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Volunteer on Martin Luther King Day: Now is Our Time to Change the World

“Now is our time to change the world. Selma is now.” said the actor and rapper Common upon accepting a 2015 Golden Globe award for a song from the film, “Selma.” The historical drama is based on the 1965 voting rights marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders. As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King on January 19th, I hope that many will take those words to heart by volunteering, and make the holiday a day on, not just another day off.

5 Reasons to Celebrate Volunteer Mentors

January is National Mentoring Month in the U.S., a good time to celebrate all that volunteer mentors can do to help youth succeed. By making time to develop an ongoing relationship with at-risk youth, mentors can help children: Avoid using drugs or alcohol; Get better grades in school; Develop self-confidence; Trust their teachers; and Set goals and raise expectations.

Volunteering: A Path Upward for Disconnected Youth

Consider this: 5.6 million U.S. teens and young adults ages 16 to 24 are neither in school nor working. Many of these “disconnected youth” are simply cut off from education and career paths that could help them live a good life and make positive contributions to our society and our economy.

Employees Show Volunteering to be Part of Active, Healthy and Independent Living

United Way Day of Caring enables employees supporting United Way in communities around the world to engage in hands-on volunteering and to better understand how their service and financial contributions make a difference. United Way of Peel Region’s recent Day of Caring deployed hundreds of volunteers from more than 20 companies in Ontario, Canada to refurbish homes and nonprofits’ offices, pick up litter, plant trees, organize donations to charitable organizations, assemble craft kits, and more. The fact that employees in their twenties to those nearing retirement participated underscores United Way’s commitment to helping people include volunteering as part of an active, healthy lifestyle.

1 in 4 Americans Gives the Gift of Volunteering

The holiday season is a time of celebrations, special moments with family and friends, and of course, gift-giving. I think that one of the greatest gifts, any time of year, is service to others. So it was great to hear that volunteering and service to others continues to be a priority for millions of Americans.

Perspectives on Volunteering and Philanthropy from the Middle East

The Emirates Foundation Youth Philanthropy Summit 2014 was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in early November and proved to be just as exciting and inspiring as the first summit held in 2013.  As I wrote then and found to be true again this year, it is so wonderful to meet and learn from people from around the world who are committed to volunteer engagement.

Help Wanted: Employers Who Hire National Service Volunteers

Looking to hire good people? Look to national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, where some of our country’s best and brightest develop essential leadership and problem-solving skills. How to tap into this talented team? Become involved with the Employers of National Service, a federal initiative that promotes recruitment, hiring, and advancement opportunities for job seekers who have served in AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps. United Way is a charter member of the initiative and has joined more than 70 leading employers from the private, public and nonprofit sectors in this effort.  

International Volunteer Day:  A Global Celebration of Volunteers

In recent months I’ve enjoyed sharing news about volunteering from around the world:  Australia, Taiwan, and Romania.  International Volunteer Day (IVF), celebrated each year on December 5, is the perfect day to shine a spotlight one more time on inspiring volunteer engagement in places outside the U.S.

Volunteering May be the Key to Happiness and Health (Really!)

The good news keeps coming in: volunteering not only contributes to good physical health as we age, but also good mental health and happiness as well. A recent study, led by the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences, is the first to examine peer-reviewed evidence regarding the psychosocial health benefits of formal volunteering for older adults.

National Family Volunteer Day is November 22nd

National Family Volunteer Day is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season with giving and service. It is a great day to enjoy the benefits of family volunteering! Volunteering is a wonderful way for families to spend quality time together and expand their horizons by volunteering with and serving others. Volunteering is filled with “teachable moments,” and also provides a way for children to fulfill school community service requirements and develop leadership skills. Volunteering as a family can help inspire a lifetime of service and to being an active member of the community.