HandsOn Northeast Georgia Blog

Give 5

2010-10-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

High Five! HandsOn Northeast Georgia is launching a Give Five campaign for the month of October. We are asking all of our volunteers to "lend a hand" and give $5 to support the work HandsOn does in the community.

Every year, HandsOn coordinates thousands of volunteers for projects to improve our community. Putting helping hands to work is what we do best. To keep putting those hands to work on worthy causes, we need your helping hand. Today, we are launching our Give 5 campaign. We're asking everyone who has volunteered with us to give just $5 to help us continue what we do.

Your donation will support the expense of our volunteer database, which is used by more than 140 area agencies to coordinate volunteers. It also helps us to provide the tools needed to complete projects - like loppers, rakes and shovels. We believe that many hands together make light work. A team of volunteers can accomplish so much together. And we're asking you to please give a little and help a lot. Give 5 to keep the hands helping in Northeast Georgia. Donate here!

You can also help us by:

- Sharing our cause on Facebook
- Tweeting and retweeting about the Give 5 campaign on Twitter
- If you're with an agency, share with your staff and volunteer base in your newsletter
- Blog about the Give 5 campaign on your personal blog
- Issue a challenge to your office to Give 5

Thanks! (High Five)

2010-08-18T17:09:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone, my name is Cheryl and I am the new social media intern who’ll be captain of this blog for the upcoming months. If you've been following our Twitter and Facebook accounts you’ve probably seen some of my handy work. I look forward to continuing in the awesome steps of my predecessor Anne Marie with her Coffee and Community sessions. Also, I want to take you along with me on our journey of volunteering and social service within the Athens area community. Hopefully, you'll even join me in a couple of them! I look forward to our talks and service together.

Here’s a little background on myself and how I got into volunteering. I was born in Greensboro, Ga (yes, that Greensboro where Carrie Underwood had her wedding this past July. My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail :)). I attended Georgia Southern University where I earned an undergraduate degree in Information Technology. I am currently working for the University of Georgia in their IT department. Honestly, I got started with volunteering by just doing it. One day during lunch I searched for opportunities to volunteer that sounded interesting and here I am working with HandsOn Northeast Georgia!

I was more than a little nervous, considering my social media experience was from a Facebook account that I had neglected upon graduating from college. However, the excitement of being a part of something new and so positive gave me the courage to plunge right in. Now that I am getting into, learning more and more each day, I remember why I was in love with it to begin with. It's a way of connecting and a way of expressing ourselves. What better thing to express than a love and respect of community.

I do hope that you'll follow me on this journey. Bringing comments, advice, and just plain goofiness is welcomed (even encouraged). Stay posted for my next entry and I look forward to our journey together.

"In the desert of life the wise person travels by caravan, while the fool prefers to travel alone." (taken from www.wisdomcommons.org )

AmeriCorps VISTA!

2010-08-06T13:33:00.004-04:00

I hope you all enjoyed hearing from Anne Marie this summer! I think she did a great job of highlighting some of our partner agencies. As she mentioned, Cheryl, our social media intern, will be trying her hand at blogging very soon.

I wanted to share a little bit with all of you before she started. I spent the majority of this week with the HandsOn Network participating in the AmeriCorps VISTA Supervisor training. That's right - it's time for our AmeriCorps VISTA member, Caitlin, to start with us! She'll be here on Monday, so I'm spending the day preparing for her arrival.

While at training, I got to meet representatives from other HandsOn affiliates and partners around the country. It was excellent for networking and gaining a better understanding of how other affiliats do great work in their own communities! We even got to create a few posters. This one shows what my table thought were good qualities for a volunteer leader: a clear idea/interest/passion, ready to take "own"ership of projects (hence the key!), willing to work (with tools like hammers) alongside other volunteers, and understanding when to lead and when to step back and follow.

The best part of training was knowing that the great work Caitlin is about to embark on is starting on Monday! (The picture on the right is of all the HandsOn Network and Habitat for Humanity VISTAs for 2010-2011 being sworn in.)For those of you that don't know, Caitlin will be working in the four middle schools and two high schools in the Clarke County School District developing a structure and system for students to participate in service-learning. Service-learning has been shown to enhance engagement with and commitment to school, which we hope will contribute to greater graduation rates and the pursuit of higher education. Of course, even as amazing as we know Caitlin will be, this cannot happen without your help! So if you know of interested and motivated middle and high school students in any of the Clarke County School District middle and high schools, send them our way! And if you are one of those interested middle or high school students, then email me right away: info@handsonnortheastgeorgia.org. Also, high schoolers, be on the lookout for the application for the Athens Volunteer Fair, which will be on the UGA campus in September.

As always, don't forget to keep an eye on our facebook and twitter accounts for all news HandsOn!

In service,
Dawn

Good bye yellow brick road

2010-07-30T14:09:00.000-04:00

Well, this concludes my tour of Coffee and Community. Thank you for going along on the ride with me. I hope you all and HandsOn Northeast Georgia continues to do great things! With one closing door, there is always an opening window. Our new social media intern will be taking over the blog and you should be hearing some very interesting things from her very soon.

Thanks again for your time and thanks to all the agencies that participated!

Coffee and Community session 3

2010-07-19T08:57:00.006-04:00

Welcome to our third and last installment of Coffee and Community. I set down with Michelle Rabold at Jittery Joe's to discuss what True Love Canine Rescue is up to.

True Love Canine Rescue (TLCR) started in 2008 with Michelle and her husband taking in dogs that were abandoned or abused. As they started to take in more dogs, it began to get expensive to feed, shelter, and provide medical visits for the dogs. Soon after taking on a lot of dogs, TLCR joined the Nonprofit Development Alliance at Community Connections, where they were sponsored by Community Connections under their 501( c)3. A 501 (c )3 are the legal papers that establish a nonprofit. As TLCR has become more developed and established, the organization became our partner for TeamServe, an opportunity for businesses and groups to serve together.

So, what does TLCR do? Exactly what you think they would do. TLCR takes in dogs that have been in shelters for extensive periods or abandoned dogs. The TLCR organization trains special dogs to increase their adoptability and in the long run, ensure a permanent loving home. How do they do this, you may ask? Through a positive reinforcement training of basic skills like creating better reactions to a leash; then, eventually, walking on a leash will increase the social skills and adoptability of these particular dogs.

What the organization really needs, are sponsors. TLCR foots the bill (including a crate and supplies) for the well-being of the dog, but while that special dog is undergoing training he or she needs the comfort of a warm home. Sponsors have to fill out an application and go through a home check to make sure they are the right fit. Additionally, sponsors can help with behavior problems by reinforcing good behavior taught by the trainers.

It has been a busy summer for TLCR as they are going through the process of filing their own 501 (c) 3 –trust me it is no easy task! The TLCR is also having a garage sale on July 24 and all of the proceeds fund the rescue organizations. Donations for things to be sold are still under way and everything that is left over from the yard sale will be donated to the Potter house. This fall the TLCR is adopting a class at Clarke Middle School. The class will develop teamwork around a spay and neuter program. Additionally, Michelle’s next dream is to develop a therapy dog to take to hospitals. Not to mention the annual Pedal for Paws 5k, a doggone good time (I had to do it). TLCR is taking sponsors for the race and individuals can sponsor particular dogs, contact Michelle at or visit the TLCR website at

Ah, the audience participation portion of the evening– well afternoon. We need your help in developing our blog! What are your thoughts of the Coffee and Community sessions? Are there questions unanswered? Perhaps, an over looked organization? Post your answers and one winner will be chosen at random for a surprise gift!

Again, the food featured in the blog can be found on my website (socialjusticeandfood.blogspot.com) and the coffee featured is still the Honeysuckle Latte (If it is not broke; don’t fix it).

Coffee and Community session 2

2010-07-07T10:47:00.008-04:00

This particular session of coffee and community took place at Butterfly Dreams Farm with Cat Thompson. The farm is the most visually stimulating, prettiest piece of land I have ever seen. The trail leading to the farm itself is decorated with beautiful painted butterflies with names of campers on it. Right away I was moved, I may be a complete sap, but I was very much moved.

Butterfly Dreams farm is a therapeutic ridding and Hippotherapy clinic for children and adolescents with severe physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Hippotherapy is a medical model that assists with teaching children 2 and older how to hold their head up, walking, and other basic life skills, while therapeutic ridding can provide more social skills and basic riding lessons.

I personally feel like this is such a fun agency because, as a volunteer, there are so many opportunities. You can do practically anything from working with kids to caring for the grounds. We did a family serve at Butterfly Dreams by clearing paths and removing branches. However, there is so much more to do than that. For every Hippotherapy session, the farm needs three volunteers to help the therapists: two to help support the child and one to lead the horse. In therapeutic riding, they need volunteers every time children go out in the ring to ride. It really is so varied what you can do as a volunteer. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer the next volunteer training session is September 10th.

The farm currently has seven horses in use for therapy and riding sessions with one more on the way. Butterfly dreams gets most of its horses on loan and a couple were donated. They get tons of offers for horses, which completely surprised me. However, these horses have to be completely gentle and not scared of anything so they only take 1 out of every 20 they get offered. Cat once had a tree fall right next to a riding ring with a child on a horse. The horse did not even blink -pretty amazing right? “It’s not because the farm is picky”, Cat said “It is because these horses have to deal with kids who will scream, stand behind the horse, and do everything a kid is not supposed to do around a horse.” The farm also tries all of these things when a horse is up for a job at Butterfly Dreams. They scream and have a therapist imitate a seizure to see if the horse can handle it around a child who might actually have a seizure. America’s Next Top Model has nothing on this job application!

So, what is new for Butterfly Dreams? A horse show! The Athens Area Hunters and Jumpers Association is another horse nonprofit and are hosting a horse show where all the proceeds provide scholarships for children who don’t have insurance or whose insurance will not cover the farm's treatments. The show will feature some of Butterfly Dreams own riders. Admission is free and there will be a raffle during the show. Some of the organization’s long term goals are to increase the amount of kids they can have at one time and to get a covered arena. “That is something that we would just love to have. So many of our kids are medically fragile and cannot ride in the extreme weather or rain. We lose so many sessions that way”, stated Cat.

The Horse show is July 10th at the Four Seasons Farm at 1350 Plantation Road in Madison, GA at 9 am. If you would like to inquire about receiving services at the farm please call 706-310-1600. Butterfly Dreams farm can also be found on the HandsOn Northeast Georgia website.

The coffee featured in this session was Jittery Joe's Honeysuckle Latte and any food feature on the blog can be found at my personal site: www.socialjusticeandfood.blogspot.com

Coffee and Community - Session 1

2010-06-29T09:31:00.008-04:00

Last Friday, I sat down with Tracie Sanchez, Regina Graham, Courtney Aldrich and Dale Gauthreaux from the Institute of Leadership Advancement (ILA). Over Raisin Bran Muffins, we discussed what the ILA has been up to since last year. The Institute is based out of the Terry College of Business and develops students that have the potential to become future leaders in Athens and around the world. The Institute, and its students, participates in national days of service like Martin Luther King Jr Day, as well as many other forms of service through out the year. In one fall semester, the institute engages 90 to 100 students for service projects through out the area.

Where do Community Connections and HandsOn Northeast Georgia come into play with the institute? Through the use of our website, the ILA can send students to do service projects on those listed agencies. Not only do these students participate in much need service projects, but they come back in their senior year to help nonprofit organizations strengthen their infrastructure and business models. The ILA goals are to provide real world experience through this second, two semester project and have students gain skills in decision making, leadership and self awareness. Some of these projects include a Pen Pals program to help mentor students in local schools, the Cottage’s 5k, and building parameters for our own TeamServe. From the very start, the institute forms a cycle beginning with HandsOn Northeast Georgia posting opportunities to students from ILA fulfilling that need and expanding the agency who then posts new opportunities on the website, all with the objective to provide growth and development through students, programming and organization development.

So where does a program that has been so successful and has build such a name in the community go from here? According to Dale, stay the course of what has worked in the past and try to extend the experience to a wider student base. This year the ILA is expanding to MBA graduate students, which the organization seeks to produce the same driven, socially conscious business leaders that the undergraduate program has produced. The institute hopes to connect students to causes and projects that will keep them engaged as they become alumni. The ILA is also stepping up their media game to reach bigger audiences and raise awareness of their student programs and the Terry Leadership Speaker series. The main goal Dale says in a rough economy is to “do what we do better” without making the institute or its programming suffer due to budget constraints.

Indeed, Dale that seems a worth while goal for a program that provides much appreciated talent and volunteers for our nonprofit community. If you would like to become involved with the Institute of Leadership Advancement either as a mentor or as an agency, please contact Regina Graham, 706.542.8118, or Vikki Clawson, vclawson@uga.edu.

Exciting opportunities

2010-06-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

Hello blogosphere,

There are some exciting things happening at HandsOn Northeast Georgia this week and the months to come. This Saturday, the 19th, is our last family service project for the year. HandsOn with Dad is scheduled at Sandy Creek Nature Center at 9 am. HandsOn with Dad is very similar to an alternative spring break idea, where you give back by spending time with your family and Dad through a service project. We will be gardening and beautifying the nature center. Lunch will be provided. Please go to our HandsOn website to learn more about this opportunity or to register:
https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/hng/volunteer/home/

Additionally, we are revamping our committee for FamilyServe this summer. We have three positions open. These positions focus on planning projects, coordinating resources for those projects and volunteer recruitment and PR. If you are interested in becoming involved or would like to submit suggestions for committee members, please email intern@communityconnection211.org.

Hope to see you all Saturday!

Hi, I will be your hostess for the summer.

2010-06-10T13:15:00.003-04:00

Dawn mentioned her Masters of Social Work intern in her last entry. That would, in fact, be me. I will be your blog hostess. I have lots of adventures planned for us this summer, but more on that later.

My name is Anne Marie Catanzaro-King. I was born and raised by the mighty Mississippi river in Memphis, TN with strong family ties in Mississippi. I attended the University of Memphis and Auburn University, respectively, in my undergraduate career. Currently, I am a graduate student at the University of Georgia, a wife of a soldier, and the mother of a bouncing, red-headed three year-old boy named Conner.

This summer I am working extensively with HandsOn Northeast Georgia, the 211 call center, FamilyServe, and the Nonprofit Development Alliance. At this point, I hope you can tell that I enjoy having a lot on my plate :) . When I volunteered to manage the blog for the summer, I mentioned that I had a food blog of my very own (www.socialjusticeandfood.blogspot.com) and that I really enjoyed the blog experience. When it came time to actually follow through with the new responsibility of the HandsOn blog, I strived to achieve some harmony between the two blogs. I came up with the idea of "Coffee and Community", where over coffee and homemade treats I can sit down with the partner organizations from FamilyServe, SingleServe and TeamServe. These "coffee" sessions will be used to discuss what the organizations are up to now, what is going on in the community they serve and how those partnerships with HandsOn made a difference - with a side of Monkey bread! Sounds delectable, no?

I hope you join me and the HandsOn Northeast Georgia team for our "Coffee and Community" sessions.

See you soon!

There's a new gal in town

2010-05-28T10:16:00.003-04:00

So after ten days on the job, I figured it was about time that I introduced myself. My name is Dawn Aiello and I am the new Program Director with Community Connection of Northeast Georgia, working with the 2-1-1 Helpline and HandsOn Northeast Georgia. More and more I'm realizing this job requires me to be a Jack-of-all-trades (or should I say Jill-of-all-trades) so whatever you need, I'm probably your gal!

I was born in New Jersey, moved to the Ft. Lauderdale area when I was in elementary school, and then worked on my undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida. I decided to stay in Orlando for two years teaching high school math, before I realized that wasn't the right fit. So I headed to Athens for graduate school. I just graduated on May 8th (again! I think my parents are tired of sitting through graduation ceremonies ...) and happily started in this position on the 17th.

So why am I ecstatic to be in this position? Like many of you, I'm sure, I love helping people around me. In the past two years that I've lived in Athens, my volunteerism and involvement in the community has also helped me feel like Athens is my home. Transplanted from New Jersey and raised in Florida, I am not fully accustomed to southern living, but I'm learning. And loving every minute. I can't wait to facilitate bringing those same opportunities to all of you.

All this to say that I am looking forward to seeing your comments on our blog, chatting with you through Twitter or Facebook, or, dare I say it, even meeting you in person! If you're out and about in Athens, you can find me out dancing (swing, contra, ballroom), playing trivia, or eating at Yoguri (I've almost filled my punch card!).

As I take some time to adjust to the new position, one of our MSW interns will share with you some of her thoughts and wisdom. I hope you enjoy.

Happy summertime!

Art Appreciation

2010-04-30T11:09:00.003-04:00

Today, we celebrate the extraordinary leadership that Art Ordoqui-Payton provided to Community Connection and HandsOn Northeast Georgia and bid him a fond farewell as he relocates with his family to San Antonio, TX. With more than 25,000 hours donated lin the last three years, it isn't hard to understand that Art has had an emormous impact on the community. His passion for volunteerism and service has inspired so many to give of their time and energy. And his selfless giving certainly set the example. HandsOn Northeast Georgia currently boasts a database of almost 8,000 volunteers - a veritable reservoir of potential community improvements.

Art joined the social media revolution and employed it as an outreach tool - to educate people about the programs offered; to recruit volunteers; to share ideas; to connect with the community. As a parting gift, please join Community Connection and HandsOn Northeast Georgia in making today, April 30, 2010, Art Appreciation Day. Post on our Facebook page what you appreciate about Art. Tweet your thanks using the hashtag #ArtAppreciation. Or blog what made Art special to you. Let's use the medium Art so loves to show him how much we love him.

Thank you, Art!

Got 5 minutes?

2010-03-31T08:30:00.006-04:00

Every day we are asked for our most valuable commodity, time! Whether it's your boss, spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, your body asking for a break, or HandsOn Northeast Georgia asking you to volunteer, we are all asking for some of your time.

As a volunteer center, the biggest challenge we have is overcoming the response, "well I just don't have time to volunteer or to make a regular commitment." While we are always working with our agency partners to develop one-time, beneficial projects to forward their mission, there are still those that feel they just don't have the time to give. Well thanks to the folks at The Extraordinaries, there are now more opportunities to change the world that just take a few minutes.

The Extraordinaries are helping to move forward the notion of micro-volunteering. By harnessing technology, they are providing opportunities for volunteers to help out in 5 minute- 30 minute increments, whatever time you've got whenever you've got it (they even an app for that).

Today I received a new weekly newsletter that contains current projects (join e-mail list here). The project involved Twitter and harnessing ideas regarding social media, two of my favorite things. So I thought I'd walk the walk and helped out. The following is what resulted.

The Project: Scan through over 1,300 tweets about crowdsourcing at SXSW panel and vote to see which ones had good information to help them rise above the general "wow the workshop is really filling up fast" and "@___________ that was a good point" tweets to find the tweets that had good points or good tips. The end result, hopefully when this project is completed then a Top 10 tips and resources for how nonprofits can use crowdsourcing.

What I accomplished: In 15 minutes of volunteering. I scanned through 15 pages of tweets and voted on 12 tweets as containing what I thought was helpful information.

So there you have it all it took was 15 minutes and I helped move the mark a little bit further. And this was just one of the 250+ projects available. A quick glance of their website shows that KaBoom needs help mapping playscapes in communities and the Smithonian needs photos tagged to help create a searchable photo archive.

So do you have 5,10, or 15 minutes that you can help out? Remember helping some is better than none!

What to help locally? BikeAthens has a way for cyclists to help through their "share your commute" efforts. (Btw, this is also a good example of crowdsourcing which I learned about through my extraordinaires project).

HandsOn NEGA partners- are there any projects that you could use a team of micro-volunteers to help tackle bit by bit? Let us know!

The Urgency of Now

2010-03-29T13:00:00.007-04:00

I recently read a blog by Jessica Kirkwood at HandsOnBlog.org titled "Right Now Volunteerism." The blog posted detailed a situation when Jessica was approached to give a volunteer a ride to the local food bank because they had received a text message saying they were short on volunteers.

I responded to the blog with this:

"I think the challenge is getting the need out to the people. Just having an
open on-going call to volunteer at the food bank is great, but people get the
sense that someone else will do it.

As technology allows for more real-time needs/alerts to be sent out people
respond quicker. a few years ago the local homeless shelter was on the verge of
closing because funds weren't coming in. They put the word out on the paper and
within a few weeks collected enough donations to keep the doors open (and they
still are). Now why did those donors not come forward before and help prevent
the need in the first place- because there wasn't that sense of urgency or
feeling that a donation would really make a difference.

I'm glad this person responded to the call for the food bank, but the
bigger question might be- why wasn't he already planning on going to help or why
didn't he know about the need for volunteers in advance? "

What are your thoughts as to how nonprofits need to communicate their needs, whether for volunteers or donations? How in this day and age of constant communication can nonprofits better market their needs so that we're not having to send out "panic" calls for last minute volunteers.

reBlog from google.com: HandsOn Blog

2010-03-27T14:05:00.001-04:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

“Volunteer,” “volunteerism,” and “volunteer service” are terms that are not easily understood by all groups of society.google.com, HandsOn Blog, Mar 2010

You should read the whole article.

Is volunteering on the rise?

2010-03-22T16:47:00.002-04:00

Has there been a boom in volunteering over the past 18 months? According to USAToday and Parade magazine, there has and they have named it the "compassion boom."

USAToday reports that HandsOn's national project "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day." has reached its goal of 1 million volunteers in three months. USAToday reported some of the other projects completed across America:

What types of projects have been completed so far? Here's a short list to give you an idea:

Boston: Volunteers served meals to people in need, knitted and crocheted scarves and mittens for children afflicted with life-threatening illnesses and helped as caregivers at an animal adoption center.
California: San Francisco Bay-area volunteers helped with basic English lessons, painted park benches and planted flowers.
Jacksonville, Fla.: Volunteers painted murals and spruced up rooms at a home for women and children, while in Pittsburgh they tookIn Athens, MLK Day and other projects were a part of the program. on construction tasks – tiling, sanding, staining and painting – to help create affordable housing.
Puerto Rico: 500 volunteers cleaned the beaches of Vaciatalega and La Perla located in the vicinity of Old San Juan.

Why are people volunteering more? Parade reported 60 percent of volunteers polled wanted to help other people, 57 percent wanted to make the world a better place, and 49 percent want to improve their local communities and neighborhoods. About 91 percent of poll participants have volunteered in the past 18 months and 87 percent have given financially. How have you given in the past 18 months? Are you still looking for the perfect volunteer opportunity? Check out our Web site to find the opportunity you are looking for. If you are a business owner, be sure to check out our Be the Change campaign to find out how you can give back to the community in a big way!

We are always looking for new projects. What has been your favorite project so far this year (or ever)? What projects would you like to see more of?

Be the Change

2010-03-15T17:13:00.007-04:00

National Volunteer Week is Apr. 17-24, 2010, and HandsOn is launching the "Be the Change" campaign for that week.

What is "Be the Change?" To participate, your business would agree to ask your customers to add $1 or $5 to their purchase to be donated to HandsOn Northeast Georgia during National Volunteer Week, Apr. 17-24. Donor cards recognizing their donation would then be posted in your business, at no direct cost to you. In return, you will be given a poster recognizing your participation, and your name would be included in a minimum of 3 ads in the Athens Banner-Herald leading up to and during the week of the Be the Change campaign. If you agree to match donations made in your business (at least $100), your business name will be bolded in any listing and recognized as a matching participant. If you agree to match to a higher amount, then you will receive the benefits of the corresponding level of sponsorship (listed below):

$100– Name listed on “Be the Change” page of Hands On website
$250– Name listed on “Be the Change” page of Hands On website, poster, and any print advertisements
$500– Logo placed on “Be the Change” page of Hands On website and poster; small logo included in print advertisements
$1,000– Logo placed on Hands On homepage promoting the “Be the Change” campaign; logo on page of Hands On website and poster; logo placed on “Be the Change” donor cards; logo included in print advertisements

We need your help to "Be the Change!" Are you a local business or do you know a local business that would be interested in participating in this project? Let us know below!

New website

2010-03-15T17:13:00.003-04:00

In case you missed it, we launched our new site a few weeks ago. What do you think?

http://volunteer.united-e-way.org/hng/volunteer/

Also, for those of you who attended the Social Media training program on March 1, how are your blogs, facebook pages and twitter pages doing?

Who volunteers?

2010-02-15T17:12:00.001-05:00

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us how people from different age groups volunteered in 2009. In this cool infograph designed by GOOD Magazine, we can see what projects draw the most volunteers and which age group volunteers the most. The 45-54 age group seems to volunteer the most (overall), and religious and education projects seem to draw the most volunteers. Does this surprise anybody?

Let us know what you think!

Social MEdia Workshop a success

2010-02-08T14:27:00.003-05:00

HandsOn Conducted a workshop today and it was a great success for teaching nonprofits about utilizing social media. :-)

Funbruary

2010-02-01T17:23:00.004-05:00

Winter blues got you down? Don't worry; we have plenty of great February projects coming up! These still need volunteers:
-Groundhog Day at the Zoo!--Volunteers are needed to assist with live feedings, crafts and games. (Note: must have completed Natural Resources training) Sign up here.
-Bicycle Recycling Program--Volunteers are needed to help repair bicycles. Only one spot left! Sign up here.
-Habitat Weekday Builds--Habitat for Humanity is hosting weekday builds every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this month. Check them out.
-Brooklyn Cemetery Clean-up--Volunteers are needed for both clean-up and beautification of the cemetery. Sign up here.
-ESP Club--Volunteers are needed to help with the ESP Club. Check it out.
-Habitat Restoration and Invasive Species Control--Habitat needs volunteers to help remove invasive plants from Memorial Park or the Greenway every Saturday this month. Check them out.
-Clarke County Mentor Training--Want to work with children? Come to get trained as a mentor! Sign up here.
-Invasive Crafts!--Come use the weeds pulled from the Greenway to make beautiful crafts. Sign up here.
-Tikes, Trikes, and Strollers--Volunteers are needed to help preschoolers with crafts and navigating an obstacle course. (Note: must have completed Natural Resources training) Sign up here.
-Greenway Geocaching Adventure!--Volunteers are needed to help find cached minerals. Sign up here.
-Taste of Athens--Volunteers are needed for supportive roles at Community Connection's annual fundraiser. Sign up here.
-Extra Special People's Big Hearts Pageant--Volunteers are needed to help contestants get ready and sell items during the pageant. All volunteers must help with clean-up. Sign up here.

P.S. Be sure to check out the Taste of Athens blend from Jittery Joes.

MLK Day Wrap-up

2010-01-25T17:26:00.005-05:00

First of all, we want to thank the over 1200 volunteers who participated at 30 different worksites for the MLK Day of Service 2010. Thank you to all those who came out to help!
Now, we want to hear from you. If you have a great story about this MLK Day or any MLK Day in the past, we want to hear it! Leave us a comment below, send us a message on Facebook, or drop us an email. Let us know about your experience volunteering. Check out these testimonials and pictures from two of our agency partners: BikeAthens and Habitat for Humanity. Also be sure to check our Picasa and our youtube pages for pictures and videos of the event. Again, thank you to all those who volunteered! Let us know about your MLK Day experience.

Upcoming events

2010-01-11T17:11:00.004-05:00

First, MLK Day 2010 is next Monday, Jan. 18. This year, over 800 people are expected to volunteer! If you have not signed up for a project, follow this link to register. Volunteers will work at sites from 9-noon, then from noon-3 there will be food, live music and other activities to help celebrate the day of service.

MLK Day will also provide volunteers with the opportunity to participate in Disney's Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. program. Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. gives volunteers a FREE one-day pass to one of Disney's theme parks. Volunteers MUST register for their projects at DisneyParks.com in order to register for a ticket. For a list of approved projects, click here.

HandsOn is also encouraging everyone to pledge to volunteer in 2010. If you fill out the pledge form before Jan. 31, you will be entered to win two tickets to Taste of Athens and a free 12 oz. hand-made beverage from Jittery Joe's. Be sure to get your pledges in!

Remember: check out our calendar for ongoing projects and even more volunteer opportunities.

New Year's Resolution

2009-12-28T17:42:00.023-05:00

The new year is just around the corner, and for many people it's time for resolutions. While you're busy vowing to exercise more and eat less, you should also consider pledging a donation to HandsOn and help us Give Help to the Athens/Oconee community!

How much does a donation help? A simple $5 a month helps recruit 50 new volunteers. $10 can help fund a project for 20 volunteers. $25 provides tools for 50 volunteers. $40 helps fund a day of service project for 100 volunteers.

Not able to afford any monetary donations? Consider donating a day a month to a volunteer project. HandsOn initiatives SingleServe and FamilyServe provide opportunities for regular service projects. Also be sure to regularly check out our calendar for even more opportunites!
Please let us know about your New Year's Resolutions by leaving us a comment!

Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.

2009-12-22T17:42:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the New Year, Disney and HandsOn are partnering to give volunteers one day free admission to any themepark at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland. Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, go to www.disneyparks.com to search for participating opportunities. Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. program was developed to help gain more volunteers by celebrating good deeds with a trip to Disney. Tickets through the program are limited, so the earlier you volunteer the better your chances to win a ticket. Children over the age of 6 are also welcome to participate. Make your volunteer project a family affair and win the whole family a day at Disney! For more information on the program, visit http://www.handsonnetwork.org/disney.

Help feed the hungry

2009-12-14T17:42:00.048-05:00

Christmas is a time filled with parties and food (or if you're like the Grinch, feasts). Still, many people will be unable to participate in these activities because they are homeless or financially strapped this holiday season. There are many volunteer opportunities to help donate either food or time to help feed some hungry people.
Here's a list of agencies looking for volunteers:
-The Red Cross needs volunteers to help sort and stuff disaster relief kits (Dec. 15, Dec. 16)
-The Salvation Army is looking for volunteer bell ringers to help raise funds for the homeless
-Pour, Inc. needs volunteers to help with its 1st Annual Food Pantry (Dec. 16)
-A Bigger Vision of Athens is looking for volunteers to prepare and serve meals at the winter shelter (weeks of Christmas and New Years)
-Athens Urban Ministries will provide a Christmas Eve meal, call (706) 353-6647 (Dec. 24)
-Action, Inc. will provide food assistence for those in need, Monday-Friday (call (706) 549-9827)

Agencies collecting donations:
-Peace Place, Inc. (canned food)
-Alps Road Elementary (through Dec. 14)
-Athens Area Emergency Food Bank
-Food Bank of Northeast Georgia

Other food-related volunteer opportunities:
- Natural Resources needs people to be servers, photographers and organize crafts at its Breakfast with Santa (Dec. 19)

For more about these and other volunteer opportunities check out the calendar at http://www.handsonnortheastgeorgia.org/ or this week's Blueprint in the Athens Banner-Herald http://onlineathens.com/stories/120709/blu_532783358.shtml.

Are you ready for a challenge?

2009-12-07T17:36:00.050-05:00

HandsOn is kicking off its annual campaign fund with a challenge. If 10 new donors donate at least $10 by Dec. 10, our program director Art will match it with $100 donation!

In 2009, HandsOn helped provide over 8500 hours of volunteer service, including the largest MLK Day of Service. HandsOn used volunteer donations build a volunteer center that has helped serve the needs for over 80 community agencies.

How much does a donation help? $5 a month helps recruit 50 new volunteers. $10 helps fund a project for 20 volunteers. $25 provides enough tools for 50 volunteers. $40 helps fund a day of service project for 100 volunteers.

To make a donation, please use the following links:
Make a donation through Paypal
Make a donation through Causes

Please help us GIVE HELP to the Athens/Oconee community!

Give a toy to a child this holiday season

2009-12-01T17:30:00.010-05:00

As the holiday season approaches, holiday wish lists begin appearing on refrigerators. Yet, many parents will be unable to provide toys for their children this holiday season. Want to be a Santa to many deserving kids? Here's a list of organizations collecting toys this holiday season:
-Barrow County Holiday Connection.
-Peace Place Inc. (stocking stuffers)
-Alps Road Elementary (through Dec. 14)
-Be a Santa to a Senior Program. Drop stations at Home Instead, Athens Community Council on Aging, Hodgson's Pharmacy, Walmart (Oconee) and Georgia Square Mall.
-Bigger Vision of Athens (stocking stuffers). Drop station at 415 N. Lumpkin St.
-BikeAthens (bicycles). Drop station at Bike Athens Bike Recycling Shop in the Chase Street Warehouses on Tracy Street.
-Sparrow's Nest Mission Church
-Elbert County Head Start (through Dec. 17)
-Jackson County Family Connection. Drop station at Jackson Creative, 106 Industrial Parkway in Commerce.

Want to help with the distribution of toys? Here are agencies looking for help:
-BikeAthens is looking for people to help refurbish bicycles that will be distributed to various children's agencies and schools. No mechanical experience necessary! (Dec. 2, Dec. 6-7, Dec. 9, Dec. 13)
-Sparrow's Nest needs help distributing toys to homeless families. (Dec. 3-5)
-Jackson County Holiday Store invites volunteers to come help set up and distribute toys to families. (Dec. 8-10)
-Athens Council on Aging is looking for gift wrappers to help wrap gifts for seniors. (Dec. 10)
-Barrow County Holiday Store is looking for volunteers to assist families shopping for toys. (Dec. 15-17)
-The Salvation Army wants volunteers to help distribute toys and food to families at their toy distribution. (Dec. 17)

For more about these and other volunteer opportunities check out the calendar at http://www.handsonnortheastgeorgia.org/ or this week's Blueprint in the Athens Banner-Herald http://onlineathens.com/stories/113009/liv_530254416.shtml.

Sweaters for Seniors

2009-10-21T09:30:00.002-04:00

This is a warm initiative that the Athens Community Council on Aging is working on and we wanted to share it with you:

"Sweaters For Seniors” Makes New Friends In Athens
September 21st, 2009

Last Friday, the “S4S” team had the chance to meet with Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA). The meeting, which came about through the magic of social media, was to discuss our newly formed partnership with them in our “sweaters” project.

It was through a friend of S4S’s Linkedin account, (Joan Curtis) that Michelle Brinson, Program Director, Senior Community Employment Service Program found us. She took the proverbial ”ball” of yarn and ran with it. And next thing you know, Sweaters For Seniors, up until now an Atlanta/Gwinnett program, will be benefitting seniors in Athens, too.

While we spent a few hours in Athens on Friday having lunch with Michelle, meeting with ACCA directors and touring their senior center and day care facility housed in an historic railroad depot–it’s impossible to fully comprehend all that ACCA is doing for seniors in Athens. Although, feel free to check out their website. I also hear they have an amazing newsletter!

With that said, today I simply want to acknowledge the committed individuals we met who make up a comprehensive team dedicated to the well being of seniors in Athens. They are:
Eve R. Anthony, Co-Deputy Executive Director; Sarah McKinney, Program Director, Home Delivered Meals; Paige Tidwell, Program Director, Kinship/Project Healthy Grandparents; and last but not least, Michelle Brinson, Program Director, Senior Community Employment Service Program

Keep up the tremendous work, ladies. And we look forward to working with you on “Sweaters For Seniors.”

iParticipate week

2009-10-19T14:50:00.001-04:00

As you sit down to enjoy your favorite television show tonight, you may notice something a little different in the plot: volunteering. This week over 90 shows on all major networks will feature volunteering, as part of a week-long initiative called iParticipate week. iParticipate was started by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to using the influence and power of the entertainment industry to positively impact the community. iParticipate week is the first multi-network, week-long television event in history. The goal of iParticipate is to celebrate volunteering in local communities while also inspiring people to get out and actively volunteer in the community. Here is a complete listing of television shows promoting iParticipate:
ABC

America's Funniest Home Videos
Brothers and Sisters
Castle
Cougar Town
Dancing With the Stars
Desperate Housewives
Eastwick
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Grey's Anatomy
Hank
Modern Family
Private Practice
Scrubs
The Forgotten
Ugly Betty
All My Children
General Hospital
One Life to Live
The View
Jimmy Kimmel Live!

NBC

30 Rock
Access Hollywood
Community
Heroes
Parks and Recreation
The Biggest Loser
The Jay Leno Show
The Office
Today

CBS

Accidentally on Purpose
Cold Case
Criminal Minds
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Gary Unmarried
Ghost Whisperer
How I Met Your Mother
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Numb3rs
Rules of Engagement
The Big Bang Theory
The Mentalist
Two and a Half Men
Late Show With David Letterman

FOX

America’s Most Wanted
Bones
Brothers
COPS
Lie to Me
Major League Baseball
So You Think You Can Dance?
’Til Death
The Wanda Sykes Show (Future segment)

The CW

I Pledge

Nickelodeon

TeenNick HALO Awards

WeTV

The Locator
My Fair Wedding

Lifetime

Army Wives (Future story line)
Project Runway
Rita Rocks
Sherri

BET

The Mo’Nique Show

Disney Channel

Wizards of Waverly Place
Sonny With a Chance
Hannah Montana
The Suite Life on Deck

CNN

American Morning
Showbiz Tonight: HLN

Syndicated shows

The Dr. Oz Show
Dr. Phil
Entertainment Tonight / The Insider
Extra: The Entertainment Magazine
Jerry Springer
Judge Jeanine Pirro
Judge Mathis
Maury

Source: Entertainment Industry Foundation

Be sure to tune in this week!
For more information about iParticipate, please visit the website: http://www.iparticipate.org/.

For volunteer opportunities in the Athens area, be sure to check out HandsOn's calendar: http://www.handsonnortheastgeorgia.org/.

Shannon's Year of Service

2009-09-28T09:55:00.005-04:00

Well, here it is. This will be my last blog as an AmeriCorps member at Community Connection/HandsOn Northeast Georgia!! During my time, I have made quite a few friends and have really learned about volunteering, various service agencies in Athens-Clarke/Oconee/Barrow Counties, and how these agencies work to service needy people in them. The people that work for all the agencies, I have worked with or come in contact with, are dedicated and work tirelessly to ensure that all their clients have the very best service possible and that their needs are met, to the best of each agencies ability!! Many of the agencies can't do the work of their agency without the help of volunteers. The volunteers I have had the pleasure to work with are also dedicated and feel (and truly are) making a huge difference in the community. There are still many opportunities to volunteer and make a difference! The HandsOn website contains volunteer opportunities across all of the "needs" areas. Those opportunities also occur at various times and days that will fit into any schedule. Additionally, there are volunteer opportunities for singles, families, and groups. It doesn't matter who you are, you can find an opportunity. It just a matter of deciding on which one is right for you!! So, take a few minutes and browse the website. I know you'll be glad you did!! I have enjoyed working at HandsOn Northeast Georgia and will continue to volunteer for various projects in the future. I hope to see you there!!

Is there a volunteer opportunity for me?

2009-08-31T16:04:00.005-04:00

Earlier this year, President Obama challenged America to get out and volunteer. According to volunteeringinamerica.gov, in 2008, 26.4% of Americans actually spent time volunteering, a 0.2% increase from the previous year.

As more and more people begin to volunteer, more and more volunteer opportunities arise. Volunteer opportunities are not limited to building houses or sorting through food at food pantries (although these are wonderful opportunities to be involved with). Maybe your talent isn't with swinging a hammer or organizing boxes of cans. So, where can you get involved?

Opportunities to volunteer are as numerous as people's individual talents and skills. Good working with children? Try mentoring. Like being outside? Become a trail guide or volunteer with landscaping projects. Skilled with computers or other technology? Offer to do web design or help out with social media at an agency.

No matter what your skill set, there is always an opportunity to volunteer. What are some areas other areas to volunteer? What are some areas you would like to see more opportunities with?

Oconee Animal Shelter Gardening & Landscaping

2009-07-20T14:18:00.004-04:00

Saturday the 18th of July was an excellent day for a project at the Oconee County Animal Shelter! The weather was fantastic! The temperature was in the 70's, at the start, and rose to the high 80's but with low humidity it was perfect for working outdoors. The work group consisted of ten young adults from the Mormon Church, Geri, the project Coordinator, and me. Geri and I arrived early and organized the equipment and sign-up table. The group arrived early and was ready to work, so Geri signed everyone in, gave a safety and work briefing, and showed the group the different places where they would be working. There were three areas to be weeded and mulch to put down in one of the areas. The group worked hard and even found some innovative ways to get the work done (picture)!! There was an amazing transformation from a group of weed infested areas to beautifully cleaned up areas awaiting future plantings (link to pictures). The next work day will be the 15th of August. Follow this link to the HandsOn Website to sign up for the next one!

SingleServe at the Morton Theater

2009-07-16T14:12:00.010-04:00

SingleServe provides an opportunity for singles to connect while volunteering together in the Classic City.
Why get involved with SingleServe? Committee Chair Ashley Harp says:

"Two years ago, I found myself in a new, old city. The Athens area is where I grew up, but ten years of college, grad school, and life in another state had made a new city out of the Classic City. How to get involved, become more a part of the community and meet people like me - other singletons in their 20s and 30s - was a challenge.

"Enter SingleServe. It's a group of singles who volunteer about once a month on a project through Hands On Northeast Georgia. Hands On connects us to the organizations that have volunteer needs, and we supply the 'hands on' the ground to get things done.

"This year, SingleServe has cleaned up a playground, set up a major exhibit at the Classic Center and staffed AthFest. Later this month, we'll be at the Morton Theatre ushering for a performance of Bye, Bye Birdie. And more projects are under development now.

"SingleServe is a way to meet people, to make friends, and best of all, to give back to the community. If you're looking for a volunteer opportunity for parties of one, come join us!"

SingleServe's latest project is ushering for Bye, Bye Birdie, a production of Athens Creative Theatre, at the Morton Theatre July 23.
Enter to win a pair of free tickets to the event one of two ways:
1. Using Twitter: Beginning at 9 am July 17, tweet "@HandsOnNEGA is the best way to get involved in the Classic City http://bit.ly/wbz2E #followfriday".
2. Using Facebook: Become a fan of the HandsOnNEGA page, and like our status when it
says "SingleServe volunteering at the Morton Theatre."
The contest closes at 8 pm July 17. Winners will be announced shortly after closing.

For more information about SingleServe, Athens Creative Theatre or the Morton Theatre, please check out the following websites:
SingleServe
ACT
Morton Theatre

2009-06-22T12:34:00.011-04:00

HandsOn With Dad turned out to be a great event. There were 40 volunteers from numerous families taking part to spend some time with their Dad's while cleaning up Sandy Creek Park. The temperature was hot, in the nineties, and very few clouds. It was going to be a day requiring sunshade, hats, and lots of water!! Three projects were created for this effort. One was a clean up of the lake area. The volunteers got in canoes and paddled around the lake, picking up trash found on the shoreline and in the water. Many bags of trash were collected, making the area much more pristine and clean. Another project was working on Swimming Deer Creek Trail. The volunteers were transported by pontoon boat to the midpoint of the trail and walked a mile and a half to the trail starting point. They picked up trash along the trail and cut branches and invasives from protruding into the trail. They also enjoyed the fact that it was a shaded area abd therefore much cooler than the other projects!! The last project was in one of the dog park areas. Volunteers cleared invasives and other overgrowth from along the fence line and away from a picnic area located inside this dog park. A great deal of this growth was cleared away, except for those areas that had poison ivy!!! Those areas were reported to the staff for later removal by them. Overall, a lot of work was accomplished during the project time. At the end of the work day, the volunteers assembled in the "air conditioned" visitor center for lunch. It consisted of an excellent array of four kinds of sandwiches, salad, feta cheese, pita chips, various kinds of crackers, and dip which were provided by Mama's Boy and Marti's At Midday. All the volunteers dug in to the lunch with gusto and shared stories about their day. Everyone present said they really enjoyed working at the park. It was a most delicious and cool end to a great day of service for Dads and their families at Sandy Creek Park!!

2009-05-11T12:44:00.007-04:00

Action Inc.'s Senior Grocery Grocery Bag program's last distribution, April 22nd, was incredible! Volunteers from the Oconee County Resource Council (OARC), HandsOn Northeast Georgia AmeriCorps, and Action Inc. were on hand to offload food supplies, sort these supplies into the grocery bags, and distribute them to the 36 Seniors currently on the program's active list. All of the Seniors were appreciative and one even prepared sausage biscuits, ham, and fruit to the volunteers! It was a special time for all the volunteers to see how the Seniors reacted and showed their appreciation. There are still some Seniors on a waiting list and, with the help of the OARC, the program should be able to expand to help them too. Next month, a group of Boy Scouts are planning to 'fix-up' a storage room, at the distribution site, and build storage shelves for that room, enabling food and other donations to be stored there. This will help expand the program and may lead to further programs, within Oconee County, for Action Inc. and the OARC. This distribution takes place the third Wednesday of each month, at the Bishop Community Center, with the packaging work done the Tuesday afternoon before. Seniors wanting to be included must contact Action Inc. @ (706) 769-3981 or (706) 546-8293 Ext.#17. You can also check out their new and improved website www.actionincorporated.org for information. Volunteers, check out the HandsOn website for details. It's a great opportunity for you to join-in, help, and see first hand the results of being a volunteer!

2009-05-04T09:17:00.003-04:00

My Global Youth Service Day experience was a memorable and exciting one. For my part in this service day I was the volunteer coordinator at Southeast Clarke Park along with the FRIENDS of Southeast Clarke Park. It’s a very beautiful and family friendly park. There were about six enthusiastic youth with me at this site. We helped pull weeds and spread mulch around the park area. Everyone had a great time mingling with each other and getting a great workout while working under the sun. At the end of our activity, each volunteer had an opportunity to state how they felt about the day’s activity. One senior student from Clarke Central High School stated that the students at the high school were not able to get many opportunities to do such activities. She believed that it would be a great idea to get more clubs and student organizations involved in the community, even if its just students taking pride in their schools through activities similar to the one in Southeast Clarke Park. So, look for a change in direction for Global Youth Service Day 2010. There may be more of an effort to get the schools and school district involved in student volunteerism!

Athens Youth Give Back

2009-05-01T14:03:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, April 25th, 2009 Athens Youth gave back to the community in a big way. With the help of Athens-Clarke County Stormwater, Athens Area Community Council on Aging, Sparrow's Nest, and UGA Greek Ambassador Program over 30 youth were engaged in environmental projects aimed to increase community awareness of pollution run-off into streams and how to build rain barrels for community use at homes, businessess, and schools. The projects were a great success and the youth were engaged and eager to help out. Most importantly, they learned the benefits of using rain barrels to save water and how pollution can run-off into our streams through the stormdrains in the community. Overall, it was a great day! They worked hard from 9:30AM-12:30PM and every minute was valuable and beneficial time. Our hope is that next year we will see our numbers grow so that the youth of Athens-Clarke County can make a bigger impact for years to come.

Global Youth Service Day

2009-04-15T16:00:00.007-04:00

HandsOn Northeast Georgia is excited to be organizing local projects as part of Global Youth Service Day. This is the first time that we have had local projects associated with this global event and we have five great projects planned.

- Rain Barrels making

- Storm Drain decal project

- Clean-up at a local school

- Helping at a community garden

- Beautifying a local park

Thank you to Athens-Clarke County Stormwater and Georgia 4-H for their support of these projects.

To sign-up click here!

Youth under age 15 must have parent or adult supervision. All volunteers under age 18 must have a youth waiver signed.

2009-03-31T16:22:00.010-04:00

With the help of the ORAC, I've been asked to become a project chair for the Area Committee to Improve Opportunities Now's (ACTION, Inc.) Senior Grocery Bag Program (SGBP). It a much needed program where senior citizens in the Oconee County area recieve grocery and personal items once a month. At the present time there are 24 seniors that receive this assistance with an additional 12 to receive it in April. It's a great program and there is a lot of room for expantion. We hope to get area buisness, churches, and organizations to sponsor the program each month. They can help with buying items for the Senior's bags, packing the grocery bags the day/night before, and handing them out, the next day. Currently, all the Seniors or their designated representatives come to pick-up the grocery bags at the Bishop Community Center. There is hope that the program can be expanded, in the future, to include delivery, too! Seniors can also be sponsored by individuals. Sponsorships for one Senior is $15.00 a month or $180.00 a year. A one-time contribution to ACTION, Inc., donations to Family Connection, as well as to the Food Bank ear-marked for the SGBP are also options. You can even purchase a gift card or a credit from a local grocery store for the program. Items can be dropped of at the ORAC office in Watkinsville as well as the ACTION, Inc's offices in Athens or Bishop. Any and all contributions will be welcomed!! There is also room for volunteers to come and assist with this and other programs. For more information, contact ACTION, Inc. at 706.769.3891 or 706.546.8293 ext. #17 or the OARC at 706.769.4974. You can also look on ORAC's website: www.oconeeconnection.org/ and click on Community Action Team (CAT) for information about this and other programs. Make the commitment, bring a smile to the Seniors of Oconee County today!!

A Taste of Athens

2009-02-24T12:37:00.005-05:00

This year's 'Taste' was an incredible experience, for me. I had been staring at pictures, loaded into my screen-saver, from last year's event. I couldn't wait to go through the experience. I was not disappointed!! The foods, the smells, the visual presentations, and, most of all, the tastes!!! It was a dream come true. I wandered, very happily, among the 1,300 or so people (volunteers, vendors, donating customers, guests, media, etc.) watching and savoring the whole awesome spectacle. There was no cooking competition, this year, but the cake competition was fantastic. There were some truly, remarkable entries. I would not wanted to have been the judges. The items donated for the silent auction were fantastic too. There was a constant serpentine movement around the tables where the items were placed and bidding continued till the clock stopped it. Even as the event ended, one vendor, drawing cartoon caricatures, still had a line of people waiting to get their pictures made. Everyone I talked to stated how well the event went and how much they enjoyed it. I certainly was not disappointed and look forward to next year's event with anticipation!!

Seeing IS Believing

2009-02-24T10:58:00.007-05:00

I took the Seeing is Believing Bus Tour on Tuesday Feb. 17th which was sponsored by the Junior League of Athens. I have to say that I did learn a lot about the Clarke County School District. There are many programs offered for students, as well as access to a very well qualified staff. As with all school systems, test scores, great stories and high achieving students as well as talented students were stressed throughout the morning. Sometimes it would be nice to know the challenges that schools deal with as well as the many successes. As long as we continue to sing the praises of those who excel, we will continue to give up on those who don’t. Education should not be a competition for trophies or acceptance letters; but that’s for another blog. After we loaded the bus to attend our designated school site, we were shown about the school by the principal. I had the pleasure of visiting Classic City High School. The instructional design of the school is very impressive. It’s nice to see people take an interest in their education. I have always been a firm believer in offering different educational routes for students. Though I couldn’t help but notice that the overwhelming majority of the students were black or Hispanic. Being a political scientist, I know that even though these students have the means to become productive members of society, they may never gain the political or economic success as their well educated classmates…but that’s for another blog as well. Overall, I was impressed with my experience at Classic City High School. Yet, my experience may have been different had I gone to another school. I guess seeing is believing. However what you believe depends on what you see.

Are you Involved or Committed?

2009-02-21T15:57:00.010-05:00

This week we participated in the Junior League of Athens, Seeing is Believing Bus Tour of the local schools. The event over all was great and insightful. The tour and speakers were able to highlight many of the great enrichment activities and programs that the schools offer and some share some of the successes that the numbers don't always show.

During the morning, one of the speakers discusses the importance of not just being involved in our schools and with our youth but the need to make a real commitment- to invest of yourself. He highlighted his talk with an analogy about involvement versus commitment by discussing breakfast. The speaker said to think about the eggs, toast, and bacon or ham that people eat for breakfast. You see the chicken, they were involved in providing the eggs your eating, but the pig he really committed himself to the cause.

Many time we as volunteer participate in activities in the community and our schools. We attend days of service like MLK Day, Hands On Athens, and Rivers Alive. We attend fundraisiers and support canned food drives and buy Girl Scout cookies. And while these are all GREAT and important activities that result in a lot of good for our community- there is still a large need for committed volunteers to take on the leadership roles and undertake the organizing of the projects. Schools and nonprofits need volunteers to make that on-going commitment to help plan an event or to lend your skills and expertice to a larger, on-going project.

So as we move forward in banding together through these tough times- we ask all our volunteers to ask yourself are you involved or are you committed? If you want to make that commitment or have an idea, but just don't know where to start- give HandsOn a call. We have leadership opportunities and can provide you with the training and tools you'll need to tackle any cause. And to those of you that have already made the commitment by serving on a PTO or board, by serving as a project leader or a regular volunteer for a project. We thank you for making that commitment.

Youth and Community Service

2009-02-12T14:23:00.002-05:00

The creation of a community service program in the Clarke County school system is an important step in teaching young children and teenagers about the purpose of community involvement. It seems only necessary that we all understand that we need to give of ourselves as much as we take. The committee in charge of creating the Clarke County community service program is full of members who are dedicated to teaching youth about the joys of giving back to the community. Though we’ve stumbled on many issues as to the logistics of how the program will work, we know that a clear path is not far. I’ve been diligently researching other schools systems to see how their community service programs work. What I have found are very creative and engaging programs yet each of these schools lacks what Clarke County doesn’t; a high number of underprivileged youths. Are we only supposed to engage those students who have the means to get to project sites after school and on Saturday? The answer across the board is no. There has to be a way to connect all students to the purpose and need for community service.

The Red Cross

2009-02-10T15:53:00.007-05:00

I've been doing some work with the Emergency Services section of the East Georgia Chapter of the Red Cross. What I've learned has opened my eyes some. We all know that the Red Cross will assist during natural disasters but they do much more than hand out coffee. They provide shelters to the disaster victims as well as food and water. The Red Cross works with community partners and refers out clients to those partner agencies, based on needs, for things such as small business loans, house rebuilding loans, and personal loans. They don't give the loans, the partner agencies do that. They are NOT a government agency and are funded by donations from the individuals and business in the communities they serve. They also respond to house fires, when notified, and provide assistance, on a case by case basis, with housing, medicines, and some cash. For our Service members, the Red Cross is chartered by Congress to verify emergency leave requests and pass them to each of the service branches so they can pass the requests to the service member’s command. Each service members command makes the decision to grant or deny this leave. In some of these cases financial aid is requested. The Red Cross submits the request with documentation to the Military Aid Society and it grants or denies the request. All these services and they're done, mostly, by volunteers! These volunteers may have regular jobs during the day or night or may be retired. They are extensively trained by the local chapters, at no charge. There are about five basic courses all volunteers are given and then specific training for each area they choose to 'specialize' in. The Red Cross is extremely proud of these volunteers and their dedication to serve their community. Are you interested? Please click on the link(http://eastgeorgia.redcross.org/ ) and check it out. Also, next time you see a Red Cross volunteer, tell them thank you!!

MLK Day of Service On

2009-01-28T13:49:00.004-05:00

Following the MLK Day of Service and the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, I have a smile on my face recalling the events of the week. One thing that really resonates with me is the power of individuals to shape the communities he/she lives in. Rather than waiting on government to take action, it has been individuals who have heard the call of services and without any compensation offered his/her services to the community. To me, volunteers are the unsung heroes of this great nation we call home. On a day when one could have taken the day for leisurely activities, so many opted to use the skills he/she possesses to do various projects on MLK Day. There were many individuals who were instrumental to the success of the day, and to each and every person who had any part in the organizing the day, I say thank you for your selfless work. To the nearly 800 volunteers, who in the midst of the cold and other elements, choose to come out and make it a day on, pat yourself on the back for a job well done. This week really gives me hope that the spirit of community which has contributed to the success of this nation continues with today's generations. For all those who brought their children or younger members of organizations to MLK Day of Service, I really commend your efforts because it was seeing the children at the event which has given me the greatest hope that change for the greater good is indeed possible, and the spirit of giving back will live on with future generations.

MLK: The Value of Giving Time

2009-01-23T09:18:00.007-05:00

First off, I’d like to say thank you to all the project coordinators, and task leaders. Without you, this day would not have been possible.
The MLK Day of Service in Athens, Georgia proved to be a time of community and commitment. As I visited the sites, I witnessed great volunteer participation, laughter and lots of hard work. I took many pictures and thus have an incredible library of the day. I wonder why people take the time out of their busy schedules to volunteer. I mean, Monday January, 19th was a day off of work for most. I believe people volunteered because of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. True, there were some there with other reasons for volunteering however, the overwhelming reason was to be involved in a cause greater than oneself. I hope that the 800+ volunteers who showed up on MLK day realize that Dr. King did not volunteer his time one day out of the year, rather he dedicated his life to volunteering. Like many of you, I am a very busy person who gets tired and just wants to relax on Saturday. However, I remember people like Dr. King and realize that he too was tired yet he continued to give of himself. If we really wish to continue his legacy, we must be willing to give of our time and talents even when we are tired and worn out. A community can only thrive when we are all willing to put in the time and effort to see it through.

2009-01-23T08:55:00.007-05:00

The day of the project, at The Tree House in Winder, started out extremely cold. The delivered topsoil was even frozen! Jeff, my co-Hands On AmeriCorps member, and I decided, that once the work began everyone would warm up. We were expecting 13 volunteers but, to our surprise, 29 showed up! This was going to make the rock removal portion of the tasks, we had planned, go much better. We could work in shifts and rotate people around so the ‘shovel’ work would be spread (no pun intended) around. The volunteers included representatives of three Cub Scout Dens, two MBA students at UGA, a North Georgia Tech. college student, nine Boys and Girls Club of Winder middle school students and their adult leaders, an employee of The Tree House and her family, four members of the Barrow County CERT, and other individual, Barrow County residents. As the day progressed, the day grew slightly warmer and everyone was ‘warming’ (pun intended, this time) to their tasks. A reporter from The Barrow County News came, interviewed various people, and took photos. Lunch was provided, at a reduced rate, by Sonic. Even the topsoil and mulch were provided and delivered by Home Depot, at a reduced rate. At the close of the project, all that came and worked had a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction about the work done. The Tree House Director and Jeff and I thanked everyone for their hard work and participation. Jeff and I reminded them to check the Hands On website for future projects. We collected all the tools, made sure the site was clean, and left, secure in the knowledge, that Hands On AmeriCorps and some great MLK volunteers had made a safer place to play, to just be kids, for children going through a terrible time in their life.

We made it a DAY ON!

2009-01-20T13:59:00.003-05:00

Thank you to the 700-800 volunteers

that came out on MLK Day to volunteer at 25 sites. The sites have expressed GREAT appreciation for all the work and progress made during the projects. We are humbled by the great turnout of volunteers year after year on what has become the largest single day of volunteer service in Athens! From the children that came out with their parents and friends to clean our schools, cemeteries, and parks and the seniors that provided support by assisting with check-in and lunch, to the many civic groups and businesses that came out in large numbers, many even adopting a site and providing the necessary skills and tools to complete the project, the Athens area definitely answered the call to serve on this MLK Day.

We encourage all volunteers to turn the day on into a on-going commitment to service and remind you that many of the agencies served on MLK Day have opportunities throughout the year.

To see some coverage about the MLK Day of Service, please visit Athens Banner Herald, Red & Black, and Spotted

Athens MLK Day projects listed

2009-01-02T12:39:00.004-05:00

The Athens MLK Jr. Day of Service is set for January 19, 2009 with over 20 projects scheduled! Volunteers can now visit www.AthensMLKDay.org to learn more about the day of service and sign-up for the project they would like to assist. From the Athens MLK Day page, individuals can also find us on Facebook and YouTube, as well as, play on-line games.

A Time to Give

2008-12-19T12:37:00.008-05:00

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and fun. Most importantly they are a time to give to others. I had the opportunity to do just that yesterday December 18, at the Salvation Army Distribution Center. With the help of HandsOn, the Salvation Army recruited volunteers to help sort and distribute food and toys to needy families. Volunteers helped in many ways including loading up food boxes and turkeys into carts, finding toy bags for the families, and helping them get everything to their cars. It was a great time to celebrate what the holidays are all about. The families were very appreciative of everyone that was helping out and giving their time. I had the opportunity to talk to them as I was helping them cart everything to their car and they were all in high spirits, regardless of their circumstance. Overall, it was a great time and I had a lot of fun!

Interpreters: bringing communities together

2008-12-19T09:17:00.005-05:00

With a growing number of Spanish speakers in the Athens area, there is an ever-present need to make sure this community is not overlooked. One such way is through interpretation for school events. Most events, such as PTA meetings and Parent-teacher conferences, are often not attended by Spanish speaking parents. They are not attending because parents do not feel comfortable being in an environment where they feel like an outsider. Many schools have been creative in their endeavors to include the Spanish speaking community. One school had a family night where they played games with very few rules as to make the concept easy enough to understand without language. Another school allowed students to help interpret for their parents at various school events. We must find a way to close the language gap between Spanish speaking parents and schools. San Francisco public schools created and use a volunteer interpreter database to get volunteers. I am sure that here in the Athens area, we could do the same. The first step though is to get the bilingual community in Athens to volunteer their time and talents.

If you're interested in interpreting for a Athens-Clarke County school event, click here:

New Agency- A Bigger Vision of Athens

2008-12-16T13:57:00.005-05:00

We are excited to welcome A Bigger Vision of Athens, a community winter shelter, as an agency partner. A Bigger Vision served 128 homeless individuals last winter and is seeking volunteers to support their efforts for this winter.

Volunteer opportunities include:

Meal Service
Evening Staff
Overnight Staff
Mentors
Blanket Washers

You can click on the name to learn more about the specific duties.

Morton Theatre Usher

2008-12-15T09:23:00.006-05:00

Man, what a great job, to be an Usher and enjoy the show too!! I was an usher at the theater and enjoyed the production of 'Christmas At the Five and Dime.' The work was easy, it's not a huge theater, and the people were great. I didn't have to dress up (just casual dress but no jeans) and it was easy to get acclimated to my 'job' and to do it! I was able to leave almost immediately after the show because there was so little "clean-up" involved. I also met some great folks that ushered with me; students, parents, professional people, just regular folks! The staff was friendly and gave us a tour and told us about our jobs. Man, what a truly historic place. Check out their website http://www.mortontheatre.com/ and read about the history! Again, It was so easy and a lot of fun! I highly recommend volunteering, you'll really enjoy it (just get there a little early and you can park on the street, just outside the theater!!) !!!!! You can get performance/volunteering dates from our website, HandsOnNortheastGeorgia.org, or from the theatre's. Email me if you've got any questions! Blessings, Shannon

Welcome

2008-12-11T21:55:00.002-05:00

HandsOn Northeast Georgia is excited to create this blog to keep the community informed about all the great projects and events happening in the Athens and surrounding areas.

Our staff, AmeriCorps Members, and MSW interns will be sharing some of their insights and experiences working with community agencies and schools in Clarke and Oconee.

We invite volunteers to share their experiences with projects and groups and encourage everyone to "be the change they wish to see."

happy reading.