Volunteering & Volunteer Students

In case you can’t make the Orphanage visit but have some free time later on in the afternoon on the 24th, FM Kahoku are holding the first of a new event aimed to encourage communication between local foreign and Japanese English speakers.

“I just wanna speak English” or “英語しゃべろう”

Sat 24th April, 3pm – 5pm @Bistororiru, Kahoku-shi

This is NOT an Eikaiwa class event, but a place to make new friends, and encourage dialogue and culture/information exchange between Japanese and Foreign residents, in English. The event is informal and is open to all – regardless of age/race/religion.

Please email Dipika Soni (Dipikasoni18 at gmail.com) if you are interested in taking part. Will be an interesting to see how it turns out – and could be a way to make some great new friends and contacts.  Pretty please!

More information can be found here: http://blog.kahoku.net/international/  (scroll down for the English and a map to the venue)

Speak English to mah kids!

By Jennifer Browning

Project Medishare is working to sustain our long-term commitment to our relief efforts in Miami. In order to minimize costs, we are transitioning our flight schedule to once a week.

Beginning May 1, all volunteer flights will arrive and leave from the Port-au-Prince airport on Saturdays only. Monday, April 26 will be the last Monday flight.

For those who have not signed up, but are interested in volunteering, please register at: https://secure.med.miami.edu/volunteer_for_haiti. Please keep in mind that it may be a while before you are called upon to be deployed to the hospital. As as we have already transitioned from strictly providing critical care towards trauma and rehabilitation, we have a greater need for specialized medical volunteers.

The minimum number of days volunteers would be deployed is eight.  Anything beyond that would be determined by the need and the Chief Medical Officer.

Volunteers should be aware that Haiti is headed into the rainy season. The field hospital has already seen many wet evenings. It is advised that among other items, that volunteers pack a poncho, boots, plenty of socks, and mosquito nets to go over your cot in the sleeping quarters.

It is recommended volunteers see that all appropriate vaccinations are updated, and that volunteers speak to their doctor about the appropriate prophylaxis for malaria prevention. Volunteers can check MD Travel Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention sites for clarification on which vaccinations are currently necessary for Haiti.

To date, Project Medishare has had over 1500 volunteers donate their time and expertise towards our relief efforts in Haiti. We thank everyone who has taken the time to help our neighbors in Haiti.

Should you have any questions regarding volunteering, please contact Project Medishare at info@projectmedishare.org.

Feeding the Homeless with Levantate Y Anda (Arise and Walk)

Culture Shock was welcomed with guest speaker Rosie Castelar on April 12, 2010. She is a member of a church organization that helps to feed the homeless. Ways that Culture Shock members can help are either 1. Donate food (specifically meat for their burritos) or 2. Be a volunteer in their events. Let’s help give back to our community!

Where: St. Louis of France

13935 E. Temple Ave.

La Puente, CA 91746

Entrance: Mulcahy Hall (Side Door)

When: Every Sunday at 5:30 a.m.

Coordinator: Hector Ibarra

Contact: Rosie Castelar (626) 536-8347

During high school, I worked at Parkside Court Assisted Living in Columbus, Indiana. I worked in the restaurant, serving meals and cleaning the dining area.

Several times a year, Parkside Court has fun activities for the residents. These include fireworks, holiday celebrations, and many other events. My friend Grace, who also worked at Parkside Court, recently told me that she plans to volunteer at these events over the summer. As a result, I also signed up as a volunteer.

Although many of the residents I worked with have passed on, I am still looking forward to being there again. Working there was a great experience, and I have missed it more than I knew.

Working at Parkside Court, I never got much of an opportunity to get to know the residents outside of mealtime. Our interactions were brief, and although they happened on a regular basis for nearly a year, I am excited to spend extended amounts of time with them without the need to hurry.

Hopefully volunteering at Parkside Court will be as much fun as I’m expecting. I have volunteered in the past with many other organizations, including the YMCA, Americana Community Center, the Indianapolis Zoo, and Kidscommons, a children’s museum in Columbus. Each of these experiences was a great part of my life, and I’m excited to get the chance to volunteer at a place I know so well.

Though I admittedly love thrift shopping to find great deals and goods, I also love knowing that with many thrift stores, shopping means also means helping a charity. Not all thrift stores benefit causes, but the ones that do are often run mostly by volunteers and people who simply love giving back. After being a frequent shopper at a particular store for almost a year, I was approached by the owner who asked me if I was interested in volunteering. At the time I just thought it would be a fun experience, but volunteering at that store has meant so much more to me than I ever could have imagined.

For all of you avid thrift shoppers out there, I strongly encourage you to remember to give back. Whether it’s through volunteering for a not-for-profit store or simply frequently donating goods, all help is appreciated. Many stores wouldn’t be able to stay afloat if it weren’t for the support of their community and I know that for me, giving back to the stores I love so much has given me an incredible feeling as a consumer. In my experience, those involved in not-for-profit thrift stores are some of the most caring people around. Even if you can’t volunteer, take the time to get to know some of the people involved in these places and at the very least, donate on a regular basis. Not only does donating goods help out the store, but seeing one of your items for sale at a thrift store and getting to experience the true definition of reusing come full circle makes for a great feeling.

The week of April 18 to 24th is a time marked on our calendars to honour the V.I.P.S in the non-profit world – volunteers.

During National Volunteer Week we recognize the 12.5 million volunteers across Canada who gave 2.1 billion hours of their time to take action and make a difference. They are the people who donate their energy and skills to the benefit of food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals, sports teams, environment, animal welfare, disaster relief, arts and culture and countless other areas.

Tamara’s House is the very embodiment of what volunteers can achieve. The concept of Tamara’s House came into being through the vision of volunteers; every facet of the agency from our services to the house itself owes its existence to the work of volunteers.

Over the years we have had many talented, remarkable individuals who have made Tamara’s House what it is today. Volunteers have:

• mentored survivors of child sexual abuse
• cooked lunches and planned meals for nutrition program
• facilitated writing groups
• given educational presentations
• helped provide cultural activities for Aboriginal programs
• provided art therapy sessions to survivors
• provided complementary care to survivors – aroma massage, Reiki, reflexology
• Raised funds and planned events
• Gardened and kept our yard looking great
• provided yoga classes
• Created crafts and artwork
• Recycled materials
• Served on the Board of Directors
• Supported survivors on their healing journey
• and others too numerous to mention

There are calculations and formulas that determine the monetary value of volunteers, a measurement of the work they do in terms of dollars and cents. These reflect a value that is added to an organization and a savings in resources and expenses. But volunteer work is more than mere dollars and cents, the value of what volunteers do is reflected in the joy of a survivor who has someone to support her, a place where survivors can come and be accepted without judgment, where they can participate in activities and programs that support and enhance healing. When healing happens, survivors can give back to their families and contribute to the community. At Tamara’s House, no value can be placed on volunteers because their work is beyond measure – in fact it is priceless.

Thank you to all volunteers of Tamara’s House both past and present!

For more information about volunteering at Tamara’s House, visit our website:
About Volunteering

A few of Swiftpage employees have started volunteering for a local non-profit organization, KidsTek. KidsTek conducts after-school programs that provide a hands-on working knowledge of computer programs such as Microsoft Office suite, Google applications and state-of-the-art multimedia through fun and passion-inducing projects. The National Education Technology Standards (NETS) serves as a roadmap for improved teaching and learning. KidsTek ultimate goal is to help today’s students gain a foothold on the “right side” of the Digital Divide.

We whole heartedly agree with KidsTek that basic working computer knowledge is now more important than ever in putting kids on the path to become valued and productive members of the American workforce.

Our Customer Service and Support Manager, Kassi Johnson, shares her involvement with KidsTek…

We’ve done many projects from making movies, creating our own video game, PowerPoint presentations, use of excel spreadsheets, claymation, and more.  This program has a purpose and goal to teach kids about computers and software programs while making it fun.  They get familiar with programs that will help them in the long term without realizing they’re learning.  This program is currently available at over 20 schools within Denver and Aurora middle and high schools.  At the end of each session students can earn a computer of their own.  For the high school ALL students get a computer at the end of the session if they’ve done well and have good attendance.  For the middle schools it’s one student per session that will earn a computer.  This is decided by the instructor or that class based on attendance, participation, behavior, etc.

To learn more about KidsTek, visit http://www.kidstek.org

A few pictures…

. . . the blog takes a back seat – a way back seat. And so it’s been for a number of days now, as I climb out from under altogether too many obligations. There’s a tee shirt out there that says “stop me before I volunteer again” which is funny, but doesn’t ring true for me. My volunteer commitments involve ongoing responsibilities I have undertaken.  To back off a bit would  take some time. And I’m not even sure I want to back off; the last three weeks I got behind and am now in catch up mode. So once I get through the current to-do list, I’ll reevaluate. But till then, blogging will continue light.

But my personal schedule doesn’t stop the clock – today is in fact the 194th day of the ninth year of the War in Afghanistan.

Forgot how much I enjoy cutting grass. Especially realy long grass. Especially the first cut of the spring. Especially using a petrol powered, pull start mower. Especially in the sunshine. Is especially nice.

Hundreds of applications, almost a dozen interviews, plenty of rejection. But this is possibly the hardest to accept.

This time I’ve been rejected for a volunteering opportunity. Yes, I’ve been rejected for an opportunity that I was willing to work wage-free.

I see volunteering as a last resort in a way; if no-one will take a chance on employing a graduate due to a lack of experience, surely someone will welcome me as a volunteer, so that I can gain that experience that most companies/organisations so badly crave, whilst giving something back to them and also to the community.

I’ve long been wondering why I actually bothered with University. Sure, I made some fantastic friends, I somehow managed to get myself a wonderful girlfriend, and I had the time of my life. But have I got a career and a future out of it yet? No.

Maybe it was the wrong course, maybe it was the wrong University… Or maybe something is desperately wrong with the education system in this country. I’ve got plenty of friends in a pretty similar position to myself. At best they’re in jobs that they see no future or career in for themselves, at worst they’re unemployed and desperate for that one chance such as myself. Why are we pushed towards University like it’s the holy grail of education, and the only chance of a very bright future? I’m sure it pays dividends for many people, but they appear to be very far and between from people I know.

What’s most ironic and twisted about this whole farce is that the no hopers from school (meant in the nicest possible way), many of whom failed to get into University, or were wise enough to avoid it, find themselves in stable jobs, progressing and developing their careers. Fair play to them, they obviously knew foresaw the problems that us stupid graduates would have, and gave themselves a head start. Experience seems to shit all over education at the moment.

Before, during, and since University (2005-2008) I’ve had three jobs. A part time job in retail which spanned from June 2004 until April 2009, a temporary job in the same store from September 2009 until December 2009, and a telesales job for two months after that. Since then, I’ve been unemployed.

Whilst unemployed I’ve had 8 interviews (2 bar jobs, 3 retail, 2 lettings/estate agents, 1 telesales); on 3 occasions I’ve ‘not had the experience required’, in 2 interviews (both of which stated that no experience was required!) the interviewer actually asked if I think I’m ‘overqualified’ (with my degree), later contacting me explaining that I’ve been unsuccessful. In the  other 3 of those interviews they haven’t had the decency to get back to me afterwards.

It just seems that companies, in my cases anyway, appear to either 1) require experience, regardless of educational background, or in the case of the jobs 2) need someone who they can train up, without fearing for them leaving the company due to their academic background.

I’m pretty much at a loss as to where to go from here. I’m confident that volunteering is the way forwards, whilst still applying for jobs as I have been. There’s a job at Bedford magistrates going, seems to be right up my street. Fingers crossed for that.

Finally, please bear with me as I get this blog how I want it. It’s in an under construction type state at the moment

Adios.