VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities ~

• Aspire TRP will provide Therapeutic Riding Classes from June 3 – July 22. Volunteers are needed Mondays for classes at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 13 and over are welcome.

• The Grout Museum is holding a science camp and need volunteers to assist staff members with activities June 4 - 7 from 9:00... a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed from 1 hour, 1 day, or all 4 days.

• From May 1 - October 31 the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau needs individuals to open/close the Behrens-Rapp Information Station on First Street in Cedar Falls. It is a one-week commitment that takes only a few minutes each day where on Monday-Sunday evenings you would pull the door shut around 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday you would also be responsible for unlocking the building at 8 a.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are needed to advocate for abused and neglected children involved in the juvenile court system. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer!

Clients sought for UNI courses in workplace communication

UNI courses focusing on workplace communication are in need of individual and organizational clients who wish to have print and digital publications created, e.g., newsletters, brochures, flyers, proposals, report documents, websites and exhibition storyboards.

Students in this class learn about the traits and skills typical of technical writing, such as defining a concept, describing a product/idea, instructing, and "translating" specialized information for the sake of non-specialized audiences. In that sense, the course is relevant to a wide variety of client document projects.

There are two time frames when teams of students will be working on their communication projects:

1) the first project begins mid-September and closes mid-October (or
approximately 30 hours of work total per student), and
2) the second project begins mid-October and closes mid-December (or
approximately 50 hours of work total per student).

Contact Adrienne Lamberti for more information.

Reprinted from the May CVNA Newsletter.

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities~

• The Bob Washut Trio will provide live music from 5:30 - 8 p.m. on Friday May 31st in the NewAldaya Lifescapes Pub. Volunteers are needed from 5:00 - 8:20 p.m. to greet our guests! Volunteers age 21 and over are welcome.

• The Waterloo Center for the Arts is looking for volunteers to provide visiting artists breaks during the RiverLoop Arts Festival June 1... from noon to 4:00 p.m. and June 2 from noon – 2:00 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are requested in 2 to 4 hour shifts.

• The Grout Museum is holding a science camp and need volunteers to assist staff members with activities June 4 - 7 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed from 1 hour, 1 day, or all 4 days.

• Waterloo Leisure Services needs volunteers to coach a baseball or softball team this summer by helping kids learn the basic fundamentals through team practices and league play with a heavy emphasis placed on sportsmanship. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

Call 272-2087 to volunteer!

Youth Action in Response to Oklahoma Tragedy

From: Concetta Anne Bencivenga
Executive Director
generationOn

 

Dear Parents and Grown Ups:

 

About a week ago, generationOn honored six amazing young people as 2013 Hasbro Community Action Heroes. They have dedicated themselves to issues as broad as pediatric cancer, military deployment, food insecurity and potable water. These young people reminded me of the amazing capacity youth have to make a difference in the world and what is possible when given inspiration and the resources to take action.

 

Today as our thoughts are with the people of Oklahoma and as we simultaneously watch stories of devastation and of heroism, we are once again faced with the challenge of trying to guide the young people in our lives through trying to comprehend the scope of this tragedy and providing them with the tools to feel empowered to help themselves and others.

Points of Light and generationOn are already in touch with partner organizations operating in Oklahoma, and as specific needs become available, we will pass them along.

 

For now, we invite you to use this time to broach the topic of emergency preparedness with the youth in your life, specifically focusing on how young people can be the catalysts for their family and communities in getting ready for difficult situations. 

 

Here are some project ideas:

• Black Out Boxes 
• First Aid Kits  
• Shelter Readiness 
• Pets and Disaster Safety 
• Seniors and Disaster Safety  

On our website you will find many more projects and resources.

   

Additional resources on emergency preparedness and helping young people cope with disaster can be found here:

• FEMA's Emergency Preparedness Activities for Kids 
• Sesame Workshop's Let's Get Ready! Planning Together for Emergencies

It is my great hope that the remaining months of 2013 will afford us the chance to provide service opportunities in response to the most basic community challenges. In the meantime, faced with the extraordinary challenges being felt by the people of Oklahoma, and on behalf of everyone at generationOn, we hope that these resources will provide young people with a way to respond and to process these events by serving.

 

 

 

Partners in Volunteerism - Employee Volunteer Programs

At the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, we believe corporate initiatives that give back to the communities in which they operate and where their employees work and live, are reinforced by their alignment with an excellent volunteer and philanthropy program. One way to accomplish that is to begin an employee volunteer program within your business. Through an employee volunteer program (EVP), projects are aligned with a company’s strategic objectives yet tailored to fit specific markets and community needs. 

 

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley helps businesses develop and manage effective, sustainable employee volunteer programs (EVPs) through the Partners in Volunteerism program. This program helps meet the company priorities, address employees’ interests and target real community needs.

 

The VCCV works directly with companies and EVP managers to provide information, share effective practices, and provide opportunities for networking, leadership and recognition. Our services include:

• Communication assistance to help you get your point across in ways that will inspire and engage your employees, such as policy and toolkit development.
• Customized and standard trainings to help engage your employees.
• Strategy support and implementation assistance.
• Arrangement of group or individual volunteer activities with 85+ community organizations.

 

Regardless of the size or scope of your customized employee volunteer program, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley will work with your business to create a meaningful project that creates lasting change in the communities you serve. There are many ways the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley can work with companies throughout the Cedar Valley to engage their employees and create impact in communities.

 

Revitalize Schools: Participate in school transformation projects that improve student performance, engage the surrounding community and create an educational culture change throughout the school.

 

Restore Environmental Resources: Lend your hands to specific and tangible environmental stewardship initiatives that will influence the behavior change required to preserve the Earth for future generations.

 

Reduce Poverty through Community Development: Become the first to pilot and demonstrate scalable, community and volunteer-based initiatives that will help build financial security through citizens helping one another in times of need.

 

Respond to Disaster and Prepare Communities for Emergency:  Enlist your employees in opportunities that provide life-saving resources and on-the-ground support to disaster zones around the world. Help communities prepare for times of disaster with impactful tools and resources.

 

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley helps businesses develop and manage effective, sustainable employee volunteer programs that meet company priorities, address employees’ interests and target real community needs through the Partners in Volunteerism Program.

 

 

Benefits for Companies

Just as nonprofits are trying to respond to growing demands, the corporate sector is being pressured to achieve measurable results through its community giving strategies. Skills-based volunteering (SBV) increases the value of companies’ support to community partners by increasing the magnitude of impact those partners. Through skills-based volunteering, companies can offer the specific knowledge and unique business experience of their professional workforce, which is often what nonprofits need most. Corporations can strategically focus their social investment by making available their most competitive asset – their talent. This factor is especially important as companies look for ways to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the community and to diversify their service project portfolios. SBV is a win-win value proposition that creates a foundation on which companies and nonprofits can build ongoing, mutually beneficial relationships.

 

SBV programs also help companies to recruit and retain employees, as job seekers are increasingly interested in a company’s community engagement, particularly young people entering the workforce. Research shows that SBV improves recruitment and retention, especially among Millennials, and that it enhances employee morale, loyalty and productivity. Working for nonprofits with new teams, under added constraints and with limited resources, helps give employees a new perspective and stimulates their creativity.

 

Since it is often easier to measure the impact of an SBV project than of a hands-on service project, the return on the company’s investment is much more visible. In addition, SBV initiatives give companies the opportunity to align their volunteering programs with their own areas of interest – such as a financial services company offering its employees’ skills to financial literacy education.

 

Contact Lauren Finke to learn more about how the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley can help your organization develop an award winning volunteer program and be a Partner in Volunteerism. Throughout the Cedar Valley, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is working with corporate partners to improve lives and create positive change in our communities.

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTION SHEETS

Training does not always occur in classrooms and formal workshops. A powerful and effective tool for skill building is the humble instruction sheet. Yet the funny thing is that we often don't bother to write them or create an archive of them.

 

Instruction sheets are great because they let volunteers (and paid staff, of course) be independent by self-teaching. Any time you or someone else who knows what or how something should be done cannot be on the spot to explain it, an instruction sheet can be your substitute.

 

Everyday, Ordinary Instructions

Think about all the things that almost all volunteers will encounter in their work and write down essential information.  For example:

• How a piece of equipment works (like your phone system!)
• Where supplies for that task are stored and how to put them away, reorder them, etc.
• Codes, passwords, and other information that can stop someone dead in their tracks if not known
• Who should be contacted with questions or if something goes wrong (along with a phone number or extension)

This may sound so basic that it's not necessary.  It is necessary! And think how much time you'll save by not having to repeat all of this out loud endlessly.

 

For some common things (like the phone system), you can even post or glue down the instructions right next to the item (of course not with secret passwords visible!). Otherwise, keep a paper file or notebook - with a table of contents - in your office AND create an electronic file for online access from anywhere.

 

Specific and Special Uses

Instruction sheets really shine during special events or activities in which groups of people (often new to your work) volunteer together. In these cases, you start every sheet with a welcoming, "Thanks so much for your help today! We're providing these instructions to guide you in being successful." Or some message like that (and you can repeat the thank-you at the end, too).

 

Make the sheets consistent so that volunteers can easily compare instructions and also step into one another's roles if necessary.  In other words, make a template and then you can even fill in some details by hand later. For example:

1. Title of the volunteer role - be specific so that it is clear this is not one-size-fits-all and the instructions are specific to this role.
2. To whom the volunteer reports and how to contact/find them (also useful to say if this is an individual role or if other volunteers are doing the same thing and where they might be found).
3. In sequence, list out the tasks to be done and, for each, include information such as where, what, how.
4. What to do at the end of the shift, such as how to transition to the next volunteer, where to turn materials in, etc.

You will also need a method for distributing the instruction sheets to the right people (and make sure to give any team leader all of them!).

 

It's Simple but Not Easy

I'm sure you can all figure out what types of information you need to give in any instruction sheet, but I caution you not to whip these out at the last minute. If you are very familiar with the task being described, ask someone who is not to read your instructions and try to follow them. That's how you will discover what you missed!

 

Finally, given the ease of making short videos these days, visually record any physical task as a volunteer does it properly. Post the video on line and give the link at the top of the instruction sheet! Someone with a smart phone can even watch it on site while doing the task for the first time.

 

At the end, be sure to ask every volunteer to let you know if something needs to be updated or further explained on his or her instruction sheet, to help the next volunteer. 

 

 

This Quick Tip comes from Susan J. Ellis, President of Energize, Inc. 

Featured Volunteer - Amanda Mesirow

Amanda Mesirow is a positive volunteer! Currently, Amanda serves as a Residence Life Coordinator at UNI. Despite her busy schedule, she still finds time to volunteer both on and off the stage at the Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre. She spends countless hours not only on performing on stage and back stage tasks, but also serving on the Board of Directors. Amanda was nominated by the Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre for the Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Amanda!

Featured Volunteer - Karin Rowe

Karin Rowe is a musically gifted volunteer! With the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Valley, she has volunteered to teach kids how to play the trumpet. She also goes and teaches these lessons at the Salvation Army and even teaches some kids how to play piano. On top of all of that, she travels all over Iowa and Illinois just to lead a brass band of young people who want to learn music. Karin was nominated by the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Valley for the Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Karin!

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

•  The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum will honor our veterans by providing children’s activities on May 27. Volunteers are needed to help with patriotic themed activities from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Volunteers are also needed to help with boxed lunches that will be served in the lobby to honor our veterans after the Memorial Day Parade in downtown Waterloo. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

•  The Grout Museum District is looking for volunteers to assist with an exhibit about puzzles on May 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are requested in 2 to 4 hour shifts.

•  New Aldaya is holding a western themed safety fair on June 6 from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed in 3 to 4 hour timeslots to pass out information.

•  Waterloo Healthy Lifestyles Center is seeking helpful people to deliver hot meals to homebound and elderly residents in Waterloo from 10:30 - 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.


Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Featured Volunteer - Meredith Boss

Meredith Boss is a volunteer and a leader! The Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Valley has not only a great volunteer, but also a great leader and mentor for all of the club members. On top of her volunteer work at the Club, she has also been involved on a neighborhood board, intern at Barmuda Corporation, and even ran a program for high school and elementary kids to show them career opportunities. Meredith was nominated by Megan Thompson of the Boys & Girls Club for the Outstanding Emerging Volunteer Award.

 

Congratulations Meredith!

Featured Volunteer - Linnea Nicol

Linnea Nicol is a star volunteer! The Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre has had the honor of having her not only perform onstage but also volunteer back stage. Aside from stage wo...rk, she has also served as a Board Member for six year and has played a major role recruiting volunteers and planning new events. Her dedication does not only rest in one organization, but with a variety of other organizations including the Girl Scouts, Public Defender Association, and the Names Project of Cedar Valley. Linnea was nominated by the Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Linnea!

Featured Volunteer - Lynn Carter

Lynn Carter is a busy volunteer! Not only is she involved as the Board President of the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau, but she is also involved with a variety of organizations such as Blue Zones Project, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, and Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Lynn has also volunteered to help with some events for the American Heart Association, RAGBRAI, Cedar Basin Jazz Festival, Cedar Trails Festival, and many more. Lynn’s dedication to her community has earned her a nomination by the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitor’s Bureau for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Lynn!

Featured Volunteer - Christa Miehe

Christa Miehe is an exceptional volunteer in the community! Her involvement with local organizations includes Junior League, Kingsley P.T.O., Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Valley, and the Waterloo Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Not only does she volunteer at these organizations, but she also holds leadership roles within each one that plays a vital role in moving the organization forward. Balance of home life, work, and volunteering is a major strength Christa possesses. She was nominated by Junior League of Waterloo/Cedar Falls for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Christa!

 

 

 

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

•  The Junior Achievement Financial Literacy Fair (FLF) is an ‘on location’ simulation for 7th or 8th grade students to introduce career exploration, financial literacy, and budgeting through an interactive, hands-on fair. Volunteers age 18 and over are needed May 17, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

•  The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum will honor our veterans by providing children’s activities on May 27. Volunteers are needed to help with patriotic themed activities from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm. Volunteers are also needed to help with boxed lunches that will be served in the lobby to honor our veterans after the Memorial Day Parade in downtown Waterloo. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

•  Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children's Theatre is looking for set crew members. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed to build sets, clean the stage and shop, maintain the theater space, and strike the shows.

•  The Waterloo Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking helpful people to greet travelers as they arrive in Waterloo. Materials, maps and information are provided for you to share. Shifts are available most days from Noon - 1:30 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are requested to commit to one day/week, if possible.

Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer!

Featured Volunteer - Walter Senchina

Walter Senchina is a volunteer who is willing to complete any job! Having volunteered with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank the past two years, Walter has been given many responsibilities driving and transporting food across 16 counties. Even in the harshest of winters, Walter was still willing to deliver and pick up food to help the Food Bank so that they would not fall behind. Because of this dedication, Walter has been nominated by the Northeast Iowa Food Bank for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Walter!

Urgent Volunteer Need!

Volunteers are needed to help distribute surveys at a Cedar Falls High School Blood Drive (in the band room) on Friday, May 10, 8:30 AM–2:00 PM, 1015 Division St, Cedar Falls.

Featured Volunteer - James Brown Jr.

James Brown Jr. is a volunteer motivated to achieve success in children’s lives. Not only does he serve as a Big Brother at Big Brothers Big Sisters, but he also steps into leadership roles within the organization, advocates for the cause, and fills in wherever he is needed. Currently, James serves as the President of the Board of Directors at Big Brothers Big Sisters and is also involved in a variety of tasks to help the organization operate. James was nominated by Big Brothers Big Sisters for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations James!



Featured Volunteer - Randy Hashman

Randy Hashman is willing to volunteer wherever he is needed! One of his major projects was working with the City of Cedar Falls on planning a park in North Cedar. Randy not only laid out the park plan, but also collaborated with businesses and volunteers to finish all that needed to be done to complete the project. Many hours were spent to ensure that the park was completely accessible to all residents. Countless hours of dedication to this park has granted Randy a nomination from the North Cedar Neighborhood Association for the Volunteer Award.

Congratulations Randy!

Featured Volunteer - Sean Hylton

Sean Hylton: Sean Hylton is a relationship building volunteer! For the past two years, he has been involved with Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a mentor for at risk youth in the Cedar Valley. His work with these youth has played a major role in developing them into happy, healthy, and positive people in the community. In fact, he has even helped a child get on the honor roll that was previously behind academically. Sean was nominated by Big Brothers, Big Sisters for the Volunteer Award.

 

Congratulations Sean!

Featured Volunteer - Rosie Bullerman

Rosie Bullerman: Rosie Bullerman is a warm hearted volunteer! Volunteering with Cedar Valley Hospice is something Rosie is passionate about. Since 2010, on the 17th of each month, Rosie has basked dozens of cookies for Hospice. This may seem like a small act of kindness, but for people coming into Hospice, this could be an extremely comforting and nostalgic greeting. Her great baking skills combined with her passion to help others have earned her a nomination by Cedar Valley Hospice for the Volunteer Award.
 

Congratulations Rosie!

NOMINATE A GAME-CHANGER

Nomination Time:

 

Iowans show good character every day, and many times it goes unnoticed.  There are countless individuals and organizations whose exemplary character is a model for us all.

 

The Iowa Character Awards highlight the best among us - those who do the right thing, even when no one is looking. Their stories inspire us and provide a renewed sense of pride in our state.

 

 

Students, teachers, schools, organizations, sports teams can all be nominated, and we want to make sure we spread the word!

 

Click HERE to nominate someone.

 

 

All nominations must be received by May 14, 2013

 

 

 

 

VCCV Weekly Volunteer Opportunities

• Mallard Point Retirement needs volunteers Sunday, May 5th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. to help out with Craft Day. Volunteers will be focusing on making cards from up-cycling old cards and making new with craft materials. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

• Waterloo Community Schools is hosting the middle school Metro Track Meet on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Central (Memorial Stadium) from 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are needed to sell tickets, work the concession stand and move track equipment.

• Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity is participating in sixth annual National Women Build Week. No construction skills are necessary. Construction date is Friday, May 10th, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Volunteers age 18 and over are welcome.

• The Junior Achievement Financial Literacy Fair (FLF) is an ‘on location’ simulation for 7th or 8th grade students to introduce career exploration, financial literacy, and budgeting through an interactive, hands-on fair. Volunteers age 18 and over are needed May 10 and May 17, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Call 319-272-2087 to volunteer.

Kaitlyn Kennedy joins the VCCV

Kaitlyn Kennedy is a new Program Coordinator at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley. She currently lives in Cedar Falls and is a Jesup High School graduate. She has worked in several customer service jobs since high school and recently worked as a child-care assistant for Grin and Grow Daycare.

Kaitlyn was uncertain about her educational plan following high school, so she chose to work. As she began to discover more about herself, she realized how much she enjoyed helping other people and serving in ways that could help. Kaitlyn experienced volunteering with World Vision and the Kohl’s Cares program where she became more involved with volunteer services that required assistance. She has been involved in church activities and serving there as well. After discovering how much she enjoyed service involvement, Kaitlyn decided to pursue a degree in Human Services at Kaplan University.

Kaplan offered Kaitlyn the opportunity to work with the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley while pursuing her degree. Kaitlyn is a motivated person who is passionate about helping people and enjoys learning about networking and service throughout the community. The opportunity to work as a Program Coordinator for the VCCV is a great fit for her as she is able to learn more about her field of study and gain experience serving others while expanding volunteerism in the Cedar Valley. Kaitlyn looks forward to embracing this opportunity to work with VCCV and the community.

Away from school and the VCCV, Kaitlyn enjoys reading. Her faith is a big part of her life. Kaitlyn also takes pleasure in singing, nature, and photography, and enjoys the parks in the Cedar Valley.

 

Kaitlyn Kennedy