Adventures in Volunteering

We’re a little belated in celebrating the new year with new opportunities, but check out some of the latest and greatest volunteer opportunities to grace our website….

Michigan Commission for the Blind

Volunteer Reader The Michigan Commission for the Blind is looking for a volunteer for one of their clients. A volunteer reader is needed to open and read mail to a gentleman once a week, with possible occasional filling out of forms. Hours: Flexible, arranged between volunteer and client. Must have your own reliable transportation. Minimum age: 18 For more information, please contact Pat Angerman, 269.337.3276 x 257 or via email.

The Jam For Vets Project

Regional Director JFV is a newer Michigan non-profit that creates, manages, and participates in events that raise money to help wounded veterans. Region 12 is the greater Kalamazoo area and is currently in need of leadership. The ideal candidate would have a business/management background with close ties to the music community. This is a volunteer position and duties would include recruiting, creating and managing musical events, holding monthly membership meetings, and managing financial and legal compliance. This is a fun project for a very worthy cause. Hours: Vary. Minimum age: 21
Contact Info: Barbara Sloan, barbara_sloan@jamforvets.org, 269-290-9185 • www.jamforvets.org

The ALS Association

Support Group Moderator The ALS Association, Michigan Chapter is seeking experienced volunteers to moderate monthly support groups for ALS patients and their caregivers in Kalamazoo. ALS, sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a motor neuron disease that paralyzes the muscles but leaves the mind intact. People with ALS usually live only two to five years after diagnosis.

Monthly support groups offer patients and families an opportunity to meet others in a similar circumstance, ask questions and receive updates on research and local events (information provided by the chapter). All materials are provided to support group moderators in advance of meetings and topics are already scheduled for all of 2012.

Volunteers well suited to this position will have some experience in health care (nursing), social work, counseling, or psychology and be able to commit to one meeting per month, held on the second Wednesday of the month, [7-8:30pm]. A volunteer screening will be necessary for this position, including references and a background check.

Contact Info: Kristen Munyan, kristen@alsa-michigan.org, (248) 680-6540 • webmi.alsa.org

American Cancer Society, Kalamazoo

Health Fair Volunteer Volunteers needed for 2012 Colorectal Awarenss Health Fair. Needs include volunteer greeters, registration table workers, etc. Health Fair will be held on March 3, 2012. Volunteers needed from 9:30am-3:30pm. The fair will be held at Bronson’s Gilmore Center in Kalamazoo.
Contact Info: Ann Moenke, ann.moenke@cancer.org, (269) 349-8710

Ministry with Community

Gumbo Cook-Off Event Volunteers Help with Ministry with Community’s 7th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off! Date: Sunday, Mar 4 [2-7pm], 2 shifts available
Location: Louie’s Trophy House Grill. Minimum age: 18

• Work Admission (Walbridge St or North St Side)
• Chef signature collector
• Insert posters
• Assist chefs in refilling food/supplies
• Merchandise sales (t-shirts)
• Collect door prizes
• Collect People’s Choice ballots
• Re-stock bathrooms
• Monitor trash
• Direct parking

Contact Info: Willo Radgens, volunteers@ministrywithcommunity.org, (269) 343-6073 ext 15 • www.ministrywithcommunity.org

Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run

Coach  Our mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.  Over a period of ten weeks, groups of approximately 15 girls meet with volunteer coaches after school twice a week for fun workouts combined with life lessons such as goal setting and decision making.  Throughout the weeks, the girls train and prepare for a 3.1-mile (5K) run that builds self-esteem and pride.  We strive to develop stronger, more confident girls who truly love and believe in themselves thus resulting in fewer adolescent pregnancies and eating disorders, less depression and suicide attempts, as well as fewer substance/alcohol abuse problems and confrontations with the juvenile justice system.

Each year Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run identifies and selects a dynamic group of coaches to lead each of our teams of girls.  Coaching is one of the most rewarding ways to be involved in our program.  Parents, teachers, school administrators, college students, runners, non-runners and people who are committed to developing and celebrating our youth make great coaches.  Coaches should . . .
·    Have a sincere interest in leading a healthy lifestyle
·    Have a commitment to the mission of Girls on the Run
·    Be reliable, and have a genuine and positive outlook on life
·    Have an interest in the issues facing young women today
·    Have a willingness to create a fun, inspirational, positive environment for every girl
·    Coaches DO NOT need to be runners.

Hours: Beginning the week of March 12, 2012, our teams – which consist of 8 to 15 girls in 3rd through 5th grade – meet two times per week, generally right after school, for 90 minutes and are led by two coaches, who we train.  Most teams begin meeting at about 3:30 or 3:45 pm.  Our 5k celebration run will take place on Thursday, May 24, 2012.

For all other requirements, more information and an online application, visit girlsontherunkazoo.org. Minimum age: 18

Contact Info: Beth Gregory-Wallis, beth@girlsontherunkazoo.org, (269) 491-6885 •  www.girlsontherunkazoo.org

Meals on Wheels Senior Services

Calhoun County Delivery Driver Volunteers needed for Calhoun County. Volunteer drivers and hoppers for the Meals On Wheels program deliver nutritious lunchtime meals and smiles to the doorsteps of seniors who have diffculty preparing their own meals. Driver position requires a Dept. of Motor Vehicles record check, personal reference check, background check, interview, orientation, and signing of Auto Safety Certification form. Hours: Mon-Fri [10:30am-1pm] Minimum age:21
Contact Info: Jessica Ward, jward@seniorservices1.org, (269) 382-0515 ext 317 • http://www.seniorservices1.org

Kalamazoo Prayer Clinic

Prayer Warriors Looking for volunteers with a strong understanding of the Word to lead bible discussions and study. Volunteers also needed to pray with individuals and groups. The Prayer Clinic serves the homeless, area churches, businesses, the educational community, government, and health organizations by surrounding each in prayer, helping to support workers as they pray for their areas of employment and individual prayer for anyone in need. Looking for Christians who daily striving to be more Christ like. Volunteers needed who desire to serve others by sharing the word, interacting in bible discussions, and prayer. Hours: Mon-Fri [8am-8pm] Minimum age: 15, or 10 with adult
Contact Info: Henry Johnson, hjohnson@prayerclinic.org, (269) 270-3887
Address: 340 South Rose St,  Kalamazoo • http://www.prayerclinic.org

Kalamazoo County Fair, Inc.

Grant Writer – Fundraiser We are looking for someone to write grands and procure sponsors for the Kalamazoo County Fair. This person should have a working knowledge of the grant procedure and be able to make calls to foundations and businesses to solicit sponsors. Hours: Negotiable. Minimum age: 21
Contact Info: Bonna Perrin, kalamazoocountyfair@usa.net, 269-349-9791
Address: 2900 Lake Street, Kalamazoo • http://www.kalamazoocountyfair.com

The LADY Program

Self-Defense Instructor Volunteers needed for co-teaching women’s self-defense classes. Volunteers should have a desire to help girls and women stay safe in their every day lives. No special skills are required, training is provided. Hours: Ad-hoc; usually weekday evenings [5:30-8:30] fall, winter & spring. Classes are scheduled around instructor’s availability. A rare weekend if available. Minimum age: 18
Contact Info: Julie Frederick, info@theladyprogram.com, 269-327-2252 • http://theladyprogram.com

Eastside Neighborhood Association

IT Network Tech  Assist the organization with setting up a sustainable computer lab to serve our residetns and the youth that participate in our Eastside Youth Lounge program. Activities include networking of computer lab computers, as well as office staff computers, troubleshooting and making recommendations to the Executive Director on software upgrades. Networking of computers experience is a must. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to either gain experience in this field, or expand one’s resume. Hours: Flexible. Volunteer can make arrangements to work either day or evening, Mon-Fri, coming in as needed or once every other week. Minimum age: 16
Contact Info: Pat Taylor, pat-taylor@sbcglobal.net, (269) 381-0700
Address: 1301 E Main St,  Kalamazoo • http://kena.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

New Genesis Inc

Recreational & Program Aides Volunteers needed to help with various recreational activities such as basketball, soccer, football, golf, volleyball, music or arts. Must be friendly and good with children.
Contact Info: Sheryl Lilly, campdirector@newgenesisinc.org, (269) 343-7023 ext 240
Address: 1340 Cobb St, Kalamazoo • http://www.newgenesisinc.org

Kalamazoo Collective Housing

Newsletter and Website Editor This volunteer position will support Kalamazoo Collective Housing’s monthly newsletter. Graphic design skills, and layout experience is preferred, although anyone with a willingness to learn could be successful in this role. The volunteer will layout monthly content for the KCH newsletter and send it out to over 400 community members. Occasional website updates will also be required in this 10 hr/mo volunteer commitment. Hours: 10 hrs/mo. Volunteer will self-schedule hours at a time convenient for them, hours are flexible. Minimum age: 17

Group Project Community Clean-Up Kalamazoo Collective Housing periodically has group volunteer opportunities at one of its five properties in Kalamazoo. Project examples include: yard/lawn maintenance, renovation/construction build, or painting. This opportunity can be scheduled at a time that is convenient for the group.
Contact Info: Matthew Lechel, director@kalamazoo.coop, (269) 492-3725 • http://www.kalamazoo.coop

Northside Association for Community Development

Fitness Instructor Fitness instructor needed to teach 1 hour sessions, twice a week, for eight weeks to community residents. We would prefer someone that is a certified ZUMBA instructor so that we could offer ZUMBA to our residents, but that is not necessary. Hours: Mon & Wed [6-7pm]. Call 269-344-5460 for more information. Minimum age: 18
Contact Info: Mattie Jordan-Woods, nacd@sbcglobal.net, 269-344-5460
Address: 612 N. Park St, Kalamazoo • http://www.northsidenace.com

Kalamazoo Gospel Mission

NOVA Lab Supervisor Supervise people in the NOVA Lab to help keep them on task. Volunteers should have a positive attitude and be willing to assist others. Must be responsible and reliable as without supervision the Lab cannot open. Volunteer needs to be regular on a weekly or monthly basis. Hours: 2 hr shifts, 4 days/wk (morning and/or afternoon) Minimum age: 18

Snow Removal Assist with general snow removal. Volunteers should have experience and an interest in snow removal. Hours: As needed and available. Minimum age: 18
Contact Info: Roxanne Topham, volunteer@kzoogospel.org, (269) 345-2974 x 203
Address: 448 N Burdick, Kalamazoo • http://www.kzoogospel.org

The Michigan Commission for the Blind is looking for a volunteer for one of their clients. A volunteer reader is needed to open and read mail to a gentleman once a week, with possible occasional filling out of forms. Hours: Flexible, arranged between volunteer and client. Must have your own reliable transportation. Minimum age: 18

For more information, please contact Pat Angerman, 269.337.3276 x 257 or via email.

Until one gets a cancer diagnosis, the average person may never realize how difficult it can be to get the help or treatment that you need.

That’s where the American Cancer Society comes in. Their motto is “Having cancer is hard. Finding help shouldn’t be.”

One of their most pressing, ongoing volunteer needs is for the Road to Recovery volunteer driver position.  Transportation is a huge barrier for many patients. Radiation is 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Chemotherapy also involves a time commitment. Sometimes if a patient doesn’t have transportation, they simply won’t go to treatment. Can you imagine just skipping a cancer treatment??

As a volunteer driver, a half-hour out of your day can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Until getting help from a volunteer Road to Recovery driver one local patient had been hitchhiking to treatment from an outlying area. You read that right…hitchhiking for life-saving treatment.

Another patient that was coming in from out of town didn’t even want to go to treatment. He was depressed, in a vulnerable position and the idea of having to travel into town every day for treatment felt overwhelming to him. After having a volunteer driver assigned to him, the patient’s wife called ACS to tell them that the volunteer driver saved her husband’s life. He didn’t want to go to treatment, but a friendly-faced driver got him to treatment every day that he needed a ride.

I recently spoke with Ann Moenke, the Community Development Director for the local American Cancer Society, about the Road to Recovery Driver and the Cancer Resource Center positions. If you have an interest in gaining patient-contact experience or just want to help, one of these opportunities may be perfect for you.

She said, “We’re really flexible and we want to make it work for volunteers. They are vital to helping us save lives.”

Read on for more info…

Road to Recovery Volunteer Drivers

Volunteer drivers go through a quick 15-minute training. Application, background check, motor vehicle report and verification of insurance are all required. The Kalamazoo county American Cancer Society office has one vehicle that can be used by volunteer Road to Recovery drivers if it is available. Gas is covered in that vehicle. Otherwise, drivers must use their own vehicle and gas.

ACS has volunteer coordinators that coordinate rides. They will call or email the volunteer drivers to set-up one ride at a time. There is no pressure or requirement to take any drive. Once a week is a common commitment from many volunteer drivers, but the schedule is very flexible and based on volunteer availability.

Once drivers sign-up for a drive, they are given all of the valid information necessary to pick-up the patient: name, address, phone numbers, etc. Drivers are asked to call patients 24 hours ahead of time to confirm (just to make sure an appointment hasn’t been changed and confirm that they still need a ride).

Drivers are asked to be understanding and flexible. With any patient, things can change at the last minute.

Drivers pick up patient, drive them to treatment, drop them off at the front door (where a volunteer will usually be waiting to receive them) and then transport the patient home after treatment. For Kalamazoo county, most appointments are at West Michigan Cancer Center or sometimes at Bronson Hospital or a doctor’s office. In other counties, location varies. Some patients live nearby, sometimes they live in outlying areas. As a volunteer, you can pick where you can drive.

Cancer Resource Center opportunity at Bronson and Borgess

Cancer Resource Center volunteers are highly trained individuals that work with patients and caregivers to give them information they need about the resources that are available to them. This position allows you to do your own rounds at the hospital and work one-on-one with cancer patients and caregivers. ACS asks for a one year commitment (because of all the training involved). Cancer survivors or cancer caregivers are perfect for this position because of the experience and knowledge they bring to the table.

For more information or to sign-up for either of these opportunities, contact Ann Moenke at 269.349.8710 or via email. You can also sign up through our website by clicking on either one of the links above, and then Ann will follow-up with you to get you started on the process.

On Monday, January 16th, hundreds of volunteers converged on City Hall in Kalamazoo and then trekked out to 25 project sites to serve their community on the Martin Luther King, Jr National Day of Service. Citizens, students, employees and groups got involved in helping our diverse nonprofit community with projects such as natural area restoration for the Kleinstuck Preserve, donation organization for Kalamazoo Deacons Conference and Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, shoe inventory for the First Day Shoe Fund, working with students at several elementary schools and many more.

Volunteer Kalamazoo and the City of Kalamazoo collaborated to plan this community-wide Day of Service, with support from Fifth-Third Bank, Western Michigan University and Life EMS. We thank all of the volunteers that worked hard for the day. You are part of what makes the Kalamazoo community so amazing!

Check out some of the great media coverage and highlights from the event:

Segment from WWMT, Channel 3:

Our MLK Day photo album from Facebook

Segment from WKZO:

 Some photos of Community Healing Centers’ MLK Day Volunteers

Miller Johnson employees at Ministry with Community for MLK Day

I’ve worked at Volunteer Kalamazoo for nearly 5 years, and until this year, had yet to experience the controlled chaos that is the Greater Kalamazoo Area Holiday Food Drive.

See, we’ve always listed the holiday food drive opportunity on our website and in our Volunteer Guidebook, but unlike most other volunteer opportunities, one doesn’t sign-up for it in advance and get information before going. For a pseudo-control-freak like myself, this kind of arrangement makes me nervous. The not knowing drives me nuts. Will it be organized? Will I have enough to do? Do they really need my help? What time should I get there? What will I be doing? Can I bring my family?

But, after talking to an acquaintance that had gone before and getting an idea of what’s involved, I decided to take the plunge and just go this year (and brought my husband and 7-year-old step-son along with me)….and now I can share the relevant details with all of my fellow control-freaks out there!

Overall, we had a great experience! As my friend had warned me, it was indeed a bit zoo-like, but things were very organized and systematic, making it easy for anyone to volunteer to help for a short while. They had a table for people that needed their community service hours verified and a table for people interested in taking out deliveries and big signs to show you where the volunteer lines started.

There are two actual days of volunteer activities, so I enlisted another friend (and Volunteer Kalamazoo board member), Melisa Beeson, who attended on Friday night to give you an idea of what takes place each day. Ready? Here we go….

Friday evening, from 6-8pm:

Various groups of families and friends staff tables set up in a large circle in the building. Each table is designated for a different type(s) of food. All the food that was donated sits in unorganized piles around the perimeter of the building. Our job was the grab as many items as we could carry at once then deliver them to the right table. Will (the 7 year old) tried so hard to carry as many different items as possible each trip so he could stop at all the tables. Sam ran into one of his  classmates, Drew, so they worked as a team carrying food to each station. Natalie worked with another student from the a school leadership team and created a video documentary about the event. It was amazing to see people from all over greater Kalamazoo working together to sort all the donations in such a short amount of time.

All of the boxes that the food will be packaged in are also assembled during the Friday evening shift.

Saturday morning, from 9:30-?:

Volunteer groups work in the middle of the building manning the food tables (that circle mentioned above) and volunteers of all ages and abilities line up into one of two lines (red or green). They are given a cart with two boxes on it and can wheel it through a half circle  of food tables while each table/station manned with hard-working volunteers puts different food items into each box. At the end another waiting volunteer takes your boxes, tapes them up and gets them ready for delivery. That’s it! You can hop back into line for another go at it (if you’re very patient), or you can head out feeling good about doing your small part to help feed 1500 community families for a week. Even most young volunteers can pull the carts (though they do get a little heavy toward the end and are tough to steer, so if you have really little ones, be there to help them out).

As a side note, almost all of the other hard-working “leader” volunteers I encountered at this event were amazing, upbeat and happy that we were doing our very small part to help. They were understanding when kids were moving slowly, even while encouraging them move a little faster and they had no problem with me taking a moment to snap this horribly blurry cell phone picture of my step-son, even though it meant waiting on me for a second while I did it. They were friendly when shifting large numbers of people to another line and then positive about shifting us back. As someone that’s done her fair share of volunteering, I was really impressed with everyone.

I also spoke with another colleague that I bumped into in line that morning about the delivery process. Volunteers can show up with a vehicle, and take as many deliveries as they’d like. They’ll provide the addresses, phone numbers and directions to the families in need. Volunteers can choose preferred neighborhood and then spread some holiday cheer while delivering food. Come back for more if you’d like, or finish up after just one load.

We were so glad to have participated in the process, but like every volunteer experience, it wasn’t ideal. Here’s what we learned to improve our experience for next time:

• Get there early.  They start with the packaging at 9:00am on Saturday morning according to the website. We were running behind that morning and it was nearly 10 before we made it to the Fairgrounds and by that time the volunteer lines were looooooong. Add to that the fact that we got re-routed from one line to another and then had to re-route back to the first line we were in, we waited for about an hour before we got to do any actual hands-on work. As you can imagine, all of this waiting doesn’t really go over well with the kid crowd. Bring something for kids to do or have something in mind to distract them from the waiting. My strategy for next year will entail showing up early and then helping with deliveries to keep the process moving and interesting.
• If you’d prefer to do more moving around and can carry things, plan to attend on Friday night.

Mark your calendar and help out next year as part of your holiday volunteer efforts! Held annually the 3rd Friday and Saturday in December at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds in the Hazel Gray building. See you there!

Fresh opportunities for your viewing!

Girls On the Run Coach – Greater Kalamazoo Girls On the Run

Each year Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run identifies and selects a dynamic group of coaches to lead each of our teams of girls.  Coaching is one of the most rewarding ways to be involved in our program.  Parents, teachers, school administrators, college students, runners, non-runners and people who are committed to developing and celebrating our youth make great coaches.  Coaches should . . .
·    Have a sincere interest in leading a healthy lifestyle
·    Have a commitment to the mission of Girls on the Run
·    Be reliable, and have a genuine and positive outlook on life
·    Have an interest in the issues facing young women today
·    Have a willingness to create a fun, inspirational, positive environment for every girl
·    Coaches DO NOT need to be runners.

Hours: Beginning the week of March 12, 2012, our teams – which consist of 8 to 15 girls in 3rd through 5th grade – meet two times per week, generally right after school, for 90 minutes and are led by two coaches, who we train.  Most teams begin meeting at about 3:30 or 3:45 pm.  Our 5k celebration run will take place on Thursday, May 24, 2012.

Many more details and an online application available here.

MLK Day of Service

Volunteer Kalamazoo, in partnership with the City of Kalamazoo, is currently planning our 2012 MLK Day of Service event. You may know that MLK Day of Service is a city-wide (and nationally celebrated) day dedicated toward civic service and the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr, who once said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

This year’s event takes place on Monday January 16th, 2012. Volunteers as individuals, businesses, or families are needed to make the Day of Service a success. Register online, or download the form and return it no later than Thursday, January 12, 2012.

Meals on Wheels Drivers and Hoppers for Calhoun County 

Volunteers needed for Calhoun County. Volunteer drivers and hoppers for the Meals On Wheels program deliver nutritious lunchtime meals and smiles to the doorsteps of seniors who have diffculty preparing their own meals. Driver position requires a Dept. of Motor Vehicles record check, personal reference check, background check, interview, orientation, and signing of Auto Safety Certification form. Hours: Mon-Fri [10:30am-1pm] Minimum age:21

In addition to all of the other winter holidays, we’re also celebrating Festivus at Volunteer Kalamazoo…with a typical volunteering twist.

For those not in the know: Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as a way to celebrate the holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism. The holiday’s celebration, as shown on Seinfeld, includes an unadorned aluminum ”Festivus pole”, practices such as the “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength”, and the labeling of easily explainable events as “Festivus miracles”. Celebrants of the holiday sometimes refer to it as “a Festivus for the rest of us”, a saying taken from the O’Keefe family traditions and popularized in the Seinfeld episode to describe Festivus’ non-commercial aspect. (Source: Wikipedia)

As a refresher, here’s how Festivus began:

Frank Costanza: “Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.”

Cosmo Kramer: “What happened to the doll?”

Frank Costanza: “It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born: a Festivus for the rest of us!”

Kramer: “That must have been some kind of doll.”

Frank Costanza: “She was.”

At Volunteer Kalamazoo, we’ve got it all covered….

 Airing of Grievances

Frank Costanza: “The tradition of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you’re gonna hear about it.”

We’re pretty happy people, but we have two main “grievances”:

1. Volunteers are responsible for so many wonderful things in this community and beyond, yet they rarely get the recognition they deserve.

To combat this, we’re looking forward to the the 27th annual STAR Awards celebration held each year in April during National Volunteer Week to reward those really outstanding volunteers in this community and give them a moment in the spotlight. Nominations for the 2012 STAR Awards will be opening up on January 1st, so get ready and nominate an outstanding volunteer that you know. Read about last year’s winners here.

2. Nonprofit organizations are inundated with volunteers during this busy time of year…more than they know what to do with. You’re annoyed because all of the holiday shifts are full.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good problem to have, but instead of trying to fit volunteering in along with everything else during this month, relax! You’ve got enough to do, don’t you? Sign up now to volunteer in February or March (or any other time!) when the needs still exist, but there is no longer an onslaught of volunteers calling. Nonprofit agencies, and those you’re helping, will thank you.

3. Decent candy in the office candy dish…that’s all I ask.

Feats of Strength

After the meal the “Feats of Strength” are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, with the holiday ending only if the head of the household is actually pinned.

Okay, we don’t actually do this in our office…I would most certainly lose, so I’m not going to suggest it anytime soon. A seven-year-old could beat me at arm wrestling. Not that I’ve tried that or anything.

No, the Feats of Strength we’re referring to are those of volunteers. This year, we made more than 16,000 volunteer referrals to hundreds of organizations. We engaged more than 1,000 volunteers that gave more than 4,000 hours at our 4  Days of Service events and accomplished more than 50 projects focused on public safety, like graffiti removal, alley clean-up, playground improvements and home repair.

Or the nearly 1500 volunteers that got involved through the Day of Caring program (partnership between United Way and Volunteer Kalamazoo) and gave more than 7,000 hours of volunteer service to do very physical projects like trail maintenance, wood-chopping, erosion control and more at the Boy Scout Camp Rota-Kiwan, or raking leaves for senior citizens for the Comstock Community Center or preparing and serving a Bravo!-style meal for the women and children in the YWCA Domestic Assault shelter.

These are some truly amazing feats. There are some truly amazing people in Kalamazoo.

 Festivus Miracles

Gwen: “Jerry!”
Jerry Seinfeld: “Gwen! How did you know I was here?”
Gwen: “Kramer told me!”
Cosmo Kramer: “Another Festivus Miracle!”
Jerry Seinfeld: (gives Kramer a murderous glare)

Lucky for us, we’ve had our share of Festivus-worthy miracles this year. (All in a typical days work, actually.)

~A woman with a debilitating disease contacted us with an interest in volunteering with the little spare energy she had. The kicker: she didn’t have transportation, so it had to be within walking distance of her residence. With a little time and research, we were able to provide her with 15 suggestions of places that may be able to use her volunteer services. A Festivus miracle!

~A teacher at a Montessori school in town contacted us to get connected with more volunteer opportunities for her young students to do outside of the classroom. We were able to spread the word and find a few other options for these students, thus getting them involved in volunteering at an early age.  A Festivus miracle!

~A high school student volunteer that we’ve connected with other opportunities in the past, mentioned that he was looking for a place to use his video recording and editing skills…just so happens, we were looking for someone with those skills for our own video creating needs. A Festivus miracle!

~After one successful year of our new Days of Service program, the grant we received from the Michigan Community Service Commission was renewed for a second year. We’ll be able to hold four more community-wide Days of Service in addition to doing several smaller projects throughout the year, all in support of the Kalamazoo Neighborhood Safety Initiative to improve our neighborhoods. A Festivus miracle!

~On September 1 of this year, we successfully launched a new look, a new brand, a new name and a new volunteer database (HandsOn Connect).  I get tired just typing all of that.  Despite technical difficulties and many hours of time of training, programming, preparation, everything went off without a hitch! (Mostly.) So far, we’ve seen 741 volunteer connections (referrals) come through the new system in just 3.5 short months! A Festivus miracle!

~I found my co-worker the perfect Secret Santa gift for Christmas. A Festivus miracle! Oh, wait…wrong holiday.

Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us! Enjoy some 90′s nostalgia with Festivus clips from Seinfeld:

The needs in the community are all important, and we have hundreds of volunteer opportunities listed on our website at any given time that echo this fact.

But, here are a few of the more pressing/urgent needs that haven’t been filled.  Can you help?

Red Kettle Bell Ringers for the Salvation Army

Over 1/3 of the Salvation Army’s budget each year is derived from the kettles during the holidays. Help out during this crunch time before Christmas.

Help to ring in the change by ringing the bell to help raise funds for the Salvation Army. Volunteers must stand for extended periods of time outside to greet and thank shoppers as they drop donations in the kettle. Must be able to tolerate cold days working outside and have an engaging personality and enjoy working with the public. Hours: Mid-Nov until December 24, 2-3 hr shifts available between [9am-9pm]. Sites throughout the community. Great for groups and musicians! Bring pets, instruments, service club, employee groups, your friends and family, sing carols…..anything to spread the Christmas cheer!

(Court-ordered volunteers are accepted, with some restrictions on offense.)

Minimum age: 18, or 10 with adult

If you are interested in learning more or signing up to ring bells, contact Kim Smith or Penny Allen, 344-6119 x 204 or via email, via email.

Road to Recovery Drivers for American Cancer Society

Having cancer is hard. Finding help shouldn’t be. The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers who can use their own vehicles to drive patients who are undergoing cancer treatment to and from appointments. These drivers also provide encouragement and support. Drivers must have a valid driver’s license for the state where they live. They must also have a safe, reliable vehicle and proof of automobile insurance. Volunteer drivers must have a good driving history and be in good health. Also, successful completion of Road to Recovery volunteer training/orientation.

Interested volunteers can call 269.349.8719 to find out more about this important program and how they can get involved. By giving a little of your time, you can help save lives while fulfilling your own.

Hours: This is a very flexible volunteer activity, with no specific time requirements. You are not tied down to any set schedule, but may tell us how often and where you are willing to drive. Many volunteers transport patients weekly, but assignments will vary according to the volume and nature of the ride requests that are received. Min age: 18

For more information, contact Ann Moenke, (269) 349-8710, via email

Workshop Instructors for Community Homeworks

Do you know how to fix a leaking pipe? Can you use a circular saw with ease? If you have a special home repair and maintenance skill, Community Homeworks wants to talk to you about volunteering in local Kalamazoo County neighborhoods and teaching at our weekly educational workshops.

The time commitment is minimal and flexible; various workshops are offered twice a week on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6-9PM or 6-7:30 PM.

Currently, we are in need of Workshop Instructors for the following Workshops: Plumbing Systems, Hand Tools, Heating and Cooling Systems, Home Safety and Security, Flooring Repairs, Power Tools, Sink Repairs, and Toilet Repairs.

Sharing your skills is a great way to give back to the community and neighborhoods you love. Contact Martha Cavazos, Education and Outreach Coordinator via email or 998-3275 ext. 202 for more information.

Sewing/Knitting/Quilting Instructor for a Girl Scout Troop at El Sol Elementary

Sewing/Quilting/Knitting instructor requested to help Girl Scouts at El Sol learn to sew!  Must be patient, love to work with children, and knowledgeable about sewing/quilting/knitting/embroidery etc…  Bilingual is a plus but not required.  Come share your talents with children who are interested in learning this skill!
For more information, contact Teresa Valdez, (269) 599-8959,via email.

We encounter quite a few myths in our line of work.
With our new name, new look and new volunteer system, we thought it’d be a perfect time to start fresh and try to put a rest to some of those myths that exist.  The previous Mythbusters “episodes” are here and here and here.

Volunteer Kalamazoo Mythbusters: Episode 4

Myth #8: Using volunteers is free…

and the related..

Myth # 9: If I want to give my time to an organization, they should take me right away, no questions asked…I’m a VOLUNTEER!

On the contrary, there are costs and time involved with having volunteers work at an agency.

You’ve got:

• A person to manage the volunteers….trust us, this can easily be more than a full-time job depending on the organization
• Recruitment costs (staff time and funds: to create and print marketing materials, to create and purchase newspaper ads, to write articles and press releases, to create and execute a social media strategy, to find, schedule and speak to service clubs, student groups, churches,  etc.)
• Paper for all printed materials a volunteer might need (ex. application, job description, volunteer handbook of policies and procedures, sign-in sheets, name tag, etc)
• Time to interview and conduct reference checks
• Criminal background checks (some of which are costly)
• Time to orient and train and supervise (or re-do the work if the volunteer does it wrong)
• Time to record information into appropriate database or record keeping system
• Recognition expenses (sure a simple “thank you” will do most of the time, but organizations love showing appreciation to their hard-working volunteers through small gifts or recognition events, sometimes.)
• Time to recruit more volunteers and start the whole process over again when one volunteer leaves (which can happen at any time…whether they’ve put in 5 or 500 hours.)

So, when someone calls us and is frustrated that all the places they’ve called are at full volunteer capacity with an exasperated, “I want to work for free! How could they not take me!”,  we can understand their frustration. But, we also know the other side of the coin. Nonprofit organizations are very limited in all of their resources, and there are only so many hours in a day, resources and space to devote to bringing on new volunteers and sustaining a volunteer program. Unfortunately, that means that some organizations have to turn people away at times.

But for every organization that has to turn volunteers away, there are other volunteer jobs out there going unfilled. It just takes time to find the right fit at the right place at the right time.

Myth #10: If I volunteer somewhere, I can get a job there

We wish it were that easy. We really do. Volunteering can be a great way to enhance or build your skills, have something on your resume during a period of unemployment, gain new references and expand your connections and network.  But, under no circumstances should you assume that you will get hired after you volunteer somewhere for awhile. There are just no guarantees that it will ever happen.

The large majority of nonprofit organizations have very tight funding sources, and many are so small, it’s rare that paid positions come open at all.

If you are in the thick of a job search, consider your volunteering experience a way to enhance that search….not as a way to end that search. Treat the volunteer position as a job, be flexible and eager to learn new things or take on new responsibilities (within reason, as your schedule permits) and you’ll gain new references, connections and skills that you didn’t previously have…and that’s a plus, regardless of whether a paying position ever opens up.

This goes doubly for students that have no work experience at all….volunteer and have something for those job applications when you do need to start searching!

And yes, if a position comes open, they will already be familiar with you and your work. But, remember: this can also work against you, if you haven’t presented yourself professionally and responsibly at all times during your volunteer work.

For the past 4 years, the board of Vineyard Outreach Ministry has roasted, coated and packaged pecans as a way to help support the ministry’s efforts among persons struggling with under poverty’s weight in the Vine neighborhood of Kalamazoo.

On Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd, we need volunteers from 9 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. to help us roast, coat and package hot & spicy or sugared pecans. If you are looking for a short-term project that would benefit local residents, please ask them to call Vineyard Outreach Ministry at 349-2388 or contact via email for more information. Minimum age: 18