As we gear up for our 2^nd annual Dash, we want to make sure that you will be a part of it. It’s really simple and easy to participate:

1. Go to HandsOnW.org and register today! You can also register in person at Gallagher’s Fitness.  It’s $25 for adults / $10 for kids before the Dash, and $35 for adults / $15 for kids to register at the event.

2. Share that you’re attending on Facebook, Twitter and to your friends in an email, encouraging them to register too. 

3. Figure out which hero you’re going to dress like! Come as Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash Gordon, Captain America, Buffy, whoever you want or create your own alter ego. Remember, this is the best part of the Dash!  You may even win a prize!

And be sure to invite your friends and tell them which Superhero you’re dressing as!

This year HandsOn teamed up with Girls on the Run.  Girls on the Run is a local organization that encourages healthy habits in young girls through mentorship and running.  You can join their efforts by signing up to be a running buddy with a girl in the program.  We also have a variety of other volunteer needs at the event.  Sign up at HandsOnW.org. 

We hope to see you and Superhero alter ego at the Dash on June 1. Your support helps HandsOn Willamette continue to mobilize volunteers to do good in our community.

Melissa Padron is the program manager for HandsOn Willamette—a program of Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. She can be reached at (877) 372-4141, or Melissa.Padron@mwvcaa.org

“The Festival epitomizes how a successful non-profit grows precisely because it’s a grassroots movement of people motivated purely by their passion – a belief that Salem can be a more successful community if we take the time to celebrate and learn about the people from all over the world who call Salem their home” said Graham Morris, one of only two staff that coordinate the volunteer-driven organization.  Volunteers are needed for everything from set up and clean-up to greeting guests and vendors to sound checks and the children’s activity area. 

Each April the Festival starts gearing up the call for volunteers. “This year at the Festival we are focusing on Japanese culture,” said Morris.  There are still plenty of volunteer options available.  Visit HandsOnW.org to sign up.  If you prefer to sign up over the phone, call the World Beat office at 503-581-2004. 

Melissa Padron is the program manager for HandsOn Willamette—a program of Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. She can be reached at (877) 372-4141, or Melissa.Padron@mwvcaa.org

Are you a young leader who wants to take your campaign or mission – or maybe your Global Youth Service Day 2013 project – to the next level? Then apply for the National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador Program (NCAM).

A project of YSA (Youth Service America) and Festival of Children Foundation, this year-long Ambassadorship will train youth (ages 16-22) to combat critical issues facing youth. The Youth Ambassadors will serve as community leaders, raising public awareness and leading change around their issue area.

51 Youth Ambassadors will be selected – one per state – creating a powerful national network of young people who raise their collective voice in service to other youth. Each Ambassador will receive $1,000 grant and will be flown to Washington D.C. for a leadership training program. Apply by June 16 at www.YSA.org/grants/NCAM

YSA Grants staff will present two webinars for youth, adult mentors & parents interested in the program. Each webinar will provide an overview of the program, eligibility requirements, examples of strong applications, and information about the leadership training in DC.
Tuesday, May 21 at 5:00pm Eastern – Register here.
Thursday, June 6 at 5:00pm Eastern – Register here.

As we gear up for our 2^nd annual Dash, we want to make sure that you will be a part of it. It’s really simple and easy to participate:

1.Click here and register today! It’s $25 for adults / $10 for kids before the Dash, and $35 for adults / $15 for kids to register at the event.

2. Share that you’re attending on Facebook, Twitter and to your friends in an email, encouraging them to register too.

3. Check out the route and decide if you’ll be walking, running (or flying with your cape) the 5 or 10K course. Both courses start at the Riverfront Park in downtown Salem.

4. Figure out which hero you’re going to dress like! Come as Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash Gordon, Captain America, Buffy, or whomever your heart desires. Remember, this is the best part of the Dash!

And be sure to invite your friends and tell them which Super Hero you’re dressing as!

We hope to see you and Super Hero alter ego at the Dash on June 1. Your support helps HandsOn Willamette continue to mobilize volunteers to do good in our community.

See you on the 1^st:

For more information or to sign up to volunteer at the event, click here. 

The youth of our community are celebrating GYSD in a variety of ways.  Students at McKay High School will host their annual Beautification Day the Saturday before GYSD.  Students will come to school on their own time to clean up the school grounds and the neighboring McKay Park.  Habitat for Humanity has invited youth to participate in their programs and services to support home ownership in our region.  Salem Academy’s Middle and High Schools will leave their classrooms to serve their community in the days leading up to GYSD. 

HandsOn has teamed up with 8 different schools in the Mid-Valley to complete portable service projects in their classrooms.  These projects are part of HandsOn’s Service to Go program.  With so many budget cuts in our schools, field trips are often the first thing cut.  Service to Go is a way to bring Service Learning into the classroom.  Over 500 students will make cat toys for local shelters, decorate placemats for seniors served by Meals on Wheels and create alphabet books for Head Start.  These small items make a big impact on the organizations who benefit from them.  The goal is to also show youth how they can make a difference even with barriers like transportation and requirements to traditional volunteerism.  These projects are made possible through a grant from Youth Service America. 

We would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the youth in the community who volunteer.  Thank you for making our community a better place to live.  We hope you also see the value you bring to Salem and the Mid Valley. 

Melissa Padron is the program manager for HandsOn Willamette—a program of Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. She can be reached at (877) 372-4141, or Melissa.Padron@mwvcaa.org

A Race for Volunteers, Superheroes, and Normal People Alike

Join us for HandsOn’s 2nd annual fundraiser.  This year we have teamed up with Girls on the Run Willamette Valley and it will be even super-er than last year!  Zoom in for the runners only 10K, fly or walk the 5K and little heroes can flex their muscles in the 1K. 

When: Saturday, June 1, 2013
Where: Riverfront Park, Salem, OR
What Time: 10K at 8:45 (runners only), 5K at 9:00(run/walk), 1K at 9:45 (kids 10 and younger)
How Much: 10K: $25, 5K: $20, 1K $10 prepay until 5/29
Day of Registration: add $5
Also purchase an awesome t shirt when you prepay by 5/1 for only $10 (online registration only)
Click here to register

Would you rather volunteer at the event?  We need your help!  Act Now!
Volunteer to run as a 5k buddy for a Girl on the Run! Act Now!

Kids, Strollers, Dogs and Superhero costumes are welcome and highly encouraged.  You may even win a prize! 

Interested in the 10K or 5K course description?  Click here

What does the future hold for volunteering?

Longer working lives, economic uncertainty, combined with an easier way to find out about volunteering opportunities means that the face of volunteering could change in the future.

Since the economic downturn hit both the US and the UK economies in 2007/8, the rate of volunteering has declined on both sides of the Atlantic.

Statistics show that the rate of volunteering declined by 0.3 per cent to 26% for the year ending September 2012 in the US. Official stats from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that about 64.5 million people volunteered at least once between September 2011 and September 2012. Despite the decline, it is still 1 in 4 of the population that volunteers.

Women continue to be more active volunteers than men. This is the case regardless of age, education or other demographic characteristics.

In terms of age it is those aged between 35 and 44 that are more likely to volunteer; here it accounts to nearly 1 in 3 *33.6%). The younger 20- 24 year old generation are the least likely to volunteer (18.9%). Those aged 16- 19 had a volunteer rate of 27.4%.

Interestingly when it comes to education, those volunteers aged 25 and over are likely to be college graduates. In fact, 42.2% of them are likely to be graduates compared to just 8.8% that have a high school diploma.

How does the US volunteer sector compare to the UK?

The results do throw up some interesting comparisons with the UK.

In the UK too, volunteering rates have declined slightly in recent years too. But that figure is still close to 25% of the population volunteering. Volunteering adds close to £21.5billion to the UK economy.

Interestingly too, while the numbers may be falling slightly in terms of overall volunteer levels in both the US and the UK, the level of interest in volunteering is actually growing. Of course, there are plenty of ways to volunteer in 2013 and the internet means there is no excuse for reviewing your options thoroughly.

Economic Uncertainty and Volunteering

There is more unemployment, particularly among younger generations. People are interested in using their time more carefully and productively. Young people who cannot find a job are keen to gain new skills; they see volunteering as a good way to do this. While older workers, perhaps with free time on their hands for the first time since leaving full time education, take up volunteering when they are in between jobs. They are keen to give something back.

Could this be the future for volunteering?

Many people struggle with long term volunteering commitments these days, with work and family pressure often seeming to take up all of our time. Of course, for those who find the time, the benefits of this type of volunteering are enormous.

But demand for short term volunteering options could see an increased rise in one-off activities or for short term ‘micro-volunteering’ reasons.

As people live longer on both sides of the Atlantic and more and more of us are likely to take career breaks and ‘time outs’ over the course of our lives, there is a real opportunity here for volunteering to grow into something that is part and parcel of society; part of the ‘rituals’ and milestones of our lives.

Today, when a busy executive takes a year out to volunteer we view it as very worthy, but a bit out of the ordinary. Admit it; we do a bit, don’t we?

It’s how many students who took a gap year to go travelling were viewed in the 1950s and 1960s, but now it’s considered normal. Imagine if volunteering became that normal?

Volunteering as Part of Our Lives

Something that all of us did at regular intervals throughout our lives – committing ourselves to volunteer for a matter of months or even years. With all of us having to work longer into old age we need to realise that we are going to be at work for the long haul – so why not pull over and give something back, while enriching your own and other people’s lives in the process.

It’s something I’m considering doing next year perhaps. In the US I would certainly think about joining the Hands on Network as I like the ethos of the organisation (plus the informative blog!); it is similar to volunteering with the Army Cadets in the UK in that they look to inspire people to develop within themselves and instills the qualities needed to be a good citizen. I have read quite a lot of inspiring stories about the ACF, largely the significant increase in developing a selfless and productive way of life. If that’s not worth a bit of my time, I’m not sure what is! I’ll review my options this year, so please let me know what you think?

Dale Lovell is a journalist and blogger from the UK, who has spent considerable time in the US in the past. A former editor he now specialises in writing about future trends, publishing and volunteerism. https://plus.google.com/u/0/101134055020448617113

Nominate your amazing volunteer(s) for one of the following categories:

1. The Crew Volunteer Group of the Year Award: A group of volunteers who continually do good together, volunteering on a regular basis with determination and zeal to make the world a happier place.
2. The Ben Stone Volunteer of the Year Award: An individual volunteer who is a regular at your events and one-time projects, diligently helping wherever the need is greatest with a smile.
3. The Do-Gooder Award: An individual volunteer that goes above and beyond the call of duty, increasing the capacity of the organization by leaps and bounds.

Send nominations to Melissa no later than March 29th.  You are highly encouraged to submit multiple nominations.  Please include the following information:

1. The Volunteer’s Name or Name of the Group
2. The Award Category of your choice
3. In 200 words or less please describe how your nominee(s) has gone above and beyond the call of duty in your organization and made life at your organization a little brighter.

If your nominee is selected, we will contact you to discuss the best place and time during National Volunteer Week to recognize the winner.

Are you a HandsOn partner?  Contact Melissa before you apply for a YSA grant.  If you use our partner code when applying you will receive priority over other applications.

This post was originally posted by Youth Service America