Make A Difference Day 2011

Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others -- a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. This year, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is celebrating Make A Difference Day the entire month of October.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is recruiting businesses and organizations to participate in a collection for Country View Care Facility. Participating businesses will encourage employees to bring in items in need between October 3rd and 21st. Collection bins will be provided to you. Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley if interested. Items in need include: board and card games, gloves and stocking hats, word search books, puzzles, AA batteries, body wash and pre-packaged snack items. 

You can help so many by being part of Make a Difference Day! Volunteering in the workplace raises employee morale, provides team building opportunities and a sense of loyalty and pride for their company. The business that donates the greatest amount of items will receive the #1 Contributor plaque, a traveling award, to be displayed at your business for the year! To participate or to find out how to have your business become a partner in the Cedar Valley, contact Lauren Finke at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087.

Judges will select 10 projects for the national Make A Difference Day Awards. To be considered, fill out the official entry form AFTER you do your Make A Difference Day project. Be sure to submit your entry before the deadline.

The awards include $10,000 donations to 10 projects from Newman's Own. Previous honorees who continue to excel will receive donations from the Gannett Foundation. Awards are announced annually in a special issue of USA WEEKEND published during Volunteer Week the April following Make A Difference Day.

Make A Difference Day is sponsored by USA Weekend and HandsOn Network.

Contact Lauren Finke if your business or organization is interested in participating. Call at 272-2087 or contact her at Lauren_Finke@vccv.org.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with Halloween Hikes, a fun, family event October 12-14, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed for: Actors, Placing and lighting luminaries, Guides, Parking attendants, Greeter/ticket takers, Kitchen help, Gift shop and Pumpkin vote taker. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Ushers are needed at Strayer-Wood Theatre for Guernica on October 6th-8th and 13th-15th at 7:30 p.m. or Oct 9th or 16th at 2 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters is seeking volunteers to staff trick-or-treat stops on bike trails during the Spooks & Spokes bike ride on October 15 from 1 - 4:00 p.m. Volunteers will hand out treats to event participants. Shift length will vary, depending on location. Volunteers are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and will receive an event backpack. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• Volunteers are needed at the Heart of Darkness Halloween Complex on weekends throughout October. Volunteers will serve as actors, parking attendants, ticket sellers and takers, and security. Volunteers age 16 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!

Veterans Day 11/11/11 Mission Serve

ServiceNation, as part of our Mission Serve initiative, seeks to establish Veterans Day as a national day of service and celebration. We challenge all citizens to show their appreciation for those in military service by engaging in service here at home. By serving in honor of veterans and alongside military families, civilian communities can show their gratitude and respect. And, by creating a large-scale series of events centered on Veterans Day, we are able to bring a focus upon civilian-military integration, as well as the importance of service for our nation. Mission Serve will be celebrating and honoring Veterans Day. The goal is to host 11 large scale service projects in 11 cities across the nation on 11/11/11. Following the tenth anniversary of 9/11, it is important that, as a nation, we continue to recognize the work of military service members and veterans.


Veterans Day is an opportunity for individuals to mobilize together in service and celebration. The military makes up a large portion of people who have engaged full-time in committed service. The national day of service and celebration affords civilians the opportunity to serve in honor of and alongside military veterans and their families. It is vital that individuals recognize the importance of having American civilians serve side-by-side with veteran, military, and military family communities.
ServiceNation: Mission Serve’s goal of hosting 11 events will bring together the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. We are proud to serve and celebrate on Veterans Day by hosting high profile service events in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Tampa and Dallas, plus four sites to be determined. At each of these locations we will demonstrate the importance of celebrating Veterans Day through cross-sector collaboration.


Each event will utilize the involvement of a private-sector sponsor and nonprofit organizations to manage the project and provide volunteers. We are excited to work together with our many nonprofit partners, including USO, Habitat for Humanity, Blue Star Families, and the Hands On Network, as part of this year's 11/11/11 event.

We are honored to partner with our national sponsor, Bank of America, whose commitment to national and community service spans multiple decades. Bank of America has been a supporter of the ServiceNation: Mission Serve initiative since its inception in 2009. 

We are also grateful for the support of Dell, Inc., who have partnered with us to sponsor a veterans service project in Dallas. Dell is committed to helping military families stay connected.  More information about Dell’s Military Appreciation efforts can be found here.



This blog post was co-written by Amanda Yamaguchi, a ServiceNation intern and Kathryn Cohen, Assistant Director of Development. We wanted to recognize the importance of Veteran's Day and the wonderful work that Mission Serve is doing in coordination with our amazing sponsors and nonprofit partners.

Baby Boomer Volunteers

The American Baby Boom generation is crossing age 50, and many are nearing retirement. Those people born in the 20 years following World War II, 80 million strong, will enjoy the longest life span of any previous generation. They are highly educated, will have extraordinary levels of health and wealth, and will be available to contribute to society at unprecedented levels. For nonprofit organizations, this swell in the number of potential volunteers offers a significant opportunity for increasing programs and services—and a significant challenge as well, as the swell in older volunteers will likely be coupled with a rise in the demand for programs and services directed toward the aging population. Nonprofit organizations need to plan for the training and supervision of this larger number of volunteers, for providing them with meaningful and fruitful service experiences, and for matching volunteering opportunities with their levels of skill and areas of interest.

The aging of the Baby Boom generation presents great opportunities for nonprofits that prepare to engage them and their talents. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the over-50 population will grow by 18.3 million people (or 23%) over the next ten years, becoming nearly one-third of the American population. Of this group, those 50 – 64 will show the largest increase, growing by 13.9 million people (or 31%). These people, primarily still employed and in their highest income years, are the most generous age group in terms of annual charitable giving. The over-65 age group will grow by 4.4 million people (or 12%) to become 13 percent of the population. People in this age group, primarily retired, are more likely to be regular volunteers (those who give their time weekly or nearly every week) and give more hours than do other age groups. In short, nonprofit organizations can expect a natural increase in the number of high givers, the number of people available to volunteer on a regular basis, and the number of hours offered to fulfill their program and service needs. To capitalize on this impending opportunity, nonprofits will need to change their approaches to recruiting volunteers and organizing service experiences.

From Independent Sector

Volunteer Your Way Into a Job

By Kelly Eggers

Job seekers should consider a new mantra: "Give back, and you shall receive." Including volunteer experience on your resume could help you land a job, according to a new survey.

Some 41% of nearly 2,000 professionals said that when evaluating candidates' resumes, they consider volunteer experience to be equally as valuable as paid work experience, according to a survey from LinkedIn.

"There's a misconception that volunteer work doesn't qualify as 'real' work experience," said Nicole Williams, connection director at LinkedIn and author of Girl on Top, a career guide that takes its lessons from the world of dating. What people need to keep in mind, Williams said, is that many qualities that make an applicant attractive, such as diverse, relevant skill-sets, can come from unpaid, part-time work.

"When you have a competitive labor market, and a hiring manager has 10 to 15 equally qualified applicants, volunteering can be the thing that ends up differentiating you and getting you over the line," she said. In fact, 20% of the hiring managers surveyed said they have made a hiring decision based on a candidate's volunteer experience.

Yet, only 45% of those surveyed actually include their volunteer experience on their resumes. To that end, LinkedIn has introduced a new feature, "Volunteer Experience and Causes," a space for members to list volunteer work on their profiles.

Nicole Kennedy, a Washington, D.C.-area non-profit industry professional, took on volunteer work after leaving a role in technology sales.

"While I was looking for a non-profit job, my friend suggested I try volunteering in the interim," she said. "Some organizations have a time commitment -- such as a certain number of hours they'd like you to work each week -- but I was in such a state of flux as a job seeker that I didn't know what I wanted to commit to."

Kennedy began "microvolunteering" with Sparked.com, a San Francisco-based website which works to match the needs of charities with appropriately skilled volunteers. In Kennedy's case, volunteering helped her discover what she wanted to do professionally.

After volunteering at several organizations looking for help with their social-media strategies, Kennedy said she discovered her niche. "It made me see the importance of having a social-media strategy, and that I liked doing it." Since, she has landed a full-time role with a national non-profit organization, helping with social-media, event planning and execution, volunteer recruiting and grant writing.

Among Sparked.com's users, Kennedy is not alone. According to a recent online survey the site conducted among its users, 87% use Sparked to showcase their professional skills, and 63% are currently looking for a new job. The company's CEO, Ben Rigby, said he's seen many Sparked users add their microvolunteering projects as jobs or activities on their LinkedIn profile.

Aside from gaining professional skills and expertise, taking on volunteer work can be rejuvenating, and can help stave off the doldrums that often accompany unemployment.

"Inevitably, looking for a job in this market is demoralizing," said Williams of LinkedIn. "Volunteering can help you look back out at the world and regain perspective."

Williams and other experts say that the focus should not be on the overarching cause, but instead be on the specific role you're taking and its requisite skills, and how they translate to the bottom-line needs of a for-profit corporation.

"Most non-profits have the same kind of work that for-profit companies do, they're just not getting revenue in the same way," said Kathy Kane, SVP of talent management for international staffing firm Adecco. "If you're responsible for managing finances, developing a website or a social media strategy, those are things that are completely relatable to the for-profit world," Kane said.

Stephen Udden, a former telecommunications professional and current job seeker in the Boston area, has become an active volunteer in numerous organizations, from his church and town government to his school district's parent-teacher organization and a non-profit agency, Wheelchair Recycler, since he was laid off two years ago. Each of his these roles requires a different skill-set, he said, which has helped him keep his edge as a job seeker.

"Volunteering has kept me in work mode," he said. Through his work with his local government and planning fundraising events for the PTO, for example, he has maintained contact with high-level officials and business owners in the community, participated in executive recruitment efforts, reviewed budgets, managed spreadsheets and made decisions that affect his entire community.

"They have been some of the most enriching, fulfilling, exciting, and sometimes most intense experiences of my life, and I wouldn't change them for a minute," he said.

Since starting his volunteer work, Udden has decided to consider careers both inside and outside of telecommunications.

"One thing volunteering has given me in my job search is a strong outlook on a new path I never dreamed I'd be looking at," he said.

http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=796351491&ids=0Vd34UcPkPe3sIcjAQcjkPdzATb38Tcz8QdzoVdOMQdzwSdjoRejsIejANcz4PdzAT&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod-b-ttle-100&ut=1AN9dOeBnVY4U1

What Is Service-Learning?

Service-learning offers a unique opportunity for America's young people -- from kindergarten to college students -- to get involved with their communities in a tangible way by integrating service projects with classroom learning. Service-learning engages students in the educational process, using what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems.  Students not only learn about democracy and citizenship, they become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.

Service-learning can be applied across all subjects and grade levels; it can involve a single student or group of students, a classroom or an entire school. Students build character and become active participants as they work with others in their school and community to create service projects in areas like education, public safety, and the environment.

Why is Service-Learning Important?

A national study of Learn and Serve America programs suggests that effective service-learning programs improve grades, increase attendance in school, and develop students' personal and social responsibility. A growing body of research recognizes service-learning as an effective strategy to help students by:

• Promoting learning through active participation in service experiences;
• Providing structured time for students to reflect by thinking, discussing and writing about their service experience;
• Providing an opportunity for students to use skills and knowledge in real-life situations;
• Extending learning beyond the classroom and into the community; and
• Fostering a sense of caring for others.

Service-learning also strengthens both education and local communities by:

• Building effective collaborative partnerships between schools or colleges and other institutions and organizations.
• Engaging parents and other adults in supporting student learning
• Meeting community needs through he service projects conducted
• Providing engaging and productive opportunities for young people to work with others in their community

To secure Service Learning in your school call 272-2087 or contact Jean Seeland at Jean_Seeland@vccv.org

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Volunteers are needed at the Heart of Darkness Halloween Complex on weekends beginning September 30 through October 31. Volunteers will serve as actors, parking attendants, ticket sellers and takers, and security. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with Halloween Hikes, a fun, family event October 12-14, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed for: Actors, Placing and lighting luminaries, Guides, Parking attendants, Greeter/ticket takers, Kitchen help, Gift shop and Pumpkin vote taker. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Cedar Valley Derby Divas need assistance at the October 15 Derby Bout from 5 - 9 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome to assist with ticket sales, will call, ticket collection and the merchandise table.

• The Hawkeye Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for volunteers to walk in a parade on October 15 in Waverly from 8 a.m. until noon. Volunteers age 16 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!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY 2011!

Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others -- a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. This year, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is celebrating Make A Difference Day the entire month of October.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is recruiting businesses and organizations to participate in a collection for Country View Care Facility, a non-profit long-term care facility owned and operated by Black Hawk County. Participating businesses will encourage employees to bring in items in need between October 3rd and 21st. Collection bins will be provided to you. Items in need include: board and card games, gloves and stocking hats, word search books, puzzles, AA batteries, body wash and pre-packaged snack items. 

“Businesses can help so many by being part of Make a Difference Day! Volunteering in the workplace raises employee morale, provides team building opportunities and a sense of loyalty and pride for their company. The business that donates the greatest amount of items will receive the #1 Contributor Plaque, a traveling award, to be displayed at your business for the year, said Lauren Finke, director of the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley. To participate or to find out how to have your business become a partner in the Cedar Valley, contact Lauren Finke at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087.

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

Please contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley to express interest in volunteering at 272-2087 or information@vccv.org. Opportunities are flexible and all ages are welcome. Volunteer opportunities may also be accessed at www.vccv.org or http://volunteer.truist.com/vcocv/volunteer/.

People Who Volunteer Live Longer, Study Suggests

By Remy Melina | LiveScience.com – Sat, Sep 17, 2011

People who volunteer for selfless reasons, such as helping others, live longer than those who don't lend a helping hand, a new study shows. However, those who volunteer for more self-centered reasons do not reap the same life-extending benefits.

"This could mean that people who volunteer with other people as their main motivation may be buffered from potential stressors associated with volunteering, such as time constraints and lack of pay," study researcher Sara Konrath of the University of Michigan said in a statement.

(Past research suggested another benefit for selfless volunteers — a date. Apparently women who rate such altruism high on their list of desirable traits in a mate.)

Konrath and colleagues looked at results from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which has followed a random sample of 10,317 Wisconsin residents from their high school graduation in 1957 until the present. In 2008, the average age of the participants was about 69, and about half of the participants are female.

In 2004, the participants reported how often they had volunteered within the past 10 years. They also explained their reasons for volunteering, or, in the cases of those who had not volunteered  but were planning to, the reasons they would.

Some of the participants' motives were more oriented towards others, such as "I feel it is important to help others" or "Volunteering is an important activity to the people I know best." Other respondents, however, had more self-oriented reasons for volunteering, such as "Volunteering is a good escape from my own troubles," or "Volunteering makes me feel better about myself."

Researchers then compared the participants' responses with physical health information that had mostly been collected in 1992. The researchers also considered the respondents' socioeconomic status, mental health, social support, marital status and health risk factors, including smoking, body mass index and alcohol use.

The findings showed that those who volunteered for more altruistic reasons had lower mortality rates as of 2008 than people who did not volunteer. Of the 2,384 non-volunteers, 4.3 percent were deceased four years later, compared with 1.6 percent of altruistic volunteers who had died.

However, people who said they volunteered for their own personal satisfaction had nearly the same mortality rate (4 percent) as people who did not volunteer at all.

"It is reasonable for people to volunteer in part because of benefits to the self; however, our research implies that, ironically, should these benefits to the self become the main motive for volunteering, they may not see those benefits," said study researcher Andrea Fuhrel-Forbis, also of the University of Michigan.

The study was published in August in the journal Health Psychology.

In the Spotlight - Allen Hospice

Allen Hospice promotes quality of life during its final stages by providing compassionate care, dignity and support for every patient and Family.

Allen Hospice volunteers who choose to work in direct care may 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.

Allen Hospice will provide all individuals interested in volunteering with hospice patients and their families. Allen Hospice provides physical, emotional and spiritual care for end-of-life patients in their place of residence, including their homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes or in a hospital.

Allen Hospice requires a 14 hour training program.

Contact the VCCV at 272-2087 for more information.

In the Spotlight - Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is committed to living out the healing ministry of the Judeo-Christian tradition by providing exceptional and compassionate healthcare services that promotes the dignity and well being of the people we serve.

Covenant's Care-A-Van Service provides free transportation to patients using Covenant Medical Center services. Care-A-Van gives patients a ride to Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare and returns them safely to their home. The volunteer driver will drive a Wheaton van and is provided with a cell phone to allow two-way communication with the Medical Center.

Courteous men and women, age 21 and older with a valid driver's license and demonstrated safe driving record are needed. A health assessment is required.

Contact the VCCV at 272-2087 for more information.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Alternatives Pregnancy Center is hosting Wheels and Heels for Life on September 24, 2011 at 9 a.m. Volunteers are needed for registration, preparing breakfast, assisting on the trails, handing out t-shirts, and handing out awards to the best decorated strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs, as well as family and competitive runners. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with Halloween Hikes, a fun, family event October 12-14, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed for: Actors, Placing and lighting luminaries, Guides, Parking attendants, Greeter/ticket takers, Kitchen help, Gift shop and Pumpkin vote taker. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Cedar Valley Derby Divas need assistance at the October 15 Derby Bout from 5 - 9 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome to assist with ticket sales, will call, ticket collection and the merchandise table.

• The Hawkeye Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for volunteers to walk in a parade on October 15 in Waverly from 8 a.m. until noon. Volunteers age 16 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!

Do Something Clubs Need Activities

The ‘Do Something Club’ is dedicated to giving youth the tools and support to bring their unique vision to life. “Do Something” works with young people to shape beliefs and behaviors about participation before negative attitudes and cynicism develop.

The "Do Something Club" will be starting in September and is in need of hands on activities.

‘Do Something Club’ is looking for projects. Each participating agency will provide supplies for the projects that youth will work on. Materials will be picked up and taken to the participating program sites. DSC can sort, package, create, stamp, group, and organize. With each project youth are educated about the agency and its purpose in the community. Agency fliers for participants are encouraged so they can share their work with teachers and parents.

Questions may be directed to Jean Seeland, Program Director at 272-2087 or mailto:Jean_Seeland@vccv.org

Young Leaders in Action Conference Nonprofit Request

An integral part of the Young Leaders in Action Conference is the opportunity for the youth to participate in service learning projects. The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is responsible for securing the projects.  We would love to have our agencies give us some work for the students to accomplish. Examples of past projects include: making May baskets for residents at Country View, assembling 10K race packets, labeling raincoats for Honor Flight, and assembling food bags for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. We have a captive audience of young people who are energetic and excited about helping. Give us some of your work and allow us to help. The YLA conference is October 25 at UNI. Please contact Jean Seeland, 272-2087 or email Jean_Seeland@vccv.org. 

Volunteer Tuesdays at UNI

Every Tuesday, the Student Leadership Center in cooperation with the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, have organized opportunities for students to get into the local communities and give back. Each week, a different community agency will be served so students can experience the flavor of some of the agencies in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area that need our help.

All you have to do is sign up for the day(s) and time that work for you and your schedule. The Student Leadership Center will provide transportation, beverages and snacks and free t-shirt

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 you have any questions, please contact the Student

Leadership Center at 273-7422.

9/11 NATIONAL MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE

September 11, 2011 - 12 p.m.

Stop and Remember

The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution (S. Res. 237) calling on all Americans to participate in a Moment of Remembrance on September 11, 2011. For one minute, first responders, houses of worship, towns, and others throughout the country will sound sirens and bells in a signal to each of us to STOP AND REMEMBER the 10th anniversary of the tragedies of September 11, 2001.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Individuals age 16 and over are needed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 18th to assist with the Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Garden’s Annual Fall Harvest Festival. There are many opportunities available from set up and tear down to assisting with games and crafts, the Scarecrow Silent Auction, Sprout’s Space Activities, parking and selling merchandise.

• Alternatives Pregnancy Center is hosting Wheels and Heels for Life on September 24, 2011 at 9 a.m. Volunteers are needed for registration, preparing breakfast, assisting on the trails, handing out t-shirts, and handing out awards to the best decorated strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs, as well as family and competitive runners. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with Halloween Hikes, a fun, family event October 12-14, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed for: Actors, Placing and lighting luminaries, Guides, Parking attendants, Greeter/ticket takers, Kitchen help, Gift shop and Pumpkin vote taker. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Department of Human Services needs Clerical Assistance. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with flexible shifts to assist with filing, copying, answering phones, and other duties assigned.

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!

$250 Mini-Grants Available - Deadline: 4 p.m. September 19, 2011

GenerationOn Make Your Mark Week (formerly Kids Care Week) is celebrated during the third week of October, this year October 16-22, 2011. The week inspires and mobilizes kids to use their energy, ingenuity and compassion to "make their mark on the world" through hands-on service to help others in their local and global communities. During the week, young people focus on issues that matter most to them by doing small acts or service projects that add up to making a big difference. Make Your Mark Week ends on Make a Difference Day, the largest national day of service.

Thanks to our founding partner, Hasbro, generationOn will award 200 mini-grants in the amount of $250 each to support service projects that enable youth to "make their mark" on one of the following issues: Animals, the Environment, Homelessness, Hunger and Literacy. We're looking for projects that engage youth (ages 5 - 18) to make a positive impact on the Make Your Mark Week issues in local and global communities. For more information and a grant application go to generationOn.org, call generationOn toll free 1-866-269-0510 or email info@generationon.org. 

9/11 Day of Service

Local Volunteers are Encouraged to Join the 9/11 National Day of Service
and Remembrance Initiative

 Opportunities are Available for All to Get Involved

Through the nationwide 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance initiative, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is joining hundreds of other organizations around the country that are planning to commemorate Sept. 11 with community-based service programs.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is partnering with the Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens to provide a family-friendly volunteer activity in remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks. Volunteers will plant trees and shrubs as well as take part in beautification of the gardens at the Cedar Valley Arboretum in Waterloo. The event will be held from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11. Volunteers of all ages are invited to participate and preregistration is requested.     

“The Volunteer Center is excited to see this day become a powerful motivator for engagement in our community as we strive to make the Cedar Valley a great place to live,” said Lauren Finke, Director of the Volunteer Center.

To register for the Volunteer Center’s 9/11 Day of Service activity, contact the VCCV by calling (319) 272-2087 or emailing information@vccv.org.

Individuals interested in commemorating Sept. 11 through service and volunteerism can also visit www.911day.org, the official site of the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance initiative, and explore and support charitable causes of interest, find volunteer opportunities and post personal good deeds.

International Literacy Day

Thursday, September 8 is International Literacy Day.  According to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, all children have a right to a free primary education and therefore a right to be literate.
 
The organization First Book states that the ratio for age appropriate books in middle income neighborhoods is 13 books to one child. In low income neighborhoods the ratio is 1 book to 300 children.

International Literacy Day provides an excellent opportunity to motivate children to read and to participate in service learning projects. Some suggestions for activities include: read to younger children in your school, hold a Read-A-Thon to raise money to buy new books, encourage students to bring gently used but outgrown books to school and donate the books to places like the House of Hope, Peoples Health Clinic, Boys and Girls Club, and/or the YWCA. 

The ideas are only hampered by our creativity and time.  I am more than willing to assist any school who wishes to observe International Literacy Day with a service learning project.  Please contact me at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087 or by email Jean_Seeland@vccv.org.  

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for dedicated and compassionate people to serve on its Board of Directors. Board members support the agency through setting policy and procedures, expanding the agency's network of friends and contributors, and advocating for our work in the community. Board meetings are held the second Monday of each month from 4 – 6 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• The Family & Children’s Council needs volunteers to assist with the Park to Park half marathon and 5K race on Saturday, September 10th. Opportunities include race check-in, provide route direction, and post-race activities beginning at 6:00 a.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is partnering with the Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens to provide a family-friendly volunteer activity in remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks. Volunteers will plant trees and shrubs as well as take part in beautification of the gardens at the Cedar Valley Arboretum in Waterloo. The event will be held from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11. Volunteers of all ages are invited to participate and preregistration is requested.     

• Individuals age 16 and over are needed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 18th to assist with the Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Garden’s Annual Fall Harvest Festival. There are many opportunities available from set up and tear down to assisting with games and crafts, the Scarecrow Silent Auction, Sprout’s Space Activities, parking and selling merchandise.

Contact Lauren at 272-2087 to volunteer. For more information visit http://www.vccv.org/