Sue Scheff: Giving Back to your Community


Pay it forward and feel good!

Did you miss part one? Click here.

Part 2:

6. Tell us how VolunteerSpot can help others.We do all the busy work behind coordinating volunteers and save more time for meaningful work. Our simple online tool eliminates the need for clipboard sign up sheets, reply-all email, Excel spreadsheets and phone tag. For example, it takes more than 200 parent volunteers to put on a school carnival http://www.volunteerspot.com/ebooks/Carnivals/ That’s a lot of coordination! we make it easy for each class’s parents to sign up to staff a booth or concessions stand saving carnival organizers a week of work! This video gives a quick tour of our sign up tool: http://www.volunteerspot.com/video/

7. The holiday season is around the corner, do you find it gets busier or do you feel that many people are simply too busy to volunteer?I believe that the holidays bring out the best in everyone. There is an influx of new volunteers at community kitchens and charities that gather toys, food and clothing for families in need. To promote local seasonal service, we’ve launched a Giving Tree Giveaway sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. Plan a holiday service activity on VolunteerSpot and Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree in a fire-damaged national forest in your honor. Learn more at www.VolunteerSpot.com/GivingTree

8. What are the benefits of volunteering? How can we create more awareness about the benefits of volunteering?Volunteering feels GREAT, and studies show helping others actually improves your mood and helps you live longer! Volunteering is also a wonderful way to strengthen your resume, build new professional skills and network within your community. For families, volunteering together builds meaningful communication opportunities and perspective. Kids who volunteer with their families are more likely to volunteer as adults, and that’s good for all our communities!

9. Are there age limits? Do you recommend teens get involved?People of all ages and backgrounds can volunteer – from preschoolers participating in food drives to grandparents rocking babies in the hospital. Service provides an ideal opportunity for teens to explore new interests and passions. If a teen is interested in green causes, consider volunteering at a recycling center, or an Earth Day festival. Curious about a career as a vet? Volunteer at the animal shelter or wildlife preserve. Love children? Join a mentoring program or coach at an after-school sports league in a low-income neighborhood. Teens also bring very useful technical skills to understaffed nonprofits – like helping them find outreach groups on MySpace, Facebook, Ning and Twitter. Shooting YouTube Videos and updating websites – all of these are super helpful skill that most volunteer groups need lots more of.

10. Please share with us anything more you would like people to know about VolunteerSpot?VolunteerSpot is really really easy to use and saves so much time! If you know someone faced with coordinating a group of people for your booster club, league, neighborhood association, congregation or nonprofit, please let them know about us! VolunteerSpot, DOING GOOD just got easier! http://www.volunteerspot.com/

Follow VolunteerSpot on Twitter @VolunteerSpot

Visit VolunteerSpot Blog for updates!
Reminder: Holiday Safety Tips
Article for Holiday Jobs and Volunteering for Teens.
Part 1 - click here.

Also on Examiner.com

Popular posts from this blog

Teens Starting College: Transition Blues

Teenage Mental Health Options

Sue Scheff: Should teachers befriend students on social networking sites?