Does your organization have different categories for volunteers?  I am
looking for ideas because "category 1 and 2" just doesn't sound very
catchy or informative.  Even I wouldn't be able to remember which was
which!  I appreciate any examples from other organizations or new ideas.

One category of volunteers at my agency must meet one or more of the
following requirements:

1.      Done-in-a-day

2.      Limited access to clients

3.      Not located on KYFS campus

4.      Limited access to resources



The other category meets at least one of the following requirements:

1.      More than one day in duration

2.      Located on KYFS campus

3.      Direct access to clients

4.      Direct access to resources


These trigger different screening, training and evaluation requirements.

Thanks for your ideas!

Melissa Lesley-Fox

Volunteer Manager

Albertina Kerr Centers

424 NE 22nd Avenue

Portland, OR  97232

503-262-0175

melissalf@... <mailto:melissalf@...>

ssw









[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I am having my annual volunteer picnic in a few weeks.  We have a raffle and
play various games in which the volunteers and their spouses can win prizes. 
Does anyone have any ideas for fun games that we can play keeping in that the
majority of my volunteers are senior citizens.  Any assistance you can give me
would be appreciated.

Thank you.


Monica Boyd
Volunteer Coordinator
NASA Glenn Visitor Center
(216) 433-2004


ssw

I know this is a "stale" topic by now, but I have been out of the office and now
feel compelled to reply.  I would encourage you to not use staff in any
volunteer positions with your agency.  The Fair Labor Standards Act basically
says that one cannot volunteer for the same agency they work for.

As an example; our agency used to have a column on our time sheets for
volunteer time.  Many employees over the years volunteered huge amounts of time.
A few years ago someone filed suit to "recover' this time.  And, they were
successful.  It is the same reason that professional firefighters cannot be
volunteer firefighters.

The reality of the situation is that many agencies and employers also
have a category of work called "other duties as assigned".  This makes
just about everything a potential duty of the employee.

I would be very careful about using or even thinking about using staff
as volunteers.

Kim Toulouse

Wildlife Education Coordinator

Volunteer Program Manager

Nevada Department of Wildlife

1100 Valley Road

Reno, NV 89512

Phone:775.688.1893

Fax:    775.688.2939

email:  toulouse@...

ssw



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Amy,

We have pins that we give our volunteers.  Once they reach 100 hours, they get a
basic pin (it says Teen Volunteer with our logo in the middle).  Once they reach
200 hours, they get another pin that says Teen Volunteer on the top, with our
logo in the middle, and 200 hours on the bottom. For each 100 hours, we give
another pin.

   Sarah Nielsen
   Volunteer & Community Services Coordinator
   Kootenai Medical Center
   Coeur d'Alene, Idaho


ssw

Amy,
We do recognize hour contributions, but we also have other awards we
give for outstanding performance, outstanding new volunteers, thinking
outside the box, and awards created around a specific volunteers'
contribution or accomplishment. We once gave a volunteer a crown and
gold, jewel-incrusted poop scoop and made her "queen of poo" because her passion
in life was to keep the dog poop off the trails in her favorite park. She was
thrilled that we had taken note of her special
contribution.

When it come to hour awards, you must remember that some individuals
may have more available time than others, and sometimes it is not the
quantity, but the quality of the service contributed. I am always amazed at the
volunteers who have full-time jobs and full-time families that still make time
in their lives to be involved with our agency. We take that into consideration
when we nominate volunteers for awards.

Hope this helps!
Nora

Nora Simmons
Volunteer Services Coordinator
Jefferson County Open Space
700 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 100
Golden, CO 80401

Phone: 303-271-5922
FAX:     303-271-5997

ssw

Dear friends,

We've just posted the following news on the World Volunteer Web:

Australia considering plan to pay volunteers
Australian Prime Minister John Howard is considering a plan to pay
retired volunteers for their efforts and to give tax breaks to
volunteers still in the workforce.
Full article: http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/news-
views/news/doc/australia-considering-plan-to.html

The question is: if we start paying volunteers for their voluntary
work and more people volunteer for the financial incentive, will it
still continue to be voluntary work? We'll be interested to know what
you think. So, share your thoughts, whether in this group or on our
website.

Thanks.

Kanti Kumar
Editor, World Volunteer Web
www.worldvolunteerweb.org


ssw

We are a brand new Volunteer Center.  One of the requirements to be a
Points of Light Volunteer Center is to have an annual volunteer
recognition event.  I was looking for ideas on how other Volunteer
Centers did this.  We refer volunteers to other agencies, and those
agencies already have their own volunteer recognition.  Our local RSVP
program puts on a huge event with about 800 volunteers attending.  It
costs a fortune to put that on.  I don't have the staff or budget to do
anything like that at this point.  (Being new I wouldn't have 800
volunteers yet!)  Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Please sign your submissions
(signature added by moderator)
Lisa Aldridge
Douglas, Oregon


She

I am very seriously considering using this free version of Volunteer
Solutions for my Volunteer Center.  One of my Board has reservations
about using it since it is from United Way.  He wants to know what
United Way gets out of it, and if there will be costs or fees down
the road.  Is anyone else considering using this free version?

Lisa Aldridge
Volunteer Center of Douglas County

she

Hi all,

I have some local volunteers and some volunteers who live in other
cities and countries. For the volunteers who live close by, I am able
to recognize them by inviting them to parties and events, and giving
them small gifts (mugs). But what can I do for the virtual volunteers
who I'll never be able to meet face to face? I will list all of their
names on our website, but does anyone have ideas of what else I can do?

Thanks!

Joanna Eng
Language Project Coordinator
Action Without Borders/Idealist.org


TS

Monica - I haven't seen any answers yet, so I'll just give you some thoughts
based on my observations, as a child, at my dad's annual company picnic.
The adults always had an egg toss and a balloon toss - as a child, I wanted
to participate (but couldn't), but I did LOVE to watch my parents in both of
those games; that was almost as much fun as participating myself.  They are
classic picnic games, are not difficult for any age - a bit messy, however.
As I recall, many of the adults participated and had a great time - of
course, they varied in age (and probably some who weren't seniors seemed
that way to me at the time!)



Theresa Schroeder

Division of Children & Family Services

3423 - 6th Street  MS W18-3

Bremerton, WA  98312

360-475-3571 or 1-800-423-6246

thes300@...

__



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Just a quick note - I think the tax deduction for mileage is wonderful
for volunteers, I do not like the notion of "paying" [volunteers].  Then they do
not become a volunteer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy Raub
Seminole County Natural Lands Program
3485 N CR 426
Geneva, Florida 32732
office - 407-349-0959
cell - 321-363-7978


TS

Great, thanks!  I really like that idea and think I will incorporate it.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy Raub
Seminole County Natural Lands Program
3485 N CR 426
Geneva, Florida 32732
office - 407-349-0959
cell - 321-363-7978

_______________________________

We have pins that we give our volunteers. Once they reach 100 hours,
they get a basic pin (it says Teen Volunteer with our logo in the
middle). Once they reach 200 hours, they get another pin that says Teen
Volunteer on the top, with our logo in the middle, and 200 hours on the
bottom. For each 100 hours, we give another pin.

TS

I have two game suggestions that anyone can play.

One game we play at our Volunteer BBQ that seems to be popular is human
scrabble.
Prior to the event choose a 7 letter word and then make up sets of 'tiles'
using those letters. The tiles are simply 8x10 or 4x5 sheets of paper with
the letter written in the middle and the tile value written in the bottom
right hand corner. Do this for 2 or 3 words.

Ask the volunteers to get into teams of 7
Hand each team the same set of tiles and a role of painters masking tape
(green). Each person on the team wears one of the tiles taped to their
chest. Each team then has to decide what word they will make. Give the teams
a set amount of time to decide (e.g. 2 minutes) and when the time is up have
each team arrange themselves to spell out their word. Tally the points and
then start the next round.

After 2 or three rounds declare the winner and pass out 7 prizes to the
winning team.

You can also add to the game by deciding that the 2nd or 5th letter will
receive double or triple points
Have a method of tiebreaking ready just in case. This year we had a tie even
though the teams had chosen different words in two of the three rounds. They
were asked to make another word, up to seven letters long, from all three
sets of tiles as the tiebreaker.

The other game that seems to go over well is to have a small box or
container (say 3 inches by 1.5 inches by .75 inches) and place as many small
objects as possible into the container. Allow the volunteers to hold or
shake the container but they can not open it. Each person develops a list of
what they think might be in the container. The person with the most correct
guesses wins a prize. This year there was 43 items in the box and I thought
of a few more that would have fit if I could have gotten them. This is a
game that the staff get into helping set up - each trying to find smaller
things that will fit in the box.

Good luck with your event!
Jesse


TS

What a great answer to my question!!  That is kind of what I am
struggling with.  I want to set an hour contribution scale for
recognition, however, as you said, there are other contributions that
are special as well.  We have one semi-retired volunteer who works
hundreds of hours a month on our properties, so he would win hands-down
on any hour-recognition award.  There are, however, many other
volunteers who make a huge effort to volunteer whenever they can, but
they may not be able to give hundreds of hours, but their contribution
(such as leading hikes or exhibiting at events) makes our program
wonderful as well!!

I think what I want to do is have an hours-based recognition program,
but at our recognition dinner, have individual awards for everyone who
is able to come (maybe just a small token gift) denoting their
"specialty".

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy Raub
Seminole County Natural Lands Program
3485 N CR 426
Geneva, Florida 32732
office - 407-349-0959
cell - 321-363-7978


TS

Early Bird Discount ends July 14th
SO HURRY NOW AND REGISTER TO GET THE CHEAPEST RATE
MPMA’s 2006 Annual Conference
September 18-September 22, 2006

Join us in beautiful Taos, New Mexico

Go online to MPMA’s website to register for the Conference
www.mpma.net

  The conference provides the perfect opportunity for museum professionals and
those new to the field to expand their knowledge, network and share their
experiences with other museum people from across the region


More than 70 sessions and workshops offered
10 workshops offered:
Taos Pottery, Certified Institutional Protection Manager, Historic Gardens,
Hispanic Pottery,  From Digital Capture to Database Presentation, Historic
Tools,  Faux Food, Product Development for Museums,  Mannequins,  Capital
Projects

Premier educational & networking event for museum leaders, volunteers and
staff
Tours of some really incredible museums in Taos
Meet Descendants of artists from the Taos Art Colony

Sessions:  Sessions feature Taos,  historical objects, fine art as well as
ones pertaining to the museum profession.  Here’s a short list of the many
that
will be offered.

• Collecting Taos: Great Museum Collections of Taos Society of Artists
• Taos Art Colony: Perspectives from Descendants
• Taking a Small Museum from Uh Oh to Excellent
• 12,000 Years of New Mexico Art and Architecture
• NAGPRA: A Convergence of Cultures, Past, Present & Future
• Taos Pueblo: In the Presence of a World Landmark
• Creating Outstanding Audio/Video Programs
• Hands-on History Camp
• Tough Terrain: “Problem Areas” for Administrators
• Economic Impact of Arts and Cultural Industries
• Charitable Giving: Making it Part of Your Museum’s Culture
• A Candid Conversation on Cultural Property
• Russian Artists in Taos
•  Demystifying the Strategic Planning Process
•  Twelve Security Lessons from Katrina and Rita
•  It’s Not Landscaping; It’s an Outdoor Interpretive Planting!
• Directors as Agents of Change
• Reaching Out to the Home School Audience
• Controlling Relative Humidity

Tours: These tours will show you hidden treasures of Taos

• Historic Homes and Artist Studio Tour
• Historic Tour of Taos
• Shopping and Historic Tour of Taos and Environs

Evening Events: Network and  see what’s inside these incredible
museums and galleries

• Millicent Rogers Museum
• Taos Art Museum
• The Harwood Museum of Art
• La Hacienda de los Martinez

• Gallery Walking Tour

Other Events Too Good To Pass Up:
•MPMA’s Tribal Museum Network’s Opening Welcome
•Forum on the Closing of the Department of Interior’s Three Indian Museums
•Cowboy Dancing at the Historic Sagebrush Bar

Discuss Issues and Meet Friends There are always people ready to strike up a
conversation at ANY hour at MPMA’s Conferences,  particularly at the following
events:
•Late-Nite at the Bar: To Collect or Not to Collect...That is the Question
Facing Museum Professionals
•Winedale Reunion
•Inclusive Practices Mixer and Dialogue about Community Matters
•KU Alumns and Students
•Museum Directors Roundtable Cocktail Hour
•New Mexico Association of Museums Reception
•Affinity Groups aimed at your professional expertise
•Yoga Classes



Mountain-Plains Museums Association
www.mpma.net
mountplains@...

Help us spread the news by passing this note on to others who might be
interested.


MPMA's Annual Conference in 2006 is in Taos, New Mexico, September 18-22nd.
Join us as we explore together "A Convergence of Cultures" and learn about the
wonders of
northern New Mexico's material culture.

MPMA: A Ten-state museum network
MPMA is the professional service provider to museums in ten states: Colorado,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Texas and Wyoming.
For more information
Click here: Mountain-Plains Museums Association (MPMA)


Mountain-Plains Museums Association
7110 West David Drive
Littleton, Colorado 80128-5404
303-979-9358 / fax 303-979-3553 http://www.mpma.net/


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

she

One of the Volunteer Centers in our area has an annual pancake breakfast
and prize drawings (donated prizes from area corporations that have a
relationship with the center) for volunteer managers of organizations
that use the center as a resource. I believe they may even manage to get
the food donated or underwritten, as well. I doubt if they spend more
than one or two hundred. Most of it is probably on fliers/mail costs.

Laura Long
Kansas City Ballet
Kansas City, MO


She







_____________________________________________

This moderated discussion forum is for those interested in volunteer
resources management. We are lucky to have volunteer moderators who
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2. DON'T OVERQUOTE
3. Send messages intended for one person DIRECTLY to that person.
4. Keep to the topic of volunteer resources management.
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6. To unsubscribe, send a blank email from the address from which you
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7. Other subscription tools can be found at
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8. Send other administrative requests or problems to:
cybervpm-owner@yahoogroups.com.
Yahoo! Groups Links

This is a huge issue.  We all talk about not "paying" volunteers to
participate; yet we in America have a huge program called Americorps
that DOES provide for payment!  While that payment is couched in terms
of things like "stipends" or "living expenses", in my view it is still
pay.  This becomes even more of an issue when you are trying to utilize
volunteer time to match federal grants.  If someone receives
compensation for work performed, especially if it is federal money, you
cannot then utilize that time to match another federal grant.



I deal with volunteers that perform a myriad of functions; including
driving and even flying thousands of miles each year.  In some cases I
have a third party reimburse them for their fuel costs.  No, we do not
provide pay, but sometimes we will give them per-diem if they are our on
a multiple day project.



I don't have a problem with reimbursing volunteers their expenses, but I
do have a problem with providing "pay", even when it is couched in terms
like "stipend" or "living expense".  Either we pay or we don't; but lets
not try and disguise what we do.



Kim Toulouse

Wildlife Education Coordinator

Volunteer Program Manager

Nevada Department of Wildlife

1100 Valley Road

Reno, NV 89512

Phone:775.688.1893

Fax:    775.688.2939

email:  toulouse@...


she


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Has anyone opted to use Volunteers Insurance Service, from cimaworld
(http://www.cimaworld.com/htdocs/volunteers.cfm)?  I need to find
insurance for our volunteers--found out today that they're not covered
under our Worker's Comp after all--and am looking at the options.  Any
input would be appreciated.

Thanks.





Dana Haff

Coordinator--Volunteer Services and Community Partnerships

Bartlett Regional Hospital

3260 Hospital Drive

Juneau, Alaska 99801

phone:  (907) 796-8917

fax:  (907) 796-8673

dhaff@... <mailto:dhaff@...>
she


The highest reward for a person's work is not what they get for it, but
what they become because of it.   - John Ruskin





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I haven't tried this yet, but heard that it DOES go over really well.
The Nature Conservancy holds a pot luck dinner for volunteer
recognition.  They give small giveways and have a photo slide show of
what has been going on in the past few months, but since everyone brings
a dish, it is very inexpensive.

In polling my volunteers about the type of "recognition event" they
would prefer, most preferred an inexpensive bar-b-que or something like
that.  They do not want a lot of money spent on the occasion, but I
think a lot of effort is really appreciated.  This year I plan to have a
Saturday afternoon bar-b-que and give out native plants with the saying
"Thank you for helping us grow our volunteer program!" or something of
the sort.  Plants are an inexpensive and appreciated gift.

Hope this helps!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy Raub
Seminole County Natural Lands Program
3485 N CR 426
Geneva, Florida 32732
office - 407-349-0959
cell - 321-363-7978


she

Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve
Volunteer Coordinator - Job Announcement

* Do you have a passion for the environment like Rachael Carson?
* Do you have a love for people like Mother Theresa?
* Do you savor fun like Robin Williams?
* Do you have the patience of Job...
* ...And the organizational skills of a CPA?

Then you're a super-hero and this would be a great job for you when
you're in your Clark Kent disguise.

The Location:  The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve is
located in Imperial Beach, California.  It is managed by California
State Parks, in partnership with the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive
Association (employer for this position), the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The
Reserve's mission is to protect and revitalize estuary systems
throughout southern California and northern Baja through its four core
programs: Education, Stewardship, Research, and Coastal Training
Programs.

The Job:  The Volunteer Coordinator's challenge is to establish a
volunteer program that furthers each core program, particularly
Education and Stewardship (habitat restoration).  Other National
Estuarine Research Reserves in the United States who employ a Volunteer
Coordinator have hundreds of volunteers.  In contrast, the TRNERR has
only a handful.  There is great opportunity to develop and grow an
exciting new program in the context of local, state, federal and
international relationships.

The Volunteer Coordinator will recruit, screen, place, train, and
evaluate volunteers.  The Volunteer Coordinator will increase the
Reserve's involvement and recognition in the community.
Pay: $18.00 to $21.50 per hour (Depending on Experience)
Part Time (28 hours per week); some weekends.
Pro-rated holiday, vacation and sick leave provided.  No health benefits
at this time.

The Person:  We are looking for a self-starting and creative
people-person who can work well with varying groups, ages, and cultures.
He/she should be extremely well-organized; have excellent people skills,
the gift of diplomacy, strong leadership skills, and excellent verbal
and written skills.  The coordinator must be able to understand the
needs of the different programs and communicate that effectively to
volunteers. The person must be able to work a flexible schedule
(potlucks, community meetings...). Verbal and written fluency in Spanish
is desirable but not mandatory.

  For the right person, this could be a really fun and rewarding job.  We
need somebody who cares a lot about nature and gets excited by seeing
others succeed and have fun. They should be able to inspire and unify
people to a common goal.

How to Apply  Resume due July 18, 2006.  You have 3 options:
* Email to Clay Phillips:  cphillip@...  (this email
address is accurate; it does not include the "s" in Phillips.)
* Fax to (619) 575-6913
* Send to Clay Phillips, Reserve Manager, 301 Caspian Way,
Imperial Beach, CA  91932

See http://www.tijuanaestuary.com/ for more information or call
619-575-3615.
she

Lisa
Volunteer Memphis does two annual community-wide volunteer recognition events. 
Spirit of Giving Awards -- nominees come from our member organizations as well
as other groups that engage volunteers.  We usually have about 500 people attend
and charge $30 a ticket (nominee is free).  Awards are given in the following
categories:  Youth, Senior, Adult, Agency, Large Group, Small Group, and Media.
The second recognition event is the Corporate Neighbor Awards spotlighting the
many corporations that support and encourage volunteerism of employees and
families.  If you want more information checkout our website
www.volunteermemphis.org or email me.

As to your next question regarding software.  We use 1-800-volunteer.org and
love it.  It has really made a difference in how we are able to communicate with
our agencies and in promoting volunteerism throughout the community.

Hope it helps

Jeana Bailley
Volunteer Memphis
jbailley@...

> she
> >
>
>

Joanna - Some ways to acknowledge the contributions of virtual volunteers - list
them in your annual report or newsletter and make sure you e-mail a copy to
them...engrave their names on a plaque in your agency, take a photo of you
standing next to it with a thank you balloon and send a jpeg....purchase a gift
certificate that can be cashed in on-line and snail mail it to them....send a
formal letter of gratitude by e-mail....create a webvideo cast.  Have fun! 
Jennifer

Jennifer L. Fitzpatrick, CAVS
Manager, Volunteer Services
Mercy Health System of Maine
144 State Street
Portland, Maine 04101
(207) 879-3286
fitzj@...

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


she

Kim wrote:

Subject: RE: CyberVPM: Australia considering plan to pay volunteers

This is a huge issue.  We all talk about not "paying" volunteers to
participate; yet we in America have a huge program called Americorps that
DOES provide for payment!  While that payment is couched in terms of things
like "stipends" or "living expenses", in my view it is still pay.



It should be noted that AmeriCorps participants are officially called
"members" so, while they are clearly engaged in community service, they are
not considered volunteers. Their stipends, though small, are considered
income and are subject to taxes, etc. This is  a service program, not a
volunteer program. Recruiting community volunteers is part of the mission of
the members, however.

The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companions (also funded through
Corporation for National Service) are considered volunteers and do receive a
small stipend (currently $2.65/hour) but must be determined income eligible
based on guidelines set by congress. The stipend is designed to merely
offset the costs of volunteering. There are thousands of low income older
adults, who would otherwise be at home, out in their communities
contributing to others lives because this modest incentive is offered.

Since both of these program are funded through federal dollars it is correct
that their time cannot be used to match other federal grants. However, the
benefits of all these programs far outweigh this one consideration.

Lynn A. Doll, CAVNC

Director of Volunteer Services

J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center

Morganton, NC   28655

(828) 433-2614


she

Kim, and everyone,
'Paying volunteers' is covered under The Fair Labor Standards Act here
in the good old USA.  It is really not a new issue either, considering
the FLSA was passed in 1938.  Perhaps the word PAYING is rather strong
in the American case.  I have not studied the Australian case, I am only
responding to the reference to Americorps in Kim's e-mail.  Peace Corps
Volunteer Program would fall under the same criticism, although my take
is that PCVs are 'compensated' for the fact that they are living under
what is typically a 'hardship condition', trained in a foreign language,
expected to adapt and perform a service in a foreign culture away from
their personal support system.   Research has shown that 56% of youth
would prefer to work within their own communities, rather than travel
elsewhere.  Only 20% were willing to travel overseas. Imagine the impact
that removing a volunteers's stipend would have on the Peace Corps?
(Reality check: I received $150 per month spending money as a PCV in
Africa back in the 80s)

Anyway...back to the FLSA:

"Sec.553.106 (a) states: Volunteers may be paid expenses, reasonable
benefits, a nominal fee, or any combination thereof, for their service
without losing their status as volunteers.....

(e) Individuals do not lose their volunteer status if they receive a
nominal fee from a public agency.  A nominal fee is not a substitute for
compensation and must not be tied to productivity.  However, this does
not preclude the payment of a nominal amount on a "per call" or similar
basis to volunteer firefighters.  The following factors will be among
those examined in determining whether a given amount is nominal: The
distance traveled and the time and effort expended by the volunteer;
whether the volunteer has agreed to be available around-the-clock or
only during certain specified time periods; and whether the volunteer
provides services as needed or throughout the year.  An individual who
volunteers to provide periodic services on a year-round basis may
receive a nominal monthly or annual stipend or fee without losing
volunteer status."

The above information appears in Chapter 17 of the Volunteer Management
Handbook by Tracy Daniel Connors -- (required reading if you are
preparing to pass the Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA)
Plug plug !!!!)


Geoff Brown
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

KLS

Anyone who issues business cards to volunteers, would you please let me know
how and why? Especially if you are with an animal- or environmental-related
program. Our upper management is trying to decide if we will allow them for
our international volunteer program.



Thank you so much,



Tiffani



Tiffani Hill, CVA

Volunteer Resources Manager

Best Friends Animal Society



http://network.bestfriends.org

Phone: 805-659-3778

5919 W. 3rd St., Ste. 1-E

Los Angeles, CA 90036


KLS

Dear friends,

   We've just posted the following news on the World Volunteer Web:

   Australia considering plan to pay volunteers
   Australian Prime Minister John Howard is considering a plan to pay
   retired volunteers for their efforts and to give tax breaks to
   volunteers still in the workforce.
   Full article: http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/news-
   views/news/doc/australia-considering-plan-to.html


   .

   I just read the article posted above and it certainly is thought
provoking. On the surface, my immediate response is that volunteers should
not be paid. At the same time, I do recognize that a barrier to volunteering
for people with low incomes is the out-of-pocket cost associated with
volunteering. Whether it is gasoline or bus fares, appropriate clothing,
training (some places do charge for their training) or other costs, they are
costs that those with low and/or fixed incomes often cannot afford. And yet
those with low incomes are often the people who have the most time to spare.
In a world were time is becoming a precious commodity, and volunteers are
gravitating toward positions that they can 'fit in' to their schedules, this
is a cache of potential volunteers that would be advantageous to tap into. I
still disagree with direct payment to people to volunteer, however tax
breaks or reimbursement of expenses or money to the agencies to pay those
expenses for the volunteers or some other creative option is probably a
really good idea.

   I do know that when people can contribute to their community and can make
a difference in some way, their self-esteem is directly impacted. For those
on welfare, old age pension, or for the 'working poor', the chance to be a
participating member of society and the chance to give instead of just
receive can mean a lot. We know that the rate of depression in seniors is
higher than in the general population. And I believe the rate of suicide in
the senior population is also higher. Removing barriers to volunteering for
seniors may be one way to address some of this problem.

   The Australia article seemed to focus on positions such as volunteer fire
fighting, surfing patrols, etc. Positions that require training and
equipment - which are often out of pocket. (I used to volunteer for Search
and Rescue and it cost a bit to be part of that program). I think that for
some welfare recipients or for the 'working poor' the chance to build and
develop a variety of skills through that kind of volunteering could
eventually help them find better employment. Everybody wins when the qualtiy
of life for the poor and the forgotten is improved.

   It will be interesting to see what Australia's final plan looks like. I
think if it is well-crafted, it could have a positive impact on the
volunteer sector as well and the community as a whole.
   Jesse Bowen
   Volunteer Resources and Grief Support Programs
   Prince George Hospice Society
   Phone: 563 - 2551
   Fax: 563 - 2503

   "motto to live by:  Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the
intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but
rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, drink in the other, body
thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
source unknown



KLS

We may need to recruit 6 volunteer drivers for 2 upcoming events.  This is
new for us.
We will also have host home parents, driving youth to and from event.

I have a copy of a Drivers Information Form used by one of the local
organizations, and I am using that as my template to create our own.

My question:   Do you require volunteers to have a minimum amount of
liability insurance themselves?
		 If yes, in addition to copying their licence and insurance
card, do you require proof that they have the minimum amount of liability?
		 If an accident should occur, is their insurance the first to
come into play?

any other information / considerations you can provide would be most
helpful...

Lisa Lorenson
Coordinator of Network Volunteer Resources
Family Life Radio
Tucson, AZ

KLS

Kelly,

   I am the Manager of Volunteer Services at The New Detroit Science Center and I
ask my voluteers to email me when they have a great experience.  I have attached
my favorite story below.  If I am ever in need of inspiration I read this story.


   I had one of �Those� experiences yesterday.  You ask us every year to give you
special stories about our docent experiences and I wanted to share this one with
you while it is still fresh.  It was one of those experiences that was both
challenging and rewarding.

   I was in the Motion Lab and noticed a mother with her son, Kevin.  They were
standing by the small lever and she was trying to explain it to him � Kevin is
blind.  I was close enough to hear that �Mom� did not understand Physics very
well so I decided to help if I could.  I asked her if I could help explain some
of the displays to Kevin and she said she would appreciate that.

   I spent the next 45 minutes with them taking Kevin through various exhibits. 
The Wind-Your-Own-Pulley experience illustrates both the challenge and the
reward best.  The challenge was how you explain to a young man who can�t see
what the pulleys are and what you�re doing when you wrap the rope around the
pulleys to gain the mechanical advantage.  I had to scratch my head a bit and
figure out a way to convey the description of the display to him.  I finally
figured out that I needed to explain with words what was happening and have him
use his hands to �see� the pulleys and the rope path.  He was a very smart young
man and caught on quickly to what was happening.

   The rewards were two-fold.  First it was a good feeling to be able to try and
put myself in Kevin�s shoes and then find a way to explain to him what was going
on just using words and his hands to feel the display.  The second reward was
more subtle � I was reminded by Kevin�s acute senses that people with handicaps
use their remaining senses to help compensate for what they do not have.  When I
have sighted children do the pulleys I tell them there are two things that
change when you use the different pulley windings (it is easier to lift the
weight but you have to use more rope to do it) and ask them to observe and tell
me what changes.  99% of the kids do not get the fact that you have to use more
rope to lift the weight when you wrap the rope around the pulleys.  Kevin got it
right away!  He couldn�t see what was happening, but he focused more intently on
what he could feel and picked up both differences right away.

   Bottom line, yesterday was one of those very special days for me and one that
I will remember for a long time.

   Tom


   Michelle Sposito
   The New Detroit Science Center


Kelly Kenyon <kelly.kenyon@...> wrote:
           Hi there,

I am conducting some research on volunteerism, and I am collecting "case
study" information. I 'd like to hear from any and all volunteer
managers, coordinators, etc. about their experiences. What makes an
exceptional volunteer? Can you provide an example of a situation that
really stands out and makes you glad you do what you do.

On the flip side, what challenges do you face? What are your barriers
within your organization, community, you face with your volunteer team?

I'm happy to email one-on-one, please feel free to contact me at any
time.

I look forward to hearing from you, and thank you so much for your
assistance.


Have an awesome day!

Kel


Kelly R. Moore
Volunteer Coordinator/Consultant
Intermountain Homecare
2250 South 1300 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
Phone: (801) 887-6723
Mobile: (801) 520-6466
Fax: (801) 887-7310
Pgr: (801) 242-4194
"He who refreshes others,
will himself be refreshed"


TS






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KLS

I am interested in the word ?"allow"?

The question is do your volunteers need them as part of their work in the
same way that a paid person would. If yes, then they need them!

mjc

Martin J Cowling
CEO
People First  -Total Solutions
Effective People, Better Organisations, Stronger Society

Telephone:
Australia: 1300 781 357
USA: 1 888 606 PFTS (7387)
International: +61 3 9384 1350

www.pfts.com.au <BLOCKED::http://www.pfts.com.au/>

TS
  _____

Anyone who issues business cards to volunteers, would you please let me know
how and why? Especially if you are with an animal- or environmental-related
program. Our upper management is trying to decide if we will allow them for
our international volunteer program.

Volunteers might be allowed to have business cards,
since - they can very well represent & promote the
organization, and also it is a way to recognize their
work: they'll know they r respected and appreciated by
the organization. Still, you can not make business
cards for all volunteers - it might cost money and may
even be unnecessary for all volunteers to have a
business card with their name. In my organization
/since we do not have extra money, and all volunteers
do not have the same status/, we have only 2 types of
business cards: 1 - for the Executive director and 1
universal with no personal names on it, just the
organization and contact details. The second one is
blank on one side and the volunteer can write down
their personal contacts if necessary. The second type
of bus sines cards are given to any volunteer that is
assigned to represent the organization at a seminar,
forum, fair etc...

Dina M.
Youth Club - Shtip


TS