The Next Step

Our refugee families are fairly well settled into their new homes, and have even found connections in their communities, and that marks a turning point. I felt like I knew what was expected of me when I had a list of tasks to accomplish for them during the first few weeks. But now its time to start taking the first steps towards independence. Dropping by to check on them is occasionally frustrating as it's still hard to communicate and they're not always there (but I'm glad they're getting out and about). Sometimes it feels like they expect you to bring whatever items they've asked for and its time to start helping them understand if they want something new they need to budget for it and go out and buy it...not simple to explain or to do right now. It's also time to start learning how to get to appointments without volunteers playing taxi.

I'm very impressed with how fast some of them are picking up English, and hopefully they'll start formal classes to keep that momentum going. You can really see the survivor spirit coming through, a real desire to adapt and do well in their new home. I can see that this experience is going to continually surprise and challenge me as we enter each new phase, but so far I'm seeing the families become more relaxed, smile more, and their confidence growing which is just what I hope for them.

Creative Thinking

I've been asked to give a quick mention to the Foyer Foundation and their latest social partnership. It's a competition to win a PS3 where entries via txt or phone cost £1 and part of that is donated to help homeless youth. Mutually beneficial partnerships like this can be a sustainable way of addressing and improving social issues, what could you arrange in your neighborhood?

Moving Day

Finally, it is time for the families to move out of the refugee center and into their own homes. Having met with them last weekend (thanks to our volunteer translator!) I know they are really excited to get started on their new lives. The whole team has been taking care of things like getting the power turned on, organising furniture deliveries in preparation for moving the families tomorrow. You really have to be resourceful with such a huge language barrier; even phrase books fall short when someone can't read in their own language. I'm looking forward to taking them grocery shopping, and will come prepared with pictures of animals and any other useful tools I can find (meat all looks the same in the package)! Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting the families, helping them get acquainted with their neighborhood, teaching them how to use strange appliances, and start getting around on the bus and train. I've already been promised a home-cooked Burmese meal, and I can't wait.

As you can see the donations got off to an auspicious start and then stopped. As I add up my volunteer hours my 'hourly wage' is dropping to poverty-line levels...but I'm still loving it! This kind of work is so much more enjoyable than killing time for a buck, and I know other people would like the option too. So, let's start talking about the business development side of this project. Social entrepreneurship is growing like crazy. My idea is to have an employment agency (or a partnership between existing agencies) that uses its income to help provide temporary help to charitable organisations that cannot afford to hire staff or can only pay a low hourly rate. There could be training sessions to help match staff & organisations, the "for profit" clients could get tax breaks for contributing, or offer volunteer programs to their staff. I would also like to provide job training and work experience to unemployed or low-income individuals through the charities as well. the possibilities are endless, but I'm not a business woman so I'm asking for your feedback, ideas and business mentoring.

22 Nov - Smiles & Gestures

Last night we refugee resettlement volunteers got to meet the families we will be helping. Sitting and chatting was severely hindered by the language barriers. I managed my "ming ga la bah" greeting in Burmese and someone managed a "thank you", but after that we were reliant on the cross-cultural interpreters floating around the room. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but we had to try and get a few paperwork issues taken care of and that was hard enough. Both the families I met were so lovely. They are all Burmese but speak two different languages, and have very different needs. I have lived in a foreign country where I didn't speak the language before, but at least I could read the words and sound things out. I cannot imagine how daunting it must be for these families to start their new life here. Simple tasks like getting a phone number are just as overwhelming as trying to find medical care for their children. I am so glad to be able to make it a bit easier for them. To experience a little of what they are going through, try reading a bit of Burmese news site Kwe Ka Lu . I'm working on podcast #2 for December, which will have some sound bytes from last night's meeting and some of my volunteer team members.

15 Nov - Encouraged & Inspired

I've been scouring the web to find out what's happening in the world of volunteering and I am just amazed at the large numbers of opportunities out there, and thoroughly inspired by what other people are doing. I've started a list of links to share my favorites with you and highly recommend you take a look or have a listen. It's not important to have an original idea, and if you hear something you like, make it happen in your area.

Several cool things have happened this week:
1. These beautiful "Serenity" posters were donated by LA artist Anthony Satori as an incentive for people to donate $25 or more.

2. I was inspired by the Big Vision podcast interview with Kiva.org and now your donations will be twice as effective. There will be times (like now while we're fundraising) that donations will be accumulating, so rather than let them sit there I'll be putting most of the money through the Kiva micro-loan program before using them for Volunteerevolution.

3. Due in part to some comments on my mention on the Grassroots Channel I'm cutting my personal fundraising target in half, and I'll be doing the work whether the money arrives or not. I will also continue to look for more creative ways to use the donations to get the most benefit from them.

It's great getting your emails, and I'd love to see some comments on the blog. Positive feedback is always encouraging and less-than-positive feedback is what keeps me accountable and improving on the ideas here.

9 Nov - What a Great First Week

Wow! This week was launch week. I have been so busy making sure the details of the website were all in order, that when I finally got ready to push the 'send' button on my first email I was suddenly nervous. Is everyone going to think I'm nuts? Will anyone visit the site? etc.

The response has been wonderful. We've had our first donation and received some much appreciated emails of support. I've got a spot on the Million Campaign Homepage , and am really learning how big the volunteer community is. Now the job is to keep the word moving.

I've had some questions about what I'm doing right now so here's some more info. I've launched the site and will gauge what kind of support I can expect in the short term, which will help me plan the countdown to the day I quit my job. I'm just finishing up a 7 week training program with the local refugee resettlement program and will be meeting my refugee family. I'll be volunteering with them for 6 months to help them learn English, adjust to a new culture and build ties to the community. (Learn more about why refugees need our help). I'm also researching some volunteer opportunities in South America to gain some exposure to third-world level problems and challenge my comfort zone.

Thanks to everyone who has responded in positive ways. I'm excited to see what happens next.

Here's My Plan

Why Am I Doing This?: Charities need workers to accomplish meaningful work. Workers want meaningful work but need money. How do we solve the problem? Most of us want to help make our communities and the world a better place, but because we have families to care for and bills to pay it's hard to give our spare time. What about people who have lost their jobs, others that lack the job skills to get a 'good' job? I think if we could pay people to do "volunteer" work we would 1) get work done that is more important than selling the latest widget, 2) provide employment and work experience to people who need it, and 3) provide new opportunities for meaningful work to people who want to get out of their job ruts. Sound good? Then let me hear your ideas and thoughts or just donate to support the revolution!

Why Support Us?: When you can't give time, you give money, but you have to give it to huge charities and you never really connect with how your money is helping. If you support me you only have to give a small amount one time, and you can read my blog or listen to my podcasts to hear about what I'm doing right now. You will know that 100% of your money was translated straight into real work where it's needed. It's kind of like going "carbon neutral" but with time instead of pollution. Basically, we are doing your volunteer work for you, so you can keep your spare time for family, exercise, etc.

How Can You Help?: Click the "Donate Now" button and give what you can afford. Even $10 makes a difference, and if you're skeptical it's not much to risk. This is about lots of ordinary people pooling their resources to do something extraordinary.

FAQ

What kind of work am I doing? My goal is to be as "hands-on" as possible. For 4 months I have been helping refugee familes resettle in my community. I show them what resources are available and how to use them (like the bus, library, doctors, etc), help them deal with culture shock and start a new, independent life. The next step is to develop a self-supporting business plan which will provide training and income to unemployed and/or unskilled workers while also providing help to charitable organizations who rely on volunteers. I'm always looking for input so if you have experience or ideas email me at volunteerevolution@gmail.com.

How much money are you trying to raise? My target is $10,000 which will cover housing and food for a whole year. Other costs like healthcare or transport will be looked at as luxuries as they are to most of the world's population. I believe in living simply and will not abuse the generosity of those supporting me by using the funds irresponsibly. In other words, no mochaccinos for a while!

How do I donate? You can make a donation in any amount by clicking the "Donate Now" button (Paypal and credit cards accepted). Or if you can give a bit more and want to have some fun bid on my Ebay/Givingworks auctions. The auctions allow you to bid for a number of volunteer hours and a portion of the proceeds also goes directly to the nominated charity.

What if you don't raise enough money? Any amount is "enough" for something. If I raise half the funds, I will volunteer as long as I can and then may have to work part-time to supplement my income. I am committed to volunteering and to this project and if I only raise $1000 then I will will squeeze the most volunteer hours out of the donations as possible.

What if you raise more than your target amount? That would be amazing, and if volunteerevolution proves that successful, then maybe you'll also want to quit your job and join up. I've got lots of ideas for growing the organization to support more volunteers and provide much needed help in other communities or countries.

Donor Hall of Fame

This is a list of all the generous people who have helped so far. If you have donated, please post a comment telling about yourself and why you support volunteerevolution.

1. Nickel family - first to donate, thank you!! (Rich Nickel Design)
   
2. Anthony Satori - thanks for the gorgeous artwork
3. David - Partnerships Online