Giving Back in Atlanta – going beyond Altruism

During the 2023 edition of Hands On Atlanta Week, I had the honor of kicking off 48in48’s Global Event for a room full of coders. Their early October weekend plan? Building 48 websites for 48 nonprofits in just 48 hours!

Funny enough, for someone who leads one of the largest volunteer hubs in the country, I can be pretty picky about where I spend my time. I like my volunteer efforts to check a few boxes. Networking? Quality time with my kids? Maybe even a brief respite from them? The more boxes ticked, the better. And turns out, data from Hands On Atlanta’s 35-year journey agrees – people with a clear “why” are more committed and come back to serve more often inevitably to do more good.

But why my emphasis on the ‘why’? Typically, my talks involve sharing the challenges in the community and encouraging audiences to volunteer. Yet, with this group, that would have been preaching to the choir. So I pivoted to a topic I’ve actually never addressed during my tenure as Hands On Atlanta’s CEO – the myth that giving back has to be an act of pure altruism.

Volunteering isn’t just about giving; you get a lot out of it too. It’s a two-way street that can keep you coming back. Here are the five big things volunteers gain from their service:

1. Community

   Service fosters a feeling of belonging. Working together creates strong, lasting connections, akin to what you might find at church, synagogue, or a local pickleball league.

2. Talent

   Volunteering is an avenue for skill-building. It challenges you to step beyond your comfort zone, enabling growth. Whether you’re mastering something new or gathering tales for the next social gathering, it’s a win.

3. Well-Being

   In today’s age, where loneliness, anxiety and depression are rampant, volunteering stands as a remedy. A dedicated volunteer once shared with me how a day of service transformed their headspace. They started the day feeling down and trapped, and ended it on a high note, feeling connected and useful. Such stories aren’t rare.  

4. Creative Recharge

   Service projects are a great place to find inspiration, or if nothing else, a new problem to solve – maybe even one you didn’t know existed. Stepping out of your daily routine can birth fresh perspectives.

5. Civic Pride

   Engaging directly with community challenges instills a deep sense of pride and ownership. To see a community flourish and know you played a part – there’s no better feeling.

Last year, Hands On Atlanta successfully mobilized more than 40,000 people to serve. But here is the rub – 50,000 volunteer spots went unfilled. That translates to meals not served, kids without tutors, and needs unmet. For Atlanta (or any community) to flourish, we need to see volunteering not just as an event, but as a way of life. Volunteering is the way we connect with each other, grow, recharge and engage. Only then can we truly bridge the gap between giving and receiving.

So, tell me: Why do you volunteer? What’s the win/win for you?

9 PROJECTS TO RING IN THE HOLIDAYS

Are you in the giving spirit and looking for a fun and meaningful way to give back this holiday season? With a focus on fighting food insecurity, we’ve got your back with 9 hand selected projects (and a lot more) that are serving the community for the holidays.

Community Food Box Build Out

HOPE Atlanta is looking for volunteers on Wednesday, Dec. 8 to help pack food into boxes for an upcoming distribution. You can join their efforts to help Georgians avoid homelessness and hunger. Every year HOPE Atlanta supplies more than 40,000 food boxes to neighbors in need, and they rely on volunteers to make this possible.

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP

Amazing Virtual Info Session for Free99Fridge

Ok, so you’ve heard of Free99Fridge, and now you’re interested in learning more about how you can help them fight food insecurity in Atlanta? Here’s your chance! On Thursday, Dec. 9 anyone in the community wanting to learn more about supporting their Solidarity Fridges (located at Best End Brewing, Refuge Coffee, Hodgepodge Coffeehouse and North Decatur Presbyterian Church) is welcome to attend an Amazing Virtual Info Session. Expect a fun, super informal and COVID-safe way to learn more about getting involved, donating food, navigating Slack and all things Free99Fridge.

JOIN THE VIRTUAL SESSION HERE

Gift Sorting

Antioch Urban Ministries is looking for volunteers Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings through Dec. 16 to sort (not wrap) toys for kids who are in need. You’ll be sorting toys by age and gender and bagging them in preparation for distribution.

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP NOW

Clark Howard's Christmas Kids

For 26 years, Clark Howard has been providing Christmas gifts to foster children in the state of Georgia. St. Vincent de Paul Georgia, along with WSB TV/Talk Radio, the Georgia Department of Human Services, and Walmart, work with Clark to ensure that every child has gifts to open on Christmas morning. They need energetic volunteers to help organize the gifts everyday through Friday, Dec. 17. Volunteers will help load and unload trucks, sort and combine gifts for children, help label gifts by county, and ensure each child receives the correct gifts.

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP NOW

Christmas in Coweta

Christmas in Coweta is a program organized by Bridging the Gap, to provide toys, clothing, and other needed items to children in need. Bridging the Gap is a nonprofit organization based in Coweta County, Georgia that provides food, clothing, and ministry to people who are struggling in their community. They are in need of volunteers for various roles and shifts the week of Dec. 12 and Friday, Dec. 17 to help with their event.

VIEW ALL SHIFTS + SIGN UP NOW

6th Annual Christmas Dinner and Toy Giveaway

For this Holiday season, Area in Need Missionary House is looking for volunteers on Saturday, Dec. 18 to assist them in serving men, women and children that live in 4 of their partner hotels and extended stays in the surrounding areas. Volunteers will setup with the tents, tables and items, serve a spagetti dinner, distribute toiletries, gifts, toys and more!

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP NOW

StreetWise Christmas Event and Mobile Food Pantry

On Saturday, Dec. 18, StreetWise Georgia will serve 300 registered families with a Take Home To Cook Christmas Meal and a new gift to unwrap for every child attending this special event. Volunteers will help sort food, prepare food boxes, load boxes into client vehicles, hand out Christmas gifts and so more!

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP NOW

Helping Hands Holiday Dinner

On Saturday, December 18, 250 disadvantaged children will be able to celebrate the holidays as part of the 33rd Annual Helping Hands Holiday Dinner. Volunteers are needed at the Union City, GA location to help give out pre-bagged toys, free giveaways and to hand out drinks and/or snacks.

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP NOW

Christmas Community Food Box Giveaway

Area in Need is hosting a Christmas Community Food Box Giveaway on Tuesday, Dec. 21 where they will provide anyone in the community free food items. Volunteers will assist in preparing boxes, sorting different food items, handing out information sheets and loading food boxes into clients’ vehicles.

LEARN MORE + SIGN UP NOW

But wait, there’s more…

We’ve got even more ways you can volunteer during the holidays - a lot more, actually. There are close to 500 opportunities to give back on our calendar from now through the end of the year. Don’t wait until 2022 to do something good, get started today!

How volunteering can feed those in need & soothe the soul

Traditionally, this time of year brings up many feelings of altruism. As we gather around our tables enjoying meals prepared by and shared with loved ones on dark, chilly evenings, the knowledge that others might not have a holiday meal or food in their cupboards is striking in contrast. Volunteering at a food bank, soup kitchen, or stocking a local free pantry are all wonderful ways to share the love with those who might not otherwise have access to healthy, fresh food.

I spoke with Tim Adkins, Director of Marketing and Communications for Hands On Atlanta about Atlanta’s hunger problem and what is being done to address it. “We can’t keep up with the need from our partners, specifically our food pantry partners,” said Adkins.

Between August of 2020 and July of 2021, Hands On Atlanta has supplied more than 9,500 volunteers to support the Atlanta Community Food Bank as they distribute a whopping 8.6 million meals to 22 food pantries located throughout the city and far into the suburbs. Additionally, Hands On Atlanta’s Meals 4 Kids program and COVID-19 specific relief efforts have supplied 8,000 meals to families in that same timeframe.

“Last year we engaged about 15,000 people in service to serve approximately 130,000 hours in the community,” Adkins explained, and while Hands On Atlanta is an organization dedicated to a myriad of nonprofits in a variety of sectors, Adkins says that the pandemic has really highlighted an increased need specifically centered around food insecurity. Of those 15,000 volunteers engaged by Hands On Atlanta nearly 10,000 were focused on providing healthy meals to those in need. 

Calling the issue “just staggering,” Adkins and the Hands On Atlanta team are committed to activating people, both as individuals and within the context of corporate teams, in an effort to facilitate the distribution of donations from organizations to the communities that need them.

“We really wanted to lean in,” said Adkins, who says he has seen exponential growth in the amount of food that has come into the Food Bank and then back out into the community. 

While one of the biggest impacts can be seen from companies bringing in teams of employees to volunteer their time, COVID has restricted those opportunities and today most volunteering efforts employ less than 50 people at a time. Nonprofits such as Urban Recipe and the Community Assistance Center regularly post their opportunities with Hands On Atlanta, but are typically seeking between four to six volunteers for a given activation. 

Some local companies that have regularly given back through volunteering with Hands On Atlanta include Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, the Coca-Cola Company, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, United Postal Service, NCR, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad. 

“Even if you couldn’t physically help, there are things you can do to be supportive like writing a letter in support of someone who may have fallen on hard times. It really does mean a lot, just having some encouragement means a lot. To really understand why, and why it matters, is to create empathy,” said Adkins. And it’s not only good for the community, giving back has benefits for the volunteer as well. 

“Studies have shown that volunteering meets all of the things that the pandemic has caused: isolation, stress, feeling no sense of purpose,” Adkins continued. “It has been proven that volunteering gives you confidence, a sense of community, and a sense of purpose. There is intrinsic value as well, it’s great for the community but also for the individual.”

As we talked, Adkins shared a few local organizations that he feels are making great strides in the battle against hunger. Free99Fridge.com, Second Helpings Atlanta – Assemble and Pack Food Donations, and Open Hand Atlanta are all dedicated to providing not only non-perishable and shelf-stable foods, but also fresh fruit, produce, and whole meals to those in need throughout the city. 

So this year, if you find that you’ve got enough love to share, whether it be in the form of food or monetary donations or through actual physical assistance to soup kitchen, food pantries, and all of the auxiliary organizations that support the efforts to get food into the hands of those who need it, there are some truly remarkable ways you can aid in the fight against food insecurity. 

Get started right now by searching this list of food insecurity related projects on Hands On Atlanta’s calendar. Here are some other projects to explore throughout Thanksgiving:

• Volunteer with Atlanta Community Food Bank as an individual or a group

• Virtual Meals on Wheels which includes projects people can do from home

• Thanksgiving Dinner and Coat Giveaway with Area in Need Missionary House on November 13 and 20

• The Pantry at Chapelhill Atlanta on November 20

• Thanksgiving Event and Mobile Food Pantry Distribution with Streetwise on November 20

• Grady Fresh Food Cart with Grady Health System in Brookhaven on November 24

• Stock the Pantry with Grace Community Food Pantry on November 24

• Thanksgiving Give Back with SSA, delivering nourishing meals to low-income and homebound seniors in Fulton County on November 20 (Registration required by November 15)

• Giving Tuesday with Hosea Helps, this annual Thanksgiving drive-through event at the Georgia World Congress Center Blue Parking Lot seeks volunteers age 12+ to fill 10 shifts on November 19

• Volunteer with the Atlanta Mission, serve meals to men residing at The Shepherd’s Inn or the women and children at My Sister’s House, many dates available

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This post originally shared on

https://isadorapennington.com/2021/11/05/sharing-the-love/

#FlattenTheCurve and Download How We Feel

How We Feel lets you self-report your age, sex, ZIP code, and any health symptoms you experience. It only takes 30 seconds!

Aggregate data is securely shared with select scientists, doctors and public health professionals who are actively working to stop the spread of COVID-19. The app doesn't ask you to sign in or share your name, phone number or email address.

The first time you download the app and donate your data with a check-in, we'll donate a meal to people in need through Feeding America—up to 10 million meals.

How can I get involved?

‍Apply to be a scientific collaborator
‍collaboration@howwefeel.org

Volunteer or join
‍volunteer@howwefeel.org

Make PPE for Health Care Providers

Join Atlanta Beats COVID,  an ad-hoc group of volunteer makers, engineers, fabricators, seamsters, and other Atlanta-area industry experts that are working to provide our hard-working healthcare providers and other vital members of our community with the necessary PPE that they need to stay safe while battling COVID-19 

Atlanta Beats COVID is recruiting the following types of volunteers and donations:

• Volunteers to Make/Print Face Shields

• Volunteers to Sew Face Masks and Gowns

• Volunteers for Cutting and/or Assembly of Face Shields (4 hour shifts available around metro-Atlanta)

• Drivers for Pick-up and Drop-off Materials and Completed Product  

• Materials Donation

• Logistics Support

Check out approved patterns here: https://www.atlantabeatscovid.com/diy   

Now Playing: The Weekly High 5 Podcast

I remember a time when the only question on anyone's mind was, "Is Adnan Sayed innocent or guilty?" In fact, I've been told this was an ice breaker for many first Bumble dates... Anyways, Sarah Koenig and Atlanta's sweetheart Mailkimp brought the world of podcasts out of the basement and into your living room, your car, your commute, and everywhere you went with "Serial." If you don't know what I'm talking about, surely you've heard someone mention "Serial" or maybe you've heard of "This American Life" or even Atlanta's own podcast empire, "How Stuff Works." Atlanta is also home base to one of my faves, Crazy Good Turns. Whatever your interests, guilty pleasures, or preferences to pass the time, chances are, there's a podcast out there waiting for you to press play.

If you're reading this, I'll assume your interests lie in doing something good, specifically here in Atlanta. Maybe you've volunteered in the past, or you're looking for the next, best service project? Whatever reason you're here, we're introducing a new way to stay engaged and to get involved. Introducing The Weekly High 5 presented by Hands On Atlanta! 

Starting today, we'll be releasing a weekly show full of Hot Projects, team news and notes, community events, interviews with Atlanta changemakers and more! I'll (Tim Adkins) be your host for each bite sized, 15-30 minute show - perfect for any commute! Click the icons/links below to subscribe to The Weekly High 5 wherever you listen.  

Apple Podcasts

Google Play

Spotify

Stitcher

Breaker Audio

Pocket Casts

Radio Republic

Overcast

In the way Netflix allows for endless streaming, podcasts do the same to attract your attention and keep it. Once you're hooked on a good podcast, it's hard to kick the habit. I know from personal experience, chasing Guy Raz around every corner of the internet. Here's a few of our staff favorites to subscribe to:

Jay Cranman, President and CEO

• Akimbo - Akimbo's a podcast about our culture and about how we can change it. About seeing what's happening and choosing to do something.The culture is real, but it can be changed. You can bend it.

• Reply All - A podcast about the internet, that is actually an unfailingly original exploration of modern life and how to survive it.

• The Moth - The Moth Podcast features re-airs of all new episodes of The Moth Radio Hour, plus additional stories from our vast archive recorded over the past two decades. Episodes are released every Tuesday.

Lara Wagner, Corporate Partnerships Manager

• Unladylike - Cultivating our best selves and dreamiest lives is un-equally accessible for women, girls and gender-nonconforming folks everywhere. But by better understanding our unique identities, diverse lived experiences and underlying injustices, we can claim our space and make more room for others as well. That's our Unladylike mission: To make inclusive, credible media that moves.

• Cocaine and Rhinestones - Cocaine & Rhinestones is a podcast about the history of country music made in the 20th century…

Candice White, Discovery Program Manager

• Skimm'd from the Couch - The gals from Skimm are talking to female entrepreneurs on a, yup, couch, to hear the real version of how they got off it. No BS, no cry. Actually, it’s fine to cry. We know some good spots for it around NYC if you’re interested.

• Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations - Awaken, discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around you with SuperSoul. Hear Oprah’s personal selection of her interviews with thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health and wellness experts. All designed to light you up, guide you through life’s big questions and help bring you one step closer to your best self.

Sara Dowdle, Salesforce Administrator

• Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People aka Beautiful Anonymous - 1 phone call. 1 hour. No names. No holds barred. That’s the premise behind Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, hosted by comedian Chris Gethard (the Chris Gethard Show, Broad City, This American Life, and one of Time Out’s “10 best comedians of 2015”). Every week, Chris opens the phone line to one anonymous caller, and he can’t hang up first, no matter what.

• Dr. Gameshow - Jo Firestone and Manolo Moreno play listener-created games with their comedian friends and listener call-ins.

Tim Adkins, Director of Marketing + Communications

• How I Built This - Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.

• The GaryVee Audio Experience - On his global top 100 iTunes podcast The GaryVee Audio Experience, you’ll hear episodes of Gary Vanyerchuck's mix of highlights from the DAILYVEE documentary video series, #AskGaryVee Show episodes, keynote speeches on marketing and business, interviews, fireside chats, and any of his new and current thoughts recorded specifically for this audio experience!

Want more? Our friends at ChooseATL put out a solid list of awesome podcasts created right here in the ATL. What podcasts do you listen to? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook and be sure to subscribe to The Weekly High 5!

Love Atlanta Turns (and Builds) the Tables on Service

Sometimes you just want to sit down on a picnic table and enjoy a little sunshine. Pull the lap top out, crank out some emails, drink an ice cold Coca-Cola, and enjoy a little peace and quiet. You know what I mean? 

Luckily for the staff at Hands On Atlanta, this fairy tale story is now a reality, thanks to our friends at Love Atlanta! As part of our big office renovation, (and some impeccable timing) their team chose to build 3 brand new picnic tables for our outdoor patio as a site project for their annual week of service. So, the organization that hosts and leads volunteer projects 24/7/365 has now been on the receiving end of one. Yes, the literal and proverbial tables were turned. Things felt pretty good from this side of things, a little too good...

But we weren't the only nonprofit getting some help. Check this out, during the week of June 25 - 30, over 4,000 people signed in at almost 5,000 volunteer spots through 231 projects all over Atlanta. In total, their volunteers served over 14,500! Yo. 

Other projects included some of our nonprofit partners (#twinning) where they packed meals with Open Hand, got dirty with several beautification projects along the Beltline, and sorted and packed grocery donations at the Atlanta Food Bank Product Rescue Center.

Congrats to the Love Atlanta on an awesome week of impact and we're sending the biggest virtual high five to the entire team (including the camera crew, task leaders, and members of our team) who helped give our hard working squad a fun and relaxing place to do something good! We hope to see you again next year.

For more information on Love Atlanta and to learn more about their week of service, visit their website at https://loveatlanta.com.

5 Ways Volunteering Improves Your Life

Everyone knows that volunteering is an incredibly giving action for your community. However, sometimes life keeps us too occupied and stressed to even think about it, even though we know it’s the right thing to do. It turns out that volunteer work not only helps your community, but it also improves multiple areas in your own life.

A little skeptical? Keep reading to learn the five ways it does just that.

1. Volunteering is good for your health.

It has been proven that volunteering reduces stress and combats depression. It does this by keeping you close to other people and helping you develop a solid support system. Not only that, but research has shown that it improves your happiness. Check out these and some more health benefits to volunteering here.

2. Volunteering helps boost your career.

Sometimes we feel our work keeps us too busy to volunteer. It turns out that volunteering can actually foster your career. Volunteering helps you learn new skills in a field you’re interested in, without making a commitment to the field. You can also create a positive impression for employers, and it gives you a range of useful and interesting skills to enhance your résumé.

Need a real life example of this working? The team at Hands On Atlanta has a ton (potential future post) to share! Shoot us a message and we'll share. 

3. Volunteering can lead to you making real connections.

Are you new to the city? Do you want to find more friends? You can meet other “do gooders” while volunteering. It is a great way to meet people who share some of the same interests as you, which is important for the foundation of any friendship. Get started with our TeamWorks! program for some fun, social, competitive, volunteering!

4. Volunteering allows you to give back to a cause or community you believe in.

Do you have a passion? Do you love your neighborhood? Volunteer work can be personal. You can do your part by improving those areas you believe in. Today you can decide to get involved in making this world a better place, and it's easier than ever to actually do it.

5. Volunteering is fun!

When you volunteer, you are able to learn fun, new skills you might not learn otherwise. If you’re looking for a project outside of work or school, volunteering is an opportunity to take advantage of your free time. Are you searching for an activity to do with your friends and family? See what’s out there to do something good with the people you care about.

Acknowledging the personal benefits of volunteer work isn’t selfish at all. There is more to it than giving back to others, even though that is a valid reason to get involved. Do something good for yourself by doing something good for Atlanta.

Ready to dive into volunteering? Find a local project you have a passion for at www.handsonatlanta.org/volunteer.

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Heidi Risher has joined Hands On Atlanta from the University of Alabama for the summer, interning with our marketing and communications department. Heidi is doing a great job working on some fun projects for us, in addition to writing some informational blog posts. If you'd like to intern with Hands On Atlanta, keep an eye on our Careers page for openings!