It’s Friday (and gloriously sunny out, if you haven’t noticed), and you know what that means? Volunteer round-up time! This is where we tell you about all the new volunteer opportunities that were posted on the United Way Volunteer Website in the past week. If you don’t see anything on this list that strikes your fancy, fear not! There are hundreds more volunteer listings for you to peruse at www.uwkc.org/volunteer. Yeehaw!

Tutor/Mentor Refugee Youth

Sponsor: Coalition For Refugees From Burma | Location: Seattle, WA 98118

Volunteer tutors will provide individualized in home tutoring services to high school aged refugee youth. Tutoring sessions will focus on building students’ academic skills, helping students to self-monitor their progress in their classes, and assisting with college preparedness and. . . more

Volunteer at Vegfest 2012

Sponsor: Vegetarians of Washington | Location: Seattle, WA 98109

Vegfest is the largest vegetarian food festival in the United States. It is held at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall each Spring. Each year there are doctors and dietitians talking about nutrition, chefs giving cooking demonstrations, a huge bookstore and. . . more

MathFest — Elementary Math Like You’ve Never Seen It

Sponsor: Explorations In Math | Location: Seattle, WA 98122

Imagine a community gym filled with squeals of delight, high-fives and gleeful jigs when a challenge is met. Imagine now that coming from families playing math games! MathFest Seattle is the annual math bash at the Rainier Community Center. . . more

Help elementary students succeed! Afterschool tutors needed

Sponsor: Neighborhood House | Location: Seattle, WA 98146

Think that your three hours a week don’t matter? Tell that to Hakeem who didn’t finish today’s homework because it was too hard. He could’ve used your three hours. . . more

Reading Heroes Wanted!

Sponsor: Communities In Schools Of Seattle | Location: Seattle, WA 98118

Share your literary passion with a struggling student by becoming a Reading Buddy! It’s a great way to spend a couple hours during the weekday. You could have the opportunity to reconnect with childhood and make a HUGE impact. . . more

Volunteer for the 2012 Big Climb!

Sponsor: The Washington/Alaska Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Location: Seattle, WA 98104

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is looking for volunteers to help with the 26th Annual Big Climb on Sunday, March 25th! Volunteers will support participants as they climb 69 flights of stairs at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle. . . more

Help Homeless women get back on their feet!

Sponsor: Sojourner Place | Location: Seattle, WA 98105

Help women experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. Multiple volunteer positions available including Counselor, Art Instructor,
Newsletter Editor, Web Master, Handyman/woman, and more.

Whether you’re looking to grow your volunteer management skillset, learn how to more strategically engage volunteers at your organization, or you just want to get together with other volunteer management professionals, there are a number of great trainings and networking events coming up in the next few months!

February 9th  “Leveraging Volunteer Engagement to Accomplish Your Mission” 8:30-10:30am Cost: $25 Details and Registration

February 22^nd VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Professional Gathering @ Noel House in Seattle. Free

February 24^th 2012 Volunteer Manager’s Summit in Bellevue. Free

March 6th Strategic Job Design: Designing Volunteer Roles for Impact! 9:00am-1:00pm $45 Details and Registration

March 8th “Board Centered Leadership” 8:30-11:30am Cost: $40 Details and Registration

March 28^th VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Professional Gathering @ Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Free

April 3rd & 17th “Effective Volunteer Management 101″ 9:00am-4:30pm Cost: $170 Details and Registration

June: 2012 VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Conference. Exact date TBD

Monthly: #NPFace: A meetup for Seattle area nonprofits to share social media best practices. Next meetup is at The Diller Room on 1st and University downtown Seattle from 5 – 7 pm on Thursday February 23^rd Free

Have we missed anything? Email us at volunteer@uwkc.org if you have trainings or events to add to this list!

WithinReach AmeriCorps Outreach staff

For over two decades, WithinReach, a statewide non-profit, has helped Washington families take steps towards healthier lives by connecting them with health and food resources while promoting health education and disease prevention among vulnerable populations. Two years ago WithinReach partnered with the United Way of King County to build the Bridge to Basics program – a volunteer effort that trains community members in public benefits eligibility and places them in the community to reach out to their neighbors in need of these services. Over the past two years, Bridge to Basics volunteers and WithinReach’s Community Outreach team completed over 1,200 Basic Food (food stamps) applications and connected with over 6,200 people at places like food banks, Worksources and libraries, linking them with other crucial resources such as utility assistance and low-cost clinics. The story of Lila, a recent US immigrant from the war-ravaged Central African Republic, is a story of just one person who has benefited from WithinReach’s Bridge to Basics Program.

“It was an absolute nightmare.”

Flame-laden batons and spheres of fire – weapons of war – hurled into make-shift shelters smoked villagers out of their dwellings; homes left un-torched pillaged and plundered by enemies and neighbors alike.

These were the manifestations of warfare seen through the eyes of the then 19 year old Lila.

Several decades later, those same eyes stare down at the mounds of job applications and employment brochures. Lila is at Airport Jobs, a job search center within the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where over 50% of job seekers are immigrants or refugees living in South King County.  Lila works at a nursing home as a RN assistant, but spends much of her spare time helping her adult son, Ezra, with his job search. Ezra, who has recently relocated to the US, said to me, “My mom is always caring for everyone else. She came here with me today on her day off… It is a good thing that you are here, because she never would have done this (accessed food benefits) on her own.

What do we do?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately one in four people eligible for Basic Food are not receiving benefits. Eligible immigrant populations are even less likely to participate in food stamps. In addition, working individuals, such as Lila, are increasingly finding themselves among the hungry. Lila’s situation illustrates that food stamp outreach is valuable for those who are new to public benefits. After all, it is difficult for people to seek out resources if they do not know about them. Consequently, Bridge to Basics fills this access gap by providing in-person support to people in need of food and health care assistance – when and where they need it. By physically going out into the community, Bridge to Basic volunteers and WithinReach staff help those who fall through the cracks access benefits – allowing them to use the money that they would typically allocate for groceries and food for other essentials like housing costs, car payments, and utilities. One of the benefits of having in-person assistance is that clients can get service and support tailored to their situations (such as help gathering verifications, setting up interviews with DSHS, and obtaining translation services). In addition to reaching out to a community that is often met with systemic neglect, the Bridge to Basics program works to eradicate misconceptions about eligibility and citizenship guidelines that prevent some immigrants from applying.

How did the service affect the life of the client?

As Lila and I worked together to fill out her food stamp application, she expressed her hope that food benefits would allow her to resume buying halal meat, or meat that has been prepared in a manner prescribed by Islamic law. (The Islamic practice requiring Muslims to eat exclusively halal meat is similar to Jewish tradition mandating that members of its faith consume only kosher.) Halal items, which Lila had ceased purchasing shortly after her arrival into the states, is typically more expensive than other meat and poultry – making it difficult to access for those on a strict budget. “They don’t carry it at the food bank, so now I hardly eat any meat.” Lila’s experience expounds how access to food stamps may raise living standards of those in need, including working individuals such as Lila, by restoring a participants’ purchasing power and increasing access to healthy and, in Lila’s case, culturally and religiously appropriate food options versus what is solely available at the food bank.

How did the service impact me?

Serving as an AmeriCorps member on WithinReach’s Bridge to Basics Program has allowed me to come into contact with a mosaic of cultures, and most probably, people I would not have otherwise met. Lila, in a very short time, opened me up to a different world by momentarily transporting me out of King County and into the Central African Republic (CAD), her homeland, with stories of her war-torn, arson- ravaged village. A conflict that has displaced an estimated 220,000 of her countrymen, she shared how in the midst of so much civil chaos, she became separated from her husband of 20 years. According to Lila, in CAD, governmental assistance is non-existent while limited foreign aid from private charities runs out far too quickly. To Lila, the food stamp program, an entitlement program that guarantees all applicants benefits so long as they meet minimum requirements, was “unexpected,” a stark juxtaposition to assistance programs in CAD. Lila’s surprise towards food stamp access highlights how outreach is particularly beneficial to King County’s many immigrant and refugee communities – who are not only new to the country, but are often new to public benefit system.

By providing me with a snapshot of her past life, Lila exemplifies how the benefits of service are a two-way street. Much too often, the assumption is made that volunteerism and public service are unilateral – that the advantage is disproportionately collected by the recipient of the service. My experience with Lila shows that this is absolutely not true. Rather, there is something to be gained by both parties involved. In this case, Lila enhances my worldview, and in turn, this broader cultural literacy will help me anticipate and address the needs of diverse populations – enabling me to become a better service provider and a better citizen of the world.

Lila was approved for $84.00 per month in Basic Food benefits.

What inspires me is seeing the faces of the children that are really happy when I go visit them. The enthusiasm in their faces when we read, play and sing with them, sometimes
I cannot even describe the joy I feel. One of the biggest issues that keeps me up at night are the poverty levels that most of the families I work with are in.

I have one boy in Year 2 who just learned to write the first letter of his name. He was so excited about it, but wouldn’t show his Dad until he had showed me. He actually made his Dad wait until he could show “Miss Cella” first!

We have one parent who’s been so excited by having books in the house that she wants more. She has no money to buy books, but she’s so thrilled about her son learning that she found some cardboard, colored and cut out all of the letters in the alphabet, covered them with plastic wrap, and hung them up in the house. It was wonderful to see her excited enough to do this really spontaneous thing.

I have a single father raising his daughter alone who was in the program a few years ago but still comes by to visit and texts me to let me know how she’s doing in school. He’s become a huge advocate for her education and it’s important to him to stay in touch with us because we really helped him.

I had one girl who had a 16-year-old mom who really struggled when she was in the program. The girl is 6 now, and I swear she’s a genius! She and her mom just stuck with the attitude and outlook we modeled, and she just loves to read.

It’s the small changes I notice. Even one small thing like a parent going from giving absolutely no praise to offering just one or two gentle taps on the shoulder—it can be life changing.

The Seattle-King County Asset Building Collaborative will be having their annual Financial Fitness day on March 31^st. They have joined with over 40 community partners to be able to bring community members FREE financial services. These services include everything from one-on-one help filling out a tax return, printing and analyzing free credit reports, opening bank accounts, creating a household budget, working with a financial planner, applying for public benefits (food, utilities, child care, health insurance, social security), learning how to start a business, shredding confidential documents, and—new this year—completing a FAFSA application!

Services will be provided by experts, including attorneys, financial planners, housing counselors, credit counselors, public health workers, and volunteer tax preparers. Workshops will be offered throughout the day on a variety of financial topics, such as understanding credit reports, budgeting and money management, first-time homeownership, paying for college, and dealing with debt collectors. More than 40 community groups will offer resources and advice.

To register for this event or to find out more information, visit the SKCABC website. Registration is strongly encouraged for those who need childcare, language interpretation or American Sign Language services.

Interested in volunteering for the day? Check out the positions on the United Way of King County’s website.

The Volunteer Impact Program (VIP) is a free 10-month program available to local nonprofit organizations through a partnership between United Way of King County and 501 Commons. Now in its third year, the program provides more than $20,000 in assessment, training and consulting services that can boost an organization’s ability to engage and manage volunteers. In an era of diminishing financial resources, volunteers are a critical resource for nonprofits.  You can help them maximize that resource as a volunteer consultant.

As a volunteer consultant you will work with nonprofit staff to assess their volunteer involvement efforts, and assist the nonprofit to develop a plan for using volunteers more effectively.

To learn more about the Volunteer Impact Program and to see how VIP has helped to strengthen local nonprofits visit: Volunteer Impact Program: Results from 2010 and 2011

Interested?  Visit Be A VIP in 2012 or contact Karen Molinari at karen@501commons.org.

For more about the important work that United Way of King County does in our local community please click on the following link: http://www.uwkc.org/our-focus/children/.

To find out more about the statewide WaKIDS program, please check out this website: http://www.k12.wa.us/wakids/.

Phone bank volunteer Emily Ausema is all smiles as she calls clients, describing her Bridge to Basics experience as "great!"

Last week United Way of King County was thrilled to host two special volunteer events, organized in partnership with the City of Seattle PeoplePoint program and our very own Bridge to Basics program. Together we put on two volunteer phone banking nights to call clients who had applied for City of Seattle benefits but were still missing key information from their applications after an initial letter from the City. Without completing all the information on the applications, these clients couldn’t be considered for important City benefits, including utility and heating assistance.

Our 21 amazing volunteers made 500 unduplicated phone calls and were able to reach over 250 clients to update their application information. That number represents a lot of individuals and families in Seattle who will now have a greater chance of accessing important assistance programs. We commend our volunteers for doing a service for the City and helping vulnerable city residents move forward with their applications for vital public benefits! Bravo!

If you would also like to spread the warmth this winter with our Bridge to Basics program, check out our unique Bridge to Basics Intake volunteer position coming to a Free Tax Prep site near you! We need more wonderful volunteers like you to make sure that low-income clients using our free tax service will also be to see if they’re eligible for additional benefits, like food stamps and utility discount programs, that could make a real difference in their lives.

Bonnie reading at Grace Children's Center

“What are we reading today?” Bonnie Rosalind asks the small pupils at Grace Children’s Center. Her favorite response is for a child to select a book that Bonnie herself loved to read while growing up; she believes that is “a true testament to the timelessness of books.”

Bonnie signed up for the Volunteer Reader Program on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2009. President Obama had declared that date a National Day of Service, and Bonnie took it as a call to action. Since then, she has been sharing her passion for books by reading every Tuesday at Grace Children’s Center. Bonnie does much more than read; she asks the children questions, encourages them to use their imagination, and makes friends. She watched a shy little girl blossom and become bold enough to speak up when Bonnie skipped a word in a familiar story! While reading Chalk, a wonderfully illustrated wordless book about magic chalk that brings drawings to life, Bonnie and the kids together create a story to accompany the book. She smilingly remembers one little boy’s response to the question of what he would draw with magic chalk: “a brother!”

Each August of Bonnie’s three years as a Volunteer Reader has been bittersweet. While she is sad to say goodbye to the graduating children she also shares that, “it’s exciting because I see the skills that they are walking away with.” Those skills will help them thrive in kindergarten and beyond. One of her favorite moments each week is when she walks into the classroom and hears a chorus of little voices calling, “I want to read, I want to read, I want to read!” Bonnie sums it up: “there is nothing sweeter than that.”

The main takeaways from the training:

• The pressures on the budget are real, significant and won’t be gone soon. As a person from Texas put it “If you are not at the table (during budget discussions) you are on the menu (of cuts)
• Federal deficit spending is the highest since WWII and represents 10% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Deficit reduction actions taken by the feds will put more pressure on the states and the states in turn will move more responsibilities to the county level.
• Federal funds (grants, salaries, procurement, direct payments) account for 25-30% of state’s budgets (in WA state, federal funds account for 20% of the state budget). Big federal reductions combined with the current 10%+ reductions that need to be taken on the state level will hit inordinately hard on health and human services.
• The Joint Select Committee (also known as the Super Committee) is tasked with finding $1.2 trillion in budget reductions over the next 10 years. Their recommendation or plan needs to go to Congress by Nov 23 and Congress needs to approve the package (with no amendments –an up or down vote) by December 23. If Congress does not approve the package then across the board cuts will kick in January 2013 (one year after no agreement is reached).  This is called sequestration and is not a process that electeds like because it indiscriminately cuts programs without factoring in merit.
• If the Joint Select Committee proposes less than the $1.2 trillion and Congress agrees to the plan, then the remaining amount up to $1.2 trillion will be subject to sequestration. Fifty percent of the across the board cuts will need to be taken in defense and 50% in non-defense. The cuts would amount to about $109 billion/year for 10 years. One presenter suggested that states would do better (have less cuts) under sequestration than through the regular federal budget appropriation process.
• The Joint Select Committee has no content restrictions on the plan that it proposes to Congress by November 23—it can: include tax reform, make major cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and SS or do any combination in between. With so little time, speakers felt that there will not be major tax reform proposed but rather the focus will be on cutting entitlement programs (Worldwide reminded us that more than half of people served by Medicaid are children). A representative from the Republican Whip’s office stated that the package could include a reduction in health care (in the form of payment reduction to providers and LTC facilities), some tax reform, adjustments to Social Security and changes to TANF in order to make it more “efficient”.
• Speakers emphasized that if you advocate “don’t cut spending for programs” you have to be prepared to talk revenue.  One speaker encouraged people not to react always to cuts but to respond to outcomes and use outcome statements.
• This fall, the focus in Congress will be on jobs creation, economic development, loosening federal environmental and other regulations (“get government out of the way of economic development”) and education.
• A speaker from the Committee for Economic Development showed in a recent survey that business leaders want to be involved in advocacy but are not. United Ways can use their brand name to advantage as a way to engage business leaders. As a speaker from Texas said, you can only do so much with money, but without voices change will not be accomplished.
• A speaker from the White House posited that there should be a national debate about the role of federal  government and the level of support necessary. He pointed out that the President’s budget (the third one presented this year) cuts more than the Budget Control Act requires and lays out a plan to support the American Jobs Act. He felt the use of federal funds is most successful when there is a connection to the non-profit sector and that reductions now need to come more from the wealthier.
• There has been much national discussion about the “Buffet rule” where Warren Buffet said he should pay at least as much in tax rate as his secretary (51% of people don’t pay income tax)

The main takeaways from the Day on the Hill:

• I was able to meet with five congressional offices including those of Congressmen McDermott, Inslee, Reichert and Senators Murray and Cantwell (Inslee was the only Congressman that I met with in person)
• With each congressional office, I introduced UWW (largest non-governmental funder of human services in the US with 95% of funding from private sources and a network of over 1200 United Ways throughout the country), thanked the Congress person for his/her specific past support of United Way priorities, and made 4 asks: Restore Emergency Food and Shelter program to its 2009 and 2010 funding level; Preserve the charitable deduction; Continue EITC (earned income tax credit)-it is an important piece of free tax preparation; and Reauthorize SNAP (food stamps) as part of the Farm bill reauthorization this fall
• Congressman Inslee supported all 4 asks and stated that we should let funders know the clear trade-offs that are being considered e.g. cuts to human services while protecting tax deductions; Congressman Reichert’s legislative aide would pass the information along to the appropriate people but the Congressman was all about jobs and support of working families; Senator Murray’s staff said she has been supportive of these issues in the past, was all about preserving support for the most vulnerable (including food stamps) and would be taking a thoughtful look at tax policies (as co-chair of the Joint Select Committee); Senator Cantwell’s office was sympathetic to the asks but did not offer specific support; and Congressman McDermott’s office said that he championed EITC, redefined the discussion around poverty, and understands the issues around charitable deductions.