Victoria’s Trip to NCVS – Day 3

As I write this recap of Day 3, I’m back home in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, although it was quite a trek getting back here.

But I’m going to jump back to yesterday in Atlanta. Day 3 started off with the final learning session. I attended an intriguing panel on engaging military members to civilian life though service. The Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS) has taken the lead, and is working to recruit veterans to serve in AmeriCorps. This session was really informative, and gave me great resources to share with those of you working with transitioning veterans.

I then ventured to the closing plenary, where I met up with Deanna again. We were lucky enough to score third row seats! This plenary started with beautiful renditions of Maya Angelou’s poems.  Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, Senior Pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, then spoke on helping those around you. My favorite line from his speech was “My income does not determine my outcome.”

My favorite part of the closing plenary happened at the very end. I’m a big Country music fan, so to my delight Kristian Bush from Sugarland took the stage and talked about story telling. He closed the conference by telling a story, a rather famous story, that’s commonly known as Sugarland’s hit “Baby Girl”.

After the conference, I did take some me time and wandered over to the Georgia Aquarium. I love Aquariums, so here’s a few pictures of the fish I saw.

Thanks for following me on this fun adventure. I can’t thank the family of Sara Ballard and Volunteer Centers of Michigan enough for giving me this opportunity. If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about the sessions I attended, please email me at vleonhardt@glcyd.org or call 906-228-8919 x113.

-Victoria

Victoria’s Trip to NCVS – Day 2

Wow! Day 2 at NCVS sure was fascinating! This was my day of learning. I kicked off the day with one of the highlights of my conference experience, a panel discussion with youth. It was my favorite learning session because I have been facilitating focus group in the Eastern part of the U.P. The youth on stage gave very similar responses to the youth I have been working with. My favorite quote came from a young man. He said adults need to make it clear that “I see you. I hear you. What you say matters to me.” It was a wonderful way to sum up how important positive adult relationships are.

I enjoyed a luncheon with the HandsOn Connect and All for Good team. Did you know that when you sign up for UPvolunteer.org, your opportunities automatically go to AllForGood.org? Neither did I. There’s also a new app we will be adding to the GLCYD and UPVN Facebook pages that will pull up all the volunteers opportunities in your area, based on your IP address! Organizations can down load it as well, and it will only show their opportunities. It’s a great way to recruit volunteers though social media.

My final learning session was all about the Common Core Standards and how to work with teachers to create service projects that align with the standards. I have a great packet of information on this from Youth Service America, and would love to share it with you if this is something your organization is interested in pursuing.

I wrapped up the night volunteering at the reception events at Coca Cola. I was positioned outside in the wonderful sunshine directing people left or right. I enjoyed seeing so many participants and meeting some wonderful attendees. The great thing about volunteering at a volunteer conference…everyone is so good at saying thank you! At least 30 people stopped and thanked us for standing out in the sun. Personally, I was loving the heat, although the other volunteers weren’t so fond of it.

I also met some awesome people while volunteering. Shout out to Deanna from iVolunteerUniversity.com and Jennifer from The Center for Philanthropy in Bermuda. These two were a blast! We took some selfies of the outdoor volunteers when our shift was over.

 

After our shift, we were able to attend the Celebrating Service in Atlanta reception. The food was phenomenal and the company was fantastic, but the best part of the reception was the World of Coke Tasting Room. There were many fountain pop dispensers with all kinds of pop from around the world. I’ve never seen so many flavors! My favorite was pineapple Fanta.

After the reception, it was time to sneak in a quick trip to the pool before it closed, the off to bed to prepare for Day 3, the last day.

-Victoria

Victoria’s Trip to NCVS – Day 1

Arriving at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, representing the Upper Peninsula Volunteer Network, I wasn’t sure really what to expect. So I went into this experience thinking “If I can bring back one thing that can help nonprofits in the U.P., I’ll be happy.” One day in, and I’m already overwhelmed with information and inspiration. I hope you enjoy reading about my experience. I can’t wait to get back to the Upper Peninsula and share the knowledge with nonprofits.

I started Day 1 of the conference with a service project.  What I knew going in was that Atlanta had been a hot bed for the civil rights movement. What I didn’t expect was the be in the funeral home where Martin Luther King, Jr.’s body was prepared. The funeral home has since closed, and was purchased by Trinity Community Ministries, a transitional housing facility for homeless men in Atlanta. The program is minimum 60 days, the first 30 (minimum) focus on sobriety.

I will admit, going to a men’s transitional home in Downtown Atlanta was very much out of my comfort zone. I was nervous about what type of service project we’d be doing. As a girl born and raised in the Upper Peninsula, would I have the skills to do what is needed? To my surprise, we were tasked with building a bench that could hold flower pots for the men’s outdoor area. This included cementing umbrellas into buckets. I jumped right in and became the “Quickcrete Master”, using my gloved hands to stir the bucket, as there was not a stirring utensil available. Now, you may be thinking, “ok so you poured some concrete…I did that in my garden last week.” That is exactly why I’m telling this story. I was intimidated by the fact I was volunteering in an urban setting, while in reality my small town experiences provided me with skills and confidence to get the job done.

 

After a wonderful lunch at Centennial Olympic Park, provided to volunteers from the Arby’s Foundation, I was ready to start learning. My first session, “The Accidental Trainer” was facilitated by Beth Kanter, one of my favorite nonprofit bloggers. In this session, a variety of facilitation techniques were presented and used. My favorite advice she gave was to “use the knowledge in the room.” I’m excited to try this with my next webinar training (whenever that will be).

It was then time to meet up with the wonderful ladies from Michigan Nonprofit Association. I’m attending the conference though the Sarah Ballard Scholarship Program, so we gathered to get a picture with MNA staff and the winners. It was great to meet the winners, who I spent the rest of the day with.

The Opening Plenary blew my mind. From the stepping performance, to the youth choir, to the marching band, the southern flavor was present, and I really enjoyed being able to experience it, as I’d never been to the south before. For me though, the real experience started with Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., facilitating a panel with Congressman John Lewis, Ambassador Andrew Young and the Rev. C.T. Vivian, who were integral in the civil right’s movement. Their message of inspiration, determination and love is something that I will never ever forget.  Really, I could write so much about this experience, I am going to do a post all about it when I get back.

The plenary continued with another panel, facilitated by Chelsea Clinton. This panel discussed the “new” view of service, straight from the mouths of Millennials. It was a fascinating discussion with Nelson Mandela’s grandson who is a documentary film maker,  an AmeriCorp Alumni who recently completed her term of service, and the Mayor of Flint, who is also an AmeriCorp Alum. It was great to hear from people my age that service does matter, and needs to be looked at as a way of life, not a one day project.

 

The plenary wrapped up with Tyler Perry, filmmaker, receiving an award from Points of Light. He talked all about his upbringing, and how he had “points of light” in his life via caring adults outside his family. It was a great reminder that the work we do with youth really does make an impact.

After Mr. Perry’s speech, we were rushed off to load the busses to the Atlanta Braves game. Upon reaching the field, my group was directed right to Kitting Line 2, where we each prepared 5 kits of school supplies for teachers. These kits will be distributed via HandsOn Atlanta to low funded schools that need the help. After the five kits were done, I was able to enjoy my first Major League Baseball game, while networking with some great young professionals who are working in the volunteer management realm. The Braves lost 6-1 in 13 innings, but I jumped on the bus after the end of the 9^th, when it was 1-1. Baseball was fun, but it wasn’t as exiting as hockey.

Once I got back to my hotel, I took what I thought would be a minute to reflect. That minute turned into an hour, which turned into my inspiration to blog my trip. It’s getting to be time to start today’s sessions, so I’m wrapping it up with a great quote I heard from the plenary yesterday. CT Vivian said “To change a culture, you have to love it’s people.” Thank you for reading, you are all amazing and I can’t wait to update you on what today will bring.

-Victoria

Nominations sought for 2014 U.P. Service Awards

In recognition of the tremendous contributions of volunteers across the Upper Peninsula, the U.P. Volunteer Network announces the launch of the sixth annual U.P. Service Awards. Nominations will be accepted through June 1.

“If you work with, know of, or have benefited from an outstanding volunteer, please take the time to nominate them for this recognition,” said Linda Remsburg, Associate at the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development and partner in the U.P. Volunteer Network. “We want to honor these indispensable community servants and tell their stories so that others are inspired to serve.”

Categories for the awards include Youth, Adult, Senior, Business Community Leader and Volunteer Program. Award recipients will be announced in July and honored at a luncheon during the U.P. Nonprofit Conference at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, October 9.

Nomination forms are available online at UPvolunteer.org/nominate or at the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development, 712 Chippewa Square, Suite 200, Marquette.

For more information, call 906-228-8919 or email upvolunteernetwork@glcyd.org.

The Upper Peninsula Volunteer Network’s mission is to build the capacity of U.P. organizations to connect with and manage volunteers. In addition to promoting volunteerism and recognizing volunteers, the network provides volunteer management training to nonprofits and is the administrator of UPvolunteer.org, an online volunteer recruitment and management tool which the network provides at no cost to nonprofits in the U.P.

In addition to Great Lakes Center for Youth Development, network partners include U.P. 2-1-1, United Way of the Eastern U.P. Volunteer Center, Volunteer Center and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Dickinson Iron Community Services Agency, RSVP of Delta, Menominee, Schoolcraft and Marinette Counties, and RSVP of Marquette County.

Marquette County citizens honored for volunteer service

Several individuals and an organization from Marquette County have been recognized for outstanding efforts to make their community a better place to live.

Recipients of the 2014 Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Awards were announced by the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County during the 18^th annual volunteer recognition event April 5 at the Westwood Mall in Marquette.

Recipients of the 2014 Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Awards stand with plaques presented to them by the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County during the organization’s annual volunteer recognition event April 5 at Westwood Mall in Marquette. Pictured from left are Madison Touchinski, recipient of the Youth Volunteer Award; Joan Zbacnik, recipient of the Adult Volunteer Award; Jeanette Maki, recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award and Sarah Hujar, recipient of the Michael D. Nunnally Northern Michigan University Student Volunteer Award. 

Jeanette Maki of Gwinn was named Volunteer of the Year. Maki is a long-time promoter of tourism and economic growth in southern Marquette County. She is the volunteer President and Director of the Gwinn-Sawyer Area Chamber of Commerce, an organization which she co-founded in 1984 and has been involved in ever since. She is also founder and editor of the Gwinn Quarterly newspaper. She has organized events including the Midnight Run Dog Sled Race, Town-Wide Rummage Sale, Fun Daze and the Fun Daze parade as well as Santa in the Park and Tree Lighting Ceremonies at Nordeen Park and Sawyer. She delivers Meals On Wheels to homebound residents of Gwinn and helps with the town’s Clock Tower Project. She is also a caregiver to two elderly relatives. She has logged over 12,000 volunteer hours with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Marquette County since becoming a member in 2001.

Madison Touchinski, 18, of Marquette received the Youth Volunteer Award. Touchinski, a senior at Marquette Senior High School, is a member of the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development board of directors. She serves as board secretary and is active on the organization’s youth development task force. She has played key roles in many of the organization’s activities including the recent Rise UP Youth Summit and presentations on positive youth development.

Joan Zbacnik of Marquette received the Senior Volunteer Award. Zbacnik is a Red Cross Preparedness program disaster action team leader in Marquette County, heading up local volunteers and assisting clients in house fires, spring floods, and forest fires. Since 2005, she has been deployed to 14 disasters nationally including Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Sandy; tornados in Oklahoma, Texas and Illinois; flooding in Colorado and downstate Grand Rapids and the Duck Lake Fire near Newberry.

Heather Modell of Marquette received the Adult Volunteer Award. Modell began volunteering with Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes in 2011 when she and two assistant volunteers formed Troop 5033 with five girls in kindergarten. Under her leadership, the troop has grown to 34 girls in kindergarten through third grade with seven assistant volunteers and an eighth grade helper. In addition to her troop activities, she is active with the Marquette-Gwinn Area Girl Scouts Service Team which coordinates area troops and events.

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Ishpeming received the Volunteer Organization Award.Nearly 40 volunteers sort and stock shelves in the charitable organization’s food pantry, interview clients and take applications for financial assistance in its Friends in Need Office and sort, fix, price and display donated items in its thrift store. The volunteers’ efforts help keep the organization self-sustaining.

Sarah Hujar, a senior at Northern Michigan University, received the Michael D. Nunnally Northern Michigan University Student Volunteer Award. Hujar has been active in campus-wide volunteer opportunities including Make a Difference Day, Relay for Life, and this year’s MLK Day of Service. She has served in leadership roles in NMU Circle K, a community service organization, all four years of college. She currently volunteers as a public relations and marketing intern with Great Lakes Center for Youth Development as part of the NMU Student Leader Fellowship Program.

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County host the awards and volunteer recognition event each spring in conjunction with National Volunteer Week which this year is April 6-12. The event recognizes all volunteers for their service to communities in Marquette County.

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County provide networking opportunities for those working with volunteers and share resources on volunteerism-related projects. The group invites those who work with volunteers to join its monthly meetings. For more information about the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County, contact Jane Iery at 906-228-3578.

Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Nominations Now Being Accepted

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County are accepting nominations for the 2014 Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Awards. The awards are given annually in conjunction with National Volunteer Week to individuals and an organization to acknowledge their commitment to serving their communities through volunteerism.

Nominations are sought for the following categories: Youth, Adult, Senior, Pet Partners, Organization, and Michael D. Nunnally: NMU Student Volunteer. A Volunteer of the Year will be selected from entries in all categories. All volunteers in Marquette County are eligible. Anyone can nominate a volunteer. Self nominations are welcome.

All volunteers in Marquette County will be honored during a celebration Saturday, April 5, 2-4 p.m. at the Westwood Mall in Marquette. Awards will be presented at 3 p.m. Nominees are encouraged to attend.

Downloadable nomination packets are available here. Paper copies are available at Northern Michigan University Volunteer Center or Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes in the Westwood Mall, Marquette.

Nominations must be received by March 7. Email to Jill Rady, Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes at jrady@gsnwgl.org. Or mail to Volunteer Awards GSNWGL, 3020 U.S. 41 West, Suite 321, Marquette, MI 49855.

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County provide networking opportunities for those working with volunteers and share resources on volunteerism-related projects. The group invites those who work with volunteers to join its monthly meetings. For more information about the group, contact Jill Rady at 920-955-3438.

Organizations invited to raise funds by wrapping gifts

Community organizations are invited to participate in Project Gift Wrap, a fun, easy way to raise funds and promote a cause while spreading holiday cheer.

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County are accepting registrations for the annual event which takes place Nov. 30-Dec. 24 at the Westwood Mall.

At the Project Gift Wrap booth, shoppers make a cash donation to have their purchases wrapped with holiday paper and bows provided by the Westwood Mall. Representatives of organizations work the booth in three-hour shifts. Half of the proceeds for each shift go to the working organization. The other half goes to the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County to sponsor the annual Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Awards celebration in April and other volunteer-related activities.

Shifts are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To register a group for shifts, call Jill Rady of Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes at 920-955-3438 or email jrady@gsnwgl.org.

Give us your feedback!

The U.P. Volunteer Network has been awarded a grant from the Volunteer Centers of Michigan to work with a consultant to update our strategic plan! The strategic planning retreat will be held on July 29-30. If you are a volunteer or an organization that utilized volunteers and you’d like to participate in the retreat, please contact Linda Remsburg at lremsburg@glcyd.org or 906-228-8919 x26.

As part of the strategic planning process, UPVN is surveying orgnaizations and volunteers to find out the needs of the Upper Peninsula. If you are a volunteer, please take the Volunteer Needs Survey. If you represent an organization that utilizes volunteers, please take the Nonprofit Needs Assessment. Each survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The surveys will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 19.

 

Nominations sought for 2013 U.P. Service Awards

In recognition of the tremendous contributions of volunteers across the Upper Peninsula, the U.P. Volunteer Network announces the launch of the fifth annual U.P. Service Awards. Nominations will be accepted through June 1.

“We ask everyone in the U.P. who works with or knows outstanding volunteers to make a nomination,” said Linda Remsburg, Youth Development Associate at the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development and partner in the U.P. Volunteer Network. “We need to thank these indispensable community servants and tell their stories so that others are inspired to serve.”

Categories for the awards include Youth, Adult, Senior, Business Community Leader and Volunteer Program. Award recipients will be announced in July and honored at a luncheon during the U.P. Nonprofit Conference at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, October 18.

To submit a nomination online, or to download a nomination form, go to http://www.UPvolunteer.org/nominate. Nomination forms are also available at the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development, 1175 Erie St., Marquette.

For more information, call 877-339-6884 or email upvolunteernetwork@glcyd.org.

The Upper Peninsula Volunteer Network’s mission is to build the capacity of U.P. organizations to connect with and manage volunteers. In addition to promoting volunteerism and recognizing volunteers, the network provides volunteer management training to nonprofits and is the administrator of UPvolunteer.org, an online volunteer recruitment and management tool which the network provides at no cost to nonprofits in the U.P.

In addition to Great Lakes Center for Youth Development, network partners include U.P. 2-1-1, United Way of the Eastern U.P. Volunteer Center, Volunteer Center and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Dickinson Iron Community Services Agency, RSVP of Delta, Menominee, Schoolcraft and Marinette Counties, and RSVP of Marquette County.

Marquette County citizens honored for volunteer service

Several individuals and an organization from Marquette County have been recognized for outstanding efforts to make their community a better place to live.

Recipients of the 2013 Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Awards were announced by the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County during the 17^th annual volunteer recognition event April 20 at the Westwood Mall in Marquette.

 Bob Salvate of Gwinn was named Volunteer of the Year. Salvate volunteers an average of 50 hours each month with Marquette County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program’s (RSVP) Project LifeTracker which provides transmitters for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. Salvate goes to clients’ homes on a monthly basis to check and replace batteries on the transmitters. A sampling of his additional volunteer activities includes working with the Forsyth Township SHARE food program; Gwinn VFW bingo, dances and pasty sales; Forsyth Senior Center Merry Mixers, setting up bake sales, craft sales, intergenerational parties and other activities for the benefit of the community.

 Yvonne Clark of Negaunee received the Senior Volunteer Award. Clark has volunteered more than 8,800 hours with RSVP since she started 19 years ago. As coordinator of Project LifeTracker, she schedules and conducts volunteer trainings, orders and maintains equipment and batteries, organizes and leads monthly volunteer meetings and matches clients with volunteers. She has also volunteered with the American Red Cross, several senior agencies, Bell Hospital Auxiliary and Marquette County United Way.

Cheryl Rintamaki of Ishpeming received the Adult Volunteer Award. She volunteers regularly with the Coffee Cart, Gift Shop and Kids’ Corner at Bell Hospital and as a meal host with the AMCAB congregate senior meal site at Pioneer Bluff Apartments. She also helps with the newsletter at the Ishpeming Senior Center and crochets items for community-giving projects.

 

Dave Dausey of Marquette and his dog, Roxy received the Pet Partners Award. They were honored for their service with the Marquette General Hospital Dog Therapy Partnership. The duo visits patients, visitors and staff at least twice a week. They have served 350 hours since they began volunteering in August 2011.                                         

RSVP Non-Emergency Medical Transporters received the Volunteer Organization Award. Transporters spent 2,055 hours driving seniors to and from, and escorting them into, medical care appointments. In 2012, 51 volunteer drivers provided 913 rides for 151 clients.

Brendan Franklin of Marquette received the Michael D. Nunnally Northern Michigan University Student Volunteer Award. Franklin was recognized for his volunteer work in university and community programs and organizations including Make a Difference Day, Student Leader Fellowship Program, NMU Student Nurses’ Association, Room at the Inn, Medical Care Access Coalition, Janzen House and others.

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County host the awards and volunteer recognition event each spring in conjunction with National Volunteer Week. The event recognizes all volunteers for their service to communities in Marquette County.

The Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County provide networking opportunities for those working with volunteers and share resources on volunteerism-related projects. The group invites those who work with volunteers to join its monthly meetings. For more information about the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County, contact Jane Iery at 906-228-3578.

Recipients of the 2013 Marquette County Outstanding Volunteer Awards stand with plaques presented to them by the Volunteer Coordinators of Marquette County during the organization’s annual volunteer recognition event April 20 at Westwood Mall in Marquette. Pictured from left are Cheryl Rintamaki, recipient of the Adult Volunteer Award; Bob Salvate, recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award; Yvonne Clark, recipient of the Senior Volunteer Award and Dave Dausey and his dog Roxy, recipients of the Pet Partners Award. Not pictured are RSVP Non-Emergency Medical Transporters recipients of the Volunteer Organization Award and Brendan Franklin, recipient of the Michael D. Nunnally NMU Student Volunteer Award.