1. To Make a difference

When it comes to the big picture sometimes we get caught up in our own big pictures, focusing solely on our goals, our careers and our lives.  There is always someone else that can make enough of a difference for us, but reality is that it doesn’t take a lot of time nor effort to make a difference.  By volunteering on a local scale for an hour a week at a place like a local animal shelter you are making a difference in those animals lives.  If you want to make a larger difference maybe you travel abroad with a larger purpose.

2. To Improve Society

We reason with ourselves that society will continue on, on its own, and while that is true, it is also true that society can always be improved.  By volunteering to help on a recycling campaign you can make your community that much cleaner, and reduce the world’s waste by more than you were before you were volunteering.

3. To Help others

Helping others is usually the most popular reason to volunteer, but sometimes what is required is mistaken.  Helping others is accomplished by all volunteering efforts, whether it is in a human oriented mission or not.  For example, volunteering at a food bank may not have direct human contact, but that food can make a world of difference to others.

4. To Connect with Your Community and Gain Experience

The majority of us work full time or are full time students thus connecting with our communities and gaining experience are top on our minds whether our goals are extending our network of contacts or gaining experience for our resumes.  Volunteering is a great opportunity to make contacts in various niches in your community as well as gain valuable experience.  The excuse to not take advantage of these resources most often is that our schedules are too busy, however many are able to volunteer and receive college credit, and many employers encourage their employees to fulfill a certain amount of hours of volunteer work within a certain time period.

5. Family Bonding

Sporting events, social engagements and play dates consume the majority of a family’s time and cause the groupthink that there is no time left for family activities outside of these.  Volunteering can engage people of all ages, thus it is a great excuse to just take a day off with the family and find an activity that you are all interested in.

As winter is slowly (maybe too slowly) coming to a close we begin to think of plans for the spring and summer.  This summer you may be planning your family barbecue on the fourth of July, or maybe you will be one of 70,000 volunteers at the 2012 Olympics in London.  These 70,000 volunteers comprise what is currently considered the biggest volunteer campaign since World War Two.  During these games all of the volunteers will be referred to as “Games Makers” because without them, the games could not happen.

There seems to be no shortage of enthusiasm in becoming a volunteer for the games, as over 200,000 people applied and only 100,000 were interviewed for these coveted positions.  The 70,000 successful applicants will be accompanied by about 8,000 London Ambassadors that will be stationed at tourist attractions, tube and train stations to help people find their way around.

Just recently the first training session took place for more than 10,000 volunteers.  Within the next month about six of these training sessions are scheduled to take place.  Between now and the opening ceremonies the games makers will contribute a total of around 8 million training hours.  The Olympics are a timeless event that requires a lot of time to prepare for, no matter the season.  Jobs available for volunteers will range from ticket inspectors to uniform distributors, but no matter the job each person will have an experience of a lifetime.

With this experience of a lifetime comes background knowledge of how the ceremonies will function, secrets about the ceremonies and information the general public may never know.  In an effort to keep things such as these a secret, all of the 70,000 games makers are currently banned from using social media.  With this ban, members of the volunteer team are asked not to post pictures, mention their role, location or anything regarding any athletes, celebrities or dignitaries.  One exception is that the volunteers can retweet or pass on official London 2012 postings.

BBC News articles on Volunteering at the Olympics here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16855765, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16426840, and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16874424

In 2011, through our Giving Back Program (every card purchased = one meal for someone in need) and additional donations, we were able to provide 277,000 meals for refugees in Burma, a place that has special significance to us as a team (read more about our story). As we write this, the meals are currently on a ship enroute to the border.

In 2012, we want to do even more. We’ve come up with two simple resolutions to fuel our passion and give us direction.

1. Provide 500,000 meals for refugees in Burma or elsewhere. 

2. Volunteer one+ week internationally or locally. Volunteerism is our heart, and each team member is committed to keeping IVC a serving and learning company.

That’s it. Short and sweet. To all of our friends and volunteers, thank you for your support and for your passion. To those we’ve yet to meet, see you in 2012. We look forward to another great year together.

Every year thousands of “Dear Santa” letters flood American post offices, and every year thousands of children and adults alike go without gifts and fulfilled wishes. Operation Santa Claus is an nonprofit organization that allows people who have been given much to read letters written to Santa and respond through giving.

How it Works

Go into the closest participating post office, read through a few letters, and select one or more you want to answer. After you’ve purchased the gifts, bring them along with the letter and money for postage back to the same office. Postal workers will make sure the presents are delivered, while protecting the information of the individual or family receiving the gifts.

In order to keep children and families safe, participating post offices have set up guidelines for individuals, companies and organizations wanting to give of their resources.

• All Dear Santa letters must be picked up from a participating post office in person.
• Individuals wishing to participate do not need an appointment, but can simply walk, provide valid identification, and select a letter.
• Companies and organizations must schedule an appointment before picking up letters. They must also present both a letter of introduction for their company/org and valid identification
• All “Dear Santa” helpers must agree with the USPS Privacy Act statement listed on the  Form 6012-1(Operation Santa Letter Adoption Individual) and PS Form 6012 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Third Party).
  

Additional ways to help

Many of you may not live near one of the participating post offices, but there are still ways you can support this effort.

• Start a Operation Santa Claus branch at your local post office. Garner the support of local companies and organizations, and inquire of your local postal workers to see if they will work with you in this effort.
• Donate to Operation Santa Claus and link to their website, Facebook, and twitter
• Give to children and families in other ways. Donate toys, clothes, shoes, or other necessities at local drop offs.

Santa Claus has long been an icon of childhood dreams and desires fulfilled. Yet many children only see Santa as someone who seems to overlook or forget their home or neighborhood. What better way to instill love and cheer in the hearts of these children than answering their letters to Santa and helping them believe in something bigger than themselves?

USA TODAY article on Operation Santa Claus here.

This time of year gratitude is at the front of our minds and we wanted to do something to say this: thanks. Thanks for going places other people are unwilling go. Thanks for being someone who cares about others. Thanks for giving back.

To show our gratitude, each business day from November 16-22 leading up to Thanksgiving, we’d like to provide a chance for you to win some cool stuff. But this is not your average giveaway contest! We selected prizes from like-minded organizations that are also in the business of giving back. We hope you love it as much as we do.

We’ve kept the conditions as simple as possible so we can bypass the redtape and stick to the gratitude.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16. Roma Provisions combines fashion with charity. They design and sell rain boots while their subsidiary, Roma for All, distributes boots to children living in poverty.

HOW TO WIN A PAIR OF ROMA BOOTS: Tweet @volunteercard with a photo of something you’re thankful for. Use hashtag #day1.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17. Project 7 is another great cause-related company that makes everyday goods and uses profits to give back to those in need. We love their coffe, so we’re giving away an 18 count case of freshly ground coffee. The ”House the Homeless” blend provides food, shelter, education, and healthcare for orphans.

HOW TO WIN PROJECT 7 COFFEE: Let us know about some good that is happening. Tweet “Hey @volunteercard, check out the good  ______ is doing!” Use hashtag #day2.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18. Village of Hope orphans in Northern Uganda roll each bead by hand from recycled paper. Orphans (ages 12-18) making these beads receive food, education and medical care as a way of providing for themselves and their siblings. All profits from the sale of these items go directly to the projects that support the orphans of Village of Hope Uganda.

HOW TO WIN  BEADS OF HOPE BRACELETS: Tweet @volunteercard with one specific way you plan to give back this holiday season. Use hashtag #day3.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21. You have causes that you care about. As a personal thank you, we’d love to give $100 donation to the nonprofit of your choice.

HOW TO WIN $100 DONATION TO YOUR CHOICE OF NONPROFIT: Leave a comment on this blog entry that explains what you love about your nonprofit choice. Be sure to include their link so we can check them out.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22. In the spirit of Toms’ One for One, we’d like to give you two pairs of Toms: one for you and one for a friend.

HOW TO WIN TOMS FOR YOU + A FRIEND: Head on over to our Facebook page and share a story or experience that first made you want to volunteer or give back.

For the month of November, we’re excited to feature a very unique organization that allows volunteers to exchange their hard work for an experience in an organic/sustainable lifestyle. WWOOF, which stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, exists to link volunteers interested in these organic lifestyles to organic farmers or smallholdings.

How it All began

In 1971, Sue Coppard, a London secretary, set up a work weekend for herself and a small group of city dwellers who were interested in getting out of the city and learning more about the growing organic movement. The weekend experiment was a huge success, and Coppard’s  idea quickly gained momentum. Since then, the vision of the organization has spread to over 40 other countries.

How it Works

Whether you’re an individual who is just starting to be curious about the increasing number of “organic” labels in your grocery store, someone who has been eating organic for years, or a smallholder yourself, WWOOF’s  website will help plug you in to the right resources.

Fun Facts to Keep in Mind

* WWOOF is an “exchange.” As a volunteer, you will be exchanging your hard work for the experience, free stay, and food from your host family. WWOOF volunteers are able to live with their host farms as part of the family, and from here an exchange takes place. The volunteer works for the family and the family trades their knowledge, opens their home, and provides organic, homegrown meals for their volunteers.

* Volunteers do not pay for their stay, and hosts do not pay their volunteers.

* WWOOF organizations usually charge a small fee to hosts and volunteers. This fee helps maintain and develop the WWOOF network. Some countries have their own national WWOOF organization, to which you pay a small fee. Other countries do not, but instead have a list of independent host families.

If you think you fit the description of a potential WWOOF volunteer or host family, visit their website, tweet at them, or check out their Facebook page, and start WWOOFing!

So Seven Billion,…What’s the Big Deal?

When hen I hear the earth’s population has more than doubled in fifty years (growing from just 3 billion in 1960) I think think space. Though the population is growing, the world definitely isn’t. But space is not the problem. We actually have plenty of it! Standing shoulder to shoulder, all seven billion of us would only fill the city of Los Angeles. Then our minds go to resources–running out of food or water. Again, somewhat surprisingly, running out of resources isn’t the problem either. “World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago, despite [the] 70 percent population increase. (worldhunger.org)

The principal “problems” of seven billion people is solving the problems our planet has dealt with for centuries: there is an uneven distribution of wealth, resources, and food. People are dying of starvation, malnutrition, and treatable disease. Children are orphaned, widows left with no source of income. Women and children are exploited, and the list goes on. This earth is well-equipped to care for seven billion. But are we? 

Population Growth Doesn’t Have to Be a Problem.

Population growth doesn’t have to be a problem. Volunteering our time, money, and resources, are all steps towards the goal of a globe that has evenly distributed wealth, and the opportunity for every human being to live a dignified life. It starts in our minds. Prioritizing our personal goals to join in a global endeavor to solve these problems and then going out and doing it. It’s going to take work, time, commitment. It’s going to take unity– “7 billion strong.”

“Some say our planet is too crowded. I say we are seven billion strong,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “In our increasingly interconnected world, we all have something to give and something to gain by working together. Let us unite, seven billion strong, in the name of the global common good.” To read more from this article, click here. Also check out www.7billionactions.org

To learn more about the 7 billion on our planet, watch this interesting informational video from National Geographic:

Here are 5 practical tips to help you

Be as Valuable As You Can Be

1. Take a strengths quiz (and encourage others on your team to do the same!). This may seem over-board, but knowing your strengths and even the strengths of your team will help you know in what capacity to work and who to partner with. As a person who is highly communicative, I work well with those who are highly strategic.

** I recommend strengths finder and a VIA me is free online.

2. If Possible, work where you have experience. This may seem obvious, but I think it’s often tempting to try new things at the expense of really helping the organization or individuals you are volunteering for. For example, I would love to put in sheetrock; it sounds like fun! Do I have any experience? Zip. So, it might be much better for me to be on the painting team, where I know I can help and even help guide others.

3. Communicate best practices. This goes along with number 2. Often, as a volunteer, it may feel as if you have no voice. In reality, sometimes the people you are working for or with may know less than you do about a certain task they need completed. It never hurts to humbly offer your knowledge on the subject. It may be very appreciated!

4. Ask Questions. Although ideally you can do something you’re really good at (or at least have some experience with), this doesn’t always happen. While volunteering, it’s very likely that at some point someone is going to ask you to do something you don’t know how to do. Ask. It may be embarrassing at first, but it saves the embarrassment, time, and bother of having to correct a mistake later.

5. Be willing. It’s so great to maximize your volunteer potential by doing something you know you excel at. But essentially, it’s not about you. More than anything, organizations and individuals seek out those who are willing to help in any capacity, willing to be flexible, willing to learn, and willing to give it their very best.

If you’re someone who really wants to help, think about putting these tips to use. And help us brainstorm other beneficial ways an individual can become a more valuable volunteer!

This month, we are featuring Global Volunteers, an organization near and dear to our hearts. Not only are they based out of the Twin Cities, our home, but they are one of our very first partners.

Since 1999, Global Volunteers has been working in consultive status with the United Nations with the purpose to “wage peace and promote justice by maintaining genuine, sustained service partnerships with host communities and by providing volunteers a genuine opportunity to serve.”

Global Volunteers offers vacationers short-term volunteer opportunities in 19 countries with options that span from teaching English, to painting, to working with community elders.

What Makes Global Volunteers Stand Out?

 1. They have a healthy and unique philosophy of service. Global Volunteers is not your average volunteer vacation website. They believe that in “to be truly successful in sustainable development assistance, outsiders must work at the invitation and under the direction of those they are attempting to assist.” Global Volunteers is staffed by individuals who work directly with local leaders to create short-term volunteer projects that will accomplish long-term development goals.

2. They have a long track-record of success. Global Volunteers has been around for nearly three decades, and in the world of volunteer vacations, this is a rather long time. USA Today didn’t call them the “Granddaddy of the volunteer vacation movement” for no reason. They have the experience and wisdom that many organizations are working towards.

3. They have strategic partnerships. First off, Global Volunteers has special consultative status with the United Nations. Essentially, this means  they are committed to the  U.N. Millennium Development Goals and are accountable to report on their service program outcomes every four years. They also in partnership with UNICEF, The United Nations Children’s Fund. With UNICEF, they strive to be “a voice for at-risk children and their families in the host communities” they serve.

What Can You Do?

You can plan your next vacation with Global Volunteers and serve in a capacity that is truly furthering long-term developmental goals. As one volunteer put it,

“One of the best things about a Global Volunteers program is that you can be dropped into a setting in another part of the world for just a few weeks. Things are already set in motion, and you pick up where the last team left off. Being part of one team in a series, part of a long-term commitment served by many teams, I realized that I was participating in something much bigger. It was perfect for me because I only get a few weeks’ vacation each year. And yet, it was one of the most thrilling and rewarding things I have ever done.”
~ Jim Hausler, NY

If you’re not one to leave the country, Global Volunteers does have U.S. service programs in MN, Montana, and West Virgina. You can alsoconsider becoming a sponsor, donating, or simply visit their Global Volunteers’ website to learn more and spread the message!