Hot Project Testimonials – We Feel Special! June 4, 2013

It’s no secret that our programs wouldn’t be the same without our amazing community partners. They work with us to provide projects for Team Works, Hot Projects and HandsOn Leadership; they give The Bridge graduates a chance to serve on their board and they jumped at the opportunity to work with us through our newest program, CommonWealth. Yes, it’s definitely not secret – they’re fantastic and we show our appreciation often. 

What gets us all volun-tingly inside is when we receive unexpected emails from community partners that are filled with appreciation for what we do and our volunteers. Below are a few Hot Project testimonials that we’ve gotten in the last few weeks:

“Katie Cochrane, Project Coordinator, was fantastic and so helpful! She was well-prepared and taught us a thing or two about volunteer coordination on-site.  All of the volunteers arrived at our Communities In Schools Mardi Gras Dinner & Auction on time and ready to work. They really understood why they were there, the impact of our event and worked diligently the entire evening. Most volunteers even offered to stay beyond their commitment! I’m so grateful for the help and support from Seattle Works Hot Project volunteers!!! We were able to cut our set up time in half.”

- Maria Muñoz, State Board Member, Communities In Schools of Washington

“They [volunteers] were all phenomenal! I can’t tell you how happy we have been with the folks you’ve sent our way; we really value our connection with Seattle Works!”

- Sarah Bigley, KidsQuest Children’s Museum

“We’ve really enjoyed having so many of your volunteers and would love more groups this summer!”

- LeAnne Chow, Volunteer Coordinator, Phinney Neighborhood Association

Pretty great, right? If you have ever volunteered for a Hot Project – pat yourself on the back! If you haven’t tried a Hot Project yet – go for it. The hosts are ecstatic to have you and you do essential work for so many organizations. Sign up here! 

Thank you for the appreciation, community partners! 

 

Community Partners Make the World Go Round. April 26, 2013

So – National Volunteer Week is still happening! And we have had a great time spotlighting some of our awesome volunteers. But, now it’s time to recognize our awesome community partners – the ones who work hard to keep their organizations ready for our volunteers!

One of our favorite places to volunteer is Marra Farm. We have numerous projects with them yearly (20 in 2012). After each project, our volunteers are eager to go back! So, what makes Marra Farm so special? Well…

- It’s an urban community farm that engages people in sustainable agriculture and education while enhancing local food security.

- Marra Farm generates tons of fresh, organic produce each year.

- In 2010, more than 1,800 volunteers contributed over 7,200 hours to help grow more than 22,000 pounds!

- The food grown at Marra Farm goes to local residents and the senior lunch program through the Providence Regina House Food Bank, Mien senior citizens, and Concord Elementary School students and their families.

It’s easy to see why our volunteers enjoy working at Marra Farm so much – the farm gives back to the community in a huge way! But another main reason we all love working with them is because of the coordinators, Robin and Sue.

Robin and Sue have always been great to our volunteers – they make sure that each person working at the farm knows exactly what they are contributing to in the long run. This makes volunteers feel like they’re a part of something bigger – that they’re really making a difference. They’re also always on top of things, whether it’s applying for Team Works teams, connecting with hosts or scheduling Hot Projects.

The Seattle Works staff (and volunteers) would like to say thank you to Marra Farm for always keeping our volunteers engaged, excited and enthusiastic about giving back, and for providing them with an awesome way to do so!

Stay tuned for one more blog post in honor of National Volunteer Week – I know you want to!

Volunteering Is Fulfilling For Holly Wyrwich! April 24, 2013

It’s day three of our National-Volunteer-Week-blog-post-recognition extravaganza! Below are the top 10 reasons (we don’t have enough room to list them all) we love our featured volunteer of the day, Holly Wyrwich:

1. She has been volunteering with Seattle Works since 2008. Um, that’s 5 years. Woot!

2. She has coordinated over 23 Hot Projects.

3. She has attended over 40 Hot Projects.

4. She is always excited and ready to give back!

5. She has given her time to so many organizations: Phinney Neighborhood Association, Alliance for Education, Seattle Ladies Choir, ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, Camelot Society, Seattle Goodwill, North Helpline and – if you can believe it – there’s more!

6. She spent her 30th birthday volunteering on Seattle Works Day last year. Seriously, how awesome is that?

7. She gives great feedback on projects. In fact, we’ve even changed a few things per her suggestion that have made projects even better.

8. Volunteering in her words: “A friend of mine calls herself the “selfish volunteer” because giving back makes her feel good. I would definitely put myself in that category. I volunteer because it’s fulfilling and enjoyable for me. I feel privileged to have the time and opportunities to offer contributions to my community in even the smallest way, and I love Seattle Works for helping make that possible!”

9. Her husband is participating in Seattle Works Day again this year. Holly can’t make it, so he’s representing their household – but not before she gives him a pep talk about being a stellar coordinator! Plus, she’ll be there in spirit.

10. She’s modest about her volunteering; when told she was chosen for this blog, she replied: “That’s so nice, and I don’t think I deserve it at all! There are so many stellar coordinators.”

Guess what, Holly? We think you’re stellar! 

Want to volunteer with Holly? Sign up for a few Hot Projects and you’ll be sure to meet her soon!

Stay tuned for more Seattle Works rock star recognition! 

Networking Among Volunteer Leaders February 19, 2013

We pride ourselves on training Seattle’s next generation of community leaders. We do this through several different programs, including The Bridge and HandsOn Leadership. Each year, Seattle Works trains over 200 people to be volunteer leaders in the community – and now we’re taking it to the next level.

We are excited to announce our new alumni network: 

Why are we doing this?

Past Seattle Works participants are valuable assets to our organization and can serve as a helpful resource to one another for those currently participating in our training programs. Seattle Works will cultivate these relationships and facilitate mentorship opportunities.

How will it work?

As participants go through our training programs, or lead through Team Works or Hot Projects there will be more focus on creating a cohort of leaders. Each cohort then will become their own circle within LeadNOW. Our hope is that each circle will then stay in touch with each other, help each other with issues they are facing in their leadership development and serve as resources to one another. We’ll also have a few circles in place that will be interest area focused for members to join; this could include fundraising, finances or transition to executive committee.

What will LeadNOW offer?

Under LeadNOW, we will host several events throughout the year:

• LeaderSip – monthly happy hour events featuring different discussion topics
• Pop-up leadership forums & workshops
• Online forums through LinkedIn
• Lecture series focusing on nonprofit leadership, governance and volunteerism
• And much more…

What do I have to do to be a member?

LeadNOW membership is simple:

• Be a graduate of The Bridge or HandsOn Leadership; or,
• Be a past or present Team Captain or Project Coordinator; and
• Yearly membership fee of only $50

What are the benefits of membership? 

• Access to exclusive online forums & resources
• Invitations to all LeadNOW events; plus one event for free!
• Access to a wide network of individuals who are making an impact in their community
• Make new friends and connections
• A community to go to for growth & development
• Opportunities to join different circles within the network

Stay tuned for more information about when we will have the first LeaderSip!

To learn more or ask any questions, email Ben@seattleworks.org. 

Hot Project Volunteers Rock the Afterschool Math and Science Kit Build January 18, 2013

A Saturday morning, bright and early, 25 awesome volunteers came out to help Washington Alliance for Better Schools build over 70 afterschool math and science kits.

This doesn’t sound too challenging right? Well each individual kit has something like 10 – 35 items in them. Plus, each of those items have to be counted out or measured – which is seriously time consuming.  A job that would have taken days without the extra help from these volunteers.  In just four hours all the kits were built and ready to be handed out to the volunteers at their training the next week!

Where do these kits go?

Each kit is headed out to a classroom in one of thirteen different school districts from West Seattle, to the south end, all the way up to Everett and beyond!  Boeing employees volunteer to deliver six weeks worth of after school programming either in mathematics or science.  They either go into 4th and 5th grade classes, or 6th – 8th.

This program allows the students to hear from people that use these skills every day in their jobs!  It also gives them the time and opportunity to perform cool experiments like building a water wheel to explore energy, or playing probabilty games.

Does this kind of easy volunteering sound like something that you can do?  Do you have four hours on a Saturday to donate to an organization that needs your help?  If so, check out our Hot Project calendar and sign up when you can!

Hot Project Coordinators Hit The Ground Running! January 12, 2013

Wednesday 1/9/13 was pretty great: I met our fantastic Hot Project Coordinators – and they received the information needed to be an awesome and effective coordinator!

Here’s some of what they learned:

• Why their leadership is so essential: they keep everyone up-to-date via email, facilitate attendance, help manage projects, lead the group in reflection and plan social outings. Sounds like a pretty important role to me!
• Requirements: they have to coordinate 3 projects every quarter (1 each month, 3 in 1 month and nothing the other 2 – they can switch it up), and attend at least 1 out of the 3 events we will hold yearly. Now, we won’t break anyone’s arm to enforce these – but it’s nice to have some guidelines.
• Why attendance is so important: we want to know which projects are successful, and be able to show awesome results to our Board of Directors, HandsOn Network affiliates, major donors, etc. Essentially, we want to brag about our volunteers!
• Have fun: this is the most important lesson! Volunteering and giving back should be fun – and we can’t wait to hear all the stories for 2013.

Here were some of the questions the coordinators had for us:

• Q: Can we somehow show on the calendar which projects need coordinators, and which don’t?
• A: Yes, yes we can! We are looking into what will work best.

• Q: Will we get in trouble if we don’t hit the 3 projects every quarter requirement?
• A: Of course not! We understand you have jobs, friends, family, etc. While we would like our coordinators to be that involved – we can always work something out.

Want to join this awesome community? You’re in luck – we start recruiting for new Project Coordinators in Feb! Email me at irina@seattleworks.org and we’ll get you started!

There’s No Excuse to Not Volunteer – Especially With These Tips! January 4, 2013

The HandsOn Blog from HandsOn Network published an awesome article with 9 different ways to make volunteering a part of your new year. Starting to volunteer may scare people: where do I go, how do I begin? Don’t let these thoughts halt your efforts to make your community a more connected and active place! Here are some great tips on how to get started:

1. Find a cause you care about: we know you aren’t going to pull blackberry bushes all year if you hate gardening. Find what you love.

2.  Find a way to help: you may care about a lot of things – but then you actually have to help that cause. Find organizations that can help you find volunteer opportunities that support your cause – like us!

3. Do a little research: chances are, there’s more than one organization that supports your cause. Look over the different opportunities and see which one sparks your interest the most.

4. Sign up for a project: it’s really easy – we promise. Check out our Project Calendar to see just how simple it is.

5. Remember it’s okay to ask questions: don’t be shy and ask away! Our job is to make you feel excited and comfortable.

6. Show up ready to have fun: we want our volunteers to have a blast! Be open to new ideas, new tasks and new people – you’ll be surprised at just how fun volunteering can be.

7. Take time to reflect on your experience: to better understand how your work strengthens the community, take a few minutes to think/talk about what you have done. You’ll feel even more awesome!

8. Keep making a difference: volunteering once is great; volunteering on a regular basis is even better! If you loved the organization you volunteered for – great, keep coming back. If you didn’t quite fit in – that’s also great, because now you can try out a different organization.

9. Pass it along: come one, come all! Get your whole family volunteering. Or bring your best friend. Involve the people you care about in a cause you care about. And then take some goofy pictures. Sounds awesome to me.

 

Read the full article for all the details on how to make 2013 (and every year after) the year of giving back: 
http://handsonblog.org/2013/01/03/9-ways-to-make-volunteering-a-part-of-your-new-year/?sf8310327=1

Meet Samanta Cross, a true Seattle Works Rock Star! December 14, 2012

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that we think our programs are top-notch–but as much as we love what we do, we know we’re only half of the equation. Without our volunteers and community partners, we can’t make the connections that make a big difference in this city we love!

So what happens when Seattle Works’ programs and stellar volunteers combine forces? A lot, if you’re Samanta Cross! Hot Project volunteer, Annual Campaign Rock Star, HandsOn Leadership and Bridge alum, Sam is the kind of person we feel lucky to have in our corner. Though she just started with Seattle Works earlier this year, she’s taking off! Because she’s already participated in three of our programs this year, we asked Sam to talk a little about her experience with Seattle Works and this is what she had to say:

1.       Which Seattle Works programs have you participated in this year? Hot Projects, The Bridge, and HandsOn Leadership. As a result of those last two, I’m working on theRockstar fundraiser right now, as well as a really awesome project with The World is Fun (it involves walls, paint, and international street artists!). We have a new project of sorts going on as well, but that one is still in the making, so I still don’t have lots of details to share

2.       What drew you to Seattle Works—and why do you keep coming back? Back in Mexico I used to do a lot of volunteering and leadership programs, but my husband is form the US, so we decided to come live here for a while. When my husband and I moved to Seattle last year, we didn’t know anyone. In fact, we had never been to the city before! (he is from MI). Which was a very cool, adventurous feeling at first, but got a bit lonely after some months. Then, while trying to network to find a better job, I met Cate Bardelson. She told me about SW and how awesome it was, and it seemed like it was exactly what I needed to meet people and get back into volunteering. Now I keep coming back for many reasons. For example, Hot Projects are an awesome way to give back without feeling overwhelmed. Programs like The Bridge and HandsOn Leadership are perfect to continue learning and a great way to network. And honestly, it is just invigorating to be surrounded by people who care about making a difference, who are passionate about their communities and willing to give their time and enthusiasm to a good cause! Every time I do something with SW, I leave feeling energized, even after a long day!

3.       What has been your most memorable experience with Seattle Works so far?

Well, they have all been good experiences in one way or another. Getting my hands dirty un-attaching wheels from bikes that would go to Africa was surprisingly satisfying on an early Saturday morning! And I really enjoyed The Bridge, just because there were so many inspiring people there! But HandsOn Leadership probably takes the cake because on top of it all, it connected me with a project that I am really, really excited about!! Seriously, it is going to be awesome!

4.       What’s your next step—Seattle Works-related or otherwise?

Right now my attention is focused on the Rockstar fundraiser. After that, my goal will be to make our project with TWIF a huge success! Come January I will be joining a team for that new project I mentioned in Q#1. Between that and continuing to search for a job I love and finishing my Masters degree, I think I’m in for a very busy 2013. But far from daunting, I find that exciting! My schedule is finally going back to what it was in Mexico: lots of volunteering, lots of challenges, lots of opportunities to give back and share and grow. Seattle has finally started to feel like home

Want to help Seattle Works continue supporting incredible Seattleites like Sam? Give today! https://seattleworks.ejoinme.org/RockStar

(From all of us at Seattle Works–thanks Samanta!)

Five programs, one partner, years of service at Magnuson Park!

We pride ourselves on having a great reputation for being the place people can to go for fun and accessible volunteer opportunities–giving as little or as much of their time and skill as they want. That’s not to say, though, that over time, we don’t make a long-lasting impact on the organizations we work with.

Just look at what Seattle Works volunteers have done–via five of our programs!–at Magnuson Park, for example. We’ve worked with Emily Bishton, Program Director at Magnuson Nature Programs for six years now on many projects at the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Magnuson Community Center. We asked Emily to tell us a little bit about her experience with Seattle Works and this is what she had to say:

1.       Which Seattle Works programs have you worked with?

HandsOn Leadership, ChipIn, TeamWorks, HotProjects, Seattle Works Day

2.       What kind of work have Seattle Works volunteers done at Magnuson?

For 6 years, TeamWorks, Seattle Works Day, and HotProject volunteers have been a vital part of keeping the Magnuson Children’s Garden sustainable.  They have helped weed and mulch the shrub and perennial beds, pathways and gathering areas, helped to renovate our “Rolling Hill” lawn, painted the background for our big garden mural, set tree stump stools in place, plant new additions, and much much more. In 2011, a TeamWorks group helped staff our annual Fall Harvest Celebration, where we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Magnuson Children’s Garden!

Over the past 5 years, TeamWorks and Hot Project volunteers have also helped to build and maintain 2 demonstration landscapes at Magnuson Community Center: the Bird-friendly Landscape which was completed in 2009, and the Resource Conservation Landscape which is close to completion. They have helped remove invasive weeds, build healthy soil, and plant and mulch hundreds of native shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers in approx 6,000 sq ft of landscape beds!

For the past year, 3 amazing graduates of the HandsOn Leadership program have been volunteering to help plan and participate in the building of the Resource Conservation Landscape, and to help run many educational programs for children and adults that have been a part of the stewardship events. They have raised funds to provide free Magnuson Nature Programs for low-income residents of Magnuson Park through writing a Seed Grant and making a successful presentation at the inaugural ChipIn event.  They also helped write an irrigation system grant application to the Dept. of Neighborhoods, and to write progress reports to the Magnuson Community Center Advisory Council.   The 2 members whose employers have volunteer hour matching funds programs designated Magnuson Nature Programs as recipient, which has already raised over $1200.00 to help sustain and build future nature education and stewardship programs. It would take another page to list all the ways these individuals have made a huge impact with the over 350 hours they have combined to volunteer in 2012!

3.       What keeps you coming back to Seattle Works?

The stellar individuals that staff all the Seattle Works’ programs we have participated in, and the dozens of fabulous individual volunteers who have given so generously of their time, whether for a day or a year, that we are so fortunate to have benefited from.

4.       Do you have a favorite SW-volunteer-related story? Was there a time your team/volunteers went above and beyond? Made you laugh? Anything!

If I had a better memory (or wrote things down) I could list the ways that almost every team and every individual has gone above and beyond, but here’s a few:

• Working for hours in the pouring rain, and remaining cheerful and enthusiastic!
• Weeding the same Morning Glory in the Children’s Garden that they weeded the year before!
• Staying after the event was supposed to be over to help with extra cleanup!
• Hauling around heavy stuff like landscape rocks and wet soil that “oldsters” like me (and some of the other leaders) can’t do anymore!
• Sharing creative energy as well as physical!
• Providing inspiration to everyone at Magnuson Park who works alongside them, sees them in action, or sees what they accomplish!

Seattle Works pulls the pieces together to bring long-time support to organizations in our community, year after year. Want to help us keep helping fantastic nonprofits like Magnuson Nature Programs? Give to Seattle Works today: https://seattleworks.ejoinme.org/RockStar

(… and thank you, Emily!)

The Verdict Is In – Seattle Works is Pretty Awesome! December 13, 2012

Last week, we gave you a list of many organizations that Team Works teams volunteered for. You may be thinking, “Well, of course they make their teams sounds awesome – it’s their job. Maybe these organizations didn’t enjoy the company of Seattle Works volunteers!” (very Grinch-like, we know – but hey, we don’t know what you’re thinking!).

Well, here’s something to soothe your restless thoughts: quotes taken from emails, FB posts, tweets – and whatever else I could get my hands on – to show just how appreciative our community partners are!

At ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, our volunteers help provide healthy meals so their guests, who seek shelter and food nightly, can get the nourishment they need!

• Chelsea Stevenson – ROOTS: “I facilitated the project last Thursday, October 25th and thought it went just great. All of the volunteers showed up promptly and were very attentive to their tasks. Everyone worked hard and it was great to have them as we were very prepared for shelter that night. Thank you for your support in the work we do here at ROOTS!”
• Leah Gustitus – ROOTS: “It has been a huge help on our end to have the crews come in and help with dinner!”

Amigos de las Americas has counted on help from our volunteers 2 years in a row to send groups of 25 teenagers to Latin America to work on community development projects by helping send out letters.

• Tara Martin – Amigos de las Americas: “Seattle Works volunteers have helped us in past years.  Last year I got to meet some, and they were a great help!”

Our volunteers have accomplished tasks such as clearing out remaining invasive plants to planting trees and ground covers to mulching. Hard work – but they always manage to have a great time!

• Kari Olson – Friends of Interlaken Park: “Last Saturday was fantastic!  Bex’s team of 9 had to keep moving to keep warm…working in a mixed bag of tasks managed BIG satisfying results.”

Once a month, our volunteers sort donations, including clothing and toys, and fill orders of essential items for children. With the help of our volunteers, WestSide Baby is able to process and give out orders faster – ensuring that each family gets what they really need.

• Maria Groen – WestSide Baby: “Without exception, Seattle Works volunteers are energetic, focused and fun!  WestSide Baby is very grateful for the support we get from Hot Projects and Team Works volunteers. Seattle Works is the best!”

Help keep up this amazing work. Donate to Seattle Works today, and keep your community rockin’! 
https://seattleworks.ejoinme.org/RockStar