, creed, economic or marital status.

Volunteer opportunities throughout the year consist of Newsletter Editor, Hotline Volunteer, Newsletter Contributor, Office Volunteer, Speaker, Volunteer Appreciation/Recognition and Thank You Note Writer. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer!

In the Spotlight - ASPIRE TRP

ASPIRE Therapeutic Riding Program benefits individuals with disabilities through animal assisted activities and outreach programs.

Volunteer opportunities throughout the year consist of Clerical Assistance, Committee and Board Positions, Cowboy Breakfast Volunteers, Database Entry, Horse Stall Assistance, Leaders and Sidewalkers, Open House and Parade Volunteers.

Volunteers and Interns are the heart of ASPIRE. ASPIRE is largely dependent on volunteers and interns to operate this program each year. ASPIRE has only 4 paid staff and the rest are volunteers. Volunteers provide us with over 5,000 hours each year. 

Volunteers age 16 and over are needed for most volunteer positions.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

·         Lowell Elementary has 73 families on the adopt-a-family list and is seeking organizations and individuals who are willing to adopt them for the holidays. A detailed “wish list” of items that the family needs will be provided. All items need to be wrapped and delivered to Lowell by Wednesday, December 21st.

·         Allen Hospital needs Patient Escorts to greet incoming patients, families and visitors. Volunteers will provide assistance with directions and deliveries, may push visitors or discharged patients in wheelchairs, and work closely with other volunteers and staff. Opportunities exist Monday through Friday in four hour shifts from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Volunteers ages 16 and over are welcome.

·         Alternatives Pregnancy Center is looking for volunteers to assist with sorting, mending or laundering donations and making sure that they are in good condition for our clients. Opportunities exist Monday through Thursday with flexible times. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

·         Birthright has a special newsletter for all those involved with this wonderful organization and they need writers! Opportunities exist Monday – Friday with flexible times. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at
272-2087 or access http://www.vccv.org/ for a complete listing of
volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley!

Application for Home Repair Assistance

We are now seeking applications for qualified Owner Occupied Homeowners in Waterloo. The From the Heart: Waterloo Home Enhancement Project is a Co-Sponsor Agreement between various Waterloo Agencies, Community Members, and Group Workcamp Foundation. This partnership will lead to the repair and improvement of up to 65 homes in Waterloo, Iowa. Group Workcamps are weeklong home-repair projects involving volunteers from youth groups recruited by Group Workcamps.

During the week of July 15 – July 21, 2012, more than 400 senior high youth from across the nation will arrive with their youth groups in Waterloo, along with adult supervisors and Group Workcamps staff, to repair and/or paint up to 60-80 homes. The service is provided free of charge through the hard work of many volunteers.

Who is Eligible?

􀂾 Residents (that either own their own home, or are currently buying the home) living within

Waterloo city limits with homes in obvious need of repair.

􀂾 And, who are unable to do the work themselves due to physical and/or financial situations.

􀂾 And, who have no other means of getting the work completed.

􀂾 Please note, the homes must provide an environment that will be socially and physically safe for the teen volunteers.

The volunteers will spend five days repairing housing units for homeowners located in Waterloo and whose households are either low income, or have a member that is elderly or has disabilities.

The types of repairs this project will work on are: porch and step repair & limited construction, wheelchair ramp construction, interior and exterior painting, weatherization & caulking, light carpentry, siding repair.

Please complete the application and return application by January 27th at noon to:

Operation Threshold

From the Heart

1535 Lafayette

PO Box 4120

Waterloo, IA 50704

Applications will be reviewed on a First Come First Served Basis! To be eligible for consideration please return ASAP.Applicants meeting the deadline will be contacted by a representative of From the Heart regarding your application.

For more information please contact Janet Wessels, Waterloo Housing Authority at 233-0201.

The Benefits of Family Volunteering

Volunteering as a family has numerous benefits, including:

-teaches children the values of kindness, empathy and giving back;
-empowers children to become leaders of change in their communities;
-showcases and hones the talents of family members as they work on issues they feel passionate about;
-builds problem solving skills and strengthens communication within the whole family;
-provides a fun way for families to make memories together while making significant contributions to their communities.


For more on volunteer opportunities visit http://www.vccv.org/volunteers/news_events.asp.

Join the VCCV as a Business Partner

At the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, we believe corporate initiatives that give back to the communities in which they operate and where their employees work and live, are reinforced by their alignment with an excellent volunteer and philanthropy program.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is the primary resource for workplace-based volunteering and for engaging more companies and employees effectively in volunteer service. We help businesses develop and manage effective employee volunteer programs that meet company priorities, address employee interests and meet real community needs. Throughout the Cedar Valley, we are working with our corporate partners to improve lives and create positive change in local communities.

If your organization is interested in participating, please contact Lauren Finke at 272-2087.

Service Learning Projects in the Schools

Students across the Cedar Valley are busy planning and implementing service learning projects.

Seniors at Don Bosco High School are developing reciprocal relationships with the residents of Friendship Village. The students visit the residents and become acquainted while participating in activities and then the residents will attend the fall play at Don Bosco High School. Another class at Don Bosco High School is producing a pet care handbook to give to elementary students. They will also make educational presentations regarding pet care to the elementary students.

Students at Central Middle School have visited Parkview Nursing Home and Rehab to help celebrate Halloween and play games.

The Do Something Clubs have bagged dog and cat food for the Cedar Bend Humane Society and Northeast Iowa Food Bank, written thank you letters to firefighters, made cards for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, cleaned litter from their campuses, and brought joy and laughter to residents of a retirement home.

We have six classes currently in the beginning stages of service-learning. There will be many more wonderful projects to share next month.

For more information on service-learning contact Jean Seeland at 272-2087 or jean_seeland@vccv.org.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

·         Lowell Elementary has 73 families on the adopt-a-family list and is seeking organizations and individuals who are willing to adopt them for the holidays. A detailed “wish list” of items that the family needs will be provided. All items need to be wrapped and delivered to Lowell by Wednesday, December 21st.

·         The Waterloo Healthy Lifestyles Center needs volunteers age 18 and over to deliver hot meals to homebound, frail, and elderly residents in Waterloo. Volunteers will provide their own vehicle and auto insurance.

·         Western Home Communities needs activity assistants to routinely plan events and activities that take residents out and about in our community. Volunteers will assist residents and employees in boarding one of our Western Home buses, assisting with doors, wheelchairs and walkers if necessary and providing social companionship for residents on the excursion. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         Allen Hospice needs volunteers to spend time reading to and visiting with patients or providing respite care to allow family caregivers a break. Support work may include helping with mailings and other special projects. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at
272-2087 or access www.vccv.org for a complete listing of
volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley!

We Need Holiday Volunteer Opportunities!

We recognize that it’s early in the season, but just like the large retailers, it’s time to think holiday volunteer needs and opportunities. Please add any holiday related events that your nonprofit has planned for Thanksgiving through the New Year to Volunteer Solutions.

Attached is the form for opportunity additions. You’re welcome to post them on Volunteer Solutions or we’re happy to assist you. If you have any questions or concerns please let Anne Nass know and she’ll do her best to help you. Contact Anne at anne_nass@vccv.org with questions or concerns.

Young Leaders in Action Fall Conference

The Young Leaders in Action Fall Conference was October 25 at UNI. The theme of the conference was “If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything.” The keynote speaker was Sean Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Approximately 300 youth from the Cedar Valley attended.

A highlight and culminating activity of the conference was the opportunity for the students to participate in service learning projects. This year students bagged food items for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, bagged dog and cat food to be given away by the Food Bank, made pet blankets for the Cedar Bend Humane Society, made book marks for a new group called Passing Along Love and Smiles, and did a variety of projects for Together For Youth.

Family Volunteer Day, November 19!

Family Volunteer Day is a day of service designed to demonstrate the power of families volunteering together. Celebrated annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Day “kicks off” the holiday season with giving and service on November 19, 2011.

Discover the joys of service with your children and give back to others in a big way during the holidays. As the message of ‘getting’ is being broadcast on every kid channel and families are getting pulled into the chaos of the season, make plans now to invest family time in ‘giving back’.

When you volunteer together as a family, your kids will learn that their actions can make an important difference in the lives of others and they will remember the experience well after the last sugar cookie is nibbled or the twinkling lights dim.

Serving as a family builds on kids’ natural capacity for kindness, teaches them to think of others and to recognize their own blessings. Especially during these tough economic times, helping others feels good puts our own family hardships into perspective. Volunteering together also provides meaningful memories and positive family traditions.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is National Family Volunteer Day. It’s the perfect opportunity to kick off your holiday giving season! Check in with the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to see all the volunteering activities available for November 19^th. Or start your own family service project — include friends and neighbors!

10 Simple service activities for kids of all ages:

 Younger Kids

· Decorate reusable grocery bags and fill them with their favorite non-perishable food items for the NE Iowa Food Bank 

· Stuff new, warm socks with water bottles and granola bars to give to homeless men and women at the Salvation Army or Catholic Worker House.

· Decorate holiday cards for soldiers overseas. Iowa’s Bravest will deliver letters postmarked before Dec. 10, 2010. 

· Box up their gently used clothing to donate to your local shelter.

Older Kids

· Donate their gently used books and DVDs to a local children’s unit at the hospital.  

· Make holiday decorations and cards and then sing carols for nursing home residents. Call ahead to schedule a visit. 

· Engage a team of secret friends to clandestinely rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor for a whole month. 

· Collect used towels and pet toys for the local animal shelter. 

· Host a hot chocolate or cider stand and donate the proceeds to a charity of their choosing. 

· Adopt a family for the holidays through a local business or faith group, and have your kids help shop for that family.

Making it a Habit

Volunteering as a family while kids are young develops a positive service habit that sticks long into adulthood. Use the following four tips to help ensure your kids understand the impact of their good deeds. 

· Celebrate your service!

· If donating goods or money to a local charity, deliver the items with your kids in person so they can better internalize how they helped make a difference.

· Be sure to talk about your family’s service experience. Discuss what you did, why you did it, how it felt, and what you learned. 

Build on your kids’ enthusiasm and right then choose your next service project together.

For local volunteer opportunites call the VCCV at 272-2087.

Volunteers needed!

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley will be working concessions at UNI as fundraising events. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed to assist with concessions at the UNI Dome for the IHSAA Football Semifinals and Championships on Friday, November 11, Monday, November 14, and/or Friday, November 18 @ 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., 1:00 – 5:00, or 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Volunteers age 16 and over are also needed to assist with concessions at the McLeod Center on Tuesday, December 6 @ 5:30 p.m., for the Men’s Basketball Game vs. Iowa.

Call Lauren at 272-2087 if you or your business can be of assistance providing volunteers.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• The VA Voluntary Service needs van drivers to provide transportation to and from the Iowa City VA. Volunteers age 21 and over are needed once per week or as available from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• If you are 55 or older, the Waterloo Schools is seeking Prime Time Volunteers to volunteer 1-2 hours a week as a Reading Buddy to children in 1st grade who are participating in the Reading Recovery program. Volunteers will be matched one to one with students, assisting them with their reading assignments and providing support and encouragement to succeed in the program. All activities will take place during the school day. Schools participating in the program include: Highland, Cunningham, Edison, Lowell, Poyner, Irving and Lincoln.

• Volunteers are needed at the Waterloo Community Schools Foundation to enter database information into computer programs. Hours are flexible. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• The Waterloo Convention and Visitor's Bureau is seeking volunteers to greet incoming and outbound passengers by providing visitor information, maps, and assistance with in-city travel. Various shifts are available 7 days a week based on arriving and departing airline schedule. Orientation & training provided onsite. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at
272-2087 or access www.vccv.org for a complete listing of
volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley!

Iowa Nonprofit Summit 2011

 

Don't miss this exciting, educational and invaluable conference for Iowa nonprofits and volunteer management professionals!  Use the website below to view the evolving agenda, access award nomination information, and find lodging information for the conference to be held on Tuesday, November 15 at 9:00 a.m. through Wednesday, November 16, at 4:15 p.m. at the Iowa State University / Scheman Building in Ames.

 

WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDE:

· Disaster preparedness

· National service

· Effectively operating a nonprofit

· Communications/social media

· Resource development

· Grant management

· P&P training (Iowa Principles and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence)

· Service-learning

· Volunteer management

· Risk management and legal issues

· Days of Service

· Building community partners

· Special sessions for AmeriCorps directors and members

· Workshops of interest to youth, mentoring programs, and Senior Corps directors

... and MORE!

Iowa Non-profit Summit details:  http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=967824

UNI Volunteer Tuesdays

The University of Northern Iowa’s Student Leadership Center has partnered with the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to promote Volunteer Tuesdays! Each Tuesday in the month of November, 40 students take the “Volunteer Bus” to a variety of sites throughout the Cedar Valley to volunteer.

The “Volunteer Bus” departs campus two times each Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Each student receives beverages and snacks and a t-shirt. Registration has begun for the following opportunities:

Tuesday, November 12 - 5 p.m. Northeast Iowa Food bank - Students will assist with packing weekend food sacks for the backpack program
5 - 8 p.m. Letter writing to service men/women

Tuesday, November 8
House of Hope

Tuesday, November 15 2 - 5 p.m. Community Main Street Cedar Falls Holiday Decorating
5 - 8 p.m. Northeast Iowa Food Bank - Students will assist with packing weekend food sacks for the backpack program.

Tuesday, November 29

Storks Nest Blanket Project

All UNI students are encouraged to participate. Simply fill out the RSVP at http://www.uni.edu/siac/online-forms/slc-volunteer-tuesdays/index.shtml to secure your spot. You will receive a confirmation via e-mail.

If your organization is interested in participating, please contact Lauren Finke at 272-2087 or Lauren_Finke@vccv.org.