Who volunteers?

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

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

Funbruary

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

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

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

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.

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.