Become a Make-a-Wish Volunteer:  

Opportunities are available to become a Wish Angel to a very deserving and special child in the Mid-South area. These volunteers are introduced to a wish child who is battling a life-threatening medical condition and they learn what the child's one true wish might be. at the appropriate time, the volunteers then work to create a magical and surprise way to let the child know their wish is coming true.

Wish granting volunteers must be 21 years of age and must attend a mandatory training, generally held on a Saturday from 10am to 3pm. Applicants must be able to pass a background check, have a love of children, be a team player, fun loving, creative, flexible and able to maintain confidential information.

Contact Marcy Seidel @ mseidel@midsouth.wish.org for more information.


Traveling Vietnam War Memorial Wall needs volunteers

Heading into the next round of planning, coordinators of DeSoto's May salute to Vietnam veterans say there's a need for mulch for landscaping at the site of the Vietnam Traveling Wall, plus bottled water and snacks for volunteers who'll be there around the clock.

"During the time the Wall is here, we'll need 10 to 12 volunteers for each four-hour shift during the peak hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and four to five volunteers for four-hour shifts from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.," said Vanessa Lynchard, county official and salute coordinator.

More committee meetings are scheduled, and more volunteers are needed, to refine planning:

Opening Ceremony Committee -- Feb. 15 at 9 a.m.

Landscaping Committee -- Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m and Feb. 22 at 9:30 a.m.

Hospitality Committiee -- Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 9 a.m.

Name Locator Committee -- Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. and Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.

All meetings will be in the DeSoto Supervisors' third-floor hearing room of the County Administration Building at 365 Losher St. in Hernando. Day and night meetings are for convenience; volunteers need only attend one session.

Lynchard says it's important to keep the Wall open at all hours: "We've learned that after-hours is when some veterans will feel more comfortable coming. They want a quiet time, not a lot of pomp or activity going on around them."

Among volunteer needs are people to read names for recorded roll-calls of veterans.   

For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call county administrative assistant Gia Matheny at (662) 429-1460 or e-mail gmatheny@desotocountyms.gov, or go online to our website www.volunteernwms.org and go to Volunteer! and click on View Current Opportunities or click here.   You can also contact Anna Dickerson at VNM for more information.  Volunteer@cfnm.org or 662.449.5002.  

To read the rest of this article and find out more about the Wall, visit the Desoto Times-Tribune and read the article here.    

Volunteer Northwest Mississippi (VNM) is seeking outstanding volunteers for the 2012 President's Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA). Twenty-five awards will be presented at a reception in April, date to be announced.  

To nominate an individual send in contact information for the nominee along with a brief description of their volunteer service. Contact information on the person making the nomination is also needed. Send nomination information to volunteer@cfnm.org, fax to 662.449.5002 or mail to The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, 315 Losher St. Suite 100, Hernando, MS 38632. Deadline for nominations is April 1, 2012.  

How to Manage Your Nonprofit Organization for Sustainability-It Takes More Than Money

In this content driven seminar, participants will learn "4 Keys to Creating Sustainable Leadership" in their nonprofit organization:

1. How to create a Mission Driven Organization
2. How to get the Right People on the Bus and the Wrong People off the Bus
1. Executive Directors
1. Staff/Volunteers
2. Donors
3. How to Effectively Participate in Community Engagement-Community Engagement is a shared responsibility of every staff person, every board member and every volunteer.
4. Define community engagement and its importance to your organization
5. Identify how to build relationships that result in community partnerships for service sustainability
6. How to engage in Good Financial Management Practices

• Accountability & Stewardship
• Diversification of Funding Sources

The training will be held at the Gale Center, 2601 Elm Street in  Hernando, Mississippi.  

To register for the training, please email us at volunteer@cfnm.org and provide the following information:  

Date of Training you wish to register for:  

Organization Name:

Mailing Address:  

Phone Number:
Email Address:  

Number of Attendees: 

The fee for each training will be $10 per person.  Make checks payable to CFNM for VNM trainings.  Payments can be made over the phone by calling 662-449-5002 or by mail to:

Anna Dickerson, Director
Volunteer Northwest Mississippi
315 Losher Street, Suite 100
Hernando, Mississippi 38632