Montgomery County Volunteer Center

1. Montgomery County Volunteer Center Volunteer Center A-Team

2. About Volunteer Centers • Volunteer Centers are conveners for the • community, catalysts for social • actionandkey local resources for volunteer • involvement. They bring people and • community needs together through a range • of programs and services based upon • community needs, demographic area, population • size, and other factors.

3. About Volunteer Centers (continued) • Promotion of volunteerism • + • Capacity building for effective local volunteering • + • Leadership on issues relating to volunteerism • + • Connecting people with opportunities to serve • = • Volunteer Centers!* • *Volunteer Canada

4. Chemistry of Community Communities of Faith Educational Institutions Government Agencies VOLUNTEER SOLUTION Businesses Civic & Professional Associations Nonprofits & Charities

5. Our Community • In 2007, Montgomery County was the most populated county in Maryland, with 930,813 individuals residents. Diversity: 30% of population was foreign-born in 2007

6. Nonprofits Sample of Number of 501 (c)(3)’s

7. Areas of Interest Various Nonprofit Focus Areas: Animals Arts Community Improvement Crime & Disaster Education Environment Health Human Services

8. Benefits of Affiliation for Agencies • Use of Online Tool for Recruitment and Publicity • Weekly Listing of Available Donations • Approval by Montgomery County Public Schools as a Student Service Learning site • Networking Opportunities • Access to Service Programs • Resources for volunteer management

9. Volunteer Opportunities for Everyone • Individual • Businesses • Civic Organizations • Faith-based • Low-income • Youth • Family • Older Adult

10. Montgomery County Volunteer Center • Clearinghouse: 1-800-Volunteer database • Montgomery Volunteer • RSVP • Pro-Bono Consultant Program • Language Bank • Donations Hotlink • Student Service Learning Hours • Holiday Giving Project • CVC of Montgomery County • Seasons of Service • Emergency Preparedness • Path of Achievement Awards • Training and assistance on volunteer management Mission: To mobilize people and resources to deliver creative solutions to community problems.

11. Online Services Online Database: MontgomeryServes.org Montgomery Volunteer

12. RSVP- Retired and Senior Volunteer Program • Responding to the Call to Serve • Nationwide volunteer program for individuals who are 55 and better • Montgomery County: 700+ RSVP members volunteer in a wide variety of local public and private nonprofit organizations throughout the county

13. Pro-Bono Consultant Program Matches skilled professionals with local nonprofits to work on time-limited projects (usually lasting no longer than 3 months) that deliver tangible outcomes. • Examples of projects: • Database creation • Preparation of financial records • Update/revision of Volunteer Handbooks, Employee Procedures, etc.

14. Language Corps & Language Bank • Led by Montgomery County’s Office of Community Partnerships • Language Corps • Marketing bi-lingual volunteers and others for specific service opportunities teaching English, volunteering with Gilchrist, or volunteering with Language Bank. • Language Bank • A group of volunteers who are on-call to help translate or interpret for County government agencies and non-profit organizations serving residents with limited English proficiency. • For use only by county government and registered nonprofit agency staff, not for individuals or the general public.

15. Donations Hotlink • The Donations Hotlink is a weekly e-mail sent (typically on Wednesday) to designated representatives of our registered organizations. •  - Lists Resources for nonprofits, particularly resources focused on engaging volunteers, such as grants, trainings, award programs. • - Also lists donated items; office furniture and supplies, household furniture. • If there is a donation on the list that is of interest to an organization, a representative will contact the donor directly to get more details and arrange for pick-up.

16. Student Service Learning Hours • The Montgomery County Volunteer Center works in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to maintain the database of organizations and opportunities that have been pre-approved by MCPS for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. • hours required of each MCPS student 75

17. Emergency Preparedness • Emergency Action Team: • A cadre of residents who may be called upon to respond to major emergencies. EAT members may be needed to drive doctors or nurses to hospitals after a major snow storm, help care for evacuees, work a hotline, or staff a Volunteer Mobilization Center to manage agency requests for volunteers and the numerous offers to volunteer after a disaster. • Medical Reserve Corps: • A group of licensed medical professionals (practicing, retired, or otherwise employed) who are on-call to volunteer during any public health emergency by providing rapid, coordinated, and specific responses.

18. Annual Awards • Montgomery Serves Awards • These annual awards recognize outstanding volunteers: individuals, groups, businesses, and youth. • Path of Achievement Awards • The Path of Achievement Award was established in 1998 to honor 5 older County residents whose work and spirit have led to special accomplishment in personal and community endeavors.  The honorees are selected from among the following categories:  Advocacy, Community Service, Sports & Fitness, Arts & Humanities, and Workplace Contribution.

19. Seasons of Service • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day The 3rd Monday in January • Service Projects and Volunteer Fair • Takes place at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and other sites across Montgomery County • Earth Day- April • Organization/promotion of environment-related service projects around the area • Community Service Day The 4th Saturday in October • Various Service Projects throughout Montgomery County

20. Seasons of Service (continued) Community Service Day 2008

21. Partnerships • Holiday Giving Project: • Now managed by Interfaith Works, this project involves the solicitation, organization/coordination and distribution of donations from individuals, nonprofit, faith-based, public and private groups that are distributed during the winter holidays to individuals and families, referred by social workers, school counselors and health professionals. • Corporate Volunteer Council: • The CVC of Montgomery County • promotes corporate community service by linking the resources and knowledge of business to the needs of non-profit and public agencies serving Montgomery County residents.

22. A-Team • Developed from the coaching/information referral program • Longstanding service provided by the Volunteer Center, 30+ years

23. Responsibilities • Participate in ongoing meetings in addition to initial orientation/training • Record service hours in an online volunteer log; note the specific type of work completed • Advisors: • --Assist different individuals seeking help from the Center (i.e. prospective and current volunteers, representatives from nonprofits) • -- Follow-up with visitors • Ambassadors: • --Staff a table or speak to a group representing the Volunteer Center at different events --Meet with nonprofit agencies about the benefits and procedures of registering with the Volunteer Center

24. Time Requirements • Advisors: At least one shift (3-4 hours) a week • Events, such as volunteer fairs, occur at different times of the month, and Ambassadors will be on call to participate if he/she is available.

25. Communication • --Google Tools • - Calendar • - Groups • --Email updates on current VC news

26. Contact Info • Laura Aceituno • Volunteer Maryland Coordinator • Laura.Aceituno@montgomerycountymd.gov • Direct Line: (240) 777- 2622 • Montgomery County Volunteer Center • 401 Hungerford Dr. • Rockville, MD 20850 • Main Line: (240) 777-2600