Donate Your Stuff to the VCCV

Rid your home of unused items and under worn clothes and raise funds for the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley. Drop off your items at Stuff, Etc. and put it on our account! Stuff, Etc. is located at 1210 Flammang Dr., Waterloo, IA 50702, (319) 233-8009. Hours are Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Donating your items is easy and can be done year round.

Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

·         Volunteers are needed to help gather water quality data from four branches of Dry Run Creek on September 1 from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Volunteers will be trained on data collection methods and assigned a testing location. No experience is needed. This event will take place rain or shine, and you may get wet. Volunteers will be assigned a team of 2-3 people and given 2-3 different sites to sample. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         September 6 is Family Fun Day at the Phelps Youth Pavilion. Volunteers are needed to help families in the art room and to help staff with upkeep of the Pavilion. Shifts are 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         Ridgeway Place Assisted Living need assistance with their family picnic on September 15 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Volunteers will help with games, face painting and food. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s needs volunteers on September 22 from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m. to assist with day-of-event duties such as check-in, registration, parking directors, route directions, banking and tear-down at Hawkeye Community College. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

To volunteer, call 272-2087!

UNI Volunteer Fair - Join Us!

Stop by the UNI Volunteer Fair tomorrow, Thursday, from 10:30 - 1:00 in Maucker Union to visit with 50+ non-profit organizations and find a volunteer opportunity to fit your interests.

Please contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley anytime at volunteerUNI@vccv.org or by calling (319) 272-2087 to find out more about local volunteer opportunities.

9/11 Day of Service

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, established by 9/11 family members and support groups, is a forward-looking way to honor 9/11 victims, survivors, and others who rose up in service in response to the attacks. On the anniversary of September 11th, Americans will unite in service in the same remarkable way that so many came together following the attacks. To find local opportunities to serve during this year’s 9/11 Day of Service use the project locator tool. It’s not too late to organize a project! For planning resources, see: http://www.911day.org/#resources.

 

 

About 9/11 Day

9/11 Day is the international non-profit movement to observe September 11 every year as a day of charitable service and doing good deeds. We created this observance soon after 9/11 to provide a positive way to forever remember and pay tribute to the 9/11 victims, honor those that rose in service in response to the attacks, and remind people of the importance of working more closely together in peace to improve our world. Today millions participate annually by taking time out on 9/11 to help others in need, in their own way.

9/11 Day was founded and is lead each year by MyGoodDeed, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, tax exempt organization. MyGoodDeed also lead the successful effort to secure the formal designation of September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, which was supported on a bipartisan basis by former President George W. Bush, formally authorized in 2009 under federal law approved by Congress, and established officially by President Barack Obama under Presidential Proclamation on September.

MyGoodDeed’s 9/11 Advisory Board include 20 leaders of prominent organizations representing 9/11 families, first responders, volunteers, and other impacted by the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In 2011, for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, MyGoodDeed, partnered with HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation arm of the Points of Light Institute, to successfully co-lead efforts to organize the single largest day of charitable service in United States history. A record 33 million people engaged in charitable service in observance of 9/11. This year, we are working with many other organizations as well to continue to promote and build upon the 9/11 Day Observance and expand its reach internationally. Please feel free to read some of the recent media coverage about us, listed under Latest News. Also visit and “like” our 9/11 Day Facebook page, and follow-us on Twitter.

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Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

·         The Grout Museum District needs volunteers to count inventory in the museum stores. Volunteer on Sunday, August 26th noon until 5:00 p.m. and Monday, August 27th 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Volunteers may work any time during these hours for as many hours they would like. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         Volunteers are needed to help gather water quality data from four branches of Dry Run Creek on September 1 from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Volunteers will be trained on data collection methods and assigned a testing location. No experience is needed. This event will take place rain or shine, and you may get wet. Volunteers will be assigned a team of 2-3 people and given 2-3 different sites to sample. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         September 6 is Family Fun Day at the Phelps Youth Pavilion. Volunteers are needed to help families in the art room and to help staff with upkeep of the Pavilion. Shifts are 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

·         The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s needs volunteers on September 22 from 8:00 until 11:00 a.m. to assist with day-of-event duties such as check-in, registration, parking directors, route directions, banking and tear-down at Hawkeye Community College. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer!

Meyers Lake Cleanup

Jeff Dawson is organizing a cleanup of Meyers Lake in Evansdale to take place Saturday, August 25, 2012. The Meyers Lake Cleanup Day will be held 9 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers are asked to gather at the lake parking lot, wearing old, comfortable shoes or boots. Necessary materials will be provided.

Lowell Fundraiser

Lowell Elementary and our Partners in Education are sponsoring a fundraiser this fall to raise money for student’s who need help with uniforms and school supplies. Our goal is to raise $1,500 through the sale of Lucky Lowell Discount Cards which are $10.00 each. Each card can be used multiple times over the course of 1 year at the following businesses: Mama Nick’s Circle Pizzeria; Dairy Queen; Papa John’s Pizza; Steamboat Gardens; Cadillac Lanes; Palmer’s Family Fun; Jiffy Lube; Anna’s Treasure Chest; Master Cuts; Tina’s Nails; Tropical Tanning & Massage; Popeye’s Chicken; and Cold Stone Creamery.

If you are interested in purchasing one or more of our Lucky Lowell Discount Cards, please contact Carole Gustafson by email (gustafsonc@waterlooschools.org) or by phone – 215-2267.

Guidelines & Principles for Nonprofit Excellence in Nebraska and Iowa

Introduction
The Guidelines & Principles for Nonprofit Excellence in Nebraska & Iowa are intended to serve as an educational resource to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of charitable organizations. Designed to provide a planning and assessment framework, the documents contain legal requirements that all nonprofits must comply with, as well as practices to aspire to as we raise the bar in nonprofit performance.

Many of the guidelines and principles detailed will be helpful to all nonprofits. However, they are specifically written for Nebraska and Iowa nonprofit corporations that are tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that are public charities (i.e., not private foundations).

Think of Guidelines & Principles for Nonprofit Excellence in Nebraska & Iowa as a nonprofit roadmap—the roadmap itself does not determine the path to the final destination, but provides alternative routes and serves as a starting point for decision making.

Purpose
The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM) believes that good organizational practices are best implemented through education and self-regulation. The Guidelines & Principles for Nonprofit Excellence in Nebraska & Iowa were created as an internal planning and assessment tool for 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations as we work to enrich the quality of community life.


The Guidelines & Principles for Nonprofit Excellence in Nebraska & Iowa is intended to:
1. Provide nonprofit organizations with state-specific tools for evaluating regulatory compliance, enhancing strategic planning, and refining operational evaluation.
2. Support the growth and quality of the sector.
3. Increase public understanding of the role and contributions of the charitable nonprofit sector in Nebraska & Iowa.

Tools
Guidelines & Principles for Nonprofit Excellence in Nebraska & Iowa has three tools that will help your nonprofit organization:
1. The Guidelines Principles outlines clear definitions and recommended practices in twelve areas: Accountability-Advocacy and Public Policy-Communication-Evaluation-Financial Management-Fundraising-Governance-Human Resources-Information Technology-Planning-Strategic Alliances-Volunteer Engagement.
2. The Infrastructure Checklist is a guide to the documentation, systems, policies, procedures, and support mechanisms that all nonprofit organizations should have in place to comply with the law, and to function effectively, efficiently, and transparently.
3. The Assessment Tool is designed to help you identify, internally, what your organization is doing well and create an action plan for addressing organizational challenges. It is not an instrument for comparing your organization to others.


Thank You
Nonprofits are vital to the economic health and community fabric of all of us. From arts, to human services to youth services to education, nonprofits are in the business of how we as a community take care of each other. Thank you for all you do to make your community and your state a better place to live, work and raise families.


For more information visit NAM's site.

MLK Day Funding

One week left to submit your MLK Day 2013 Grant Proposals. Points of Light will distribute six sub-grants to the field that will mobilize 50,000 volunteers for 2013 MLK Day of Service. Preference will be given to applications that address the needs of veterans and military families, with a special focus on economic opportunity for this population. Funding priorities include:

• Using the power of MLK Day of Service to on-board new and diverse volunteers committed to year round engagement
• Building the capacity of local nonprofit network to engage more volunteers effectively
• Training and placing Volunteer Leader
• Honoring, engaging and supporting veterans and military families

Click here for the funding overview and here to download the full RFP. Proposals are due August 22. Please contact Frank Brown for more information.

Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

• Volunteers are needed Saturday, August 25^th from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. for the NewAldaya Lifescapes 5^th Annual Walk/Run 5K & 10K Runs. Volunteers are needed for race route guides, registration assistants, photographers, and timers. Bring your friends, children, and neighbors out to help!

• The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission is seeking volunteers to help with heavy lifting of old TVs and computer monitors during their electronics recycling event in Cedar Falls on August 25. Volunteers will also be needed for directing traffic, surveys, and helping unload household chemicals from residents' vehicles. Shifts are from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. or for the entire length of the event, 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Lunch and beverages will be provided to all volunteers. Volunteers 18 and over are welcome.

• Help lead a game table at Casino Night at Mallard Point on Saturday, August 25th from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Assistance is also needed registration table or handing out money for the residents and guests. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• The Cedar Valley Association of Soft Trails (CVAST) Eco-Triathlon - Soft Trail Race needs volunteers on August 26 from 8:00 a.m. until noon to assist in the following race related areas: transition area, directing athletes through trails, and event clean-up. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome. 

Call 272-2087 to volunteer!

UNI Volunteer Fair - DEADLINE AUGUST 16

The VCCV would be delighted to have your agency join us for this collaborative effort between the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley and UNI’s Non-Profit Leadership Alliance on Thursday, August 30 from 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Maucker Union on the University of Northern Iowa’s campus. Last year’s event attracted more than 50 non-profit agencies from the Cedar Valley area and over 700 students.

The Volunteer Fair is a wonderful opportunity for your organization to connect with students, matching your specific volunteer needs to students' skills and personal interests. Agencies may recruit students for one-time or semester-long volunteer opportunities, internships or employment. This is a great chance for you to take advantage of valuable one-on-one contact with UNI students, faculty and staff.

Registration information may be found at www.vccv.org! Complete it and email it to Lauren_Finke@vccv.org by August 16. 

Donate Your Stuff to the VCCV

Rid your home of unused items and under worn clothes and raise funds for the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley. Drop off your items at Stuff, Etc. and put it on our account! Stuff, Etc. is located at 1210 Flammang Dr., Waterloo, IA 50702, (319) 233-8009. Hours are Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Donating your items is easy and can be done year round.

 

Iowa State University Extension of Black Hawk County

ISU Extension’s mission is to offer practical, how-to education based on powerful university research, available to any resident of Iowa, tailored to meet the needs of Iowans. ISU Extension is committed to healthy people, healthy environments, and healthy economics.

Extension staff members present information for everyday living through public programs & workshops, direct mail, radio, television, and newspapers. Staff members also provide one-on-one counseling, advise various organizations & businesses, and organize conferences, workshops and educational courses.

A Food Assistance Outreach Presenter Volunteers age 18 and over will go to congregate meal sites in Black Hawk County to educate older adults about the kinds of food needed to stay healthy as they age, and how they can buy these foods on fixed income through the Iowa Food Assistance program. The schedule is flexible, but likely during the day -- one hour commitment for each outreach presentation. The presentation is delivered in about 20 minutes, but time is needed to set out materials and answer questions after the presentation.

To volunteer, call 272-2087.

 

Coming Attractions

During the month of October (dates TBD) two sessions of volunteer training will be offered

as a part of the Volunteer Management Training Series.

Additional information will be forthcoming.

Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

• Volunteers are needed for the first annual Cedar Valley PrideFest on August 18 in Waterloo. Volunteer jobs include: admissions/gate, stage assistants, security, beer tent, and general/clean-up/logistical helpers. 3-hour shifts will be available, or you can help out all day and be part of the PrideFest team! Volunteers 21 and over are welcome.

• Volunteers are needed Saturday, August 25^th from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. for the NewAldaya Lifescapes 5^th Annual Walk/Run 5K & 10K Runs. Volunteers are needed for race route guides, registration assistants, photographers, and timers. Bring your friends, children, and neighbors out to help!

• Waterloo Community Schools needs adult volunteers who will call on high school students not returning to school. Home visits will be made on Saturday morning, August 25, 2012. Training and information will be provided to encourage students to come back to school and graduate. All volunteers must participate in a one hour training on August 23 located at 1516 Washington. Volunteers 21 and over are welcome.

• The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission is seeking volunteers to help with heavy lifting of old TVs and computer monitors during their electronics recycling event in Cedar Falls on August 25. Volunteers will also be needed for directing traffic, surveys, and helping unload household chemicals from residents' vehicles. Shifts are from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. or for the entire length of the event, 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Lunch and beverages will be provided to all volunteers. Volunteers 18 and over are welcome.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer.

Make A Difference Day 2012 will be on Saturday, October 27

Make A Difference Day is celebrated each year on the 4th Saturday in October. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, it is the nation’s largest day of volunteering, thanks to the passion of millions of people like you. Together with long-standing partner HandsOn Network, the generosity of Newman’s Own and hundreds of carrier newspapers, USA WEEKEND rallies millions in a single day to help change the world.

National recognition for volunteers

Helping others on Make A Difference Day — and submitting your project for award consideration — gives your favorite charity a chance to receive a $10,000 donation from Newman’s Own.

USA WEEKEND Magazine will feature 10 National and three City Award honorees in a special April 2013 issue coinciding with National Volunteer Week, led by Points of Light Institute. Award honorees will receive their awards that month at an event in Washington, D.C.

A $10,000 All-Star Award funded by the Gannett Foundation and USA WEEKEND will go to a former national honoree who shows continued excellence in volunteerism.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is recruiting businesses and organizations to participate in a collection for Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley. Participating businesses will encourage employees to bring in items in need between October 1st and 26th. Collection bins will be provided to you. Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley if interested. Items in need include: board and card games, puzzles, jump ropes, paper, face paint, acrylic paint, AAA batteries, kitchen washcloths, potholders and SOS pads, dish soap, paper towels, outdoor balls, snacks, markers, headphones and band-aids.

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

September 11 National Day of Service & Remembrance

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of an effort originally launched in 2002 by 9/11 family members and support groups, who worked to establish the charitable service day as a forward-looking way to honor 9/11 victims, survivors, and others who rose up in service in response to the attacks.

In 2009, Congress designated September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with supporting this effort across the country. For the anniversary, CNCS is working with numerous organizations to implement one of the largest days of charitable service in U.S. history.

On the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Americans will unite in service in the same remarkable way that so many came together following the attacks.

As in years past, we anticipate service and remembrance activities in all 50 states, at which there will be opportunities for hundreds of thousands of volunteers to paint and refurbish homes, run food drives, spruce up schools, reclaim neighborhoods, and support and honor veterans, soldiers, military families, and first responders. To find opportunities to serve during this year’s September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance, you can visit http://www.serve.gov/toolkits.asp.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley will be partnering with many agencies to provide opportunities for those to provide service and remember this important day. Here are a few examples:

Northeast Iowa Food Bank – help stock shelves in the pantry and put together food packs for various programs.
Cedar Valley Arboretum – assist with fall grounds preparation.
Catholic Worker House – prepare meals at home to be frozen and brought to the Catholic Worker House.
Hartman Reserve Nature Center – walk the trails and pick-up trash and assist with mulching.
Country View Care Facility – play games with residents.
Salvation Army – prepare and serve a noon meal.

You can participate in activities by contacting the VCCV at 272-2087 or visiting www.vccv.org for a complete listing of available opportunities.

VCCV VALU Training

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley (VCCV) invites non-profit member agency representatives to attend the next VALU meeting on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Topic: How to Develop and Use Skills-Based Volunteers will be presented by Lauren Finke. The location: Meeting Room 1 at the Kimball Ridge Center.

VALU is open to anyone interested in volunteer management. Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley member agency representatives attend free of charge. Others may attend for $5 per person.

This is a "Bring Your Own Lunch" event. Dessert snacks provided. The training will be no longer than 1 hour. RSVP to Anne Nass.

UNI Volunteer Fair

The VCCV would be delighted to have your agency join us for this collaborative effort between the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley and UNI’s Non-Profit Leadership Alliance on Thursday, August 30 from 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Maucker Union on the University of Northern Iowa’s campus. Last year’s event attracted more than 50 non-profit agencies from the Cedar Valley area and over 700 students.

The Volunteer Fair is a wonderful opportunity for your organization to connect with students, matching your specific volunteer needs to students' skills and personal interests. Agencies may recruit students for one-time or semester-long volunteer opportunities, internships or employment. This is a great chance for you to take advantage of valuable one-on-one contact with UNI students, faculty and staff.

Registration information may be found at www.vccv.org! Complete it and email it to Lauren_Finke@vccv.org. 

Weekly Volunteer Opportunity Update

• ASPIRE Therapeutic Riding Program’s Camp Hope is a day camp from August 6th – 10^th. Volunteer as a Buddy, Group Leader, Activity Leader, or with registration. Locations and times include: August 6th, 7th & 8th: National Cattle Congress from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. August 9th: Phelps Youth Pavilion from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. August 10th: Lost Island Water Park from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

 

• Mallard Point Retirement Center needs volunteers to assist with the Senior Olympic Tournament on August 11^th from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Volunteers will assist with games such as Wii Bowling, Shuffleboard, Horseshoe Throw, or Bean Bag Home Run game. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Volunteers are needed for the first annual Cedar Valley PrideFest on August 18 in Waterloo. Volunteer jobs include: admissions/gate, stage assistants, security, beer tent, and general/clean-up/logistical helpers. 3-hour shifts will be available, or you can help out all day and be part of the PrideFest team! Volunteers 21 and over are welcome.

• Volunteers are needed Saturday, August 25^th from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. for the NewAldaya Lifescapes 5^th Annual Walk/Run 5K & 10K Runs. Volunteers are needed for race route guides, registration assistants, photographers, and timers. Bring your friends, children, and neighbors out to help!

Call 272-2087 to volunteer!

National Night Out

National Night Out

August 7th

5:30 - ?

Join Waterloo’s Neighborhoods in this annual event that promotes

crime prevention and community solidarity.

For more information contact Neighborhood Services at 291-9145.