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.

Is volunteering bad for your health?

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

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

"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

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

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?