RESIDENT VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION WORKSHOP HANDOUTS

Transcription

1 RESIDENT VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION WORKSHOP HANDOUTS WELCOME Thank you for taking your first step in being a Resident Volunteer of our community and in joining ReV-UP and eventually becoming a member. You are demonstrating leadership and being an important member of this community. In addition to the information about the ReV-UP and programs, we want to provide you this orientation information to help make your volunteering experience fruitful, rewarding and impactful. INTERESTING STATISTICS Overall, in Indiana in 2012: 28.0% of residents volunteer, ranking them 24th among the 50 states and Washington, DC volunteer hours per resident million volunteers million hours of service. $3.5 billion of service contributed. 54.7% of residents donate to charity. 8.3% of residents participate in public meetings. Among the Top 5 Volunteer Activities: 24.1% Fundraise 23.7% Collect/Distribute Food 18.3% Tutor/Teach 17.7% General Labor 14.9% Mentor Youth Source: Volunteeringinamerica.gov/IN Page 1 of 9

2 Page 2 of 9 ReV-UP &

3 BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING For YOU- The Volunteer Make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills. Good for mind and body- build selfconfidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, pride and identity leads to feeling good about yourself. Combat depression and social isolation, develop a solid support system. Stay active and physically healthy. Advance your career- in current field or try out in a new field. Develop teamwork, communication, planning, task management and organizational skills. You may get training. Brings fun and fulfillment to life, escaping from routine, give you chance to explore interests and passions and hobbies. Source: Helpguide.org For the Community Volunteers bring people together and serve as a glue of the community, when you create this bond, you create friendships and community pride. You may volunteer to work and make cleaner parks, public gardens and streets, this brings safer and better quality of life for the citizens. When you volunteer with smaller organizations and non-profits that serve the needy and the neglected, these organizations have the capacity and resources to continue their services. Organizations gain more advocates, exposure from the Volunteers. EXPECTATIONS Please take your volunteer position seriously, as if it is a job interview or an apprenticeship for employment. Be respectful, courteous, professional and observe rules and regulations. Do as you say, keep your promises, and be responsive and responsible. When in doubt, please ask your volunteer host or service coordinator. Page 3 of 9

4 PLACES TO VOLUNTEER There are myriad of ways the Resident Volunteer can help. The following are a short-list of possible host sites:! The property you live at.! Community theaters, museums, and monuments! Libraries or senior centers! Service organizations such as the Red Cross! Youth organizations, sports teams, and after-school programs! Historical restorations and national parks! Places of worship such as churches or synagogues! Online databases such as those contained in Website Resources section below WEBSITE RESOURCES In addition to local volunteering offices or going directly to a non-profit, resident volunteer may search for volunteering opportunities using the web. The following are some examples of websites that aggregate volunteering opportunities: United Way HelpIndyonline Cause.it Engage Indy Volunteermatch.org HelpG uide.org Volunteeringinamerica.gov Local Energizeinc.com Especially for leaders of volunteers Nationalservice.gov National Movement Page 4 of 9

5 OVERCOMING POTENTIAL OBSTACLES Time Constraint o Time is the greatest currency we have, we have to learn to spend and invest our time productively. We have to devote time to family, friends, school, work, hobbies and/or spiritual pursuits. We have to learn to plan, establish priorities and eliminate time-wasting activities and direct time to good causes and pursuits. Find opportunities (micro-volunteering, shared-volunteering, 1-day events, etc.) that meet your commitment and comfort level. Every hour of volunteering helps the non-profit organization. Transportation Issues o Search for local opportunities that are reachable by walking or public transit. There may be other volunteers that want to volunteer at the same location, so create a carpool or shared-ride situation. There are volunteering opportunities that are social-network and internet-based virtual volunteering (proofreading, writing, designing etc.) that do not require you to commute. Lack of Volunteer Duties Description o Meet with your non-profit agency representative to discuss roles and responsibilities, expectations, rules and guidelines. Ask the non-profit agency to provide a written job description if you are unsure. When in doubt, always communicate openly with your non-profit agency. If you are having difficulties finding volunteer opportunities, please talk with your service coordinator or property management. Also, refer to the section PLACES TO VOLUNTEER and directly reach out to the places. Unclear about Impact o Most non-profits operate very lean with limited resources and staff. They rely on the volunteers to help them carry out their mission work in the community. By being a volunteer you are helping the nonprofit even though the impact may not be directly, immediately and obviously visible. By being a volunteer and learning about the nonprofit, you may also help promote and advocate for the non-profit Page 5 of 9

6 with your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues. This is invaluable to the non-profit. RESIDENTCORPS Being admitted to the, the Resident Volunteer pledge to uphold the 3 guiding principles: 1. See things not only as they are, but as they could be. 2. Believe that you are capable of making positive change. 3. Take action, do good and pass it forward. OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON COMMUNITIES.ORG Visit the Bella Communities website and create a Volunteer Log-In ID to receive updates and access special areas below on the website: Competition/Promotion Updates: See current and previous promotions Spark Events Updates: See current and previous events Newsletters: See current and previous newsletters : See complete list of all members Resident Stories: Share your inspirational volunteering story Toolkits: Find and Use standard documents and forms Page 6 of 9

7 VOLUNTEER WORKSHOP SURVEY FORM 1. How many hours of volunteering per month do you currently do? 2. After the workshop, what type of volunteer activities are you interested in? Name of Resident Volunteer: Address: Phone : The undersigned acknowledges that he/she have reviewed the Resident Volunteer Orientation Workshop handouts. Signature Date Please complete and return Survey to Leasing Office. Page 7 of 9

8 APPENDIX 1 If your property requires the Resident Volunteer to submit verification of volunteer hours, please use the attached VERIFICATION OF VOLUNTEER HOURS to report the volunteer hours. The non-profit agency representative must sign and certify the form. Alternatively, if the non-profit uses its own forms, templates or letterhead to report hours, please consult with your service coordinator/leasing office. Most likely, the forms/templates//letterhead will suffice for the certification purposes. Page 8 of 9

9 Re-UP (Resident Volunteer United Program Verification of Volunteering Hours Volunteer Name: Volunteer Bella s Login ID: Agency Name: Agency Address: Telephone: Fax: Agency Type of Non-Profit (check all applicable or most related): Adult Programs Human Rights Animal Hunger Environment Senior Programs Family Support Youth Programs Health Care Other: please describe: Housing Assistance Volunteering Performed on Month: Year: Date # of Hours Date # of Hours Date # of Hours Volunteer Duties (check all applicable): Bookkeeping/Accounting Care Management Computer/IT/Web Related Customer Service Environment Food Preparation Janitorial Office Support Retail Related Sales Support Tutoring/Counseling Warehouse Related Writing/Typing/Editing Other: I, the undersigned, certify that the above information is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. In addition, I certify that the Agency is a qualified IRS 501(c)(3) organization. Signature Agency Representative Print Name Date Thank you for your help. Page 9 of 9