Don’t miss the world’s premiere conference for nonprofit, government, corporate, education and faith-based organizations. The National Conference on Volunteering and Service offers a dynamic, meaningful learning experience through more than 100 focused workshops, large group plenaries and networking opportunities..
This year’s Conference will be held in Chicago, June 18 – 20, 2012
Join presenters US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Pulitzer-Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson, army combat veteran and author Wes Moore and other experts from the nonprofit, corporate and government sectors, in hands-on sessions to explore topics relevant to volunteerism and service.
Disaster Preparedness
For information on how to be prepared for emergency situations like Hurricane Irene visit the Hands On Network Good & Ready website to learn how to create family emergency plans, build emergency preparedness kits and get trained with an emergency response organization.
Volunteering in America: An In-depth Look at Civic Engagement
August 2011
The Corporation for National & Community Service has released its annual "Volunteering in America" report.
Key findings include:
- Generation X increased volunteering: Generation X stepped up their commitment in 2010, giving 2.3 billion hours of service—an increase of almost 110 million hours since 2009The key findings in the report show that:
- Those that serve are giving more time: The proportion of volunteers who serve 100 hours or more increased between 2009 and 2010 from 33.2 percent to 33.8 percent. The median number of hours served per volunteer appears to have increased from 50 to 52 per year.
- Overall, national volunteer rate dropped, slightly: From 26.8 percent in 2009 to 26.3 percent in 2010. In 2010, 62.8 million people volunteered.
- Volunteer retention dropped: Only 63.5 percent of the volunteers who served in 2009 returned to service again in 2010, which is two percentage points lower than the volunteer retention rate between 2008 and 2009, which was 65.5 percent.
- Baby Boomer volunteering dropped: 28.8 percent of Baby Boomers volunteered in 2010, down from 29.8 percent in 2009. In 2010, 21.9 million Baby Boomers dedicated 2.9 billion hours of service to communities across the country, a decrease from the 3.1 billion hours provided in 2009.
2010 Volunteering in America Report
You can access the full Volunteering in America report by visiting its Web site www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
Does Helping Out Help You?
New York Times, January 7, 2011
EVEN the most altruistic applicant wants to know how community service looks to colleges: would admissions officers prefer a summer of health care work in Africa, or three years of Sundays spent at the local senior citizen center? Would creating a charitable Web site impress more than campaigning for a local politician?
Read More
Lake County Community Foundation Grant
Lake County Cares is delighted to be the recipient of a grant from the Lake County Community Foundation targeted specifically for strategic planning. Our committee is currently in the midst of developing this plan under the guidance of Diana Nielander, seasoned non-profit leader and strategic planning consultant. The plans overarching goal is to secure the long-term, sustainable future of Lake County Cares by creating a dynamic three year plan that transitions Lake County Cares from a local volunteer center to a countywide volunteer hub. This plan will be rooted in research, consider the marketability and fundability of its programs, and have maximum positive social impact.
The Buchanan Family Foundation Grant
A generous grant from The Buchanan Family Foundation, overseen by the North Shore United Way, has made our "Sarah's Dream: Read with Me" program a reality! Lake County Cares is thrilled to have the opportunity to bring third graders from Highwood and Waukegan together with fourth and fifth graders in Lake Forest/Lake Bluff to share their love of reading. Read more.
Volunteer Management Training Series
The Volunteer Center offers a set of six workshops that can lead to a Certificate in Volunteer Management. The Volunteer Management Training Series, developed by the Points of Light Foundation is a comprehensive series of six courses in volunteer management which has been updated to include resources and summary information from Betty Stallings "55 Minute Workshop Series." Sessions are interactive - offering participants every opportunity to share experiences and ask questions. An individual Certificate of Completion can be obtained after completing all six workshops.
LCC Trainer Allyson Zedler Zak will lead theworkshop from 9:00 to 11:30 at Gorton Community Center, Lake Forest, IL. Cost is $60 per person. For more information contact Lake County Cares at 847 234-8876 or info@lakecountycares.org
Colleges Give High Marks for Volunteerism
Shawn Kendrick, VolunteerHub.com
Getting into college has never been more difficult than it is today. Many students who apply have an excellent grade point average and strong SAT or ACT scores. Realizing this, students often try to differentiate themselves through extra-curricular activities and community service. However, in recent years, universities are noticing that most of their applicants have a great degree of community involvement, making it even more difficult for applicants to stand out.
So what can young volunteers do to separate themselves from the crowd in terms of volunteerism? One suggestion is to focus on fewer activities but participate for a longer period of time. Too many youngsters wait until the last half of their junior year or even the beginning of their senior year to start volunteering. At that point, in an effort to bolster their application, many opt to spend a cursory amount of time at a variety different programs. However, admittance counselors would rather see a pattern of meaningful involvement over a few years as opposed to participation for the sake of getting the experience on an application. As James Miller, director of admissions at Brown University, explains, “It’s most important to do something with enthusiasm, passion and commitment.”
To further illustrate how community service impacts an application, here are some findings of a recent poll that surveyed admissions officers at 25 of the country’s top 50 universities:
- Passion and consistency above all – 100% of respondents value consistent participation over sporadic involvement, even if the occasional situation is more intense.
- Time is more important than money – 68% say they would value working the summer at a homeless shelter over raising $100,000 for the same cause.
- Service is more important than who you know – Although academic achievement is always most important, those surveyed believe that a strong community service record is more important than reference letters and legacy standing.
- Effort is more important than affiliation – 84% believe that the fact that a prospective student does volunteer is weighed more heavily than where he or she volunteers. For the volunteer coordinator, this means grabbing potential participants earlier in their high school careers. By working with school guidance counselors and other youth leaders, you can help freshman and sophomore students understand that getting started sooner may increase their chances of getting into the college they desire. Spring seems early, perhaps, but if you haven’t done so, now is a good time to make the necessary connections for these partnerships. Then you can smoothly kick off a targeted recruitment campaign when teens return to school in the fall. It also allows you several months to prepare for youth volunteers, if this is one of the areas on which you would like to focus.
In addition to assisting college-bound teens, sparking interest at an early age can be a great opportunity for your program as well. The point to keep in mind is that high school volunteers turn into college volunteers, who in turn eventually become professional volunteers. Earlier participation can help you grow a crop of volunteers that can participate at a meaningful level for years to come.
"Alternative Spring Break" Becomes a College Trend
A recent article by U.S. News and World Report explains why thousands of college students are passing up the chance to party their spring break away and are instead opting to volunteer their time in areas such as disaster relief and social justice. READ MORE
Past
Sarah Mynhier Book Drive Hundreds of volunteers worked to collect and distribute over 5500 books to 8 schools in Highwood,Waukegan and North Chicago for the 3rd annual Sarah Mynhier Book Drive. Read More
Name Change
On December 1, 2009 the Volunteer Center of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff changed its name to Lake County Cares. Continuing its 42 year history of connecting volunteers with opportunities to serve, the organization looks forward to better serving the residents of Lake County with its dynamic new website.
Letter from Illinois Senator Susan Garrett
Giving Tree
More than 200 generous community volunteers fulfilled the holiday wishes of individuals and families from nine different agencies through LCC’s Giving Tree this December. Special thanks to Lauren Jacobs and Stephanie Allen of Lake Bluff, Illinois and their amazing girl scout troop, for organizing and promoting the Giving Tree program this year and for distributing all of the gifts in time for the holidays.
