THE CITIZEN BLOG
THE CITIZEN BLOG
Virtually Volunteer with Atlanta Habitat
Learn how you can virtually volunteer with Atlanta Habitat and support their build operations and homebuyers remotely.
Atlanta Habitat recently announced that they are pausing any in-person or on-site volunteering opportunities. However, there are a number of ways that you can support their build operations and homebuyers remotely.
Check out their list of virtual volunteer opportunities below, and if you have any questions or want to learn more, contact their Sr. Volunteer Manager. Happy volunteering!
Write a letter of support to a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer.
Our homebuyers would love to hear from you! Write a handwritten letter or email of support and send it to a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer.
Complete this Volunteer Preference form to be paired with a current homebuyer.
Sign a virtual beam for a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer as part of the Beams of Hope campaign.
Complete this Volunteer Preference form to be paired with a current homebuyer.
Build your own hands-on project at home for an Atlanta Habitat homebuyer.
Complete a small craft project at home (building templates available) and donate it to a new Atlanta Habitat homebuyer or the ReStore. Kids can help too! Projects ideas include:
Any other small building projects you can imagine (must easily fit in a car).
Complete this Volunteer Preference form to be paired with a current homebuyer.
Learn new construction skills virtually and complete your own DIY home maintenance project.
Learn a new skill from one of our House Leaders or Skilled Supervisors virtually.
Complete your own maintenance project at home. Don’t forget to share your handiwork with other Atlanta Habitat volunteers by tagging photos or video of your project on social media with #atlantahabitatathome.
Atlanta Habitat Home Maintenance Instructional Videos
Help students with their Scholarship Research Process
The Scholarship Academy (TSA), is a nonprofit founded by a recipient of over $200,000 in scholarships, teaches low- income and first-generation high school students how to create realistic college funding strategies.
Through in-school curriculum modules, financial aid counselor trainings, and access to an innovative scholarship planning platform, The Virtual Scholarship Center, we connect students to local/state-based scholarship resources that enable them to pursue debt-free degrees.
How it Works
Students sign up for virtual office hours via their virtual scholarship center account
Based on availability and interest, volunteers (you) will help students:
Understand their Financial Award Letter
Identify additional private aid
Re-negotiate their financial aid packages
Edit scholarship essays
Girl Power
Today’s girls face very real and profound issues as they navigate gender, economic and social barriers. But Girls Inc. is working to ensure positive outcomes for all girls – like increasing their graduation rate, helping them solve real-life problems and inspiring them to get involved in their communities – and Cox has committed itself to the cause.
Girls Inc. is inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold, and Cox Enterprises is supporting that mission in a big way.
Today’s girls face very real and profound issues as they navigate gender, economic and social barriers. But Girls Inc. is working to ensure positive outcomes for all girls – like increasing their graduation rate, helping them solve real-life problems and inspiring them to get involved in their communities – and Cox has committed itself to the cause.
In fact, during the recent annual Girls Inc. New York Luncheon, Janet Barnard, EVP & Chief People Officer, Cox Automotive, accepted the Corporate Vision Award on behalf of Cox Enterprises for helping to increase opportunities for girls and women and inspiring them to achieve great things.
This award comes as Cox announces a new community partnership with Girls Inc. in which we will become the National Sponsor of STEM and College and Career Readiness programming across the United States.
Scaling Nationally
Cox has been supporting Girls Inc. in a variety of ways for more than 10 years. Employees often volunteer and mentor at local chapters across the country. And, as a corporate partner to Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, Cox sponsors its annual fundraiser and hosts its Business and Entrepreneurship Week Marketplace Day – a program where girls learn about branding businesses, creating budgets and executing marketing plans, and then sell their goods at a popup-style artists’ market at Central Park.
In addition, Anne Harris, Director of Marketing and Creative, Cox Media, and LeVoyd Carter, executive director, diversity and inclusion, CCI, both serve as board members for the Omaha and Atlanta chapters respectively.
The expansion of Cox’s partnership to the national level significantly expands our level of involvement with Girls Inc. and aligns perfectly with our values to support inclusion, diversity and promotion of women, as well as our committed focus to STEAM-related causes.
About Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. encourages STEM learning and engagement through year-round, after-school programming, weekend activities and experiences. Through hands-on activities, girls can explore, ask questions, persist and solve problems. And, by interacting with those pursuing STEM careers, girls come to view these careers as exciting and realistic options for themselves.
Instagram Reboot: 3 Simple Ways to Grow Your Following
This post was created in partnership with Splendid Consulting, previewing our upcoming Instagram 2.0 Essentials for Nonprofits workshop. Learn more and register here.
If you’re struggling with low engagement or gaining new followers on your nonprofit’s Instagram account, then keep reading! Today, we’re tackling one of the most overlooked spots to increase engagement: your Instagram profile.
An organization’s bio is the foundation to creating a successful marketing strategy.
I recommend checking in with your bio more often than you might think. As your goals, fundraising, or events change, your bio should too. If you’re launching a new campaign, your bio should give your community the scoop — and most importantly, make it easy for someone to donate, purchase, or get connected with you.
Here are 3 simple steps to crafting the perfect bio:
Your Mission: Is your mission easy to understand? Does it succinctly explain who you serve and your location? Keep it simple to ensure a new follower can clearly grasp all of these elements.
Contact info: Is your website link up to date? You’ll want to change it to reflect your current call-to-action. You may want it to link to your nonprofit’s website or to your Giving Tuesday page or tickets to purchase for a fundraiser. Consider a free service like Linktree if you need multiple URLs.
Branded Hashtag: Adding a branded hashtag is an easy way to increase engagement and show your community how to connect and share content with you. Make sure your hashtag is unique to you, and generic like: “#nonprofit” or “#atlantanonprofits.”
Don’t be afraid to be fun, witty, or creative — just stay within your own brand standards. You can use emojis to help break up the text visually and avoid long paragraphs. Once your bio is sparkling, start mixing in creative calls-to-action into your regular content. Let’s do this!
Christina Edwards, Founder
About Splendid Consulting
Our mission is to amplify the impact of nonprofit and cause organizations. At the intersection of strategy and solution, Splendid Consulting takes nonprofits to the next level. Splendid works with organizations to create the roadmap, tools, and mindset to thrive.
Raising the Bar | These Baristas Serve More than Coffee
Over the course of the Starbucks Service Fellows’ six-month term with us, Julie and Maya, managed 10 food pantries that were selected by the Food Bank. Specifically, the Starbucks Service Fellows providing one-on-one support to the food pantries including training on volunteer management best practices and our volunteer management software; helping them write volunteer role descriptions, and volunteering at their facilities.
A little over a year ago the Atlanta Community Food Bank approached Hands On Atlanta, asking if we could help increase capacity at some of their affiliate food pantries by recruiting volunteers on their behalf. Specifically, the Food Bank wanted to provide more food to more people and hypothesized that if we were able to send more volunteers to their affiliates then their objective of feeding more people would be achieved.
We were eager to dive in and help, but with a lean team ourselves, we wondered how we could make this happen. Wouldn’t you know it, around the same time, Points of Light presented us with an incredible opportunity from Starbucks. We would apply to host a couple of their partners (Starbucks employees) who would help address one of the company’s social pillars: food insecurity. So, problem-solved! We jumped at the opportunity and applied for and got two outstanding Starbucks Service Fellows, Julie and Maya, to help us implement our partnership with the Food Bank.
Over the course of the Starbucks Service Fellows’ six-month term with us, Julie and Maya, managed 10 food pantries that were selected by the Food Bank. Specifically, the Starbucks Service Fellows providing one-on-one support to the food pantries including training on volunteer management best practices and our volunteer management software; helping them write volunteer role descriptions, and volunteering at their facilities. This was no easy task. The food pantries were very lean, grassroots organizations and many were being run by volunteers. For example, none of them had a formal system for tracking their volunteers; volunteers signed up using pen and paper. So Julie and Maya spent a significant amount of time teaching them how to use our volunteer software increasing the efficiencies and workflow at the food pantries.
“We’ve been able to double the number of volunteers thanks to Hands On Atlanta.”
Change can be hard which meant that the food pantries needed encouragement and support. One of the most value skills the Starbucks Service Fellows brought to their role was their impeccable customer service. Julie and Maya were patient and always treated the food pantries with respect. As a result, they gained the food pantries trust. Not only did the Starbucks Service Fellows get the pantries to use our volunteer management software, but in just three months of posting their opportunities the food pantries recruited 143 volunteers who served a total 544 hours! Margie Boone, CEO of the food pantry, Margie’s House, stated, "We've been able to double the number of volunteers thanks to Hands On Atlanta."
With the support from Starbucks in their partners’ growth and civic engagement, as well as building capacity for nonprofits like ours, we were able to build upon the strong foundation with the Food Bank, one of our long time partners. We also were able to expand our service foot print into high-needs areas like Gwinnet and Clayton Counties, deepening the impact we’re able to have in the metro region.
Thank you to Starbucks and their incredible partners, Julie and Maya. Their fellowship ended in mid-February, however, they will always be a part of the Hands On Atlanta family. In fact, Julie has stayed on board volunteering with us two days a week to continue providing support to the food pantries - through June when the food pantries are eligible to renew their partnership with us. We’re definitely looking forward to the next phase of the Starbucks Service Fellowship program, hoping to grow from a grande to a venti!
Want to volunteer at one the food pantries?
Blue Heron receives Five Star grant for urban wetlands restoration
The Blue Heron Nature Preserve recently received a $30,000 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for urban wetlands restoration. The total conservation impact of the grant will be $71,000 including Blue Heron’s restoration partnership contributions.
The Blue Heron Nature Preserve recently received a $30,000 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for urban wetlands restoration. The total conservation impact of the grant will be $71,000 including Blue Heron’s restoration partnership contributions.
The project aims to engage 300 volunteers to restore 2.5 acres of wetlands on the Blue Heron property in Buckhead. Volunteers will focus on removing invasive plant species and planting native ones. Additionally, a Discovery Dock will be constructed to support education efforts and facilitate research. Blue Heron plans to utilize the Discovery Dock during their public programs and children’s camps.
“We are thrilled to be working with our long-time partner, Blue Heron Nature Preserve, on their Blueway Trail Initiative. With the population of Atlanta growing more each day, it's more important than ever that we endeavor to make our city more accessible and connected while preserving its beautiful natural habitats and green space. We’re excited to join in on this project by kicking things off during our annual MLK Day of Service,” says Elaine Hudson, Associate Director of Nonprofit Services at Hands On Atlanta.
The NFWF grant was supported with funds from Southern Company, Georgia Power and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was selected from a competitive pool of 250 applications nationwide. This grant will be matched by Blue Heron, the Atlanta Audubon Society, the Amphibian Foundation, the Department of Watershed Management, Hands On Atlanta, Marcy Scott, a local ichthyologist, and Beech Hollow Farms. Over $70,000 will be allocated towards urban wetland restoration.
“This is a unique opportunity to not only restore a critical and disappearing habitat in an urban environment, but also to engage the community to allow them to discover for themselves why efforts like these are so important,” says Brooke Vacovsky, project and operations manager at Blue Heron.
Serve your neighbor being affected by the shutdown
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is proactively working to support impacted federal employees and contractors. We may see many more in the coming days if this shutdown continues. If you or someone you know is met with the new challenge of putting food on the table during the shutdown, please visit our Government Shutdown relief page to find help.
An important letter from Kyle Waide, President and CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank
The current government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. Georgia’s federal employees and contractors are feeling the immediate impact. Roughly 16,000 of our neighbors have either been furloughed or required to work without pay since the shutdown began four weeks ago.
Many of these families are faced—for the first time—with impossible choices between food and other necessities, like housing, transportation and medication. During the past week, we've seen a 383% increase in searches for help on our website. We've heard from local TSA workers who have never had to ask for food assistance. And we've talked to multiple feeding partners who are reporting an increase in the number of people they serve daily.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is proactively working to support impacted federal employees and contractors. We may see many more in the coming days if this shutdown continues. If you or someone you know is met with the new challenge of putting food on the table during the shutdown, please the ACFB Government Shutdown relief page to find help.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank and it’s partner food pantries need your help more than ever. The increased demand for food means there’s even more need for volunteers to support these distribution efforts. It’s time to step up and serve.
New Partnership Brings Online, On-Demand Volunteering to Atlanta
Hands On Atlanta and CareerVillage.org announce a new partnership at the Points of Light Service Unites 2018 Conference.
Always looking to innovate and lead where volunteers can better serve the Atlanta community, we're excited to announce an impactful new way to help youth excel in college and career through CareerVillage.org, an online, on-demand volunteer platform.
Hands On Atlanta and CareerVillage.org announce a new partnership at the Points of Light Service Unites 2018 Conference.
Always looking to innovate and lead where volunteers can better serve the Atlanta community, we're excited to announce an impactful new way to help youth excel in college and career through CareerVillage.org, an online, on-demand volunteer platform.
CareerVillage co-founder and Executive Director Jared Chung made the announcement on Monday evening, live from the main stage at the fabulous Fox Theatre, inviting the audience to participate in the digital volunteer opportunity to give advice to underserved youth. Volunteers from Hands On Atlanta and Points of Light were on the ground throughout the entire conference celebrating and supporting those who decided to take the challenge. Through this initiative, thousands of people were able to help students across the country by supporting them in their future careers.
Jay Cranman, President and CEO of Hands On Atlanta said, “Being able to facilitate this awesome partnership is an incredible opportunity for Atlanta youth and a perfect example of the power of volunteerism. With CareerVillage.org, youth can ask college and career readiness questions, and professionals can answer from anywhere at anytime. We’re excited to continue to push the needle on new and innovative ways to connect volunteers to the needs of our community.”
Jared Chung of CareerVillage.org said, “I’m excited to work with Hands On Atlanta and Points of Light. They are amazing organizations who have been championing service and volunteerism for decades. Joining forces with them is a great opportunity to push digital volunteering forward. The reason we can provide career advice to youth at such massive scale is that digital volunteering is accessible and flexible. Anyone can participate, whether as an individual, with a company, in church groups, or in the field, and everywhere in between.”
Are you ready to use your college and professional experience to help the next teacher, programmer, or president?
Have you tried an online volunteering platform before? Let us know your experience and other ways ATLiens can do something good - online.
Learn more about the Service Unites Conference and Points of Light here.