Hands On Asheville-Buncombe Volunteer Newsletter           April  2009
Hands On Asheville-Buncombe Logo
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Dear ,
Welcome to the April edition of the Hands On Asheville-Buncombe e-newsletter.  April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Hands On is proud to recognize three very dedicated volunteers: Jennie Eblen, Jason Ingle, and Laresa Fair.
 
Jennie has been an ardent advocate and supporter of United Way's volunteer program for years.  As Hands On Asheville-Buncombe spokesperson, Jennie represents Hands On at United Way board meetings and other community events.  She also serves on United Way Strategic Planning and Community Fund committees. Jennie is currently the Project Coordinator for our seasonal In the Garden project with the Resource Center at Emma's community garden. 
 
Jason also wears several United Way hats: Board Member, Highlands Circle Chair and Hands On Asheville-Buncombe volunteer.  He also serves on the United Way Strategic Planning committee.  As Highlands Circle Chair, Jason has made a special effort  to connect its members to the agencies their funds support by coordinating service projects in collaboration with Hands On. Jason is also the Project Coordinator for our Meals for Hope project at the YWCA.
 
Laresa has been involved with Hands On in some capacity for over 3 years; starting as a United Way's Day of Caring volunteer and eventually as a volunteer Project Coordinator.  Laresa has led our "Cooking with Kids" project at ABCCM's Steadfast House and our "Pack & Sort" project at Manna Foodbank. Currently, Laresa leads our Kids Care project which is developed specifically for youth volunteers ages 7-12.

 
Thank you for your outstanding service to our community!
Hands On Managed Projects

harvest greensHands On Managed Projects usually last 2-3 hours, generally occur on evenings and weekends, and don't require a long term commitment.  These projects are managed by Hands On and led by trained volunteer Project Coordinators.  

Meals for Hope (YWCA)
Thursday, 4/09
Thursday, 4/30
 
Fair-Trade Stock-Up (Ten Thousand Villages)
Saturday, 4/11
Thursday, 4/30
 
Cookie Night (Lewis Rathbun Center)
Monday, 4/13

Shake & Bake  (ABCCM Veteran's Restoration Quarters & Inn) 
Friday, 4/03  (New Date & Time)  This Week!
 
Cooking for Comfort  (CarePartners Hospice) 
Saturday, 4/18
 
Thursday, 4/09
Thursday, 4/23 
Thursday, 4/30            

Knit-n-Give  (Buncombe County Health Center)
Sunday, 4/19
 
In the Garden  (Family Resource Center at Emma)
Saturday, 4/04 This Week!
Saturday, 4/25
 
Kids Care: 7-12 year olds (Hands On Asheville-Buncombe)
Saturday, 4/25
 
 
In This Issue
Hands On Managed Projects
Partner Agency Special Projects
More Volunteer Opportunities
Jobless? Volunteering has Benefits!
Congress Passes GIVE and Serve America Acts
United Way's 2-1-1 2008 Annual Report
Be A Project Coordinator
Calendars 
Print-friendly Calendar

Sponsors

Families Together

Mission web logo

United Way Resources 

United Way's 211 of WNC Logo

United Way Logo

Partner Agency Special Projects
Our Partner Agencies are offering great ways to get involved during the month of April.  Click on "learn more" for project details and to express interest in a project.  
 
April is Great Asheville Cleanup Month, a month-long effort to make our city cleaner and greener!  Sign up for one of several projects coordinated by Asheville Greenworks.  Learn more.
  
Celebrate Earth Day by joining RiverLink to clean up the French Broad River.  Learn more.  
 
Hope Chest for Women needs volunteers to support their Conquer A Cove event, a 5k Walk/Run to Conquer Cancer. Learn more.
 
The Housing Authority of Asheville needs volunteers to help with childcare during their Family Self-Sufficiency & Homeownership program meetings.  Learn more.
More Volunteer Opportunities 
oven cleaner
Hands On is pleased to be listing nearly 200 volunteer opportunities managed by our Partner Agencies. With new opportunities being added every month, there is sure to be one that will interest you!
 
 
 
 
Jobless?  Volunteering has Benefits!
Are you currently in-between jobs? After you've carved out time each day to send out resumes and make new contacts, take advantage of this time to devote to volunteering, which offers great benefits to advance your career. Help others and your resume!
  • Good Morning America reports on how volunteering can help you stay connected, gain new skills and minimize the gap in your unemployment. Read more. 
  • Wall Street Journal reports how volunteering is giving out-of-work professionals the opportunity to develop skills, as well as network for job contacts in the process. For some people, it may even mean a new career when the economy does turn around. Read more.
Congress Passes GIVE and Serve America Acts
Hands On is excited to announce that both the GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education) and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act were passed by U.S. Congress in March.  These bills will improve and strengthen the national service programs and increase levels of volunteerism, using service and social innovation to address our nation's most pressing challenges.
 
This bipartisan legislation embodies President Obama's bold vision for service playing an important role in America becoming a stronger nation (President Obama in TIME Magazine). The needs of the country are great right now and the passage of the GIVE and Serve America Acts will help empower and engage citizens like you to strengthen our community and the country as a whole. We invite you to sign on to thank congress for passing these important peices of legislation. 
United Way's 2-1-1 2008 Annual Report
United Way's 211 of WNC LogoUnited Way's 2-1-1 2008 annual report provides information about its service and important community data. Because 2-1-1 tracks a wide variety of resources and assists people from all walks of life, it is uniquely able to identify trends in what people are seeking and the gaps between what people need and the help that is available.   Click here to access this report.  
 
If you have any questions about the attached report; if you would like to discuss ways that this report can help you to understand or communicate issues facing our community; or if you would like to request a printed copy, please contact Jen Waite at (828) 255-0696 ext. 312 or email:  jwaite@unitedwayabc.org.
Be A Project Coordinator
TenThousand VillagerAre you interested in making even greater impact on the community while getting other people excited about volunteering? Project Coordinators are the key to making flexible, convenient volunteering possible through Hands On. Learn more about becoming a project coordinator today!

                              Hands On Asheville-Buncombe LogoHands On Asheville-Buncombe is a program of United Way that makes 
    it easy for individuals and groups to give back to the community.  
    We invite you to take a moment and sign up for a project today!
 
    Sincerely,
  
    Sarah Catoe and Charlie Lee
    Hands On Asheville-Buncombe Staff
    Be the Change. Volunteer.