One-Year Round Up

A year ago I applied for the Vodafone NZ World of Difference award which provides a salary to the winners so they can work on a social project or with a non-profit organization for a year. While I didn't win, it got me thinking about what I could do on my own. And on a dreary New Zealand winter day I had a fit of creativity and started wondering what would happen if I auctioned myself on Ebay as a volunteer. Would some angel philanthropist provide my financial support so I could quit my job and volunteer for a year? Better yet would hundreds of people contribute small affordable donations with the same result? It sounded fantastic, stop working for money and do helpful things for others for a whole year and not end up starving on the street. I cautiously broached the idea to a few close friends and had them help me refine my approach and on Nov 1, 2006 Volunteerevolution was born.

I sent out an email to my friends and family explaining my motives and goals and asked them to support me simply by forwarding the email on to anyone who might be interested, church members, business acquaintances etc. I really believed that $20 was a reasonable donation for a whole year's worth of volunteering and maybe enough people would agree with me. I don't know what happened to the majority of those emails. Some people told me they had forwarded it on, one person donated the very same day! Several others replied with encouraging words which helped me not feel so crazy. A handful of very bold people responded with generous donations, logistic and emotional support and made me believe I was actually doing something extraordinary.

However, the trickle down effect didn't go far so I turned to self-promotion on the web. The more readers I could get, the better. My blog got noticed and mentioned on the Big Vision podcast resulting in a few donations from the U.K., the international attention really showed how amazing the internet can be. Three months in I was already volunteering with Refugee Resettlement but hadn't seen any donations for a while, so instead of quitting my job I compromised and reduced my work hours which really boosted my effectiveness as a refugee assistant. That kept me busy for the first 6 months...that and planning my move back to the US. In May I travelled in Central America for a month seeing first-hand how most of the world lives and strengthening my desire to use my time and resources to benefit others. Resettling in Colorado after 6 years away, I faced the challenge of starting over in a new community, but I found that volunteering is one of the easiest ways to meet people and build good networks. I kept walking past the Emergency Family Assistance Association's building so I stopped in and signed up to volunteer and now have a weekly shift working directly with clients which really keeps me in touch with how many people are lacking in food and shelter - even in my affluent little town. This also gives me a way to practice my Spanish which I am learning through a conversation group, library CD's and free podcasts. I did need income so I applied for every non-profit job I could find and ended up working part-time with Ecocycle, and while its not directly human services oriented I am helping improve my community by promoting recycling and better use of resources. In addition I am teaching first aid & CPR classes to help people look after eachother in emergencies.

It has been a transforming year and I am much happier about how I spend my time both when I'm getting paid and when I'm not. There are a lot of needs in our society that are not being met and I believe a lot of that is because we've moved farther away from having strong community in our quest for individuality and personal gain (more things, more money, big house with a fence around it, don't talk to the scruffy man asking for change). I know I'm an idealist but if we spent more energy making sure our neighbors had enough to eat and a warm place to sleep we'd all be taken care of. As I finally think about buying a home that issue of community is foremost in my mind. I learned about cohousing a while ago, which is a form of intentional community where people build and manage their own neighborhood, everyone chooses to be involved, know and help their neighbors, and share resources (like lawnmowers or open space). Colorado is unique in that it has almost 20 existing cohousing developments (second only to California with 51). We have about 4 well-established communities near Boulder and there are houses available in a couple of them. I am very excited about the prospect of not just buying a house but being able to actively invest myself in my community and be surrounded by other people who agree that seeing beyond our individual needs is important and can really make a difference.

It's a long post after a long, full year and if you got through it, then thanks for listening. I've read a lot this year about self-development both business and personal and here are two key things for you to walk away with.

1) If you are passionate about something, don't wait, just start doing it and you'll be amazed at what happens. Inspire yourself by reading about other people who've done it or listen to podcasts about people making changes. (See the sidebar links for some suggestions).

2) Do something that scares you, every day if possible. It's incredible what a shift in attitude makes possible, I see small things daily that make me nervous (trying something new at work, calling someone you don't know about an opportunity) but now instead of putting them off I think "aha, this is scary so I should do it".

Life is short and you get out of it what you put in so build some new relationships, strengthen some old ones and find some small way to make a difference to people in need whether you know them or not and I bet you'll find some joy in it. Next year is YOUR YEAR and I'd love to hear how it turns out. Thanks once more to those who donated gifts, time and money, and those special few who truly encouraged me throughout the year, I cannot truly express what amazing people you are. Micki.

September Update

In all my excitement about these cool nonprofits I haven't given you an update on what I'm doing in a while. It's been 3 months since landing in Boulder and a routine is shaping up nicely.

• I do paid work part-time for Eco-cycle which is giving me an inside view of how nonprofits work, especially those trying to develop sustainable income streams.
• Once a week I do intake for EFAA which means meeting with clients and providing appropriate assistance such as gas vouchers or food bank provisions.
  
• My latest position is as a volunteer First Aid/CPR instructor for the Red Cross. This is a minimum commitment of one 8hr class per month, but I am on-call and can teach as much as I am able.
• I would also like to start working with the Radio Reading Service of the Rockies again. Several years ago I read the local news for them, they provide audio services for the visually impaired. But don't think they're helpless, the guy who runs the sound studio is blind! That will probably be a weekly commitment as well.

That's what is going on. It's really nice to have time and opportunity to be involved in these different areas. I still have my dream about turning this project into a sustainable business that can pay other people to "volunteer". I am realizing that I lack a lot of knowledge and connections so I am learning all I can at work and have gotten involved with the Denver Young Nonprofit Professionals group (another good nonprofit to know about) so I can build up networks and at least talk about the idea to people who can help make it happen.

As always thanks for your continued support.

Nonprofits You Should Know About - One World Cafe

On a recent hiking trip to Utah I learned about the One World Cafe in Salt Lake City. This non-profit restaurant serves organic cuisine, lets diners decide what portion size and how much they pay, and will also let volunteers (including the homeless) trade time for food. It is an amazing concept with the goal of ending hunger under the philosophy "everybody eats". If your first reaction was anything like mine you would wonder how a system like that could survive, but they have proved themselves sustainable after 4 years and have designed a "how-to" guide for other restaurants to follow.

They have a "short" list of U.S. cities where they'd like to establish cafes including New York, Washington D.C. , Pittsburgh, Iowa City, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and Santa Fe. They also have a video on You Tube that can be accessed from their website. If you're in the neighborhood check them out, if not just think more about the food you eat & waste, if you're truly inspired start up your own!

Nonprofits You Should Know About - Ecocycle

If you've ever felt a twinge of guilt when you were cleaning out your closet and found all those old mixed tapes or dead batteries or unused gadgets and thought 'I can't just throw these out' but didn't know what to do so you snuck out to the dumpster after dark to shove them under the other trash...

then I've got a great resource for you. Ecocycle is located here in Boulder, CO but their website is an excellent resource for anyone in N. America who wants to help keep stuff out of landfills and contribute to recycling and reuse (and I'm not just saying that because I work for them now). There is a pull-down list of hard to recycle materials which gives you options for recycling like mail-in recycling or manufacturer "take-back" programs. Which, by the way, you should all promote and consider when choosing which brand to buy - when a company purposely makes a product out of toxic, non-renewable or non-recyclable parts YOU end up paying the cost by paying for trash hauling, landfill dumping or even recycling. If companies have to absorb the materials they produce when they've reached the end of their lifecycle it will make them think much more carefully about what goes into the products in the first place. A small but apt example is in Europe where bottled drink makers take back their bottles and reuse/recycle them, much more efficient then recycling aluminum or plastic containers!

So next time you've got something weird to dump, don't trash it, check out www.ecocycle.org or earth911.org to find out where you can recycle it. My personal favorites are the building material resource yards, you can find some cool junk in there!

Nonprofits You Should Know About - Fringe

Fringe benefits? Well yes there are those but Fringe Festival is what I meant. Here in Boulder we have a toddler-age festival (3 years next week). and by volunteering you get passes to shows, meet new people and learn some new skills. Volunteers do everything from loading shows in/out, sell tickets and spread promo stuff around town (ie visit lots of coffee shops). I'll be managing the Laughing Goat venue which pretty much means keep everyone in line and know what to do if it all goes horribly wrong...which it won't with me in charge, right?

Don't know what a fringe festival is? Check out Wikipedia and we'll see you in Edinburgh next year!

Nonprofits You Should Know About

Since writing and reading about my life all the time could become a tad boring I've decided to add a few posts that are all about YOU! When people think of volunteering or nonprofits they usually think of feeding starving people or helping the homeless. These are important issues of course but not necessarily pertinent to YOU. If you dig around in your community you are likely to find a few organizations that are there for you, the better-than-average Jill/Joe. A great example here in Boulder is Community Cycles whose mission is to "educate and advocate the safe use of refurbished bicycles as an affordable and sustainable means of transportation and personal enjoyment." Basically they refurbish donated bikes and distributes them locally and internationally through different programs. The one I liked was "Earn-a-Bike" where someone like YOU who wants to start riding to work can volunteer in the bike shop, learn more about bike maintenance and finish up by customizing your own ride. So you don't live in Colorado, Google "bike coop" "bike collective" or "community bike/bicycle" and you'll probably find something nearby. If YOU discover something wonderful in your neighborhood, post a comment and let everyone know.

Summer Fun at Rockygrass

Sometimes you just gotta do something for fun and that includes volunteering. I've spent my weekend giving out wristbands at the Rockygrass Festival in Lyons, CO in exchange for a free ticket. It's been fun working with the other volunteers and hanging out listening to some great bluegrass. Just goes to show that you don't always have to spend money to have a good time.

9 Month Update

Wow! 9 months since the launch of Volunteerevolution and what has been accomplished. I had no idea how this idea would work and I think it has been a moderate success for my first venture. Most importantly I've been able to log a few hundred volunteer hours which has been really fun and rewarding (even though I know its not about me!). Helping our two refugee families settle into their homes was an amazing experience and right now I'm really enjoying meeting clients at the EFAA foodbank and chatting while I help them shop. As I mentioned previously, relocating has presented delays and challenges, but there are so many opportunities here in Boulder that I'm excited for the future. I am continuing to learn more about nonprofit management through my volunteer work and networking. I am relearning Spanish which is a necessity in this area. I will continue to promote VE over the next 3 months to help decide what the next step is. Thank you to all who have supported us financially and emotionally so far, feel free to post feedback and comments.

Volunteering Again

Making an international move in the middle of a project like this presents quite a few challenges. Starting over in a new community where I don't know a lot of people makes everything that much harder. However, volunteers are always needed so I'm helping out at the Emergency Family Assistance Association here in Boulder. EFAA provides emergency food, shelter even financial advice for local families in need. While I'm without a paying job and my own housing and feeling stress, at least I know I have the safety nets of family and savings. It gives me that much more empathy for people who are truly in need and I like being part of a resource that is there for them. There are also a lot of paid work opportunities in local non-profits so I'm sending out resumes every day.

My first potential volunteer has not been able to follow through so I'm keeping your donations in the micro-finance cycle while I look at how Volunteerevolution will best fit into the organizations already in place here.

Project Update

I'm back in the real world now so I have a chance to give you an update on what your donations have been doing. The donations first spend a cycle in Kiva microfinance projects and these are the specific ones your money has helped:

Hezron Ngetich Luisa Morales Noor Shah Azmari Mohammad Hussin

I'd also like to tell you about two projects I visited in Central America which I will be making personal donations to.

Quetzaltrekkers is a tour company working in Leon, Nicaragua. Volunteers lead local hikes and activities and the proceeds go to projects benefiting the local children. Just walking around Leon and seeing the number of kids on the street, not in school and in need I knew that even if I didn't do a hike I was going to walk over to the office and just give them some money. Their website details how you can volunteer and lists the kinds of hiking gear you can donate.

Open Windows - I went to visit the project outside of Antigua, Guatemala and got to see the kids doing homework and learning how to use the computer. The project provides a library, tutoring assistance, and computer training for students and their parents. It provides resources they don't get at school and can help them find better paying jobs when they graduate.

Seeing these creative projects first hand got me excited to get back to Colorado and get to work! I'm signing up for Spanish lessons with Alianza this week and am earnestly targeting local non-profits for job/volunteer opportunities.

I am starting to understand that I need to learn a lot more about what resources are already in place in my community so that I can use them to help achieve Volunteerevolutions goals. Meanwhile I thought I could put the current donations to direct use. I know someone personally who unfairly lost her job and is not readily employable. It has been a difficult adjustment for her and so I've offered to pay her for volunteering. She was pretty surprised at the offer but really open even though she's never volunteered before. I've left it to her to motivate herself and find an opportunity she would enjoy (with a little direction to get started) so I'll keep you posted.

Lessons in Central America

Hola from Nicaragua. I am 3 countries into my 5 country tour of Central America and it has been a challenging, tiring and amazing time so far. Yes, I am on 'vacation' but have been trying to travel in line with my ethics, and have not had to compromise as much as I imagined. There are so many great things going on down here. Recycling programs in trash-ridden areas, craft co-ops, organic coffee and chocolate plantations, sustainable agriculture...it is inspiring. If you want to volunteer down here there are many places where you can just show up and look for flyers. Everything from turtle nesting observation to soccer coaching. This trip has been a good overview of what CA is like, and a great chance to start working on my Spanish. Once I get settled in Colorado I am going to really study so that future trips can just be spent in one place working with the locals and gaining a better understanding of the people and culture. I have also talked to many of my travel-mates who have already done volunteer programs here and in South America and they all have great things to say about it, so I say go for it!

Quitting Time!

It's a bittersweet end to March and the 5th month of volunteerevolution. I have finally quit my job (yay!) and am saying goodbye to friends in New Zealand (boo hoo!). I'm have also finished up my refugee work which was a mixed experience itself.

I really enjoyed working with the refugees, and was frustrated by how not having a car limited the type of friendship I was able to offer. I was able to do administrative stuff for them but not offer to take them to the beach or invite them to festivals. I also was disappointed in my team experience. Each team member was a friendly person and shared their strengths with the families but I never felt like we worked together or that we went beyond the required basics. Other teams were taking their families on outings, having meals together, making photo albums, etc. We didn't communicate much, didn't take on tasks together and everything quietly petered out at the end. Since no one was the "leader" it didn't feel possible to speak up and push the group to do more. Oh well, lessons learned, and our families seem to be getting along on their own now, chattering away in English and building community networks. I will definitely do this again!

Posts will be quiet over the next 2 months as I organize my overseas move, and spend time traveling through Central America. I'm already building my stash of craft materials and over the counter medicine to donate, and am looking forward to visiting local non-profits and making contacts for future trips. I have also been searching the opportunities in Colorado (which abound!) and am really excited about Alianza who teach Spanish in order to train bi-lingual volunteers. I'll be practicing during my trip and will sign up with them in June. It's the end of one era but the start of so many new things, I can't help be excited!!

International Cultural Festival

There's me at the Refugee Resettlement info desk talking to potential volunteers about the program. We had a booth at the Auckland International Cultural Festival which is a chance for all different nationalities to share performances, information and of course food (my favorite). I had some yummy Ethiopian food and some Vietnamese tofu spring rolls, and when I spotted the Finnish tent I thought, "baked goods" and was not disappointed, mmm-mmm! This was the first year of the Ethnic World Cup soccer tournament which got pretty intense from what I heard.

It was great to see how many different groups were represented. There were people from Africa, El Salvador, Brazil, Eritrea, Afghanistan, places I've never even heard of because they haven't achieved their independence! Sometimes Auckland can feel quite divided, downtown is devoted to the Asian students studying here, while everywhere else in the country is predominantly European with pockets of Maori or Pacific Islanders...guess that does sound diverse...but you rarely see everyone mixed together like we did at the festival. A really enjoyable afternoon and hopefully some good recruiting got done too.

On another positive note, our first Kiva loan has been repaid. Donations to volunteerevolution that aren't needed immediately are put through the microloan program first so we get multiple use out of the money.

The Next Step...Input Wanted

Refugee work continues but with everyone enrolled in school or English classes and taking the bus to appointments etc, the move towards functioning independently is speeding along. It's great to see the families making friends in their community and becoming more confident. Our 6-month commitment to them will be over in two more months, but I know we'll all want to keep in touch and continue to support through visits, conversation and friendship.

As things wind down it's time to focus on the next step and I am keen to get as much input on this as possible. With fresh donations on hand and moral support I'm excited to see what can be accomplished in this first year. The general idea is to form a partnership between a staffing agency(ies) and volunteer programs in order to use income from customers to subsidize wages to people doing volunteer work. This means charitable organizations who cannot afford to pay staff but rely heavily on volunteers can get the help they need. On the other end people who want to work in more meaningful jobs but need income can do so. I'd like to extend that by offering job skill training and job experience to unemployed and un-skilled workers. Organizations relying on "volunteers" should be more willing to provide a bit of work experience in exchange for labor which will hopefully open doors to more skilled, better paid employment for these workers. There are so many variable possibilities that we should be able to accomplish our goals through some means. If need be we may have to start our own staffing agency, and there would hopefully be tax benefits for our paying customers as incentive to participate. You can imagine many other options I'm sure.

I've never started a business, but have worked in many small ones including staffing agencies. If any of you have experience or enthusiasm to help develop these ideas please share your thoughts via email (volunteerevolution@gmail.com) and lets get things moving.

Get Involved Online

Ever since I heard of Ashoka I've been amazed at the ideas their entrepreneurs come up with. But I felt those people and their accomplishments were far beyond my abilities. Now there is an open source online forum so you can read about what people are doing, enter your own ideas or just comment and help refine solutions to social problems. What a great way to get people involved and thinking! Changemakers.net

Check-up Time

My volunteer team recently attended a 6-week checkup meeting along with other teams to discuss how things were going with our refugee families and make sure the key tasks had been accomplished. It was an eye-opening experience for me, on some levels I felt inadequate because other teams had really taken initiative and provided for their families in special ways like creating photo albums and taking them to events. On the other hand we thought we had seen a huge issue arise over a $400 phone bill until we heard from the group whose family had charged $2000 of calls. Hopefully we identified issues that can be avoided in the future and came away with inspiration and new ideas.

This week is school enrollment for the kids and English classes start next week for the adults which will help alleviate the boredom they've experienced over the holiday period.

Helping build Independence or Dependence?

Sometimes it's really hard to know how much to help, or if what you think is help is really creating dependence. A refugee's goal is to function independently in their new country, but of course they start off (and likely continue) with state housing and an income benefit along with other special grants. While the dollar amounts don't look like much to you or I, it's reliable housing and income that they have not experienced before.

But what happens when you don't understand how to use your phone card and a bill for $400 shows up? I know how much I would cry if that happened to me, and although I wouldn't enjoy paying it, I could do so easily. Imagine that it's more than 50% of your take home income. Stressful right? So my question is, if I can afford to help pay the bill should I? Even if its done anonomously? Will that help them learn to be more careful with the phone, will it help them learn to budget, or will it set a precedent that when they are in trouble someone will bail them out? We have been cautioned in training not to give above and beyond what is truly necessary as the community talks to eachother and it can set high expectations that future volunteers cannot be expected to meet. On the other hand maybe its just as simple as I have money and they need it. What do you think?

Happy New Year!

The New Year, always time for change, and it will be bringing some big ones. For the refugees time to get kids enrolled in school and parents enrolled in English classes. Hopefully life is starting to settle into something like a normal routine for them, and our visits can be a bit more relaxed as we start building relationships. Then of course a new intake of families will arrive and the whirlwind will start all over.

For myself, while my much appreciated donations will not quite support me quitting my job right now I am negotiating to reduce my hours at work as a first step. This will allow me some time free during the day to assist with medical appointments etc which can be especially daunting to non-English speakers.

In a few months time when my refugee placement is complete, I've got some plans to visit Central America and some projects there. Then I'll relocate back to my permanent home so I can focus on developing Volunteerevolution's full potential. Meanwhile I better get reading about non-profits, business plans and all that fun stuff.