Volunteer Your Way to the Top: The Power of Pro Bono

Since your childhood years, you’ve known the importance of volunteering: you’ll help others, you can give back to your community, and you will make a positive contribution to the world.

All of these reasons are absolutely true, but let me add one more to the list: you can help your career—in a big way. Whether you’re searching for work, looking to take on new responsibilities at your current job, or trying to expand your network, volunteering can be an important (and fun!) way to reach your goals. Here’s how lending a hand to others can be helpful for you, too:

Learn About Yourself

Many individuals began volunteering at a young age and found that being surrounded by and working with a wide range of professionals helped them gain a sense of what they wanted for the future. Working in a variety of different settings can help expose you to new options and prepare you for those all-so-important career decisions you make in college or when you decide to change careers.

Gain Skills and Confidence

Want to learn how to develop a marketing plan, or get hands-on experience with graphic design? If you’re looking to grow in your current position or change careers, volunteering can provide an opportunity to learn new professional skills in a safe setting (that’s grateful for even non-expert help!). You can ask questions, test your knowledge, and expand your skill set —all while avoiding the critical eye of your boss.

Boost Your Resume

Getting a job right now is difficult for anyone—but particularly for recent grads with no real-world work experience or those who’ve been out of a job for a while. Volunteering is one way to fill that gap on your resume, boosting your chances of getting an interview (and eventually the job). Working with leaders of volunteer organizations can also help you score good references and letters of recommendation—other valuable tools in your job search.

Network

Moving to a new city right out of college can be overwhelming. A great way to make connections is to immediately start volunteering. One can meet great people that way—some for many years, and they can become your best support systems. When you suffer a job loss, they may be the ones who recommended you to several open opportunities.

Sure, you’re giving to an organization by volunteering, but you never know when you might need it to give a little back. If you’ve built a positive relationship with the people you volunteer with, they won’t hesitate to help.

Stay Active

At some point, you may face a time when you’re not working—you’ve been laid off, quit a job, or moved to a new city, for example. Whatever the reason, when you have some free time, keeping active helps prevent you from getting bored or going stir-crazy. Plus, volunteering can fill the “I’m-not-working” void and give you an answer to the sometimes-awkward question, “So, what do you do?”

For complete details on these types of opportunities, contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at (319) 272-2087, information@vccv.org, or visit www.vccv.org. Go out and volunteer! It helps society, but don’t forget that it helps you and your career, too.

Thank you, Ashley Cobert, from “The Muse”.

January is Mentoring Month

Throughout January and year-round, mentoring is a critical component in young people’s lives, helping them make decisions that ultimately lead to improved opportunities and connections, which have an impact on real life.

9 million kids in America grow up without a mentor to offer real-life guidance.

•     Having a mentor empowers young people to make smart choices that put them on a path to making better life decisions.
•     Students who have mentors are more likely to stay in school.
•     Hashtag activism can raise awareness of important issues, but mentoring delivers real-life impact. 

Mentoring, at its core, guarantees to young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing day to day challenges and makes them feel like they matter. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset.

Young adults who were at-risk for falling off track but had a mentor are:

•        55% more likely to enroll in college

•        78% more likely to volunteer regularly

•        90% are interested in becoming a mentor

•        130% more likely to hold leadership positions.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD MENTOR?

Before becoming a mentor, here are a few things to understand about the role of mentoring. Most of us have had a teacher, supervisor or coach who has been a mentor to us and made a positive difference in our lives. Those people wore many hats, acting as delegators, role models, cheerleaders, policy enforcers, advocates, and friends. Mentors assume these different roles during a relationship, and share some basic qualities:

• A sincere desire to be involved with a young person

• Respect for young people

• Active listening skills

• Empathy

• Ability to see solutions and opportunities

• Flexibility

BENEFITS
Mentoring relationships are a shared opportunity for learning and growth. Many mentors say that the rewards they gain are as substantial as those for their mentees and that mentoring has enabled them to:

•  Have fun

•  Achieve personal growth and learn more about themselves

•  Improve their self-esteem and feel they are making a difference

•  Gain a better understanding of other cultures and develop a greater appreciation for diversity

•  Feel more productive and have a better attitude at work

•  Enhance their relationships with their own children

Above all, a good mentor is willing to take the time to get to know their mentee, to learn new things that are important to the young person, and even to be changed by their relationship.

GET STARTED
You've made a wonderful and very important decision in choosing to become a mentor. If you’ve reached this conclusion, you’ve done enough research to have an idea how different each mentoring situation can be. Before you start to look at the programs that are available, think about and identify your own interests and needs. Finding a mentoring program, you’re excited about and comfortable with can require some time and thought, but the good news is that there’s something for everyone. The following steps will help walk you through the process of choosing a mentoring program that is right for you. To help you decide which type of mentoring program you want, ask yourself the following questions: have made a wonderful and very important decision in choosing to become a mentor. If you’ve reached this conclusion, you’ve done enough research to have an idea how different each mentoring situation can be. Before you start to look at the programs that are available, think about and identify your own interests and needs. Finding a mentoring program, you’re excited about and comfortable with can require some time and thought, but the good news is that there’s something for everyone. The following steps will help walk you through the process of choosing a mentoring program that is right for you. To help you decide which type of mentoring program you want, ask yourself the following questions:

• What time commitment can I make?

• What age of youth would I like to work with?

• Would I like to work with one child or with a group of children?

• Would I like to team with other adults to mentor a child or a group of children?

• What types of activities interest me? Do I want to help a youth learn a specific skill, pursue an interest, help with schoolwork or just be a caring adult friend?

• What mentoring location would I prefer?

While thinking about these questions, remember to be open and flexible to all the different mentoring programs and focus areas that are out there.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley works with many agencies looking for mentors: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, and the Waterloo Community School District are a few.

For more details on mentoring, contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at (319) 272-2087, information@vccv.org, or visit www.vccv.org.

Thanks to National Mentoring Month, http://www.mentoring.org/.

Volunteering for Different Age Groups

There is really no age requirement for volunteering. In fact, the earlier that volunteering begins and continues throughout childhood, the more likely a person is to participate in community activities as an adult. Whether a participant reaches out to one person or a village across the world, he or she has made a significant difference in the life of another. This article presents a few of the many volunteer ideas for different age groups.

1. Volunteer with Pre-school Aged Children

One tip to keep in mind is to tailor the volunteer activity to your child’s personality, abilities, and interests. For example, if your child is very young, volunteer activities that require hours of physical work may not be a good fit. If she loves to be active and would prefer to be outdoors, participating in a park clean-up or riding a tricycle or bicycle in a bike-a-thon might be a fun way for her to help others.

You may also want to consider activities that allow you to volunteer together as a family. Working together as a family to help others is not only a great way to set an example for your child, but it’s also a wonderful way to spend time together and have fun doing something that benefits others.

2. Volunteer with Elementary School Children

Encouraging kids to get involved in the community and volunteering to help those who are less fortunate can cause children to develop a sense of gratitude and self-worth. The value of doing charitable acts for others is terrific, and kids will feel a sense of pride when they know that their actions are making someone else's life happy. Plenty of volunteer opportunities are available for kids, as long as you know where to look! When you begin to teach your kids about giving, talk to your kids to find out what types of activities they are interested in and take their ages and abilities into account. 

The Service Learning process and projects that are ultimately selected and accomplished is a great way to implement volunteering for elementary age children.

3. Volunteering for Middle School Students

Raising children who are civically minded isn’t easy. But you can expose your child to volunteerism and encourage your preteen to give back in a number of ways. When kids volunteer, good things happen. By volunteering or by helping others, your child learns valuable life skills, but he also learns how important it is to support organizations he cares about and causes that interest him.

There are many ways your child can make a difference.

Start with projects that he or she can incorporate into a preteen’s busy schedule, and then add bigger projects that require more time. You might also want to consider volunteering together. That way you can spend quality time together, and set a great example for your preteen.

One of the great things about raising a preteen is that they are at an age when they can take on more responsibility and even give more to their schools, communities and other organizations. One of the ways tweens can contribute is through service projects. Some middle schools even require that their students give back by participating in community service projects either as a class or on their own.

By participating or volunteering, your child can learn leadership skills, a little about the community in which he lives and even a little about his own interests and passions. He or she may also learn a little more about how organization and support groups operate, and how challenging it can be at times to work through the proper channels to get the job done.

4. Volunteer Ideas for High School Students

In High School, volunteering takes on the potential of a new purpose. Not only does it allow the student to gain insights, be productive and participate within the school and community, it provides a venue for resume building, material for college applications and completes a well-rounded picture for one’s application.

Students in high school are able to accept more challenging volunteer positions and larger group volunteer activities.

5. Volunteer Ideas for College Students

College students fill the void between high school and adulthood in volunteerism. They are capable of adult responsibilities, very large group activities and volunteering through travel, either domestically or internationally. National volunteer efforts such as AmeriCorps or the Peace Corp are also options for college students. 

6. Volunteer Ideas for Parents and Families

Modeling volunteering is the best way to get your family involved for a lifetime of volunteering and community service. Always keep the needs of the youngest child in mind, particularly if the adult is otherwise distracted.

Family volunteering allows your family to learn the importance of charity and giving of oneself. It encompasses, perhaps, the broadest area of needs.

7. Older Volunteers

Older volunteers have the time and resources to give freely of their time and talent. Encouraging them to share their skills is a great way to place skilled volunteers in non-profits or agencies where their life skills may be well utilized.

After retirement, however, it is important to know if an older volunteer desires to share their skills or try something completely new and different. A thorough volunteer interview allows for the best potential placement.

Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley for more information about volunteer placements at (319) 272-2087, email, or visit www.vccv.org.

2018 King Holiday Serves Others

Volunteers may participate locally as a part of the MLK Day of Service

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service marks the beginning of the year of service as millions of Americans honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by contributing their time, voice and money to improve their communities. Join the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley in meaningful volunteer activities and service projects to advance Dr. King’s vision on Monday, January 15.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is part of two events on Monday, January 15. First, elementary age youth and their families are invited to attend a morning of service at the Cedar Falls Public Library, 504 Main Street. From 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. participants will take part in a variety of service projects for community agencies.  

In addition, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is partnering with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and the University of Northern Iowa’s Service and Leadership Council to host a food packaging event from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Maucker Union on UNI’s campus. Participants, age 12 and over, are invited to help pack for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank’s Backpack Program.

Dr. King taught us that everyone has a role to play in making our communities great. These are small attempts to fulfill Dr. King’s dream.

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

Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley with questions or to secure additional volunteer opportunities at 272-2087. The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley offers local volunteer opportunities from 160 nonprofit agencies. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org.

Why Volunteering Makes the Perfect New Year’s Resolution

Around this time of year, our thoughts turn to becoming better. Many of us make resolutions, or at the very least, make a mental list of things to improve over the coming months. This year, in addition to that diet and exercise plan, resolve to reach out to your community. Making volunteer work a regular part of your new year is easier than you might think.

Why volunteer?

• It's easy to see how volunteering blesses our communities. Volunteers provide workers and resources that non-profit organizations need to survive. Without regular volunteers, many entities that support those most vulnerable wouldn't exist. It takes a dedicated workforce to meet the needs of our communities, and you have valuable skills to offer.
  
• However, volunteers also reap rewards. Volunteerism is a great way to enhance your resume and make new contacts, which are vital components of landing a rewarding career in today's competitive job market. Volunteering also comes with a host of mental health benefits. Regular volunteers report lower levels of loneliness and feel a great connection to their community. Volunteers also have lower rates of depression than the general population.
  
• A growing body of research also shows that volunteering is good for your physical health. The Journal of Psychology and Aging found that volunteers over age 50 have lower blood pressure than their same age peers. It turns out that volunteering is good for the heart in more than the symbolic sense.

Overcoming obstacles

• The biggest barrier to regular volunteerism is finding the time. Between work and family obligations, many of us simply can't squeeze in one more thing. That doesn't mean you can't find ways to give back. Your employer may sponsor community outreach that you can do during work hours. If your church has outreach auxiliary organizations, that's another great place to put in a little time each week. If you have kids, you're also probably spending time in their school regularly, and you can use that time already set aside to volunteer.
  
• If you can't commit regular time to giving back, consider using your other resources to help your community. Pick up a few extra items grocery shopping each week to drop off at a food bank, or donate clothes you find on clearance to a homeless shelter. Although it may not feel as personal as giving time, organizations also desperately need your money to stay afloat. Writing a check each month, even if your contribution is small, is vital to maintaining services in your area.

The Payoff

• Just because volunteer work is unpaid doesn't mean it comes without a payout. Aside from the physical and mental benefits to the giver, volunteerism creates a legacy for our families. As your kids see you engaged in community service, it will inspire them to find ways to give back.
  
• Get the entire family involved in serving this year. Dog walking at an animal shelter, stocking shelves at a food bank or serving at a soup kitchen are excellent ways to spend time together and teach your children empathy at the same time. If you're looking for less formal opportunities, shovel snow or mow the grass for your neighbors, bring treats to a fire station, or babysit for a friend as a family. Ignore any protesting from your kids; they need the experience and the work ethic that comes from volunteering.
  
• Making volunteerism a regular part of your new year is easier than you think. The hardest part is finding an opportunity and showing up the first time. After that, it will become part of your routine the same way you now spend your time working, running errands and eating. Commit this January to finding an organization that can use your talents. Someone out there needs what only you can give. It's up to you to find them.

Take the Jump in 2018

Make volunteering a reality this year. Many organizations have made it easier than ever to find opportunities and sign up online.

Visit www.vccv.org to find out more about our volunteer opportunities.

There has never been a better time to commit to volunteering in the New Year.

Thanks to FamilyShare