Skills-based volunteerism and the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley

Skills-based volunteerism is service by individuals or groups that capitalizes on personal talents or core business skills, experience or education.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley utilizes a web based platform in Volunteer Solutions through which member agencies post volunteer needs. The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley currently has 118 member agencies with over 180 volunteer opportunities.

While many opportunities are open to those willing to help, some opportunities require some level of professional skill. Some of the skills-based opportunities that exist include:

• Alternatives Pregnancy Center - Client Advocate
• Boys And Girls Clubs Of The Cedar Valley - Music Studio Volunteer
• CASA-(Court Appointed Special Advocate Program) - Advocates needed for Abused and Neglected Children
• Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective - Bicycle Know-how
• Grout Museum District - Data Entry Assistant
• Junior Achievement Of Eastern Iowa - Elementary Classroom Volunteers
• ManorCare Nursing And Post-Acute Rehab - Long Term Care Resident Advocate Volunteer Committee
• NAMI (National Alliance On Mental Illness) Black Hawk County - Treasurer for the Board of Directors for NAMI
• North Star Community Services - Tai Chi Instructor
• People's Community Health Clinic - Certified Application Counselor 
• Riverview Center - 24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline Volunteer
• RSVP - Income Tax Preparation Assistance
• Waypoint Services - Domestic Violence Volunteer Advocate
• Numerous Agencies – Drivers

While some opportunities require specific skills, volunteers serve many roles and for many purposes. The majority of volunteer opportunities require nothing more than your willingness to help. 

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

Junior Achievement and Skills-based Volunteerism

Skills-based volunteerism is service by individuals or groups that capitalizes on personal talents or core business skills, experience or education.

Junior Achievement utilizes skills based professionals in a unique way. JA is a non-profit organization that partners with volunteers from the community to teach elementary students about their roles as individuals, workers and consumers, and to prepare middle/high school students for key economic and workforce issues they will face. JA has served 42,660 students in Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Delaware, Grundy, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Linn counties.

Junior Achievement’s unique approach allows volunteers from the community to deliver curriculum while sharing personal and professional experiences with students. Embodying the heart of Junior Achievement, classroom volunteers transform the key concepts of the lessons into a message that inspires and empowers students to believe in themselves, showing them they can make a difference in the world. 

Volunteers take a message of opportunity and boundless potential to a classroom in the community. No matter what your profession, Junior Achievement is your opportunity to inspire the next generation. 

By investing as little as 30-45 minutes a week for five-seven weeks, volunteers can impact an entire class and open a world of hope and opportunity. Join other business professionals and volunteer in your community today! 

National Random Acts of Kindness Week Feb 10 – 16, 2014

The international non-profit organization, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK), announces their week-long, yearly celebration.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) announces their annual celebration of kindness across the globe February 10 – 16, embracing two incredible events and opportunities to share kindness during this week, The Winter Olympics and Valentine’s Day. The non-profit organization was founded upon the powerful belief in kindness and dedicated to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness.

The immediate call for action during this week is solely for an individual to attempt a random act of kindness. That’s it! That’s the entire message. RAK has created unique and fun opportunities for every type of organization, group, team, family, or individual to become involved in one of the globe’s most generous weeks—where the goal is not a transfer of money, but rather, physical exchange of kindness.

Put them into practice or create your own:

1.     Send someone a hand written note of thanks.

2.     Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.

3.     Smile a lot.

4.     Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.

5.     Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line.

6.     Shovel you neighbor’s sidewalk.

7.     Walk your friend’s dog.

8.     Give a compliment about your waiter / waitress to his / her manager.

9.     Send someone a small gift anonymously.

10. Stop and help someone replace their flat tire.

11. Let someone jump the queue at the bank.

12. Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.

13. Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.

14. Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.

15. Hold the elevator door open for someone rushing to get in.

16. Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.

17. Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.

18. Talk to a homeless person.

19. Pick up some trash which would otherwise be lying around.

20. Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.

21. Give another driver your parking spot.

22. Help an elderly neighbor carry the trash out.

23. Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them.

24. Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past.

25. Volunteer.

How to use your skills to volunteer

Whether you are a competent cook, a brilliant book-keeper, a fun-loving fundraiser or a diligent director you have skills your community needs.

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley matches your skills and passions to a local organization that can benefit from your expertise!

The VCCV aims to encourage professionals and recently retired professionals to share their skills with community groups and clubs, local charities and organizations. In tough economic times, these small groups have limited funding and they rely on people like you to help them survive!

From professional skills in web design, marketing or accountancy to a personal passion for photography, gardening or music – everyone has a skill they can use to help others!

The title for professional volunteers is “Skills-based Volunteerism”. This service is provided by individuals or groups that capitalize on personal talents or core business skills, experience or education. More and more, agencies are struggling to meet their bottom line. In fact, a Deloitte/Points of Light IMPACT study indicates that:

• Nine out of 10 nonprofits realize that volunteer skills are extremely valuable
• Seventy-seven percent of nonprofit organizations believe they would benefit from corporate volunteers
• Sixty-two percent work with corporate volunteers and only 12 percent of agencies align roles with skill 

This gap means that many agencies are missing out on a precious resource — the talent of individual volunteers and leaders who can use their skills and products to increase the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofits. Skill-based volunteerism or SBV comes in all shapes and sizes and can include:

• Individual volunteers, corporate paid or non-paid volunteers, groups, loaned executive, or interns
• Projects completed in one day, short, medium or long-term project
• Activities performed during working hours or on individual time
• Planned in advance or spontaneous (such as disaster response) projects
• Application of all types of skills and talents from business professional experience to hobbies
• Content from nonprofit infrastructure efficiency effort to direct “in the field” projects

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley has 115 member agencies with over 180 volunteer opportunities. Skills Based Volunteers may be used on numerous options that can utilize a professional volunteer – board positions, accountants, web developers, receptionist/secretaries, educators, nurses, musicians, or gardeners. In addition there are dozens of opportunities for anyone wishing to volunteer.

To get involved call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087 or visit www.vccv.org.

Credit Points of Light Foundation.