Volunteer to change the world

MLK Day - Serve. Engage. Celebrate!

2011-01-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

On January 17, 2011, over 100 people participated in activities that honored the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. 71 volunteers created 77 blankets that were donated to the Youth and Shelter Services GRIP Mentoring Program through Project Linus. It was wonderful to see all the volunteers working together in small groups, having discussions, and building relationships through service to others. The blanket-making service event was co-sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Story County, United Ames, Ames Public Library, and Project Linus.

49 people attended a film and discussion that engaged participants in dialogue on community organizing, identity, and ways to make Ames a more inclusive community. The discussion was fascinating, respectful, and productive. Many people, including youth, participated in the conversation and offered their personal beliefs about challenging issues. When we finished the discussion, Josh Kriz from United Ames presented information on ways to get more involved with the community (joining a board, volunteering, attending a neighborhood association meeting). The Volunteer Center and United Ames worked with the Ames Public Library to facilitate this event.

A winter clothing drive was also conducted throughout MLK Day – all items collected were donated to clothing closets and shelters in Story County.

In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday as a national day of service. Each year thousands of people participate in volunteer opportunities to strengthen their local communities. Volunteering and participating in dialogue are effective ways to create solutions to local, state, national, and global challenges, and for individuals to voice their opinions and become more active in their communities.

"Make a Difference Day": Winter Weatherization Challenge

2010-10-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Volunteer Center of Story County, Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) collaborated to winterize the homes of 41 residents in Story County. Volunteers applied plastic and caulk to windows, hung door sweeps and installed insulated electrical and light switch covers. The residents who benefit from this service are low-income, disabled or elderly residents in Story County. The 87 volunteers split up into 19 different groups and put in over 300 hours on Saturday, October 23, 2010. This "Make a Difference Day" project marks one of four Days of Service that the Volunteer Center helps to plan every year. The Volunteer Center wants to thank MICA and RSVP for all of their hard-work organizing this event. But we especially want to thank the volunteers who came out to make a difference in their community.

Candidates Forum on the Conditions of Poverty in Story County

2010-10-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau stated that 17.8% of Story County residents were living in poverty. That means that over 15,000 individuals were lacking daily needs like food, shelter and basic health care. The newest national average for those living in poverty is 14.3%, which has surprised many based on the current economic times. But this new national average still leaves Story County, Iowa behind the rest of the country.

It seems only right then that poverty be discussed as a major topic in this year's upcoming election. The Candidate Forum on the Conditions of Poverty in Story County held on September 28, 2010 gave both County Supervisor Candidates and State Legislative Candidates an opportunity to weigh in on the issue of poverty. The event was sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Story County and Mid-Iowa Community Action. County Supervisor Candidates, Lucy Martin, Rick Sanders and Paul Toot were present and answered a number of questions related to poverty. One of the most interesting questions of the night came from an audience member, what they would do if they only had a day in office? Martin stated that she would focus on the County's future and would make sure the proper policies were in place to do this. Toot believed that fiscal responsibility is an idea that needs to be instilled and he would focus on explaining to the department that they are spending taxpayer money and not their own. Sanders explained that fiscal responsibility was also important to him and his goal was to tie revenues to expenditures. Above all else, education came up as the most important for the candidates. They were all in agreement that education is essential to solving the issue of poverty.

The night ended with a lively conversation between the State Legislative Candidates. Present were Senate candidates Robert Bacon, Herman Quirmbach and Tim Gartin, and Representative candidates Selden Spencer, Dave Deyoe, Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, Karin Sevde, Lisa Heddens and Chad Steenhoek. Once again education was highlighted as key factor in combating poverty. Candidates also agreed that social services were very important to individuals experiencing poverty. Republican candidates across the board criticized the Democrats handling of the Iowa budget. Most republican candidates believed that the so-called balanced budget would be difficult to uphold in the upcoming years and that Iowa needs to focus on sustainable funding.

The forum was a great success with over fifty individuals in attendance. Those present had the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates either during or after the formal forum. The Volunteer Center is thankful to all those candidates and individuals who attended and lent their support to improving their community. Poverty is a tough issue and will only be solved if we all work together.

Building community at the community garden

2010-07-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Service Patch has been thriving this summer! Not only is the garden full of growing vegetables, it has attracted people from all walks of life. Last Saturday, youth and community members came together for an outdoor movie. They enjoyed "Planet Earth: Great Plains" in the evening hours of a nice summer night. I stopped by the garden last week when Merry Rankin, Director of Sustainability at ISU, spoke on the topic of sustainability and how each of us can be more sustainable in our own lives. She said there wasn't a more appropriate location to talk about the topic.

This Thursday, you won't want to miss a free outdoor concert. Two great local bands, the Porch Stompers and Pennyhawk, will rock the garden beginning at 7 p.m. Porch Stompers play bluegrass/folk music, while Pennyhawk is Indie/folk. This is definitely a must-see show! Bring out your lawn chairs and blankets, feel free to bring a picnic, and enjoy some great music while getting to know your neighbors and checking out the growth in the Service Patch. ALL are welcome!

In case you haven't been out yet, the Service Patch is located at 3626 Ontario St., in the lawn adjacent to Trinity Christian Reformed Church.

Happy National AmeriCorps Week!

2010-05-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's National AmeriCorps Week! I am more and more amazed by all of the things AmeriCorps members are accomplishing in Ames and Central Iowa. Our VISTA at the Volunteer Center of Story County, Laura, is full-fledged into a project that she dreamed up months ago... and it's becoming a reality. Back in September, almost right away when she began her VISTA term, she heard about a homeless garden in California, where people who were homeless had the opportunity to work on this garden, gain skills, and produce food to feed themselves. From that minute, she knew she wanted to do something similar here.

After months of planning with the AmeZone youth group, the Service Patch is becoming a reality. On Global Youth Service Day, organized by Laura and a fellow VISTA in Ames, volunteers joined together to kick off the Service Patch by building raised planters, a compost bin, a shed, a deer fence and more. By the end of the day today, weather permitting, there may be the start of vegetables in the garden.

The motto of The Service Patch is "Growing More Than Food." Laura's vision was that this garden would not only produce food (all to be donated to local food pantries and shelters), but that it would also grow relationships. It is a community space where people of all backgrounds can come together to volunteer, learn, grow food and friendships. Already youth and adults have joined together, people with disabilities, at-risk youth, and soon people from area shelters will be out working on the garden. Throughout the summer, there will community events with music, food and friendship.

We'd like to get the whole community involved - so I hope you can make it out sometime!

And, if you'd like to learn more about AmeriCorps and how AmeriCorps members are creating change in Central Iowa, join us for an AmeriCorps Week Panel Wednesday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ames Public Library. All are welcome.

-Amanda

Recognize your volunteers

2010-03-02T11:52:00.001-08:00

National Volunteer Week is quickly approaching - this year's celebration of volunteers will be April 18-24.

The Volunteer Center of Story County recommends a number of ways to recognize the volunteers putting in hours at your agency.

1) Nominate your volunteers that are under the age of 25 for the 2010 Story County Youth Volunteer Award. This is a great way to appreciate your young volunteers. Awards such as these look great on resumes when applying for colleges, scholarships or jobs. Nomination forms are due March 23 and can be found on our Web site at www.vcstory.org. Recipients will be recognized at a reception on April 19 at the Iowa State University Memorial Union.

2) Encourage volunteers to sign up for the 10,000 Hours Show. This is a program to recognize young volunteers for all of their work. For volunteering 10 hours at your organization, volunteers can attend a free concert with other volunteers around Central Iowa. This year's concert will be by nationally-known band Cold War Kids on April 9 in the Great Hall of the ISU Memorial Union. To sign up, visit http://www.10000hours.stuorg.iastate.edu/Home.html.

3) Help your volunteers get a free ticket to a Disney Theme Park with the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program. Sign your organization up at http://VOP.HandsOnNetwork.org, and verify the hours of your volunteers. One million tickets are being given out - sign up soon!

There are many, many other ways to recognize your volunteers - hold your own awards ceremony, give small tokens of appreciation, write a letter of recommendation, give volunteers more responsibility, provide additional training or professional development, or just say THANK YOU!

Get involved with the AmeZone community garden!

2010-02-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

The Volunteer Center has some exciting opportunities available to get involved with the AmeZone homeless community garden project. Go to our website (http://www.vcstory.org/) for more information and applications. These positions offer volunteers a great chance to gain experience with volunteer management and event planning, in addition to connecting with community members from diverse backgrounds and serving a community need.

Global Youth Service Day Intern

Assist the Volunteer Center and United Ames in planning a volunteer event on Global Youth Service Day that will bring community volunteers together to create a community garden on April 24 and May 1. Contact laura.logsdon@vcstory.org to express interest by March 10.

Volunteer Garden Supervisor

Manage volunteers and garden tasks at the homeless community garden this summer, May-August. Basic training will be provided and all experience levels encouraged to apply. Email application to amezone@vcstory.org or return to the Volunteer Center 130 S. Sheldon Ave. #201 by March 30.

You can also get involved with the garden on Global Youth Service Day (April 24) when we break ground on the garden, and the following weekend (May 1) when we begin planting. Lots of volunteers are needed!!! We can't wait to get started on this project, and we've loved working with United Ames to facilitate the AmeZone youth group during this planning process. It's really a huge group effort and the more people working us on it, the more this will truly be a community garden!

Here are some websites to check out for more info:

http://amezone.webs.com/
http://unitedames.webs.com/
http://www.vcstory.org/

- Laura

Following in Dr. King's Footsteps

2010-01-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

We were thrilled to have more than 200 volunteers of all ages, races, and cultures come out to to follow in Dr. Martin Luther King's footsteps on Jan. 18. We never imagined we would see that sort of response.

I was really inspired to see several of our AmeZone youth volunteers step up as leaders that day. In the midst of a bit of chaos, they took charge, leading a number of service projects to support their Homeless Community Garden. They built benches and created mosaic stepping stones. They got young kids interested in planting and gardening by helping them plant flower and herb seeds in pots. They helped volunteers assemble care packages for the residents of local homeless and domestic assault shelters. This event hopefully generated interest for other youth present, and these AmeZone youth will prove to be great mentors and leaders for them.

Dr. King has always been a huge inspiration to me. I have his quotes plastered around my office and bedroom. So, to be able to participate in and help create a day in his name, where volunteers were working to better their communities as Dr. King did, really meant a lot to me. Paxton Williams, our keynote speaker, who is the executive director of the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association, made great connections about the importance of giving back to our local communities in such an energectic way.

To have elected officials, the press, and other important members of our community come out to support the cause was also very hopeful. This MLK Day project was a great launch of our semester of service. We will spend the next couple of months continuing to design and plan the community garden, and will break ground on Global Youth Service Day, April 24. Thanks to everyone who came out and made MLK Day a day ON, not a day off!

-Amanda

Resolve to Volunteer

2009-12-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

So it’s time to make your resolution. You’ve been thinking about starting a new exercise program the minute the sun comes up on January 1. Stopping smoking is a noble goal. You might want to get organized by throwing things out or cut back on your spending.

But what if you add something to your life instead of taking something away? It’s easier to have a goal that is adding something instead of taking it away. Wouldn’t you rather eat more fruits and veggies than stop eating junk food? You’ll accomplish the same thing. You will still reach the goal of being healthier.

Why not add volunteering to your list of resolutions?

Three reasons to volunteer:

1.It’s good for you heart. Studies show that volunteering can help lower blood pressure, and help prevent heart disease.

2.It’s good for you head. Volunteering creates social bonds and support that can lower rates of depression by giving the volunteer a sense of purpose.

3.It’s good for you waistline. Studies show that volunteers have more weight control. You can also do volunteer opportunities that help you exercise, like building houses for Habitat for Humanity, planting trees or playing in the park with you “little” brother or sister.

Tips on how to make volunteering your resolution:

1.Plan your volunteer opportunities. Look at www.vcstory.org and your calendar and come up a plan. Think of things you’d like to do all year, not just in January. Don’t wait to sign up for some of the opportunities. They can go fast!

2. Volunteer with a group or family. Children can learn a lot from watching their parents volunteer. It also creates family memories and holds you accountable.

3. Make volunteering a priority. Just like work and family obligations, volunteering can become a habit you enjoy.

4. Connect volunteering to another goal. Resolving to meet new people? Take a part in the Volunteer Center’s new group, Do Good Mixers. This group is open to anyone 21 and over. Members volunteer with a group on a one time project, then socialize afterwards. It’s a great way to get to know your community and meet like minded people.

Resolving to get involved with your community? Join one a board of a local organization.

Want to get into shape? Do a walk or run for charity. Be a mentor. Take your mentee out to play catch or go to the park. Help clean up Iowa State with Keep Iowa State Beautiful.
Plant trees at Threshold Learning Center or plant at Reiman Gardens.

So what are you still sitting on the couch for? Help out someone in need, and help yourself live well. Sign up for a volunteer opportunity at www.vcstory.org.

Trish

Do Good Mixer update

2009-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am amazed how much can be accomplished with only a few dedicated people. Jennifer Garret from Iowa State and Cory Kleinheksel a student at Iowa State helped me come up with some amazing ideas for our new group, Do Good Mixer.

Some of the ideas for projects include:
Serving meals at Food at First
Participating in Stash the Trash on March 27
Help distribute food at Share
Participating in Keep Iowa State Beautiful
Helping at Iowa Games and Special Olympics
Doing clean up for the Story County Conservation
Shoveling snow and doing lawn work for elderly and disabled

Some of the ideas for socializing afterwards include:
Cooking out or having a picnic
Going bowling
Going for coffee
$1 movies at North Grand Mall
Exploring restaurants outside of Ames
Doing a restaurant tour
Pizza and game night

We decided our first event is going to be a family friendly one since many people have MLK day off. We are going to join the Volunteer Center of Story County and the service learning group AmeZone in helping to plan and decorate the new Homeless garden the group is creating. The event will be held at 130 S. Sheldon in the auditorium from 12-3pm Jan 18, 2010. More details to come as plans begin to firm up.

Please send your suggestions on ideas for after volunteer options.

Thanks!

Help Those Around You

2009-12-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

While I was sitting in my house during a snow storm yesterday, I saw the TV scrawl that Meals On Wheels in some communities were being canceled due to the weather. It made my heart ache to think while I was warm in my house with plenty, there were people in my community and the ones surrounding that weren’t going to get a meal that day. I don’t blame Meals On Wheels. They have to look out for their drivers and the roads were impassable. But this is the time to reflect on what community and volunteering mean to us.

Volunteering is not just going to the food bank one time a year and helping strangers. Volunteering is looking out for your elderly neighbors to make sure they’re doing OK during a storm. It’s snow blowing the driveway of a single mother who doesn’t own a snow blower. It’s holding the door open for someone in a wheelchair or one crutches. It’s about the small things you do everyday for those around you. So volunteer with an organization, but also look at ways you can help the people around you on a daily basis. It will make your heart feel good.

Trish

Family Volunteer Day!

2009-11-30T08:43:00.001-08:00

November 21st, 2009 was National Family Volunteer Day. The Volunteer Center hosted an incredibly successful event - 57 volunteers decorated 186 flower pots and planted 335 tulip bulbs in them. These pots were then donated to Meals on Wheels recipients around Story County and will be donated to Bethany Manor residents. Volunteering is a great way to spend time with family, friends, and co-workers - it builds relationships and strengthens communication while having a positive impact on the local community.

I received a number of emails from families interested in participating in the event that reflected their understanding of the importance of volunteering. Parents were excited about the opportunity to volunteer with their children and make service to others the focus of a family activity. The event was a success because of the diverse group of people who attended and interacted with each other, working together to complete a project that brought happiness to others. Members of a church youth group attended together, Iowa State students participated and made new connections to the community while completing the service project, and numerous mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins dedicated part of their Saturday to service.

We look forward to increasing opportunities for families to volunteer together and focus some time on service to others and the community.

- Laura

Do Good MIXER!

2009-11-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

I declare the first Do Good MIXER a success. Though many of you were not able to make it to Karaoke night at Riverside Manor, the few that did come had a great time. The residents sang along with Karaoke Diva, Susan Rappenwolf, who did a great job of singing to the oldies, even though her machine wasn’t working. What a trooper. We were even entertained by one of the Riverside Manor guests who played the harmonica while the rest of us sang.

Then off to Olde Main for dinner and mixing. Can’t wait to do this again.

Let the VCSC know if you are interested in joining us for upcoming Do Good MIXERs or if you have ideas for projects.

Trish

Remembering volunteering as a family

2009-11-16T12:07:00.001-08:00

I have fond memories of volunteering as a child with my family. Every Christmas my family and I would volunteer at our church, organizing gifts from our Adopt a Family tree and delivering them to the families. I remember the looks on some of the kids when we brought them gifts - they were so excited.

My mom has worked at a nursing home my whole life, so I also would go and visit with the residents and have piano recitals there. It was so natural because it was just like going to work with my mom, but in a way it was volunteering. These values have been ingrained in me since I was a young child.

The Points of Light Institute says volunteering as a family is so important, that they created a whole National Day of Service for it. Family Volunteer Day falls the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year, and organizations around the country hold service projects for families to become engaged in their communities.

In Story County, families will have the opportunity to decorate pots and plant tulip bulbs in them. The plants will then be donated to a local nursing home and to Meals on Wheels recipients to help brighten someone's day during the holidays.

The project will take place Saturday, Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Click here for more information. Hope to see you there with your family, friends or co-workers!

-Amanda

Bet More than Money on the World Series

2009-10-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

I know what you’re thinking. What do baseball and volunteering have to do with each other? Well, normally nothing, unless you’re a volunteer coach, referee, team parent…well wait baseball and volunteering have a lot in common. So why don’t you make your bet on the World Series about volunteering too?

That’s what Mayor Bloomberg of New York and Mayor Nutter from Philadelphia are doing. Each is betting his team will win, and they’re putting their money where their mouth is, or volunteering in this case. The losing mayor will go and volunteer with the winning mayor’s project while wearing the winning team’s t-shirt. For Mayor Bloomberg, that means going to Philly to work on a public mural, or Mayor Nutter going to New York to work with Publicolor and students painting open spaces. The winner will also pay for a catered lunch for volunteers.

All this stems from Major League Baseball dedicating the first four games to community service for the first time. “Going Beyond” is a new initiative sponsored by MLB that supports programs for veterans, cancer research and youth development.

Think about that when you make your next bet.

Be a Couch Potato

2009-10-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

The talk around the water cooler this morning, or the tea pot in our case, was about iParticipate, an exciting new concept brought about by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The group has come together; along with the big four networks, to showcase volunteering in their shows for the week and encourage a “new era of service and volunteering.”

PSA’s have already been shown on TV and focus on five causes EIF is promoting, Education & Children, Health & Well Being, Economic Development, Environmental Conservation, and Support for Military Families.

During this week, all of your favorite shows will have story lines pertaining to volunteering and being a good member of your community including The Office (Laura’s and Amanda’s favorite) The Today Show (Heather’s favorite), and Bones (my favorite). We’ll all be watching

The real question is what are you going to do about it? Once this week is over, will you let it slip your mind until next year, or will you go to www.vcstory.org to volunteer to change to world?
Trish

Support from the top, but it takes each one of us

2009-10-15T16:41:00.001-07:00

Public service has been a priority for many of our past presidents.

FDR started the Civilian Conservation Corps, JFK created the Peace Corps, and Lyndon B. Johnson fulfilled JFK's dream of a domestic Peace Corps by creating VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America).

In his 1989 Inaugural address, George H.W. Bush said, "I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding." And it goes on. He created the Commission on National and Community Service to support his service agenda.

Then President Clinton started the AmeriCorps program, which is increasingly growing in popularity.

Most recently, President Obama signed the Kennedy Serve America act into law, boosting the budget for AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service, launching the United We Serve Campaign, and making civic engagement central to his presidency.

Thanks to support from the national level, in recent years we've seen record surges in American volunteering. Schools engage their students in service learning, businesses support employee volunteering, and industries such as the entertainment industry shine the spotlight on service.

Michelle Nunn, the CEO of the Points of Light Institute, leaves us with this thought from her blog on the Huffington Post Impact page:

"With challenges like unemployment, the drop-out crisis, prisoner reentry and environmental degradation looming across our communities, the call to citizens to step up and make a difference has never been more important.

Stage One: service through government. Stage Two: service through community. And now Stage Three: Service central to our national priorities.

Twenty years after Bush's Points of Light, Obama's call to service comes not a moment too soon."

-Amanda

Getting Things Done

2009-10-08T11:13:00.001-07:00

I am super excited to welcome two new AmeriCorps VISTAs to the Volunteer Center office. Trish and Laura started 2 weeks ago and have been getting their feet wet and figuring out what they're going to do all year.

Whenever I'm speaking with groups I ask who has heard of AmeriCorps VISTA, and two or three hands usually go up. Then I ask who has heard of the Peace Corps, and almost every hand shoots up. So, I like to explain VISTA as the domestic Peace Corps. We commit to one year of service (or 2 years, in some cases such as mine). VISTA stands for Volunteers in Service to America, and is focused on eliminating poverty. We do capacity building at an organization, rather than direct service. (There are other AmeriCorps programs, like NCCC, that focus on direct service).

The Volunteer Center has been really fortunate to have VISTAs supporting the office the past few years. Heather and I leave in December, but I'm excited to have these two months of overlapping time where we can all work together. Volunteerism is growing tremendously and it is such an exciting time to be a part of a national service program and in the heart of things at a Volunteer Center.

Anyway, Laura and Trish will probably be blogging on here from time to time, so we'll be sure to sign our names so you know who is talking. As always, if you have any comments or want to guest blog, let us know!

-Amanda

9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

2009-09-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

This year, we commemorate the first September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, inspired Americans to come together in a remarkable spirit of unity and compassion.

In April, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which among many other wonderful things, officially recognizes Sept. 11 as a Day of Service and Remembrance.
This year, the President is asking all Americans to remember that day eight years ago and recommit to service in their communities throughout the year.

Between now and Sept. 11, please visit our virtual open house to see how you can get involved. Just go to www.vcstory.org to read a special message from Volunteer Center staff, and find volunteer opportunities that you would be interested in signing up for. While you’re there, participate in an online scavenger hunt for a chance to win a volunteer gift basket!

If you’re already doing great work, we’d love to hear your stories. Send them to info@vcstory.org.

Farewell to our intern!

2009-08-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our awesome summer intern Christina last week. Christina is the one who started this blog for us, and I have been charged with the great responsibility of continuing it! I'd love to hear from you about topics you'd like to see blogged about, and if you're interested in posting a guest blog about a volunteer experience, let me know!

It's been an amazing summer for the volunteer world, and we continue to promote President Obama's summer service initiative, United We Serve. Have you found an issue you care about and done something about it? We want to hear those stories. There are tons of inspiring examples on http://www.serve.gov/.

In the last post, Christina wrote about a group of youth who decided they wanted to strengthen their neighborhood by throwing a block party. The block party was held July 25 and was amazing. Throughout the night there were at least 200 neighbors out there eating good food, playing games, and just socializing with each other. I was so inspired by this group of youth who took initiative to address a need in their community. I can't wait to see what they cook up next!

-Amanda, AmeriCorps VISTA

Teens Rock!

2009-07-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

By the age of 15, I had already fallen 'in love' with a senior in my high school, tripped in front of that senior in my cheerleading uniform and had that senior informed of my crush by a 'well-intended' upperclassmen.

Remember when you where 15?

Check out Taylor Swift's video for @15 about her life when she was 15.

@15 is an initiative by Best Buy to inspire teens to have a voice in their community. Why? Because teens have opinions that should and need to be heard. They have the power to influence and create change in their communities if given the resources and necessary support.

Here in Ames an extraordinary group of teens is planning a block party to build community relations in neighborhoods. They met with the Volunteer Center of Story Couty and City of Ames officials to plan the event (coming up next weekend!) and talked with numerous Ames businesses to get funding and gift cards for a raffle. The group even held a car wash last weekend and raised close to $200 to support entertainment and food for the community event!

Truly, working with those teens to plan the block party has been one of the most inspiring and rewarding experience I've had interning at the Volunteer Center. They take the initiative, dream big and accomplish extraordinary things.

So in case ya'll haven't heard...Teens Rock! =)

Isolation

2009-07-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This story is not discrediting any organization. Rather, the experience is used as an example in the hope people whom read this can relate and better understand the affects of poverty and isolation.

Last night I was at a dinner at a local church where people from all over Ames can come for a free meal and a support group. The support group helps those in poverty build community and share resources.

I sat at a random table where I didn't know a single person sitting at my table. All of them were around my age, a few looked in their 20s, another few were high schoolers and the rest younger. Perhaps because of the age similarity, I thought it would be easy to sit down and have a conversation with them.

What happened is that it brought back terrible memories of being the new girl in school. Sitting there awkwardly while everyone else around you is ignoring you and having their own conversation.

If you've ever been new to a place or new group, you can hopefully remember the feeling--it's terrible isn't it?

All of us are bound to feel that way at least one time in our life. But what if that feeling never goes away. Can you imagine?

Earlier this week the Volunteer Center hosted an annual dinner party. On two walls we had large sheets of paper split in half. The top half said 'What is Poverty?' and the bottem half said 'Causes of Poverty'.

Mentioned several times on the 'What is Poverty?' section was isolation. Isolation comes from feeling helpless about finances but also from not having the necessary social support. People in poverty can feel embarrassed about their situation and not want to ask for help or they can be working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet and due to time have limited social connections. Those are just two possibilities but there is no real answer. (The article in the link above, though a few years old, gives some great statistics of how family and social connection have changed in the U.S. over the years.)

I really don't have a particular way to end this post. There isn't a clever antidote or a right quote or link to sum up my thoughts. Rather, I want you to think on what it means to be isolated, who is most isolated in our society and what can be done to help it.

U.S. Presidents honor volunteering All-Stars

2009-07-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

On July 14th at the 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, all five living U.S. Presidents will appear in a pre-game video to honor MLB and PEOPLE magazine's All-Stars Among Us competition.

The All-Stars are people from across the U.S. that have demonstrated outstanding volunteering and community advocacy. They were nominated and voted on by MLB fans.

Never before has volunteering and community service been so important to the U.S. administration. The United We Serve act continues to inspire and influece individuals and groups to become more active in their communities.

Did I mention President Obama is throwing the first pitch of the game on July 14th? I did now, so make sure to check out the game on FOX!

2009 National Service Convention

2009-07-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

What do these three people have in common? They were all speakers/performers at the 2009 National Service Conferance. (Anyone else insanely jealous like me? =)

Amanda and Shellie from the Volunteer Center attended the conference in San Fransisco. Here's Amanda's take on the conference...

Last weekend I returned from the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco. As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, volunteerism is obviously important to me, but at the conference I saw that it is important to our administration, business leaders and celebrities, too.

First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address last Monday, launching the United We Serve campaign, which will run until Sept. 11. It is an effort to get more volunteers engaged in service. Imagine my surprise when Jon Bon Jovi and Matthew McConaughey came out to show their support! Another great supporter is California First Lady Maria Shriver. More than 5,000 people, the largest crowd yet, came out to experience the conference.

I left the conference feeling pumped and energized. The biggest challenge is knowing how to bring the enthusiasm home. Michelle Obama stressed that the administration cannot do it alone. It is up to all of us to get involved in our communities and in the world to make positive change. It was encouraging to bring people from all fields together at the conference – the entertainment industry, which will dedicate the week of Oct. 19 to incorporate the theme of service into TV shows, commercials, etc.; the corporate world, who has started to see volunteerism as important as vacation time; technology experts, who realize that they must be partners in this exciting endeavor.

We must all work together to change the world.

Disturbed

2009-06-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend my roommate and I looked around our room and decided it was a pit--so we cleaned, for only the second time this summer. (Shhh, don't tell our mothers!)

We vaccumed, dusted, picked up the room and took the trash out to the dumpter-about three small bags worth.

We were quite pleased with ourselves and sat down to admire our clean room. My roommate suddenly got up from the couch and rushed to the window. The trash bags she had just thrown in the dumpster where being torn open with a knife and rumaged through by an unidentifiable individual. The person sorted through our trash keeping a few jars and other knick knacks and then throwing the rest back into the dumpster. We were both a little disturbed by the incident.

Working at the ISU library, I see the same thing all the time--people sorting through trash cans taking bottles and cans and any other useful item they can trade in for a little money.

Another incident was just yesterday when I saw an individual holding up a cardboard sign that said, "Help the Needy".

The person wasn't trying to flag down cards but just stood there calmly under the scorching hot sun holding the sign and squinting off into the distance. Again, it was a disturbing picture.

I tried to think of why these incidents should disturb me so much. Is it because I could never imagine myself doing those acts or could never imagine myself in a desperate situation? Or is it because it forced me, in my comfortable everyday life, to realize that poverty is all around me.

It is easy to ignore poverty when we're not directly affected. It is easy to be disturbed but then do nothing. That isn't what we are being called to do though.

The National Call to Service: United We Serve, goes from June 22nt-September 11th and asks all of us to help and to stop ignoring needs in our community.

United We Serve

2009-06-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, Shellie (The VCSC Executive Director) and I went to Iowa State University to speak to a group of multi-cultural engineering students. The incoming freshmen are in a summer program called SPEED and part of the program requires community service.

First off, we shared this video that President Obama released earlier that day about his Summer Service Initiative. (Check it out!)

We then split into groups based on interestes and went to the Volunteer Center web site. The Students signed up for accounts and found opportunities that matched their interests. Those interested in sports are volunteering at the Iowa Games Tournament, those interested in agriculture/environment are volunteering at the Reiman Garden Rose Festival and those interested in Security/Event Staff are volunteering for the Ames 4th of July Festival.

Hope this video inspires you as well!

Oxfam + Coldplay

2009-06-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Friday night I had the priviledge to volunteer with Oxfam America at the Coldplay concert in Des Moines. This was, without a doubt, one of the best volunteering experiences I've had.

I was especially excited to volunteer because I was aware of what Oxfam America does through organizing a Skip-A-Meal at Iowa State University and attending a hunger banquet.

Oxfam is an international non-profit devoted to creating lasting solutions for hunger, poverty and injustice. They work in over 26 countries and their campaigns help raise awareness and funds for issues such as Fair Trade, Climate Change, Workers Rights and more.

As volunteers for the Coldplay concert, we talked to fans before the show to tell them more about Oxfam and to ask them to sign a petition urging President Obama and other world leaders to help those in underdeveloped areas affected by Climate Change.

Sure, there were rude peope or people only interested in the raffle for free stuff but what I'll remember are the people who wanted to learn more and have a conversation with me.

Not all of them agreed with the petition or just didn't want to sign for one reason or another but an impact was still made. The impact that said,

"Hey, this is an issue that we care about and that Oxfam and Coldplay care about. We care about it so much that we're volunteering our time and going out to talk to random strangers to help spread the word."

P.S. Volunteering does have its perks--we scored tenth row center seats, ground level, at the concert! <3>

Baseball Lovin'

2009-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

(Bobby Scales from the Iowa Cubs hanging out with children at a non profit in Des Moines)

Contrary to the title, I don't even like baseball that much BUT what's summer without going to at least one game. So, tonight is the night.

Grassy green stadium, hot dogs, fireworks, friends and of course, the Iowa Cubs. Woot! What could be better?

Well...

Tonight at Principal Park in Des Moines is the 5th annual Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs. All proceeds from tickets support Catholic Charities programs such as counseling services, homeless shelters for families, food and clothing panties, adoption and pregnancy counseling, Hispanic community outreach and refugee services.

(1+2+3 Strikes You're out) + A night out with friends +A great cause= A wonderful night!

(Fingers Crossed) Let's hope for no rain!

AmeriCorp VISTAs- a way to serve America

2009-06-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

AmeriCorp VISTA's 'fight povety with passion' by living and working in communities in the United States that need their help. They help build relations by utilizing recourses in communities to help and inspire those in poverty. VISTA members work within city governments, non-profits, businesses-there are thousands of ways to serve!

Amanda Martin, current Community Relations Manager, has asked to share her experience being in the AmeriCorp VISTA and to ask YOU to consider a position within the AmeriCorps. Check it out!

If you’re looking for a life-changing experience, you may have just stumbled upon it. TheVolunteer Center of Story County is recruiting for two AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America): an Education Coordinator and a Community Relations Manager.
My Co-VISTA and I will be serving our terms until December, however two positions will also start in September. The deadline to apply is coming up quick – July 10. The positions run from Sept. 15, 2009-Sept. 15, 2010.
VISTA is a one-year commitment to help build capacity at a local organization and to work to end poverty in a community. Members receive a living stipend, health benefits, and either an education grant or end-of-the-year stipend. They also receive an endless amount of experience in community organizing, working in a non-profit organization, and gaining professional skills.
I’d like to encourage everyone to consider taking a year of your life to experience this life-changing program. You may be a recent college graduate or retiree, or you may be between jobs or looking to make a life-change. For me, I was just ready for a change in life. After graduating from college I worked in the field of my college degree for a year and a half before I decided that I wasn’t feeling fulfilled. That’s when I found VISTA. I loved it so much I signed on for a second term.
Take a look at what VISTA can offer and feel free to contact me for more information about the positions or what a year of a VISTA is really like. I’d love to talk with you about it. No doubt it would be a life-changing experience for you as well.

Is volunteering bad for your health?

2009-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! This past Saturday, The Volunteer Center of Story County participated in the Scandinavian Days Parade-rain and all! If you were there, you might have received a sweet bottle of bubbles with the VCSC logo!

Alright quick...think of three benefits of volunteering. Awesome. Now, think of three risks/dangers of volunteering.

The benefits of volunteering was probably easy to answer (hint: check out the archive section for a few examples) But the risks? Not as many people talk about the risks or possible dangers involved.

Now before I have the dare devils of the group rush onto our web site or the current volunteers start questioning the volunteer agency...maybe I should back up.

There are risks, just as there are risks for any job you may have, but those risks are significantly less if the volunteer coordinator takes the time to prepare volunteers for difficult situations that may arise.

Check out this article by BBC NEWS entitled, 'Volunteering, Bad for Health.'

Many organizations require training prior to volunteer work. This may be seen as a hassel but proper training can help minimize stress that would come from a volunteer being placed in an uncomfortable situation of which he/she felt unable to cope with.

Would you like to learn to better manage volunteers? The Volunteer Center has a volunteer management training session coming up in August--more information to come!

Hope

2009-06-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last night with a group of friends and acquaintances, we got on the topic of hope; how we know and feel hope working in our lives and how we view it, through others.

Human Beings are selfish in nature. It's easy to think of yourself first and what you can gain from a situation. This is a natural instinct of survival. Even in law, you are not required to help another individual unless you were the direct cause of their harm.

How I see hope in the world is through acts of complete unselfishness. People doing for another with no thoughts of how it will benefit them or how others will perceive the act. Because we have no obligation to each other, we have no obligation to be a 'Good Samaritan', these acts are a demonstration of the hope each of us have in the world.

Cooking a meal at the local homeless shelter, The Emergency Residence Project, answering the domestic and sexual assualt hotline at ACCESS, the women's shelter, helping prepare a meal and eating in community with others at Food at First or Beyond Welfare...

These are general ways but there are also many indirect ways throughout our everyday lives where hope shines through. Everytime we help another simply because we are moved by compassion, we feel hope and through hope-we can find inspiration in our lives.

Journey of Change

2009-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

"Service is the rent we pay for living."--Marian Wright Edelman

If you're a fan of Malaak Compton-Rock, founder of The Angel Rock Project, you may recognize that quote as she uses it frequently to sum up why she leads a philanthropic life.

Her current project is called 'Journey of Change'. Thirty at risk teenagers from Bushwick, Brooklyn are currently in Johannesburg, South Africa where they will interact with orphans, do service work and see cultural sites. The mission for the trip is that the students from Brooklyn will become ambassadors. Not only will they learn of life outside of the U.S., but they will be inspired and share their knowledge with other students. Each teenager signed a year contract to Blog about their experiences. Read their blogs now at CNN.

What struck me as I was reading through Compton-Rock's web site was how she mentioned e-village or village often. This links back to the saying 'It takes a village'. I think of a village as a community and a community is something we're all apart of and can relate to on some level.

Everything we do as a community spreads outward and affects others. That's why I believe youth programs are so important, especially for youth in potentially threatening environments. Programs like Compton-Rock's inspire kids to think beyond their community in order to grow but to do good locally in order to help others expand their horizons as well.

The Volunteer Center and others in the community of Ames have been researching the needs of teens, particuarily those from low-income families, for after school programs and programs during the summer.

If you have an opinion, we'd like to hear it. Is there a need for more programs for older teens in potentially threatening environments in Story County?

Volunteering in the Media

2009-06-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed, just possibly, that volunteering is EVERYWHERE in the media. The Obama campaign, as mentioned in yesterday's post, is inspiring Americans to volunteer and serve America in order to help rebuild the economy. With that campaign, September 11th would not only be a day of rememberance, but a day devoted to service.

Today's post focuses on a different day and a different rememberance. It's Mandela Day, coming up on July 18th, Nelson Mandela's birthday. The day celebrate's the past South African President's political and social activism contributions by encouraging people to donate 67 minutes to volunteering.

The Volunteer Center of Story County participates on many days of national service, Global Youth Service Day, Martin Luther King Day, Earth Day and Family Volunteer Day (to mention a few). But what is inspiring such a frenzy in the media is not just the day itself, but how it is being advertised.

An article in The New York Times states how the Mandela Day campaign is spending $5 million in the state of New York to advertise. Their goal is to 'break down barriers that prevent people from volunteering' and 'introduce the day'. Print and T.V. ads show, through volunteer hands, how individuals can make a difference (of course, having Morgan Freeman as a spokesperson doesn't hurt either).

It is no doubt that national service is in the spotlight, and regardless of the day of service, I think this campaign can stand as an inspiration to us all.

Maybe you've been volunteering for years, maybe it was something your parents did so now you do it but maybe, you are someone who has never considered volunteering before now. Maybe, despite the uncertainty of the economy, you're finding hope in the fact that you can make a change in the world through one simple act of kindness in your own community.

Yes, this advertising might be a bit over the top and yes, it might be considered 'sad' that we even have to inspire people to volunteer, but when all is said and done, I'd rather see a huge campaign for volunteering anyday than another $100 million McCafe campaign for McDonald's coffee drinks.

A Call to Service

2009-06-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

This April, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. This act promotes and offers grants for a Summer of Service Program for 6-12th graders, increases the number of AmeriCorps positions available and improves service options for Americans 55 + and veterans. It also promotes a nationwide 'Call to Service' campaign from June 22nt-Sept. 11.

This nationwide service initiative is a collaborative effort between individuals, communities and non-profit organizations to encourage Americans to become active citizens by volunteering in their communities.

What's great, is this nationwide 'Call to Service' is something many of you are already doing! It celebrates your accomplishments so far and encourages you to become leaders in your community by identifying unmet needs and finding creative solutions.

When you have a chance, check out, serve.gov for more information. Enter in your zip code, what you're interested in and 'voila' all volunteer opportunities are found from our clients using 1-800 volunteer and those using other volunteer services.

This summer, we'll keep you posted on all The Volunteer Center of Story County is doing for the Service Initiative. For now, make sure you're registered on the 1-800 Volunteer site.

As always, let us know your thoughts. What do you think are unmet needs in Story County?

A Time to Save

2009-05-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

'Still Working but Making Do With Less'

The above article ran in The New York Times yesterday. It is a story of a family in California, the Ferrells. Both parents have steady jobs but due to the recession have either had a reduction of hours, imposed furloughs or a salary deduction.

Layoffs have affected many but what this article points out that even people who still have a steady job are suffering from the economy.

In recent months in Story County, food pantries, rent and utility assistant programs and homeless shelters have all seen an increase in the number of individuals they help. Luckily, community groups and individuals and groups have stepped up to help this growing number.

If you are in need of assistance please look at the 'Story County Resource Guide' for a general list of services.

Dare to Dream

2009-05-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Last night a friend of mine stated how she felt on top of world. Doors were opening for her, opportunities were coming her way and in general, everythjng was going her way. She felt she didn't even deserve all of it but it just fell into her lap so naturally, she was enjoying it.

All of us, to a degree, expect good things to happen to us. We all have a level of optimism that even if three terrible things happen, one good thing will eventually happen . But what if we don't have this optimism?

Each day, I'm reminded of how fortunate I am. I take it for granted that I can do whatever I want with my life. I'm in college at a great university, I have a decent place to live, I have access to loans to help pay for my education, I have scholarships available and most importantly, I have a great suppport system of family, friends and professors that encourage me to excel.

I'd like to think if tomorrow I didn't have a support system, a loving family, an education or financial security, that I would still be as optimistic for the future as I am. I'd like to think, I would still believe I could accomplish anything.

For those in the world, in our country, in our state and in our community without one of those things, it is easy to think of how their optimism can be dim, at times. With outreach programs that help and inspire youth and adults either in crisis situations or from low-income or homeless families, we can help ensure people continue to believe that good things will happen and that their dreams are a possibility.

Go to our web site to find an opportunity in Story County to volunteer and inspire others.

An Appalachian story

2009-05-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Those living in a constant state of poverty know how a small amount of generosity can go a long way.

Linda is a woman I met in the Appalachian region almost two years ago during a spring break service trip. Her hair was pure gray streaked with white, shoulder length and pulled back in a low pony tail. She wore baggy shorts, a loose fitting tee and flip flops. Her home was a small wore-down trailer at the end of a dirt road were she lived with her daughter, son-and-law and two grandchilren.

Linda and her grandchildren were the only ones I met. Linda's daughter was ill with cancer and was bed-ridden, which was why myself and other volunteers where there. We volunteered to supply all materials and build a ramp for Linda and her family so that her daughter could be wheeled out of the trailer for hospital visits.

In our group of volunteers were two men with experience with carpentry, a woman who had volunteered for re-building sites and myself, a first time volunteerer whom had never held a hammer in my life.

That day, I learned to hammer nails and saw wood but more importantly, I learned to laugh at myself. Linda didn't care that I'd never built anything out of wood in my life, all that mattered was my effort and volunteering my time to help.

Once the ramp was completed, it had to be tested. Linda's grandson took his tricycle for a spin down the slope and all was well--mission completed. Linda took each of our hands in her own and thanked us. She had tears in her eyes and said a few words summed up in, "Bless you".

Building a ramp seemed such a small thing to do. We couldn't help the family pay their medical bills or give them a better home but we could make at least one thing in their life better. And that one thing, the ramp, made their life that much brighter because it reminded them that they're never alone in their struggles.

We all have a chance to give a small amount of generosity and we all have a chance to be a friend, to be a neighbor, to be an inspiration and to be a volunteer.

What's your story?

Why we Volunteer

2009-05-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Volunteering can be as simple as spending time with children while their parents run errands or as big as creating a philanthropic event to support cancer research. But why do we volunteer?

Logically, it doesn't make sense. Why give your time and expect no monetary or other compensation? Is it because we have to? Because our job or school requires us to? Or do we truley feel the need to make a difference?

Why do you Volunteer? What inspires you to go out of your way to make a difference?

For me, volunteering is a way to connect with others and learn more about them. I volunteer at homeless shelters, women's shelters and with low-income families so that I can better understand the causes behind poverty and abuse and help end the cycle.

This summer I am interning at the Volunteer Center of Story County not just for my college degree but so I can help inspire those in the community to volunteer. I've found my passion is

1. Helping those in need
2. Inspiring others to do the same

'Volunteer to Change the World' was created to inspire, inform and educate on 'why we volunteer'. So drop us a line...why do you volunteer and what inspires you?

Hope to hear from you soon!