HandsOn is teaming up with Rural Development Initiatives to help rural communities come together to highlight rural issues, identify real solutions and share resources. 

How can you get involved?

Well we are glad you asked!  Join us in July for Powered by Rural Service Month.  Throughout the month of July individuals, organizations and communities across the state will set aside a day, week or even the entire month to promote community service projects in their local community.  The Mid-Willamette Valley will be no different.  Bring your family, friends and coworkers out for a great day for a great cause!  We can better our community together. 

More information will be available soon on the HandsOn website.  In the mean time, check out poweredbyrural.com for more details. 

On top of promoting the great spirit of volunteerism throughout the community, HandsOn is also dedicated to helping folks find great family-friendly local activities that support local businesses and organizations.  That is why our prizes will always be from local vendors and our event great for the whole family. 

Is running the race a little like kryptonite to you?  No problem!  We are also looking for volunteers to help out throughout the event.  Needs include course monitors to direct runners, check-in volunteers to give out goodie bags and helpers at the refreshment table.  The day should prove to be something from the planets that brought us Superman, Wonder Woman and Underdog.    All volunteers will receive a t-shirt and are encouraged to bring their own superhero cape for the occasion. 

Volunteers are needed on Saturday, June 9^th, 8:00-11:30.   Please sign up to volunteer at HandsOnMWV.org.  Runners are encouraged to preregister at HandsOnMWV.org or at Gallagher Fitness Resources (135 Commercial St) in downtown Salem.  Grab your running shoes and your cape!  We will see you there!  

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

Woof woof, we’re excited! Why? May 6-12 is National Pet Week. For us animal lovers, this week is dedicated to celebrating our four-legged friends and veterinarians for the joy they provide for us daily!

Celebrate your favorite animals by volunteering for them! Whether you have a pet or not, this is an excellent way to get out and provide happiness to animals in need.

• Volunteer at your local animal shelter: 5 to 7 million companion animals enter shelters every year. These shelters constantly need volunteer support to care for their current residents. If you cannot adopt an animal, volunteer at a shelter for a couple hours. It will not only make you feel happy, but it will spread happiness to these animals that need companionship! The Humane Society and ASPCA are great places to start your search.  Click here to see opportunities with Willamette Humane Society.
• Volunteer at the zoo: Zoos accept all types of volunteers from adults to youth; the zoo is a great place to volunteer with animals! Zoos have many different volunteer opportunities. Contact one today to find out their current needs and opportunities.
• Train a service/ seeing eye dog: Many nonprofit organizations deal directly with training canine assistants. Find one in your area today to see how you can get started. You will not only feel rewarded for the service, but you will provide a wonderful service to someone in need!
• Make collars: Many pets in shelters do not have collars. Get your kids involved in volunteering by helping them design and make collars for your local shelter dogs.  Also check out HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley’s Service to Go page for directions on how to make your own cat toys for Willamette Humane Society and Salem Friends of Felines.
• Donate animal food: Many shelters are short on dog and cat food and would greatly benefit from your donation. Next time you are at the store, buy an extra bag of food for your local shelter.
• Hold a fundraiser: Know an animal nonprofit that could use some extra funding? Hold a fundraiser with your community. Guests can make monetary donations, toy donations, or food donations.
• Volunteer your animal: Train your animal to be a member of a dog therapy program. Research shows that interaction with an animal can greatly improve the spirits of resident hospital patients.
• Volunteer with horses: Does your community have an equestrian therapy program? Horses have been proven to be very helpful to children and adults with learning disabilities. Find a ranch that supports this type of work and volunteer with them.  The Mid-Willamette Valley has a program like this!  Check out opportunities with the Adaptive Riding Institute.
• Help the rainforest: Foster a wild animal. Rainforest devastation and changing climates are greatly affecting our wildlife. You can help save an animal habitat by teaming up with organizations such as World Land Trust, World Vision, or Rainforest Alliance.
• Clean up: Your litter affects our ecosystem including your community’s wildlife. Stop littering! Trash pollutes oceans and kills vital plants causing animals to be unable to eat and live in unsafe environments. Volunteer to clean up your local parks, highways, forests, or bodies of water. Every little thing counts!
• Get your pet spayed or neutered: This step is vital. As mentioned earlier, many animals go to shelters because they are overpopulated. End the cycle by fixing your animal.
• Put a tag on your furry friend: By giving your animal an identification tag, he or she will be less likely to get lost or end up in a shelter.

By volunteering with animals you are working to greatly improve the well-being of your community! Animals are a vital part of the ,ecosystem; they must be protected and cared for. Celebrate animals this week and year round by volunteering in your community

We are happy to announce we have a new project available.

Book Nook Posters benefit Reading for All. Reading for All collects books and donates them to kids who need them. One of the ways they do this is to set-up a Book Nook in businesses or doctor’s offices. Kids can enjoy a book while waiting, and take a book home to keep. This project will allow you to make simple posters to go alongside the Book Nook shelf, raising awareness about literacy and welcoming kids to enjoy a book.

For more information about the importance of reading, and other ways to help increase literacy in our community go to the HandsOn partner Reading for All at http://reading4all.com/.

Click here to sign up for this and other great Service to Go projects!

If you missed Party Like a Volunteer, you missed out on:

• An evening with 154 awesome volunteers just like you!
• The musical entertainment of Kyle Sexton, Joy Quarles and Jacob Miller
• Fun projects with 5 local organizations
• Yummy refreshments from Crossiant & Co., Venti’s and Ike Box
• Awesome prizes including passes to State Parks and the Coast!
• An all around good time!

Check out some photos from the evening.  Watch for an invitation for Party like a Volunteer 2013 in March 2013.  See you next year!

Thank you again to this year’s sponsor, Umpqua Bank.

From the HandsOn Corps Blog

Although my position falls into the HandsOn Network, most of my work revolves around increasing basic needs access and employment opportunities for the youth served by HOME Youth and Resource Center. HOME is a drop-in day shelter which meets the basic needs of and provides services to homeless and at risk youth ages 11-17, 18 if still in school. The opportunities for VISTA work are pretty abundant here: using the neighboring model I am working to increase and improve volunteering at HOME by community members and working to increase volunteerism by the youth who access HOME’s resources.

In addition to the obstacles most youth face in entering the work force, the youth at HOME often come from unstable (both emotionally and/or financially) family situations and environments. In order to increase HOME youth employment, which can often be seen as a stepping stone out of the cycle of poverty, I am working to create a volunteer work experience internship program which allows youth to volunteer in specific areas which will give them skills sought by employers. As a group, youth face one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country and teens with no employment background are at higher risk for unemployment or low wage jobs in the future. By volunteering in specific areas which enable job skill development teens can increase their chances for future employment.

Working in partnership with the public senior day center, HOME youth are volunteering in janitorial services, as baristas in the café and helping with special events. The internships stress the importance of punctuality, commitment, and communication with supervisors and, in this way, build important job practices in addition to the practical skills gained in the area of focus.

A couple of months ago, I accompanied four female youth to their first professional interview with the manager of the senior center. For these four girls, the interview was exciting and a little bit scary! As we rode public transit to the center, there were lots of last minute questions and nervous chatter followed by periods of silence. After Emily,* the first to be interviewed, finished and came back to the lobby I saw firsthand the wealth of knowledge and experience she had gained just from the one interview. She immediately reflected on what went well, how she shook hands with the manager twice and how she would go about the interview in the future. She was excited and proud; it was a truly great moment to see. The same proved true for the rest of the youth. Everyone was proud to have made it through and full of ideas for future improvements. Since the initial interview, three more youth have expressed interest in the work experience internships and have also had the first professional interview experience.

Volunteering has been marketed as a resume builder for some time now but it is also important to remember just how many positive assets volunteering can offer, especially to youth who are short on experience and in this case face a myriad of challenges in their lives. Something as simple as helping at a senior center becomes much more than just “giving back” to the community; it becomes the first step along a path of success.

Molly Schreiner

HandsOn Corps VISTA – HandsOn Mid Willamette Valley, HOME Youth & Resource Center

Are you going to the 2012 Mid-Valley Volunteer Managers Association Conference?  This biennial conference brings together volunteer managers from across the Pacific Northwest and is a great way to recharge your battery in the field.

Their theme is “Putting the Fun Back in Fundamentals and Refresh Your Foundation.”   The conference format includes training sessions ranging from the nuts and bolts of volunteer management to building community partnerships and from working through sticky situations to being empowered and maintaining happiness as a leader.  Speakers include local, national and global perspectives from representatives from across the industry.  Attend sessions with Kaira Esgate, Executive Director of Reimagining Service, Martin Cowling, CEO of People First-Total Solutions, and Kathleen Joy, Executive Director of Oregon Volunteers.

Go to MVVMA.org for more information and to register.

2012MVVMA Vol Mgt Conference SneakPeek (2)

If a formal training doesn’t sound like your thing but you still want to help out, you need to register as a volunteer at HandsOnMWV.org. When an emergency happens we’ll be posting all of the volunteer needs in the community on the website so you’ll be able to find one that suits you, sign up and be a real help to your community when you’re needed most. If you have any questions you can contact Austin at austin.rowlader@mwvcaa.org.

Happy International Children’s Book Day!What is so special about this day? Since 1967, this has been a day of celebrating children’s literature and inspiring a love of reading to all kids worldwide. From Dr. Seuss to the Bernstein Bears, we have all been touched by the magic of children’s literature. While there are many ways that you can celebrate, sharing your love of reading is a great way to get your kids involved!

Studies show that the more kids read, the more likely they will foster a love of reading. Volunteering to share the love of reading with a child will help positively promote this statistic. The list below will help you better your experience when helping kids learn to read and foster of love for books!

1. Choose a book that matches the child’s hobbies or interests
2. Leave books or other reading materials in places that will be easily seen or found by your kids
3. Pay attention to what catches your child’s attention. Whether your child is interested in picture books or action novels, make sure you continuously offer things he or she will find entertaining.
4. Read in your spare time, so that your child will model your behavior.
5. Share the gift of the library with your kids. Allow them to explore the different resources so that they discover a new love within the materials!
6. Identify reading a useful resource rather than a chore. Your child is more likely to continue to read, if they see it as a resource of learning.
7. Encourage your older children to read to their younger siblings or younger neighborhood children.
8. Play reading related games or watch television shows that encourage reading or share literature lessons.
9. Set aside a reading time everyday in your household, when you and your kids can read a book for a set amount of time (or longer).
10. Read aloud to your child or children that you volunteer with.
11. Encourage your child to read their favorite book aloud or something they find interesting to their family.
12. Donate books to your local school, shelter, or give books to your own kids or neighbors.
13. Give your kids a bookmark; so that they know to read at their own pace, they do not need to finish a book in one sitting.
14. Hang out with your family and read a comedy book. Show your kids that reading does not need to be a serious activity all the time.
15. Reinforce positive reading experiences by following a good experience with an adventure. If your child enjoyed reading about American history, take them to your local history museum.
16. Offer incentives to get your child reading more!
17. Organize a book drive at your child’s school.
18. Volunteer to be a parent reader in your child’s classroom.
19. Limit the amount of time your child watches television, so that they can read more books.
20. Encourage your child to read everyday things such a menus or traffic signs.

Today is a great day to foster a love of reading in your child, neighbors, students, etc. It is important to encourage children to read at every stage and every age. Follow these steps to get started!

For more information:

Volunteer to encourage reading!  Check out volunteer opportunities focused on literacy at HandsOnMWV.org.

Learning to Give, the philanthropy education and service-learning program of generationOn, has numerous lessons and units to help teach literacy while combining the learning with service.  Each lesson is aligned to the academic standards of all fifty states as well as the Common Core Standards.  Start your search here: http://www.learningtogive.org/

How are you fostering a love of reading today?

It’s Party Like a Volunteer!

That’s right!  HandsOn’s annual community wide volunteer recognition event is coming up!  Have you volunteered in the last year?  Did you fill sandbags during the flood?  Tutor youth weekly at the local elementary school?  Complete a Service to Go project?  Then this is the event for you.  It doesn’t matter where or how often you volunteer, we want to honor you!  Take an evening for yourself and let us say thank you for making the Mid-Willamette Valley an amazing place to live.

Party Like a Volunteer

Wednesday, April 18th, 5:00-7:00

Ike Box, 299 Cottage St Salem Or 97301

Join us for an evening of fun projects benefiting local organizations, food from Venti’s, great prizes, awards and much more!

There is no need to sign up, just show up and have a great time!

HandsOn would like to thank our event sponsor, Umpqua Bank for their generous support.