Featured Volunteer - Ben Jacobson

Ben Jacobson is a great sport both on and off the court! Serving as a board member with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, Ben goes above and beyond to help the kids at the Club. Some examples include: allowing club members to coach for a day and let them sit with the team during the game, run fundraising projects with the team, was a major contributor for the Coach Jake Party, led a basketball clinic for some of the Club members, and the list continues. Ben’s dedication and compassion for the club members earned him a nomination by Chuck Rowe for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Ben!

2013 Women of Worth Call For Nominations Opened Yesterday!

Now through June 14, nominate a brave, bold and inspiring woman you know who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in her community.

Who is a Woman of Worth?
In 2006, L'Oréal Paris launched the Women of Worth program to celebrate everyday women who follow their true passion to make a difference in the world. L'Oréal Paris supports these inspiring women by raising awareness for their causes and celebrating their passion through grants. Every year, ten women are selected and recognized for their extraordinary efforts to serve their communities. These Women of Worth selflessly give their time, energy and passion to causes close to their hearts.

L'Oréal Paris will make a $10,000 donation to each of this year's selected Honorees to support their work! Additionally, one Woman of Worth Honoree and her cause will be recognized as the 2013 Women of Worth National Honoree. She will be selected via public vote and her charity will receive an additional donation of $25,000.

Nominate at www.womenofworth.com

 

 

 

Appetite for Service Benefits!

Don't you wish that you had attended Appetite For Service and bid on receiving a homemade pie each month? This month is Patriotic Pie - cherry & blueberry! (To be eaten with vanilla ice cream)

Donated and baked by Ellen Vanderloo.

 

 

You too can bid on delicious items like this. Plan to attend next year!

Contact Lauren at 319-272-2087 for more information.

Mayors’ Top Teen Awards Outcome 2013

The 15th annual Mayors' Top Teen Awards and Mother Moon Service Scholarships were presented by the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley April 23 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. The awards program recognizes outstanding youth volunteers in the Cedar Valley.

Criteria included demonstrating excellence in volunteerism in the Cedar Valley and a setting a good example as a role model for others. Teens ages 13-18 are eligible for the award.

This year, 32 youth were nominated by various organizations for their outstanding efforts in volunteering. Recipients were from Cedar Falls, Denver, Dunkerton, Evansdale, Garrison, Gilbertville, Hudson, La Porte City, and Waterloo.

The 2013 nominees were Hannah Ackerman, Kathryn Bailey*, Steven Baridon*, Elizabeth Breitkreuz, Tatyana Breitkreuz, Mary Carroll, Brandi Even, Brianna Farley, Sara Fread, Jacob Gubbrud, Rachel Hicks*, Olivia Jorgensen*, Quentin Judas, Alyssa Klahsen, Halle Knox, Sophia Mallaro, Christy McClain*, Lindsay McGonegle, Ben Merz, Lauren Nelson, Robert Nelson*, Holly Prohaska*, Nicholas Rafferty*, Laura Relph, Ahmad Shehata, Derek Skiles, Nicholas Skiles, Elizabeth Swanson, Leah Visokey, Sarah Wallace*, Shanie Wiedenhoff, and Kayla Wiley. (* denotes Mother Moon recipients)

 

The awards program is sponsored by the cities of Cedar Falls, Dunkerton, Evansdale, Gilbertville, Hudson, La Porte City, Raymond, and Waterloo, the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, RJ McElroy Trust, and the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley works to promote and support effective volunteerism and to serve as the resource and coordination center for volunteers and community partnerships.

To secure volunteer opportunities call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org or Volunteer Solutions.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• JA Titan is an interactive online business simulation that offers a unique way for young people to learn what it takes to compete in the marketplace and to run a successful business. On May 1 Junior Achievement mentors will act as CEO of their ‘virtual’ company from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

 

• The Grout Museum District needs volunteers to work as Museum School Assistants on May 1 and 7 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. This volunteer opportunity will be to assist staff with activities in regard to the printing press and an industry assembly line. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

 

• Mallard Point Retirement needs volunteers Sunday, May 5th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. to help out with Craft Day. Volunteers will be focusing on making cards from up-cycling old cards and making new with craft materials. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

 

• Waterloo Community Schools is hosting the middle school Metro Track Meet on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Central (Memorial Stadium) from 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed to sell tickets, work the concession stand and move track equipment.

 

 
Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

 

Mayors’ Volunteer Awards 2013

Volunteers from throughout the Cedar Valley were honored Tuesday during the Mayors' Volunteer Awards.

This year, 27 people were nominated by various organizations for their outstanding efforts in volunteering. From the nominees, the mayors of Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evansdale chose 12 award winners. The categories included devoted volunteers, emerging volunteers and lifetime volunteers.

Listed below are the winners and the organizations that nominated them.

Volunteer Award:
• James Brown Jr. - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa
• Rosie Bullerman - Cedar Valley Hospice
• Sean Hylton - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa
• Linnea Nicol - Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children's Theatre
• Walter Senchina - Northeast Iowa Food Bank

Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award:
• Karin Rowe - Boys and Girls Club of the Cedar Valley
• Rob Miller - Boys and Girls Club of the Cedar Valley

Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award:
• Lorraine Clark - Friendship Village
• Dick Douglas - Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare
• Sid Morris - Western Home Communities
• Maxine Morrison - North Start Community Services
• Ruth and Larry Orth - Ellen Vanderloo/Waterloo Schools

KWWL's Danielle Wagner was this year's emcee.

The awards program is sponsored by the cities of Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Waterloo, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber Ambassadors, and the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley works to promote and support effective volunteerism and to serve as the resource and coordination center for volunteers and community partnerships.

To secure volunteer opportunities call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org or Volunteer Solutions.

 

Featured Volunteer - Don Ostert

Don Ostert is a volunteer with many great ideas! Serving on the Building committee and Harley Party Committee at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, Don has inspired many ideas and is quick to volunteer for anything that will benefit the club. Don is also quick to step into leadership roles such as Chair of the Teen Center Facility, which is a project he has passion for. Don’s passion to help others has earned him a nomination by Chuck Rowe for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Don!

Feature Volunteer - Bill Kugler

Bill Kugler is the definition of a “constructive” volunteer! The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley has greatly benefited from Bill’s work on not only replanting a playground in two weeks, but also with their willingness to help build a new teen center geared toward high school students. The playground is loved by the kids and the new teen center will be a great resource for at-risk teens. Because of all his hard work and dedication, Bill was nominated by Chuck Rowe of the Boys & Girls Club for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Bill!

Earth Day Volunteer Opportunity

Featured Volunteer - Phil Kenealy

Phil Kenealy is a dedicated and passionate volunteer who loves helping others! Serving on the Finance Committee for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, Phil also volunteered his time and offered his own resources to revamp the server room and computers to save the Club a lot of money. Phil also visits Thailand consistently to help build houses for people who live in poverty. Commitment to helping others is what Phil does and he does it well. His hard work has been does not go unnoticed and that’s why he was nominated by Chuck Rowe for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Phil!

National Volunteer Week and Global Youth Service Day at UNI - April 27

As a part of National Volunteer Week and Global Youth Service Day, UNI students are invited on April 27^th from 9 – noon to assist with a variety of service projects in the Cedar Valley community, including the beatification of several community gardens throughout Waterloo and Cedar Falls, and trash collection/clean up of Viking Road and a portion of Highway 20. Volunteers Must Register at www.uni.edu/involvement.

 

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Hartman Reserve’s Earth Fair is a free and family-friendly event that focuses attention and effort towards caring for our environment being held on April 21 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed to assist with canoeing/kayaking, possible tree planting and trash cleanup. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Culture Fest is April 25 from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. Volunteers are needed from 4:15 - 7:30 p.m. to assist with a variety of activities including passing out programs, assisting food vendors, notifying performing groups of performance times, and guiding people and answering questions. Volunteers age 16 and older are welcome.

• The Northeast Iowa Food Bank is holding the Kick the Can 5K Run/Walk on April 27 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed to assist with registration and packet pick-up, food and beverage, course route, finish line, bus station and water station. Volunteers age 16 and older are welcome.

• The Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District will be hold the spring Snapshot Event on April 27. Volunteers will meet at the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau at 9:00 a.m., be given instructions on IOWATER monitoring, split into groups, given folders with site locations and directions and sent out to collect water quality data. Volunteers will be trained on proper water quality data collection methods. This event will take place rain or shine. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Featured Volunteer - Kent McCausland

Kent McCausland is quick to volunteer and learn new things! Serving on the Board of Directors as well as multiple committees with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, Kent has had many opportunities to learn new things while supporting the Club. Currently, he serves as head of the Finance Committee, Vice President of the Board, and other event planning committees. Kent’s dedication to the Boys & Girls Club got him nominated by Chuck Rowe for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Kent!

Featured Volunteer - Rob Miller

Rob Miller is an outstanding volunteer! The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley has greatly benefited from having Rob a part of their mentor program. Rob loves hanging out with the kids and always has great activities planned such as decorating pumpkins, baking pizza, or making a model car. His dedication and commitment to go above and beyond expectations got him recognized by Chuck Rowe to be nominated for the Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Rob!

Global Youth Service Day – April 26

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley ISU Extension and Outreach, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, and Green Iowa AmeriCorps will lead young people in Global Youth Service Day, an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. Established in 1988, Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world, and the only day of service dedicated to youth. GYSD is celebrated each year in over 100 countries. This year GYSD will be on April 26-28.

 

Each year, millions of youth around the world work together with schools, youth organizations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, volunteer and national service programs, government agencies, faith communities, and other individuals to address the world’s most critical issues and change their communities on Global Youth Service Day.

 

The ISU Extension and Outreach, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, Green Iowa AmeriCorps and the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley have planned an activity that contributes to the well-being of the community. The Garden Project is an activity for youth of all ages and is designed to prepare gardens in Waterloo. Youth are asked to meet in front of Walnut Court Apartments, 315 Walnut Street, Waterloo at 4:00 on April 26. The event will conclude at 6:00 p.m.  All materials needed for the project will be provided although students should wear work clothes. Refreshments served to participants following work.

Many communities use Global Youth Service Day as a component for youth service. “Because of the economic downturn, needs in our community are particularly great right now. Addressing the challenge of mobilizing youth and resources to solve community problems will take a sustained effort, and we hope many who are serving on April 26 will make an ongoing commitment to serve throughout the year, said Jean Seeland, Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley Program Coordinator.

 

Global Youth Service Day is held during National Volunteer Week, April 21 – 27. Through programs such as this, volunteers are recognized for the tremendous impact they are making on our country's most critical challenges year-round.

 

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley works to promote and support effective volunteerism and to serve as the resource and coordination center for volunteers and community partnerships.

 

Please contact Jean Seeland at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to express interest in participating. To secure additional volunteer opportunities call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org or Volunteer Solutions.

 

 

 

 

Featured Volunteer - Roberta Craven

Roberta Craven is a volunteer dedicated to helping others! Covenant Medical Center got the privilege of having her as a volunteer in 2006 after she has touched so many lives with her prior volunteer experiences. Some of the places she is involved includes Lou Henry and Orange Elementary, Happy Time Preschool, Keepsake Quilters’ Guild, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, and many more. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare would like to recognize Roberta by nominating her for the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Roberta!

EARTH DAY 2013

The More We Eat Together, the Happier We'll Be

Researchers extol the power of family dinners. Eating meals together regularly can improve health, increase a child's well-being and bring families closer. It's also an ideal time for some BIG conversations. Even if you can only manage it a couple nights a week - or if your family meal turns out to be breakfast or a late-night snack - try to make it a priority. Here are ideas for enjoying your time together to the fullest. -- Jenny Friedman, Executive Director, ‘Doing Good Together’

Make a Difference...

• Spark conversations. Family dinners can nurture conversations that bring your family closer. To see some fun conversation prompts, print out our "pithy placemats." Or create a "conversation jar" for the middle of the table. Write fun intriguing questions on strips of paper (check out Talk About Giving or The Family Dinner Project for ideas), put them in the jar and take turns picking one out during mealtime.
• Eat ethnic. Learn about other cultures through their food traditions. Perhaps try a recipe from another region, or have a family meal at an ethnic restaurant. Then talk about the differences and similarities between the foods you normally eat and those from around the world.
• Create traditions. Mealtime rituals present opportunities to create regular opportunities for meaningful conversation and engagement while providing a sense of stability and security for children. Whether your ritual involves choosing a dinner theme, lighting candles to start the meal, giving thanks before eating, or posing a particular question to discuss during the meal, kids (and adults) will find comfort and pleasure in these traditions.
• Share responsibility. Our friends at The Kids Cook Monday! (check out their healthy, kid-friendly recipes) have chosen Monday night as the time families should cook together. Helping to make meals lets kids learn about nutrition, teamwork - as well as a variety of and skills like counting and measuring. Include your children in shopping and clean-up, too. Add a big-hearted dimension by picking up an additional grocery item for the food shelf, or cooking an extra portion for a neighbor.

Talk About It...

Here are some of our favorite big-hearted conversation starters:

• Who did you help today? Who helped you?
• What should we do more of as a family?
• What's the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
• If you had a million dollars and had to give it away, what cause would you give it to?
• What could our family do to make the world a better place?
• Name someone you admire and say why.

If you saw someone being teased or bullied, would you say something? Why or why not?

For more information about any of these services, contact Jenny - jenny@doinggoodtogether.org. 

Featured Volunteer - Dick Douglas

Dick Douglas is a compassionate and drive volunteer! For over 30 years, he has assisted Sartori Memorial Hospital with a variety of things such as Surgical Waiting, the Gift Shop, Information Desk, and even implemented a Night Chaplain program. Dick has also served on the State Board of Directors, Treasurer of the Regional Association, and President of the Council. Dick’s compassion does not go unnoticed and that is why Sartori Memorial Hospital has nominated him for the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Dick!

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Allen Hospice is offering an opportunity for those who are interested in learning more about serving hospice patients and their families. Volunteers age 18 and over may offer companionship, comfort, respite, or office assistance. Orientation will be held on four consecutive Tuesday evenings starting on April 16, from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on the first floor at Allen Hospital.
  
  
• On Wednesday, April 17, the Iowa State Square and Round Dance Federation State Convention will need volunteers to help lay down the dance floor from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

• Hartman Reserve’s Earth Fair is a free and family-friendly event that focuses attention and effort towards caring for our environment being held on April 21 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed to assist with canoeing/kayaking, possible tree planting and trash cleanup. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.
   
• Culture Fest is April 25 from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. Volunteers are needed from 4:15 - 7:30 p.m. to assist with a variety of activities including passing out programs, assisting food vendors, notifying performing groups of performance times, and guiding people and answering questions. Volunteers age 16 and older are welcome.

 

 Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Featured Volunteers - Ruth & Harry Orth

Ruth and Harry Orth make a dynamic duo of volunteers! Both have assisted with the Back to School Program for 20 years. During this time, they have helped over 30,000 children get all of the necessary school supplies. In this past year, 2,500 children in both public and private schools received all their necessary school supplies through this program. The value of these supplies was $35,000 and was achieved through in-kind donations, grants at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and R.J. McElroy Trust, TJ-X, and a variety of other sources. In recognition of their efforts, Ruth & Harry Orth were nominated by Ellen Vanderloo for the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Ruth & Harry!

Featured Volunteer - Kathy Agness

Kathy Agness is a dedicated and passionate volunteer! Serving 45 patients at the Cedar Valley Hospice, Kathy is a family volunteer who assists by lending a listening ear, singing with patients, holding their hand, providing prayer, or reading books by the patients’ favorite author. She goes above and beyond to provide happiness and support for terminally ill patients and families. Cedar Valley Hospice would like to recognize Kathy by nominating her for the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Kathy!

Featured Volunteer - Maxine Morrison

Maxine Morrison has dedicated her life to helping others! She began volunteering with North Star since 1980; teaching sign language, conducting current events discussions, reading to clients, and helping with hygiene and nutrition discussions. From children with hearing impairments at Edison Elementary to reading to the blind at the Waterloo Public Library Maxine has helped a wide variety of children. Maxine was nominated to receive the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award for her hard work and dedication with North Star and the Cedar Valley.

Congratulations Maxine!

Featured Volunteer - Geoffrey Grimes

Geoffrey Grimes is a class act volunteer! The Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre has greatly benefited from Geoffrey’s countless hours of volunteering. Other organizations such as the Cedar Valley United Way, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo Lions Club, and many others have benefited from Geoffrey’s volunteerism. In recognition of his efforts, the Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children's Theatre has nominated Geoffrey for the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Geoffrey!

NORTHEAST IOWA FOOD BANK PREPARES FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN A NEW FACILITY

Construction of the new Northeast Iowa Food Bank warehouse and distribution center is complete! Staff and many volunteers have gathered over the course of several days to move operations to the new site just blocks away at 1605 Lafayette Street. The Food Bank will have fully functioning programming and distribution effective April 3rd. 

The new 45,359-square-foot facility in Waterloo will serve as a food warehouse and distribution center for Northeast Iowa. This facility will provide food to nonprofit agencies serving an estimated 40,000 low-income people annually in a core 16-county service area - nearly 40% of those served are children. Our food reaches children, seniors, families and disabled individuals receiving assistance from food pantries, emergency shelters, meal sites, low-income day cares, senior centers, and residential facilities for the disabled. Our service area includes Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Fayette, Floyd, Grundy, Howard, Mitchell, Poweshiek, Tama, and Winneshiek counties. The new facility will also house the Cedar Valley Food Pantry which serves over 1,200 households in Black Hawk County every month.

The facility includes a 30,000-square-foot warehouse (with refrigeration and freezer facilities), a dedicated food sorting and repacking space, an expanded pantry area, a commercial kitchen, a volunteer room, and administration and distribution offices. With the addition of this new warehouse and distribution facility, we anticipate distributing upwards of 2 million additional pounds of food within 3 years of the facility being fully operational.

"After much planning, fundraising, organizing and construction the reality of a newly expanded and much more efficient space is finally here! The new Northeast Iowa Food Bank will be an important resource to the Northeast Iowa as well as the thousands of individuals that we serve throughout our 16-county service area," commented Barbara Prather, Executive Director of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

Once settled in, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank plans to host an official grand opening celebration on Tuesday, May 21^st from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. The event will be a picnic and open house with Food Bank staff will offering tours of the facility. A short program will take place at 5 p.m. which will include recognition of lead donors as well as ongoing volunteers.

For further information or to donate and be a part of this project, visit

www.northeastiowafoodbank.org or call 319-235-0507.
 

The Northeast Iowa Food Bank provides nutritious food and grocery products, as well as hunger education, to approximately 200 nonprofit organizations who assist the hungry and individuals who need food assistance to sustain life. Last year, the Food Bank distributed more than 5.2 million pounds of food within a 16-county service area through the Cedar Valley Food Pantry, located at the warehouse site in Waterloo and other food pantries throughout 16 counties; through various programs that service hungry children and senior citizens including the BackPack Program, Kids Cafe, Elderly Nutrition Services, and other organizations who need the services of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. The Food Bank also provides for under-served communities through the Mobile Food Pantry program. The Food Bank is a member of the Iowa Food Bank Association and Feeding America.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

·     Cedar Bend Humane Society needs volunteers for the Annual Phone-A-Thon. Volunteers will be calling past donors on April 9, 10 and 11 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

·     The Cedar Falls Blue Zones Project is holding a Walking Moai Kick-Off Event on Thursday, April 11 at all elementary schools in Cedar Falls. Volunteers will assist with registering walkers and assisting with Blue Zones Project website registrations and providing directions from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

·     The Grout Museum District needs Girl Scout Fun Days Assistants for "Night Owl Overnight." Assist the scouts by helping them earn the "Night Owl" badge on April 12^th and 13^th at the Grout Museum of History & Science from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·     The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission is seeking volunteers that can help with the heavy lifting of old TVs and computer monitors during their electronics recycling event in Waterloo. Volunteers will also be needed for directing traffic, surveys, and helping unload household chemicals from residents’ vehicles. Volunteers are needed April 13^th from 7:40 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or 7:40 to 12:15 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

 

 Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

 

 

Featured Volunteer - Vilas "Sid" Morris

Vilas “Sid” Morris has been extremely involved in the community! A few of the organizations Sid has helped out include the Western Home Communities, Cedar Valley Visitors and Tourism Bureau, Veteran’s Affairs, Cedar Falls Historical Society, Community Main Street, City of Cedar Falls, and the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley. Because of his vast range of volunteer experiences, Sid was nominated by Western Home Communities to receive the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Sid!

Electronics Recycling & Household Toxins Drop-off

The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission will be partnering with the City of Waterloo to sponsor an electronics recycling event and household hazardous materials drop-off event. ALL Black Hawk County residents are welcome to bring approved household toxic materials and electronics (fees may apply). The drop-off will be held on Saturday, April 13th from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM at the Waterloo Waste Water Treatment Plant (3505 Easton Ave., Waterloo).

The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission will be accepting toxic materials from county resident homes for free at the drop-off event. Items such as lawn chemicals, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent light bulbs (compact and tube), propane tanks, old gasoline, mercury thermometers, and much more will be accepted for safe disposal. A list of accepted items can be found at WasteTrac.org or call 266-8722.

The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission will also be sponsoring an Electronics Recycling Drop-off. Electronics fall into two categories, electronics with CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) and electronics without. CRTs are found within older TV sets and older styles of computer monitors. Although not banned from Iowa landfills, electronics with CRTs contain trace amounts of phosphorus, cadmium and 6-8 pounds of lead. The CRT appears in the unit as a funnel-shaped leaded glass tube with a metal frame inside. This shape gives older TV’s and computer monitors that bump in the back. Each vehicle/household bringing items to the event can recycle two CRT (non flat-screen) monitors/televisions for free. Additional CRTs are $5 each (with no limit).

Electronics and electrical items from the bathroom, home office, and kitchen will also be accepted. Items such as vacuums, keyboards, VCR/DVD players, radios, stereos and much more will be recycled. Please refer to the complete recycling list online. Appliances (such as microwaves, stoves, dehumidifiers, washers, dryers, refrigerators) WILL NOT be accepted at the event. Residents are asked to bring exact cash only. Bills larger than $20 will not be accepted.

The following items WILL NOT be accepted at the event: appliances, tires, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, ammunition, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, asbestos, radioactive materials, or non-hazardous waste.

This event IS NOT the Waterloo City Wide Cleanup Day. To dispose of appliances or large bulk items, please call your city public works office.

For paint drying tips and list of automotive fluid recyclers, please call the Waste Trac Education Team (266-8722).

REMINDER: Electronics waste and hazardous materials from businesses will not be accepted. A complete list of items that will and will not be accepted at the event can be found at WasteTrac.org.

For more information about the April 13th event, please visit WasteTrac.org or call the Waste Trac Education Team for the Black Hawk Co. Solid Waste Management Commission at 266-8722.

Featured Volunteer - Maynard Murch

Featured Volunteer - Maynard Murch

Maynard Murch has always been an active volunteer! Many organizations have benefited from his help such as Black Hawk County 4-H, Bennington Neighborhood Association, St. Francis Church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Allen Hospital, Catholic Order of Foresters, Mt. Olivet Cemetery Board of Directors, and many more. Charlotte Nielson at Speer Financial has nominated Maynard for the Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Maynard!

Tip of the Month: "The Role of Intermediary"

In most cases, the person responsible for volunteer involvement finds and prepares volunteers, but then day-to-day supervision and teamwork occur at the front line between volunteers and the paid staff in each department and unit. So a key role of volunteer management is serving as an intermediary. Depending on the situation, this role can be consultant, educator, liaison, advocate, advisor, arbiter, or cheerleader.

 

Certainly implies a lot of different skills, doesn't it?

 

Part of the challenge is balancing the needs and perspectives of a range of stakeholders.

 

Volunteers

Volunteers are obviously the stakeholders who come to mind first - although it doesn't hurt to keep reminding your colleagues that volunteers are not "yours"; they are everyone's responsibility. And if anything, you are their liaison.

 

The volunteer office is the point of entry into the organization for all volunteers. We're the people they usually meet first and they form their opinions and expectations of volunteering from us. We "enroll" them and - just as a human resources department does for employees - we interview and orient them, keep their records, track their progress, and more. If any disagreement occurs between volunteers and the employees to whom they are assigned, the volunteer office is the most logical third party to involve in the resolution of the problem.

 

We have an obligation to any volunteer to be an advocate, willing to challenge paid staff if that volunteer is not treated well. We start this advocacy when we advise on creating volunteer assignments that are truly meaningful. But we also have the obligation to give a volunteer honest feedback if that person is contributing to a conflict. We are also the ones who should monitor that all volunteers are growing and thriving in their roles, when they deserve recognition, and when they might need or want to move into another type of assignment.

 

We must also give volunteers the chance to speak for themselves. Forming a genuine advisory council or steering committee of representative volunteers shares ownership and creates allies in talking to all the other stakeholders in the organization.

 

Paid Staff Who Work with Volunteers

Clearly, we also have a responsibility to the employees who have been asked to partner with volunteers. This begins with recruiting the best and most-qualified volunteers possible and preparing them to hit the ground running once placed in a unit.

 

It's vital to be a good listener in our role of intermediary with paid staff - and not to become defensive when we hear comments that are based on inaccurate or unknowledgeable assumptions. We have to empathize with employees who, almost by definition in most organizations, are overworked (and often underpaid) and to whom volunteers may offer help but also - let's be honest - more work, too. How can we adapt to the employee's needs when legitimate, such as paying attention to times during the week that a volunteer may be more a distraction than assistance? Or is it fair to ask the same staff person to keep training a parade of new volunteers when we might create a leadership role for an already-experienced volunteer to welcome newcomers?

 

More than anything, when it comes to employees, we are educators. So few professions include courses on working with volunteers in professional/academic education. Staff may not even know what they don't know about volunteers! The volunteer resources manager has to provide formal training to new staff and in-service training to all staff but, most critically, must find opportunities to consult with individual employees to improve their volunteer management skills as situations arise in daily work.

 

Middle Management Holding Frontline Staff Accountable

Middle managers - unit supervisors, program coordinators, branch directors, etc. - could be considered the invisible obstacle to successful volunteer/staff relations. Why? Because they are very important yet usually overlooked at several key stages of volunteer engagement. The leader of volunteers should ensure that:

• Middle managers participate in developing and sign off on volunteer position descriptions in their area of responsibility.
• Middle managers see the time their reports spend with volunteers not as an interruption or distraction from their work, but as vital to accomplishing priorities.
• Both overt and implied messages middle managers give to their paid and volunteer staff members in unit meetings convey the value of volunteers.
• Middle managers themselves partner with volunteers in getting their own work done - and are thanked for this teamwork.

Top Administration (Including the Volunteer Board)

We understand the importance of the executive and board of directors as those "above" us -- the ones who make key decisions, allocate resources, determine priorities, and judge our effectiveness. But what about our importance to them?

 

Depending on the size of your organization, top executives and the board may be quite removed from seeing the daily impact of non-board volunteers and completely unaware of the contributions of the volunteer office to the process. Is the subject of volunteering on the agenda at any management team or board meeting? Based on what information? Have you asked to present at such a meeting?

 

Volunteer resources managers once again must be advocates to bring attention to volunteers as time donors, highlighting the importance of donated skills in the spectrum of other community support and side-by-side with financial gifts. We must speak the language of the organization's decision makers, not simply as cheerleaders (though enthusiasm is important) but as representatives of an in-house treasure trove of great talent.

 

The Recipients of Service

Different organizations take varying approaches to their clientele, but all too often the services offered to those clients are determined solely by the paid staff or funding source. That does not need to be the way volunteer services are provided. We can talk with as well as to the recipients of service to assure volunteers that what they are doing is truly of help. We can even enlist the clients themselves - or past clients or client families and friends - as volunteers, when appropriate. And if we have our finger on the true pulse of client wishes, think how useful our knowledge can be to every one of the stakeholder groups above!

 

Thank you to Energize, Inc. at http://www.energizeinc.com/.

April Featured Volunteer - Lorraine Clark

Each day during the month of April a nominee for the Mayors' Volunteer Awards will be featured.

 

Lorraine Clark is an awesome volunteer! Since day one of moving in at Friendship Village, she has been active. Because of Lorraine’s commitment to service, Friendship Village has nominated Lorraine to be a Mayors’ Volunteer Award recipient. Be part of this special event on April 23 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley for more information.

Congratulations Lorraine!