U.S. Presidents honor volunteering All-Stars

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

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

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

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

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'

(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

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.