Where Should Nonprofits Use Older Volunteers? Everywhere.

For every dollar nonprofits invest in effective volunteer engagement, they can expect up to $6 in return – a six-fold return on investment. Organizations that effectively engage volunteers are more adaptable, sustainable and capable of expanding. And they operate at almost half the median budget as nonprofits that don’t make full use of what volunteers have to offer. Nonprofits that use their volunteers effectively are more efficient and well-organized.

Older volunteers offer their host communities a lifetime of experience and knowledge and can make an instant impact during their volunteer service. They act as invaluable resources to younger volunteers, and help meet some of the high-level skills that host countries request. Plus, volunteer service is a great way for older Americans to continue their careers in a non-traditional environment.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley works on connecting the older volunteer with the right skills to the right project at the right time will allow getting a greater impact and building stronger relationships between volunteers and the nonprofit sector. Therefore, it means increasing the volunteer interest to do on-going projects for the already known organization.

Additionally, there are national programs that are enticing to older volunteers. They include:

·        If you are age 55 or above, you can be a part of the Senior Corps national service program and help to meet a wide range of community challenges. Senior Corps taps the skills, talents, and experience of more than 500,000 individuals each year through three programs:

·        Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) -- RSVP locally sponsors the AARP and IRS Tax Assistance Program.

·        Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) -- Foster Grandparents serve one-on-one as tutors and mentors to young people with special needs.

·        Senior Companion Program (SCP) -- Senior Companions help homebound seniors and other adults maintain independence in their own homes.

Volunteerism throughout the state of Iowa is well documented. The Corporation for National and Community Service indicates that volunteers age 55 and over are involved. 39% of Iowans age 55+ volunteer while averaging 54 hours of volunteer time annually.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley represents 140 nonprofit agencies with approximately 175 volunteer opportunities. Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 319-272-2087, information@vccv.org or www.vccv.org for a complete listing of volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley.

Our thanks to Points of Light and CNCS for statistics.

How to Highlight Volunteer Experience on Your Résumé

As we hear of job fairs and anticipate college graduations it is important to look at including your volunteer experience in your résumé.

It’s important to use your volunteer efforts and experience to your best advantage. Volunteer experience can be a benefit to job seekers. This is especially true for students, recent graduates and other job seekers who lack professional experience in the desired field. Although volunteer service isn't considered equivalent to employment, it does help build your résumé. AmeriCorps says that volunteer service shows your ability to handle tough tasks and commitment to seeing things through. Thoughtful and creative presentation of volunteer experience on your résumé can bolster your qualifications, catching the eye of potential employers.

Instructions

1. Gather details about your volunteer work, including the skills, values and experience you gained, as well as the association / organization name, location, contact information and project type.

2. Detail your volunteer work. Think about what you actually accomplished as a volunteer. List the specific activities and tasks you were responsible for and write a concise description for each activity. Use action verbs to begin each description.

3. Name the volunteer position you held if one wasn't provided for you by the organization. Simply listing "volunteer" isn't specific enough to stand out on a résumé. Use the title to describe your role. For example, if you helped plant and weed flowerbeds, "volunteer gardening assistant" is a descriptive title that stands out more than the generic "volunteer" title. Specify that you volunteered your time in the position description.

4. Show how your volunteer experience correlates with the desired position. This determines where on your résumé you'll need to include your volunteer work. Divide volunteer experience into two basic categories: volunteer work in a similar profession or position that mirrors the job you're seeking and volunteer work in a different field or position.

5. Organize volunteer information in order of relevancy along with other work experience items in your résumé. List more relevant items first. You may choose not to include all volunteer experience. Unless you want to demonstrate long-term commitment to an organization, don't include volunteer work that doesn't relate to the position you're seeking.

6. Format the sections of your résumé to include volunteer experience.

a. Highlight the strong relationship between your volunteer work and the targeted profession or position.

b. List volunteer work in a related profession or position with previous work experience. Name this section "Relevant Experience" instead of "Relevant Work Experience" to accurately represent the information included in the section. Even if the volunteer position isn't relevant to the position, promote that you've developed valuable skills and exposure as a volunteer.

c. If the volunteer work was in a different profession, but you developed skills relevant to the position, include a section titled "Community Involvement" or "Extracurricular Activities" if you are a student.

As you are planning your next move, remember that volunteer opportunities abound. If you find that you are lacking experience, contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley. The VCCV works with 140 nonprofit agencies with over 170 volunteer opportunities. For more information on volunteer opportunities, contact the VCCV at information@vccv.org or (319) 272-2087.  

Thanks to Eileen Pfefferle for sharing this material.

World’s Greatest Spring Break for Kids

Expectations are high and spring break is just around the corner! If you’re looking for great family fun during spring break, check out the seven awesome attractions in downtown Waterloo! Thanks to the McElroy Trust, admission is only $1 per child and accompany adults per attraction during March 16-20.

Fun locations include: Young Arena, Phelps Youth Pavilion, Waterloo Public Library, Black Hawk Children’s Theatre, Dan Gable Wrestling Museum, John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum, Bluedorn Science Imaginarium, Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum & Grout Museum.

The VCCV is collaborating with the Public Library to host ‘The Cedar Valley Meets the Box Trolls.’ The library and the VCCV have planned stations that include making art out of trash, bowling with recycled water bottles, making lava lamps out of baby food jars, using cardboard tubes to invent items, and additional creative stations. The VCCV will host this on March 20 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.  

In honor of the McElroy Trust’s 50th anniversary you can also stop by the Waterloo Public Library and pick up a free book to take home! One book per child. Give-away begins March 16 and lasts until all of the books have gone home with excited children.

Tips to have the GREATEST Spring Break.

1.      Admission is $1 per kid at each attraction. Accompanying adults get in for $1.

2.      All kids must be accompanied by an adult. Supervision is required in all venues.

3.      Plan ahead for special times and dates when $1 admission is available.

4.      If you plan to ice skate, bring a helmet and pads, too!

5.      It will be busy so come early in the day and early in the week (Monday – Tuesday).

6.      Parking is limited in some locations, so use the public parking downtown.

7.      Enjoy the rest of the fun downtown, including hotel rooms for only $59.95 per night.

More information may be found here.

The Black Hawk County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)

The Black Hawk County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) serves the entirety of Black Hawk County by providing a place to bring together voluntary agencies, businesses, and governmental agencies to foster a more effective preparedness, response and recovery to the people of Black Hawk County including the municipalities, as needed, in time of disaster through:

·   Cooperation: creating a climate of cooperation, information sharing, and meeting together

·   Coordination: encouraging common understanding and providing a liaison with city-county government officials as well as resource management with the community.

·   Communications: publishing and disseminating information.

·   Preparedness: increasing mutual awareness and encouraging effective disaster relief and procedures.

One main component of the COAD and utilization of services during times of disaster and disaster recovery is the Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley plays a large role in the implementation of the VRC upon activation from the Black Hawk County Emergency Management Coordinator.

A VRC is a one-stop shop for volunteers to register and be placed with volunteer assignments to assist during these times of disasters. The main goal is to have volunteers accounted for and hours served tracked. This is important during disasters as volunteer hours can be counted towards matching dollars to receive disaster recovery dollars from the state and federal governments.

A VRC might become activated to assist with sandbag efforts or tornado debris pick-up, but it can also be utilized to assist with searching for missing persons, too.

Once activated, the VRC begins set-up at a variety of pre-determined and partnered locations (depending on the type of disaster and the availability of locations). As volunteers arrive in the intake area, contact information will be taken during a brief interview process, each volunteer will receive a scan-able bracelet; which will track volunteer from check-in to check-out; a quick training will occur, and volunteers will be loaded onto provided transportation to be delivered to various points in the community to provide assistance.

Upon completion of service, a volunteer will be loaded back on transportation and will be scanned out of the system.

Part of the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley’s mission is to assist with the coordination of community partnerships and the Black Hawk County COAD and the VRC are just that – a huge partnership. For more information on the Black Hawk County COAD or to learn more about becoming part of the VRC team, contact the VCCV at information@vccv.org or (319) 272-2087.

Disaster Preparedness and Spontaneous Volunteers

As spring approaches, it strategically becomes a time to consider plans if a disaster strikes. When disaster, whether natural or man-made, hits a community, specific emergency management and nonprofit organizations automatically respond according to a pre-established plan. Each of these designated organizations has a specific role to play in ensuring an effective response to and recovery from the disaster’s devastation. Yet one component within the system continues to create a challenge: spontaneous volunteers.

Spontaneous volunteers, our neighbors and ordinary citizens, often arrive on-site at a disaster ready to help. Because they are not associated with any part of the existing emergency management response system, their offers of help are often underutilized and might be problematic to professional responders. The conflict is clear: people are willing to volunteer, but can the system’s capacity to utilize them effectively work efficiently?

Black Hawk County has an established Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) organization that is prepared to engage at time of disaster. One component of this organization is figuring out how to best manage and utilize spontaneous volunteers while activating the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley’s Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). The management of spontaneous volunteers in times of emergency is guided by the following principles and values:

1. Volunteering and Community Life

Volunteering is a valuable part of every healthy community. Volunteers come from all segments of society and often provide essential services. Everyone has the potential to contribute strength and resources in times of emergency. Those interested in being ready for future disasters in the Cedar Valley should look to Black Hawk County’s COAD organization.

2. The Value of Affiliation

Ideally, all volunteers should be affiliated with an established organization and trained for specific disaster response activities. Plan to attend an annual VRC training to learn more about your role in disaster preparedness and management.

3. Volunteer Involvement in the Four Phases

There are valuable and appropriate roles for spontaneous volunteers in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

4. Management Systems

Volunteers are a valuable resource when they are trained, assigned, and supervised within established a Volunteer Reception Center. Similar to donations management, an essential element of every emergency management plan is the clear designation of responsibility for the on-site coordination of spontaneous volunteers. A VRC is the mechanism for ensuring the effective utilization of this human resource.

5. Shared Responsibility

The mobilization, management, and support of volunteers is primarily a responsibility of local government and nonprofit sector agencies, with support from the state level. In our community this is the Black Hawk County COAD.

6. Volunteer Expectations

Volunteers are successful participants in emergency management systems when they are flexible, self-sufficient, aware of risks, trained, and willing to be coordinated by local experts.

7. The Impact on Volunteers

The priority of volunteer activity is assistance to others. When this spontaneous activity is well managed, it also positively affects the volunteers themselves and thus contributes to the healing process of both individuals and the larger community.

Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to express interest in participating in plans for future disaster management or to secure additional volunteer opportunities by email or 319-272-2087. The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley offers over 175 local volunteer opportunities from 139 nonprofit agencies. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org.