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 celebrated Make A Difference Day the entire month of October.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley recruited businesses and organizations to participate in a collection for Country View Care Facility. Participating businesses encouraged employees to bring in items in need between October 3rd and 21st. Collection bins were provided. Items needed included: board and card games, gloves and stocking hats, word search books, puzzles, AA batteries, body wash and pre-packaged snack items. 

Volunteering in the workplace raises employee morale, provides team building opportunities and a sense of loyalty and pride for their company. Participating businesses this year included: Bergan Paulsen/Networking Solutions, GMAC Mortgage, Veridian Credit Union, Matt Parrott & Sons, Family & Children's Council, INVISION Architects, VGM Group, Advanced Systems, Inc., Phelps Youth Pavilion, Benton Concrete, AECOM, Dutton, Braun, Staack, & Hellman, PLC, Brandin and Joey Carlson, Ebert Chiropractic, Struxture, Eclipse Hair Studio, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Board of Realtors, ASI Computers, John Deere Foundry, Universal Industries, ConAgra, and Hellman and Associates.

GMAC Mortgage

The business that donated the greatest amount of items received the #1 Contributor plaque, a traveling award, to be displayed at their business for the year! This year our winner is the Family & Children's Council! To participate or to find out how to have your business become a partner with the VCCV, contact Lauren Finke at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087 or contact her at Lauren_Finke@vccv.org.

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

Energy Assessment and Weatherization Skills Training

Energy Assessment and Weatherization Skills Training.
November 2nd,
Operation Threshold
1535 Lafayette St.
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Learn how to test and improve homes for energy efficiency through in class discussion and hands on training on site. These are valuable skills in the new green industry as well as for individuals to learn how to save energy in their own homes. Participation is rewarded with a certificate in Home Energy Assessment and Basic Weatherization Skills. Women and minorities encouraged. For more information contact:

Jason Jefferson
Education Coordinator
Green Iowa AmeriCorps
University of Northern Iowa
CEEE 109
Cedar Falls, IA 50614
p: 319-273-7233
f: 319-273-7140

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with Under the Harvest Moon. This is a benefit dinner and auction that will be held at the Rotary Reserve on November 4 from 5 - 10 p.m. Volunteers are needed for: Wait staff/servers, Kitchen help/dishes, Coat check, Parking attendants, Auction runners and Check-out. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Family and Children's Council needs volunteers to serve as Healthy Babies Mentors, working closely with new moms and their service providers to make sure mothers are receiving prenatal care and taking care of themselves. Mentoring times are set between the client and mentor. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• The Grout Museum District needs Saturday Movie Series Assistants to help seat people, answer questions, and clean up after the show from 1 - 5 p.m. the second Saturday of each month. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging is looking for Meal Delivery Drivers to deliver meals to home bound senior citizens. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

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

Phelps Youth Pavilion to Host Trick or Treating

Phelps Youth Pavilion to Host Trick or Treating

Exhibit characters will come to life at October 30 event

Kids are invited to come in costume to trick or treat at the Phelps Youth Pavilion on Sunday, October 30 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This new event is designed as a non-scary, family-friendly Halloween event for kids of all ages. Characters from the Phelps Youth Pavilion’s exhibits, such as artist Grant Wood, an explorer from the Paleolithic Era, and many others will come to life as children trick or treat through the galleries for festive treats, prizes, crafts and more!  

The cost is $3 per trick or treater and accompanying adults are free. Pre-registration is optional, but the event is limited to 500 trick or treaters. For more information or to pre-register, call the Waterloo Center for the Arts at (319) 291-4490 or visit www.phelpsyouthpavilion.org. All children must be accompanied by an adult during this event.

The Waterloo Center for the Arts works in partnership with the community to build a stronger appreciation for the arts and to provide cultural experiences for people of all ages. For more information, call (319) 291-4490 or visit www.waterloocenterforthearts.org.

Pathways Behavioral Services- Run, Walk, and Roll for a Drug Free Community

Register Now! Register Now! Register Now! Register Now! Register Now!

Pathways 5k is Saturday and it looks like it’s going to be a great day! Sign up today and help support a drug-free future for our communities.  Please feel free to access the Pathways’ 5k registration form at http://www.pathwaysb.org/. We hope to see you all at our “Run, Walk, and Roll for a Drug Free Community” on Saturday, October 29^th at 9 a.m.

Foundation offers training for nonprofits organizations

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa on Monday will host Board Fundamentals, a training session for local nonprofit organizations.

The event will be from 4 to 6 p.m. in the theater at VGM.

Agencies that received foundation funding in the past three years will take part in a workshop presented by Gary Kelsey, principal consultant of Gary Kelsey and Associates in Minneapolis.

The training is designed to engage board members in fundraising and strengthen nonprofit agencies in the Cedar Valley.

The event is free for nonprofit board members who registered.

For information, call the Community Foundation at 287-9106 or go online at www.cfneia.org.

Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/foundation-offers-training-for-nonprofits-organizations/article_66ca84bd-6f36-5795-8675-1d04ae61f20a.html#ixzz1bhn3VzGF

Mark your Calendar! Appetite for Service - Saturday, March 24 from 6 - 10 p.m.

In 2010, more than 60 million Americans volunteered within our great country. In that same year, our very own Volunteer Center connected over 6,000 volunteers with opportunities to serve 70+ organizations right here in the Cedar Valley. The primary role of the Volunteer Center is to mobilize citizens to meet local needs through volunteer service. The Volunteer Center links people who want to help with organizations where their time and talent can be utilized effectively.

Each year, the Volunteer Center hosts the popular Appetite for Service Dinner to raise funds to support their mission. The 2012 Appetite for Service Dinner is an exciting and fun-filled event to be held on Saturday, March 24 from 6 - 10 p.m. at Sunnyside Country Club.

What is "Appetite for Service"?
A select group of community leaders from the Cedar Valley are invited to "serve" during this memorable evening designed to raise funds for the
Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley.

How can I be involved?

Become a Celebrity Server!
Serve our gourmet dinner to eight of your most generous friends.
Sponsor your table of eight guests for $750.
Decorate your table with a special theme of your choice. Compete against other Celebrity Servers to win the coveted "2012 Silver Tray of Service Award.”

Make a donation to our auction event!
Donate an item for the silent/live auction held during the dinner event.
Give a monetary donation to the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley.

How does the Volunteer Center use the money raised?
We assist over 70 non-profit agencies by recruiting volunteers and helping them to build their skills in recruiting, managing, retaining, and recognizing volunteers. We also support a thriving service-learning program, encouraging youth to solve community problems through volunteerism in the Cedar Valley.

For more information, call the
Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Join the race for a drug-free community on October 29! Proceeds of the Run, Walk, and Roll 5k will benefit Pathways Behavioral Services and aid in their work to prevent and treat substance abuse. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed for a variety of jobs.

• Cedar Valley Volunteer Emergency Club supplements the CFPD's patrol with 2-person car teams in different areas of the city patrolling for mischief/vandalism during Trick or Treat hours on Monday, October 31 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with Under the Harvest Moon. This is a benefit dinner and auction that will be held at the Rotary Reserve on November 4 from 5 - 10 p.m. Volunteers are needed for: Wait staff/servers, Kitchen help/dishes, Coat check, Parking attendants, Auction runners and Check-out. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Exceptional Persons, Inc. needs volunteers to serve lunch to participants in the CHOICE Program Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

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

Make Your Mark Week Is Here!

GenerationOn presents Make Your Mark Week (formerly Kids Care Week) to inspire and mobilize kids of all ages to use their energy, ingenuity and compassion to "make their mark on the world" through hands-on service.  Make Your Mark Week encourages young people to do small acts or service projects that together make a big impact on their lives, their communities and the world. This week focuses on issues that matter most to kids - animal welfare, the environment, homelessness, hunger and literacy - and culminates on Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of service.

Here are a few examples of how you can make your mark and make a difference in your local and global communities.

Calling all animal lovers

Did you know that 5 to 7 million animals enter shelters every year? Here's one way you can help: Become an animal adaption agent for a furry friend in a shelter near you. Learn how by visiting generationOn's Make Your Mark Week website and pledge to help today!

Help the environment

Did you know that CFL bulbs use 75% less energy than standard bulbs, last 6 times longer, and save $40 on the electricity bills? Pledge to replace one light bulb and learn more about fun and easy ways you can help the environment  on generationOn's Make Your Mark Week website.

Help those without homes

Did you know there are 770,000 homeless children enrolled in public school? You can help make a big difference by collecting and donating soaps and shampoo bottles.  Go to generationOn's Make Your Mark Week website and find out more about how you can help and pledge to make a difference.

Help end the fight against hunger

Did you know that in the U.S., 49 million people live on the brink of hunger? You can help by starting a coin collection at school or at home. Learn how by visiting generationOn's Make Your Mark Week website and make your pledge today.  

Help promote literacy

Did you know that 80% of pre-schools and after school programs for low income children do not have books? You can help by writing and donating your own story book. Learn how by visiting generationOn's Make Your Mark Week website and pledge to make a difference. 

Get involved and help make a big difference!

The Cure for the Not-for-Profit Crisis

There is a crisis in the not-for-profit sector. Since the great recession began, donations to the largest charities in the U.S. have dropped by billions — down 11% in 2010 alone, according to a recent report from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. This was the worst decline since the Chronicle began ranking its "Philanthropy 400" list of America's largest fund-raising charities in 1990. Leaders of philanthropic and other non-profit organizations naturally blame the economy for this problem; and many expect things to get worse as the economic malaise drags on.

But the financial meltdown has not affected all charities and not-for-profits equally. It is the more versatile, general-purpose charities — including such well-known, diverse institutions as The United Way Worldwide and the Salvation Army — that are faring the worst. For more tightly focused not-for-profits, such as the Cleveland Clinic and the network of Food Banks around the country, the decline is not nearly as sharp.

Why the disparity? Our own research on organizational strategy and leadership more broadly suggests a reason. Since 2010, we've been conducting an ongoing survey of managers' attitudes about the strategies of their organizations (click here to take the not-for-profit version of the profiler). More than 65% of the respondents from the non-profit sector said it was a significant challenge to bring day-to-day decisions in line with their organization's overall strategy. When asked about their frustration factors, 76% (the largest group by far, and a larger percentage than their for-profit counterparts) named "too many conflicting priorities." When asked about their organization's core capabilities — distinctive things their association could do better than anyone else — only 29% said these supported their organization's strategy, and almost 80% said that their association's efforts to grow had led to waste.

All of these results suggest that, while the hit to fundraising has hurt many not-for-profits, the more fundamental core problem is strategic. These institutions lack a strategy for connecting their mission with their ability to deliver. In short, this is a crisis of coherence.
Coherence is a fundamental alignment among the elements that create value in an organization. A coherent not-for-profit has three core strategic elements fitting seamlessly together. First, there is a well-defined "way to play," a distinctive way of achieving the organization's mission — thus making a difference in a way that would otherwise go unfulfilled. Second, the organization backs up its mission with a system of interrelated capabilities: a combination of processes, tools, knowledge, skills, and organization, all focused on reliably and consistently delivering what is needed to create value according to that way to play. Third, all its activities relate to this strategic mix; if it doesn't have the capabilities to perform some service, in a way that fits with its overall strategy, then it leaves that to a different organization.

The struggle to raise funds makes it more difficult to be coherent. When cash is tight, not-for-profits inevitably see themselves as competing for donors. The perpetual chase for revenue can lead an association to "help in any way we can," following donor priorities and chasing a multitude of opportunities to serve, including those in vogue at any moment, rather than abiding by their core strategy. Many of these won't fit with its existing capabilities or other activities, and the not-for-profit will be poorly equipped to deliver them.

For example, a donor might say to a health or educational group, "I want to give you a transformational gift, but I love community theater — so part of the gift should subsidize plays related to your basic theme." Suddenly, the charity must muster a vastly different set of capabilities, where it has little experience. Once these incoherent services are taken on, they are very difficult to dislodge.

When a not-for-profit becomes incoherent, its attention is distracted from the thing it needs to do most: Investing time, energy and funds to build critical capabilities to accomplish its strategic purpose. Worse still, more investment in time and cost goes toward these supposedly revenue-generating programs, thus actually hurting the bottom line and breeding more fundraising pressure and more incoherence. Nan Stone, Jeffrey Bradach, and Tom Tierney of the Bridgespan Group, a not-for-profit advisory service, call this phenomenon "scatterization," and they link it to the way not-for-profits are organized. It's a sign that just as catering only to Wall Street expectations can pull a company into incoherence, following the short-term demands of donors and "growth opportunities" can do the same for a foundation or association.

Another factor leading to incoherence, especially in times of tight money, is the immense pressure placed upon overhead costs. At many associations and institutions, the level of across-the-board cost reduction has become a key performance indicator. Because these cuts don't distinguish between "good overhead" (used to build and maintain essential capabilities) and "bad overhead" (used on projects or activities unrelated to core purposes), they become a kind of pressure forcing the organization to avoid spending money on itself. This means that the building of critical capabilities is underfunded, and the association often becomes much weaker as a result. (The only area spared from cost reduction is the development group — focused on competitive fundraising.) Prominent donors give money to new facilities, programs, or university chairs bearing their name, but very few donors explicitly fund the nitty-gritty ongoing costs of capabilities: maintenance of an R&D lab, training programs to bring new people up to speed, or distribution system logistics that get food and medical supplies to people on the ground.

All of these forms of incoherence undermine the mission of the not-for-profit. Does it leave society any better when there are multiple charitable organizations trying to do the same thing in the same way, essentially investing to compete for limited funds, and ignoring the capabilities that would allow them to genuinely serve?

Fortunately, there are some examples of not-for-profits that take a more coherent road; they manage to sustain their activities in these very difficult times by focusing their efforts on a coherent group of purposes and programs. One good example is the Harlem Children's Zone (formerly known as the Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families) - a not-for-profit originally set up in 1970 to help truant children in Manhattan's troubled Upper West Side neighborhoods. As Bridgespan (which worked closely with this organization) tells the story, the Rheedlen Center grew steadily during the 1980s, and then dramatically in the 1990s, offering a broader range of services that included support for the homeless, and the elderly. All of these were worthy, and Rheedlen's reputation and competence attracted donations - up to $10 million by 1999 - but they required a far more diverse operation. In 2002, director Geoff Canada led an effort to divest some of these services, not by shutting them down but by transferring them to other qualified agencies like the Jackie Robinson Senior Center. The name change to "Harlem Children's Zone" further signified that henceforth this agency would focus on its core mission: helping children and teenagers who would otherwise be at risk. They still offer a wide range of services (including parent support and co-direction of a charter school), but all of them focus on children and teenagers, drawing upon the capabilities that Canada (a much-recognized educator and youth advocate) and the staff are known for.

We've seen similar kinds of focus in other successful not-for-profits. The Mayo Foundation, tied closely to the Mayo Clinic, funds and oversees medical health care research with the capabilities needed to make that research most effective. The environmental group the World Wildlife Fund, generally recognized for its global scale and effectiveness, decided in the 1990s to conserve particular types of high-risk ecosystems around the world, and has maintained that
coherence in its research and activity ever since.

To become more coherent in your own association or not-for-profit, start by looking at your own differentiating capabilities. What is your organization great at doing? How do your strengths and practices fit together? How do they link, in turn, to your stated strategic purpose as an organization? Do you spend the majority of your investment in your area of strategic purpose, and are all your products and services lined up accordingly?

By becoming more coherent, you could make your own organization far more effective even at fundraising. After all, the organization that focuses its energies and investments most coherently will ultimately build the capabilities it needs to be the best at accomplishing its mission. Ultimately, it will be a much more attractive donation target, because the world will see that its work and activities relate directly to the solutions they want to see.


By Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi, Harvard Business Review.

Community Meeting - October 19

This is a reminder of the Community Meeting planned for Wednesday, October 19, 4 p.m. at Carver Academy, 1505 Logan Ave., Waterloo. The meeting is sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley and Iowa State Extension Service and Outreach.

The purpose of the meeting is to promote collaboration in our neighborhoods to provide and sustain an ongoing supportive network for our youth.

We are also hoping our discussion will contribute to the conversation, “Rebuilding Our Community: Creating a Vision for the Future of Waterloo” that is planned by the Waterloo Neighborhood Coalition. for November 12, 2011

We hope to see you October 19.

If you have questions please contact Michelle Temeyer at temeyer@iastate.edu, 234-6811, Kendra Crooks at kcrooks@iastate.edu,234-6811 or Jean Seeland at Jean_Seeland@vccv.org, 272-2087.

Connect With the Elderly

  

This is a great time of year for families to volunteer to help the elderly in our community. Some suggestions for a family volunteer project include:

• Adopt a “grandfriend” and write a letter
• Visit a nursing home
• Rake leaves, clean gutters or wash windows for a senior citizen
• Sing and/or play musical instruments at a nursing home
• Help senior citizens in your neighborhood install smoke alarms
• Offer to pick up groceries for senior citizens
• Enjoy the nice fall weather on a walk with an elderly person in your neighborhood
• Listen to senior citizens tell of their lives
• Teach a senior citizen how to use a computer

Call 272-2087 to get involved in volunteerism. 

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Ushers are needed at Strayer-Wood Theatre for Mad Forest on October 20-22 and October 27-29 at 7:30, and October 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Join the race for a drug-free community on October 29! Proceeds of the Run, Walk, and Roll 5k will benefit Pathways Behavioral Services and aid in their work to prevent and treat substance abuse. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed for a variety of jobs.

• Cedar Valley Volunteer Emergency Club supplements the CFPD's patrol with 2-person car teams in different areas of the city patrolling for mischief/vandalism during Trick or Treat hours on Monday, October 31 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. 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 the VCCV at 272-2087 to volunteer, or check out additional opportunities at www.vccv.org

A World Peppered with Kind Acts

We know what you're thinking: If it's fall, can the season of boots and snowsuits be far behind? This may be a good time to remember that teaching kindness to your children needn't involve leaving the house to do structured projects. There are countless ways to weave "kindness reminders" into your everyday routine. Impromptu activities that make another person smile can be just as valuable as the most thoroughly researched volunteer project. 

Talk About It.....

Showing consideration provides a great opportunity to chat with your children about the value of kindness.

• Talk about brief encounters you've had with people (sometimes even strangers) that made you feel great. Ask your children about examples in their life.
• Talk about how the world would look if everyone practiced kindness each day.
• Read a quote about kindness aloud. Ask your children what they think it means and if they believe it's true. Sample quotes:
• "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." (The Dalai Lama)
• "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." (John Wooden)
• "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." (Maya Angelou)
• "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." (Philo of Alexandria)
• Talk often about the benefits of being kind. Give examples of the chain reaction that kindness can spark.

Making a Difference as a Family

Making a Difference...

These little actions can be especially fun for families with children.

• On your next walk to the park, pick up trash you see along the way. Throw away any trash you find before you start playing. 
• Hold the door open for someone.
• Pay for the person behind you in the coffee shop.
• Next time you bake, drop off homemade treats for a neighbor or a friend.
• Leave an anonymous bouquet of flowers for a neighbor or a friend.
• Make a card to thank someone or cheer them up.
• Leave the exact change at a vending machine for someone to find.
• Anonymously mow a neighbors lawn, rake their leaves or shovel their sidewalk.

Brainstorm additional ideas with your family,or visit randomactsofkindness.org or helpothers.com to find ideas that inspire enthusiasm in your family.

Local Volunteers Honored 9/11 by Volunteering at the Cedar Valley

On September 11th, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley hosted a special volunteer event at the Arboretum to honor the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Over 30 members of the Cedar Valley participated to complete important projects throughout the grounds.

Gardens were weeded, perennials were cut back and shrubs were pruned, and trash collected – perfect timing with the Fall Festival the next weekend!

Many of the volunteers also cleaned, sanded and stained the outdoor furniture found in the Enabling Gardens and throughout the grounds.

UNI Volunteer Tuesdays

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

The “Volunteer Bus” departs campus two times each Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Each student receives beverages and snacks and a t-shirt. Registration will begin September 27 for the following opportunities:

  

Tuesday, October 11

Afternoon group: Ridgeway Place

Activities include conversing with residents while participating in activities such as crafts and games with residents of this assisted living facility.

Evening group: Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging

Students will assist with painting a training room and additional space in senior center.

Tuesday, October 18

Northeast Iowa Food Bank

Students will assist with packing weekend food sacks for the backpack program.

Tuesday, October 25

Grout Museum District

Students will assist with outdoor maintenance of the property, putting together large mailings and other materials for the Grout Museum District.

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.

These planned volunteer outings for students have been so successful the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is recruiting sites for the month of November. If your organization is interested in participating, please contact Lauren Finke at 272-2087 or Lauren_Finke@vccv.org.

Healthiest State Initiative

Waterloo/Cedar Falls - Mayor Clark and Mayor Crews are asking citizens to help Waterloo and Cedar Falls be chosen as a part of the cities to be transformed. It could mean wonderful things including lower healthcare costs, economic development, and a happier healthier community. The first step is to go online (www.iowahealthieststate.com) and locate a "Start Somewhere Walk" in Waterloo or Cedar Falls on Friday, October 7, 2011 at noon and get out and take a walk. If citizens can't make a walk and want to do it on there own, they can. Please be encouraged to register the walk online so the City gets credit for it. The next step is to go online (www.bluezonesproject.com) and pledge to support the community in this endeavor. There is no monetary amount requested, it is just a pledge to want to live a healthier life. Pledges will be tallied on October 28, 2011 and this will be one of the factors in whether the City is chosen to share in the $25 million dollar project. Thank you for your help!

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• 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.

• Ushers are needed at Strayer-Wood Theatre for Guernica on October 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 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!

Make A Difference Day - Donate!

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley has recruited businesses and organizations to participate in a collection for Country View Care Facility. Participating businesses are encouraging employees to bring in items in need between October 3rd and 21st. Collection bins have been provided. Items needed include: board and card games, gloves and stocking hats, word search books, puzzles, AA batteries, body wash and pre-packaged snack items.

Participating businesses/agencies include:  VGM Group, Advanced Systems, Phelps Youth Pavilion, Dutton, Braun, Staack, & Hellman PLC, Benton Concrete, 4-H youth project, Ebert Chiropractic, StruXture Architects, AECOM, Eclipse Hair Studio, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Board of Realtors, Bergan Paulsen, Networking Solutions, GMAC Mortgage, Veridian Credit Union, Matt Parrott & Sons, Family & Children’s Council.
 

You can help so many by being part of Make a Difference Day! Deliver donations to any of the aforementioned businesses/agencies. The business/agency that donates the greatest amount of items will receive the #1 Contributor plaque, a traveling award, to be displayed at the business for the year! To participate, contact Lauren Finke at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087.

SOCIAL ACTION ALERT

We are advised by the Cedar Valley Hospitality House and Waterloo Catholic Worker that there is an immediate need for winter clothing and blankets.

The Hospitality House is in need of gently used men's winter coats, stocking caps, gloves, sweatshirts, hoodies and blankets. These items will be distributed to the homeless who are living outdoors. Items can be dropped off at the Hospitality House at 1003 Mulberry St. in Waterloo daily between 9:00 a..m. and 4:00 p.m. (Phone 319-234-1311).

St. Francis Catholic Worker is in need of winter hats, gloves and toilet paper for guests who are staying overnight at the Worker House. Items can be dropped off at the Worker House, 321 East 8th Street in Waterloo weekdays after 4:00 p.m. (Phone 319-232-2116.)