Volunteers are VIP!

Lauren Serpa, CalSERVES VIP Leader

CalSERVES AmeriCorps VIP fellow Steven Goings with volunteers from BSU at CSU Monterey Bay.

The mission of the CalSERVES AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP) is to increase the capacity of diverse non-profit and educational organizations to serve the highest-need children and families across the state. Our AmeriCorps members create effective volunteer infrastructure to serve needs that would otherwise be unmet.

In other words… we love volunteers! We do what we do at VIP because we know that every volunteer, every hour and act of service make a difference. We see the impact our members make in the lives of children and adults through community services, schools, universities, botanical gardens, food banks – at every one of our partner sites!

Many programs and projects that serve communities throughout the state depend solely on volunteer effort. Two of our AmeriCorps VIP members working with HandsOn Central California, Ashley Cole and Jonathan Munoz, coordinated one such project. By mobilizing 425 volunteers for their recent two-day event, Hope for the Holidays, they enabled 834 homeless school children and their families to celebrate the holidays with a hot meal, crafts, flu shots, entertainment (including Santa Claus himself!), and a wrapped gift for every child. Every one of the 425 volunteers made a difference to the hundreds of children and families who attended.

Team Kids, one of our partner sites in Irvine, understands that even children make a positive impact by giving their time. At one of their community outreach events, children gave their time by writing inspirational notes to sick children. Some children even volunteered to help deliver the notes. These young volunteers were engaged, and the sick children were encouraged by the volunteers’ time and care.

At VIP, we also know just how important it is to appreciate our volunteers. We value our volunteers and the impact they make every time they show up to give their time and their skills, and we like to make sure they know it! Many VIPs have made a point to appreciate the volunteers they have recruited in gestures or words of gratitude or in organized events. Alyssa “Zaylia” Pluss, an AmeriCorps VIP member serving at Aids Project East Bay, played a key role in organizing the First Annual Consumer (client) and Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party: the organization’s first event geared toward appreciating and retaining volunteers. Alyssa remarks that “in the days following the party, I have noticed volunteers who did not previously know each other becoming friends, and many people have mentioned how uplifting the party was. We appreciated volunteers at the event by giving each one a certificate of appreciation and further appreciated two volunteers by presenting them with awards for ‘outstanding volunteer 2010.’ One volunteer, who is also a client, received an award for being an outstanding volunteer - this re-invigorated his participation in the organization while setting an example for others. In all, the event was a great success.”

Do you volunteer? Your time, your skills, and your consideration of others can make a huge impact.

Volunteer today!