The Boston Marathon

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Our hearts go out to those affected by the tragedy yesterday at the Boston Marathon. Here are some resources for those who want to help or need assistance.

Hop online. Send tweets using the hashtag #BostonHelp to offer or request assistance of any kind. You can stay up-to-date on breaking news and show your support by liking the Facebook page R.I.P. for Boston Marathon Victims 2013. The #RunChat group is also encouraging people to wear blue and yellow, the Boston Marathon colors, to show support.

Share your digs. Boston.com has set up a Google Doc for those offering a place to stay, and for those who are displaced and need a place to stay in Boston.

Let someone know. The Red Cross Safe & Well page allows those affected to register themselves in their database as unharmed. Family or friends can search this database to check in on loved ones.

Get involved. The Salvation Army will be offering food, beverages and crisis counseling for those affected by this tragedy. Learn more here.

One last note – be careful. The Better Business Bureau has issued a release urging donors to give thoughtfully and avoid those seeking to take advantage of the generosity of others. Read the full story.

The Rumpshaker 5K

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Last month marked the 5th Annual Rumpshaker 5K - a family-friendly street race in Birmingham, Alabama. Each year, thousands turn out to pound the pavement in honor of the late Lisa Martz, a well-known Birmingham resident who battled colon cancer for nearly four years before sadly passing away in 2007. Inspired by her bravery and perseverance, friends and family of Martz founded Rumpshaker, Inc. – an organization designed to educate and raise awareness about colon cancer (check out their inflatable colon!).

Rumpshaker Inc. hopes to honor Martz’s memory by advocating for those living with colon cancer today, and encouraging regular screenings for those at-risk. Their message is simple: take a day to save your life.

This year, because the Rumpshaker 5K fell on Easter weekend, the team incorporated a “Bunny Hop” 1 Mile race before the 5K in addition to a whole slew of Easter-themed activities and games.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a day like this calls for a lot of helping hands. This year’s Rumpshaker 5K signed up over 150 volunteers for the big event. “Prior to using VolunteerLocal, we used a different volunteer module which was more complicated for both our volunteer manager and our volunteers,” says Amanda Vandegrift, President of Rumpshaker, Inc. and Race Director for the Rumpshaker 5K. “Volunteers had trouble navigating [the old system] and the manager had to maintain separate records for emailing and communicating with the volunteers.”

This year, Vandegrift and her team made the switch to VolunteerLocal. “The set-up was easy and it allowed us to give a lot of information to our potential volunteers on a nice and organized site,” she says. “We could easily see how many volunteer spots were open for each volunteer job and we could easily track and communicate with our volunteers.”
Vandegrift adds, “one of the features we liked the most was the confirmation email that was sent to our volunteers when they signed up.” Want to learn more? Visit their website.
Photos courtesy of the Rumpshaker 5K and CharityBets

Alzheimer’s Association

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It’s tempting to believe that Alzheimer’s disease only happens in tragic love stories (looking at you, Nicholas Sparks), but the dark reality is that Alzheimer’s has affected our friends, families and grandparents more than many realize. In fact, the threat of diagnosis is higher today than ever before. “Between 2000-2010, other diseases have gone down anywhere between 2-10%,” says Chantelle Mathany, the Development & Communications Coordinator for the Greater Iowa Chapter Alzheimer’s Association. “In that same time frame, Alzheimer’s has risen 68%.”

Every 68 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

Yet people like Chantelle Mathany believe in a brighter future – a world without Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. “We provide programs and services such as a 24/7 toll-free helpline, support groups, and community education,” says Mathany. “We also engage in advocacy initiatives and research activities to both help those living with Alzheimer’s today and those who may be at-risk.”

The Greater Iowa Chapter was a grassroots endeavor. Originally started by groups of dedicated caregivers from across the state to share best-practices and support one another, they eventually merged to form a nationally-affiliated chapter headquartered in Central Iowa. The Greater Iowa Chapter now provides programs and services in 63 Iowa and Illinois counties, with four outreach offices and, of course, the Chapter
headquarters in West Des Moines.

“I got involved with the Association as an intern when I was a student at Drake University,” says Mathany. “Although I didn’t really have a personal connection to Alzheimer’s, I became passionate about it when I met the people who are affected by the disease.” Alzheimer’s isn’t like other diseases, she explains, “it’s just different.” The onset can take anywhere from two to ten years, and the stages of this disease follow no set timeline.

The Greater Iowa Chapter uses VolunteerLocal to manage their volunteers; it’s especially helpful during the Walk to End Alzheimer’s fundraisers. “Organizing volunteers was a nightmare before VolunteerLocal,” says Mathany. “Now, I don’t have to send five emails to each individual and update Excel spreadsheets three times a day.” The biggest benefit, says Mathany, is the ability to list all volunteer opportunities online in one place: “They can customize their volunteer experience based on their availability and interest.”

Find a Walk near you, or volunteer locally today!

Photos courtesy of ThinkProgress.org and the Alzheimer’s Association

The Des Moines Playhouse

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Lights, camera, action!

Started in 1919 by the Iowa Press and Authors club, the Des Moines Community Playhouse is one of the largest community theatres in the United States–and also one of the oldest, continuously operating theatres in the country. From Broadway musicals to knee-slapping comedies, tearful dramas to colorful family entertainment–the Playhouse brings a little thespian spice-that’s-nice (in all its wonderful forms) to the Greater Des Moines area.

But that’s not all. “In addition to presenting 12 productions each year, we also have the largest education department of any community theatre in the country,” says Lee Ann Bakros, Marketing & Public Relations Director for the Playhouse. “The classes are year-round for ages 4 through senior adult.”

For many, the Des Moines Playhouse is more than a community theatre; it’s a place of empowerment, inspiration and expression. “The Playhouse is one of the few organizations that brings together people from all walks of life,” said the late Harold Goldman, longtime supporter of the arts. “Young, old, rich, poor, black and white–I’m encouraged by that. I think what the Playhouse does can help erase our differences.” So do a lot of people. In 2012, the Des Moines Community Playhouse was awarded the Better Together Award by the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation.

 “Young, old, rich, poor, black and white–I think what the Playhouse does can help erase our differences.”

The mission of the Playhouse is to change lives by entertaining, enriching, and engaging the people of Greater Des Moines through high-quality theatrical presentations, avocational experiences, and life-long education opportunities. “At the heart of the Playhouse are the approximately 1,400 volunteers who annually contribute 75,000 hours of their time and their talent onstage, backstage, and in the classrooms,” says Lee Ann.

The Playhouse uses VolunteerLocal to schedule ushers, ticket takers, house managers, and concessionaires. “Prior to VolunteerLocal, volunteers had to drive to the Playhouse to write their name on paper schedules in a notebook,” says Lee Ann. “If they couldn’t remember when they were volunteering, they would have to drive over or call in to check the schedule.”

Now, she says, “volunteers can sign up at home–at midnight, if they want!” The Playhouse captures all volunteer contact information using the software to stay current, and they love the handy export feature for day-of-performance check-ins. Deb Korte, Guest Services Manager for the Playhouse, is equally pleased with the switch to an automated volunteer service. “It’s very intuitive and user friendly–not to mention time saving!” She says. “I for one am extremely appreciative of the time saving aspect of this program.”

The Summer of Volunteering!

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You asked for it, you got it. Welcome to VolunteerLocal’s 2013 Summer of Volunteering! We’ve just launched a webpage with links to the registration and sign-up pages for local events and organizations using our service. This new volunteer portal is a place for organizations to promote their events, build a stronger online following and strut their stuff for prospective volunteers.

Iowa Craft Beer Tent, meet Peace Tree enthusiast. Habitat for Humanity, meet serial-home-renovator. Des Moines Arts Festival, meet bi-lingual child specialist. Through the Summer of Volunteering, we expect to partner volunteers who have a desire to make an impact with meaningful community service opportunities in the area.

Here at VolunteerLocal headquarters, we believe people volunteer for causes they care about. On the Summer of Volunteering page, Des Moines residents will find over 25 local events, a list that is rapidly growing and expanding to include organizations from all across Iowa!

Would you like to see your event on the Summer of Volunteering webpage? Sign up today at www.volunteerlocal.com (it’s free!) and then contact us when the event is ready to be listed!

Go to www.summerofvolunteering.com to become a volunteer today!

 

Photos courtesy of the Earth Times, the Brian Injury Association and Kalamazoo

Curry Without Worry

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Good food, good feelings, good people.

This is the magic that makes it all happen–the perfect balance of the right ingredients to make curry without the worry. Every Tuesday, at the UN Plaza in San Francisco and in downtown Kathmandu, the nonprofit Curry Without Worry serves up fresh hot bowls of curry-tastic altruism, also known as soul-pleasing food to hungry people in need. The organization was founded by Shrawan Nepali, who ventured far from the cubicle of his corporate office back to his native country of Nepal to build a home for underprivileged children. Equipped with eight years of experience in corporate America, an MBA in International Business and a genuine desire to do good, Nepali established Curry Without Worry in 2006 to combat hunger with a celebratory and healthful approach.

As Nepali quickly discovered, hunger is a fickle foe. Hunger does not discriminate by race or class, age or denomination, Kathmandu or San Francisco. As a result, Curry Without Worry defies traditional stigmas surrounding food-aid programs; indeed, the organization encourages those from all walks of life to attend in both cities. This organization seeks to bring together “the have and the have-nots,” writes The New York Times, “to foster a merging of [these] communities.”

Since its creation in 2006, Curry Without Worry has served up hot meals for over 105,000 people in need.

An entirely self-sustainable, volunteer-driven organization, Curry WOW has clocked in over 7,104 volunteer hours and dished up over 100 humanities credits to participating University and high school students. Until now, they’d done it all by hand. “VolunteerLocal was a godsend,” says Jesse Seaver, President of Curry Without Worry. “It was one of those moments when I was searching for the perfect web application for my needs and found it.” VolunteerLocal has assisted Seaver and Nepali to organize and streamline the way they manage their volunteers each week.

When Curry Without Worry had an emergency last-minute kitchen closure last week, VolunteerLocal came to the rescue. “In the past this could have been a disaster with volunteers showing up un-announced. Now that we can schedule, we can easily notify a group of cancellations or modifications to the schedule. Overall, I’m very happy with the application, and thankful to you for making it.”

Namaste to you, Curry WOW…and happy volunteering!

Photos courtesy of Curry Without Worry and Local Blu

Move Over, Portland

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Boise just sat down at the cool kids’ table.

More commonly dubbed the “City of Trees,” Boise is shaking things up with a music festival that capitalizes on a burgeoning culture of art and music downtown. “We’re putting Boise on the map,” says Elizabeth Orcutt, Volunteer Coordinator for the annual Festival. “We want to let it be known that Boise is a cool place to stop and hang out!”

The Treefort Music Festival was founded in 2012 by Eric Gilbert, local musician, sound man and smooth-talker, dubbed by Orcutt as “one of the hardest working people in Boise’s music scene.” With producer Lori Shandro, the Treefort Music Festival earned its place in 2012 on the Boise line-up of must-attend events, with featured artists such as Of Montreal, Built to Spill, Typhoon, and Araabmuzik. Now in its second year, the Treefort Festival is getting more attention (and building more anticipation) than ever.

“One of the cool things about Boise is our music and art scene,” says Orcutt. “The Festival has brought a lot of awareness to that–there’s a greater sense of people wanting to come out to shows even after the Festival ends.”

Last year’s Treefort Music Festival required around 220 volunteers, a number that Orcutt expects will grow to around 300 for 2013–especially considering the perks: volunteers receive a discounted pass, a unique volunteer t-shirt, and they’ll get to interact with the musicians throughout the Festival. Plus, with VolunteerLocal, it’s never been easier for Treefort volunteers to snag a coveted shift during their favorite performances!

“VolunteerLocal has saved us days and days of work,” says Orcutt. “Last year, I coordinated our volunteers manually. I signed them up using a Google form and then scheduled them using spreadsheets and calendars.” She laughs, a little bitterly, as she recalls, “at one point, my entire kitchen table was covered with spreadsheets. It was intense.”

This year, the Treefort Music Festival is bringing the heat with a four-day lineup of nationally acclaimed artists, including Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Animal Collective, The Walkmen, Youth Lagoon, Camper Ban Beethoven, Dan Deacon, and YACHT performing on multiple stages throughout Boise.

You can buy your tickets at www.treefortmusicfest.com, or volunteer by clicking here.

Training Your Volunteers

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Whether your volunteers are answering phones on the emergency line, dishing up hot soup on Wednesday evenings in the church basement or passing cups of water to marathoners during the big race, they’ll need at least some degree of training–and it’s up to you to make sure they’re doing the job right. Follow these three simple steps to ensure your volunteers are psyched and ready for the task at hand.

Step, step, chassé!

Make sure those volunteers know their moves. A training session should include a step-by-step of their actual job duties. Bonus points if you can bring in existing volunteers to give newbies the real low-down on how things will work. Do they know where to check-in when they arrive? Do they know what to bring? Who to talk to if they get lost or confused? Introduce the Volunteer Coordinator; it’s always helpful to associate a face with the name of the person who’s choreographing the big dance.

Repeat after me…

Your volunteers are the most visible representation of your organization; make sure they know the lingo. All your volunteers should be able to talk the walk in case they are interviewed by a media or news outlet. Equip each volunteer with a map of the event grounds or venue where they’ll be working, and make sure they can locate information booths and bathrooms on a dime. Always assess risk. If you’re running a beer garden or beverage tent, prep your volunteers on the importance of being honest. If there is the possibility of physical injury during your event, be sure to explain proper protocol to your volunteers. Liability less, volunteer more!

Status Updates, Tweets, and Posts–oh my!

Welcome to 2013. Your volunteers will almost undoubtedly turn the volume up on your organization–through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, you-name-it. As representatives of your organization, be sure they understand the gravity and implications of what they post online.

My best advice? If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Leverage social media to draw attention to your event or organization–create a hashtag you’d like your volunteers to use when they tweet about their experience. Share with them your Facebook page and encourage them to “Like” what you do online. Ask your volunteers to tag your event in their photos (you might even consider hosting a photo contest!). There’s nothing wrong with a little free publicity–just make sure it’s the right kind of publicity. You’re not Ke$ha: any attention is not always good attention.

Photos courtesy of the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, All Posters, Black Enterprise

The Baby Fold – Festival of Trees

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When a child is in crisis and other resources have ended, The Baby Fold is there. For 110 years, The Baby Fold has been a place of refuge and help for young children and their families. “Our services focus on improving the lives of children and families by building safe, loving, healthy environments through adoption services, foster care, residential care, special education and prevention services,” says Angela Doyle, the Special Events and Public Relations Coordinator at The Baby Fold. “We are in the ministry of transforming lives, and we never give up on a child.”

The Baby Fold embodies Christian principles to help families and children develop the hope, courage, and love they need to become whole and healthy.

 

From the East Coast orphan trains that brought abandoned children to the Midwest, to more recent challenges with autism and severe emotional and behavioral disorders, says Doyle, “The Baby Fold has been a source of transformational love for children over the decades.”

Located in Normal–the heart of Illinois–The Baby Fold plays host to the area’s premiere showcase of wintertime pomp, the Festival of Trees. This annual Festival features decorated trees in what Doyle describes as a “family-centered fantasy land.” Although traditionally held during the month of November to usher in the holiday season, the Festival of Trees certainly doesn’t lack the spirit of Christmas giving. Last year’s Festival raised over $150,000; in its 19 years, the Festival of Trees has raised nearly 2 million dollars for The Baby Fold overall.

“VolunteerLocal offered us a solution that better met the needs of our volunteers, our committee members and our staff, saving us countless hours (and from headaches wrestling with spreadsheets)!”

 

“The Festival is created around the magic of lavishly decorated, one-of-a kind trees,” says Doyle. But that’s not all–the Festival also features celebrity auction items, a gingerbread village, unique wreaths, entertainment and a host of special events and activities for children and families. “It’s decorations and light and music and warmth,” says Doyle. “All the blessings of the season, wrapped up in a 4-day enchanted time of wonder and fun.”

The Festival of Trees called for over 1000 volunteers to run the event, but with VolunteerLocal, the job was much easier done than said. Doyle adds, “the VolunteerLocal staff were always willing to answer questions and offer solutions.” We love happy volunteer coordinators!

 

Photos courtesy of CiNewsNow and The Baby Fold

Laura’s House: Ending Domestic Violence

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“People don’t normally think of domestic violence when they imagine Orange County, California,” says Melanie Galloway, Development and Volunteer Coordinator at Laura’s House, a shelter to empower and protect those affected by domestic violence in Orange County. “They think of palm trees and sandy beaches. They think of the Real Housewives.” The reality of domestic violence, however, is a far cry from the Bravo! television series.

In fact, according to the California Women‘s Health Survey, approximately 40% of California women experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes (male lifetime prevalence rates are not available). This same study found younger women, 18-24 years of age, were significantly more likely (11%) to be victims of physical intimate partner violence in the past year than women in other age groups (CPEDV, 2011).

Laura’s House, an Emergency Shelter located in Orange County, California, aims to change social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while maintaining a safe space to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

 

“We empower our clients to make the best decisions for their families and themselves,” says Melanie. From therapy to childcare, legal advocacy, and case management to an in-house Resale boutique, Laura’s House provides services on every level to promote healing and independence.

“It’s an amazing transition when they realize that they can make it on their own,” she adds. And when they do, Emergency Shelter graduates within the last three years are invited to a holiday party in their honor, with holiday gifts, lunch, crafts and an opportunity to reconnect with their therapist, case manager, support staff and fellow graduates.

After the Laura’s House Emergency Shelter was rebuilt in December 2011, the facility has become a hub of warmth and support, alight with the buzz of activism. “It feels just like a home,” says Melanie. “It’s not cold or institutional. You walk in the doors, take a deep breath and all the worries just fade away.”

But that wasn’t the only renovation for Laura’s House. In 2012, Melanie began using an automated volunteer recruitment process through VolunteerLocal. “We rely heavily on our volunteers for special events, the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, our Resale boutique and childcare,” she says. In fact, Laura’s House volunteers clocked in over 8,100 hours last year alone. With VolunteerLocal, Laura’s House now offers two volunteer training classes per month, a process that usually attracts between 5-15 attendees. “These are volunteers that may have otherwise gotten lost in the shuffle. [VolunteerLocal] allows us to have a more personal dialogue and interaction with them,” she says. “I can’t say enough about our experience using VolunteerLocal–we’re seeing more volunteers come through, get connected to opportunities, and have a realistic outlook on the opportunities available. I’m not having to rely on emails back-and-forth to connect with our volunteers—they are able to take control of the process. It’s been huge.”

Photos courtesy of Free-Extras, The Guardian and Laura’s House