THE CITIZEN BLOG
THE CITIZEN BLOG
PREVENTING A DOUBLE RECESSION FOR NONPROFITS: 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MEET URGENT NEEDS
With COVID-19, nonprofits are facing unprecedented headwinds. Not only are funds constricting quickly and dramatically, but now the volunteers that organizations rely on cannot perform many critical functions, while the needs of their populations they serve grow each day of this crisis.
This is an excerpt from Points of Light CEO, Natalye Paquin
Driven by a desire to lend a helping hand, the “hands-on” world of volunteer service connects people to help each other meet community challenges. These on-the-ground organizations are powered by people, comprised of community leaders who know the specific needs and strengths of their community.
But in this new “hands-off” world of social distancing, volunteering in person has come to an abrupt halt.
With COVID-19, nonprofits are facing unprecedented headwinds. Not only are funds constricting quickly and dramatically, but now the volunteers that organizations rely on cannot perform many critical functions, while the needs of their populations they serve grow each day of this crisis.
5 Ways to Fight Food Insecurity Right Now
Explore 5 ways you can help battle food insecurity across metro Atlanta through the COVID-19 quarantine.
This post was updated Arpil 6, 2020 with new ways to help. View all of our relief efforts.
Food insecurity continues to be a high priority for the metro Atlanta community and several of our partners are working hard to get food to those who need it. If you’re healthy and willing to lend a hand or 2, check out these impactful ways you can help.
HANDS ON ATLANTA MEAL PACK AND DISTRIBUTION
Every Friday through May 8, 2020, Multiple Times and Shifts, Various Atlanta Public Schools
In partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Atlanta Public Schools, Hands On Atlanta will be operating meal packing and distribution at 5 sites in the Atlanta Public School (APS) district. Volunteers will unload pallets of food, pack the food in meal bags to be distributed to families through a drop off-line. Volunteers may also be asked to help with hot meal distribution to children.t
OPEN HAND PREP AND DISTRIBUTION
Every Mon. Wed., Fri. through April, 2020, Multiple Times and Shifts, Metro Atlanta
Open Hand Atlanta has openings 3 days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) where they urgently need volunteers drivers to help deliver meals to clients across metro Atlanta.
APS FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Every Mon. through May 8, 2020, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Atlanta
After Spring Break, beginning Monday, April 13, APS will be streamlining their meal distribution from providing meals five days a week to providing meals one day a week each Monday from 10 a.m. to Noon , but it will still provide the same amount of food as the daily service did. Volunteers are needed to staff the on-site distribution sites and kitchens as well as drive buses to various routes and drop locations.
MEALS ON WHEELS MEAL DELIVERY
Every Saturday Through April, 2020, Multiple Times and Shifts, Metro Atlanta
The mission of Meals on Wheels Atlanta is to support senior independence through meals, shelter, education, and community. Their flagship program, Meal Services, provides nourishing meals to low-income and homebound seniors in Atlanta who are unable to afford or access adequate nutrition. Volunteers are needed to deliver meals to frail, homebound and low-income seniors residing in Fulton County.
VOLUNTEER W/ A HANDS ON ATLANTA PARTNEr PANTRY
Monday-Saturday Through April, 2020, Multiple Times and Shifts, Metro Atlanta
We partner with food pantries small and large across metro Atlanta, all working hard to get food to those in their communities who need it. Again, if you’re healthy and want to help, check out our calendar of food pantry volunteer projects now.
Help From Home
So, you want to do something good, but you don't want to leave your house? No worries, we've got your back! Here are some really easy ways you can support those in need from the comfort of your couch:
Hands On ATLANTA | COVID-19 COMMUNITY PLAN
Until further notice, we will defer all volunteer needs and projects to our nonprofit, school and corporate partners. We’ve been in contact with all of them and will update our volunteer calendar, programs, and needs of our community as requested.
A summary of our response and current activities is below. We'll provide further updates as things evolve, but in the meantime, thanks for doing your part to ensure the safety and well-being of you and those around you!
Updated March 25, 2020 at 7:00am
Like many organizations across metro Atlanta, we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 news and updates from the CDC and the World Health Organization. In an effort to be proactive, prioritizing the health and safety of our staff and our community, we have put together the following continuity plan.
Until further notice, we are following guidance from the State of Georgia and Atlanta’s Mayor Bottoms, and are postponing all “non-essential” volunteer projects. We will remain focused on fighting food insecurity and supporting essential nonprofit organizations and community needs. We’re also requesting all nonprofit partners and volunteer projects adhere to safety guidelines requiring a minimum of 6 ft distance between volunteers and projects less than 10 people. We’re working hard to ensure our calendar of volunteer projects and internal programs are updated accordingly and following these new safety guidelines.
A summary of our response and current activities is below. We'll provide further updates as things evolve, but in the meantime, thanks for doing your part to ensure the safety and well-being of you and those around you!
our internal plan
This kind of pandemic planning is new for everyone, especially us. However, we’re lucky to have the support of our fellow Points of Light Global Network Affiliates and have leaned on what others are doing across the globe to deal with the crisis. We are sharing our internal game plan, as it might be helpful for you or your organization. Our friends at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits have also created a contingency plan template. Until further notice we have:
Closed our office from Monday, March 16 - 27. This will cancel any volunteer projects and events happening at our office location (600 Means St.) within that timeline.
Created an internal response team to plan and implement the necessary actions for our team and greater community of partners and volunteers
Suspended all nonessential travel outside of GA.
Reinforced our flexible work from home policy to accommodate staff during the time our office will be closed.
Asked that anyone on our team who has a fever and/or symptoms of acute respiratory illness must stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (e.g. 100F or lower) or any other symptoms for at least 24-hours, without the use a fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicine (e.g. cough suppressants).
Asked teammates if a family member is sick with an acute respiratory illness, the employee may not return to work until 14 days after the family member became symptomatic.
A mandatory 14-day quarantine for all staff if in the event someone at Hands On ATL tests positive for COVID-19/Coronavirus.
Our Community Plan
We are working on contingency plans with all of our partners to keep the community’s best interest first. We have:
Created a Community Relief landing page with available volunteer opportunities, resources for those in need and more.
Postponed our Discovery and TeamWorks! programs until further notice
Posted all activity within the Civic Leadership Program
Sent safety guidelines and restrictions to Starbucks Service Fellows projects - focused on food insecurity - and are updating our calendar accordingly
Host Talk With Me Baby @ Work sessions digitally. To sign up for these email abisgaard@handsonatlanta.org
Asked volunteers (or volunteer family members) that have been exposed to COVID-19 self-quarantine and NOT volunteer with us for at least 14-days.
Been listening carefully to our nonprofit and school partners, and promoting their urgent needs on our calendar and via our social media, in addition to our Relief landing page.
If any of the following conditions apply to you, we ask that you not sign-up for any project at a Community/Nonprofit Partner location and stay at home for the safety of everyone:
If you currently have a cough, fever, or any respiratory illness
If you currently have a heart condition, lung disease, diabetes, or any other serious health condition, or are over the age of 65
If you or anyone in your household have traveled to China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, or Europe in the past two weeks
If you or anyone in your household have been in close contact with anyone who is confirmed to have COVID-19
If none of conditions 1-4 apply to you and you are comfortable volunteering, you may sign up for a project.
Before you begin a project, we’ll ask that you wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitizer. Supplies are limited for sanitizer, gloves and masks, please bring your own to projects if possible.
If you must stay home for the safety of our community, we have remote/digital volunteer opportunities (see Volunteer From Home below) that you may sign-up for.
VOLUNTEER FROM HOME
Here are some really easy ways you can do something good, without leaving your house:
Answer college and career readiness questions from students using CareerVillage
Make the world more accessible for the visually impaired and download Be My Eyes
Give refugees and people in need of humanitarian assistance on-demand language access with Tarjimly
Connect low-income youth with live academic support to help them on their path to achieving upward mobility with UPchieve.
Keep an eye on this page (it will be updated regularly) for news, updates and changes in our plan based on recommendations from the CDC and our community partners. Thank you for helping us tackle Atlanta’s most pressing needs!
Please share what you or your organization is doing to keep our community safe from COVID-19 in the comments below.
Hot Projects: Week of March 9
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with Hands On Atlanta, Liveable Buckhead, the Wylde Center and Meals on Wheels.
HANDS ON ATLANTA WAREHOUSE VOLUNTEERS
MAR. 19: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, WEST MIDTOWN
We're looking for a couple volunteers to help us clean, inventory and organize our warehouse. Please wear clothes that you do not mind getting dirty and closed-toed shoes. We recommend bringing water and your own snacks. Court-ordered volunteers are allowed to serve.
GARDEN WORK DAY AT TOWERS HIGH SCHOOL GARDEN
MAR. 14: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, DECATUR
Join Partners in Action for Healthy Living for a garden workday and make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the youth and families living within our community. You'll weed, prune, spread mulch, plant and general garden clean-up to get ready for planting our spring crops!
WYLDE FARMLET WORKDAY
MAR. 14: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, DECATUR
Wylde Center strives to cultivate environmental stewardship and bring people closer to nature through community events, greenspaces, and educational programming. They serve all populations. Wylde Center’s largest fundraiser is their annual Plant Sale and Festival. This volunteer event will help them keep on schedule to be prepared for the festival in mid-April.
COMMUNITY PLANTING DAY - ORCHARD TREES AT MOUNTAIN WAY
Saturday, March 14 From 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (N Atlanta)
This program facilitated by the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance provides the opportunity for youth 10 years and older to participate in meaningful activities encouraging conservation, stewardship, and experiential learning on the second Saturday of every month. Volunteer tasks are: Trail building and maintenance, Invasive Plant Eradication, Habitat Restoration and other activities needed to manage the facility and grounds of this unique urban resource!
MEALS ON WHEELS MEAL DELIVERY
MAR. 21: 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM, METRO ATLANTA
The mission of Meals on Wheels Atlanta is to support senior independence through meals, shelter, education, and community. Their flagship program, Meal Services, provides nourishing meals to low-income and homebound seniors in Atlanta who are unable to afford or access adequate nutrition. Volunteers are needed to deliver meals to frail, home bound and low-income seniors residing in Fulton County.
Our 2020/21 AmeriCorps applications are now live! Learn more about what you'll do, what you'll get, why students and nonprofits across metro Atlanta need you, and how to apply for this meaningful year of service!
3 Lessons Learned from Nonprofit Fails
As a nonprofit and community leader, I’m not supposed to admit when I fail. It’s my job to share stories of success, so that you become inspired by our work and continue to support our efforts, right? But let’s be honest. The truth is, nonprofit leaders (I more than most) fail all the time. Grant requests are denied; evaluation reports show poor results; team diversity doesn’t reflect the community we serve; meetings go sideways. And, that’s just the start.
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
There’s nothing quite like a healthy dose of reality every now and again. Just weeks after Hands On Atlanta received the biggest gift in our 30 history, I was quickly dealt a KO punch that still stings to this day.
All was good. And honestly, I was riding that high of an all-time win, so I decided to double down by scheduling a meeting with one of the most influential foundations in Atlanta. I walked into the pitch overconfident and admittedly, ill-prepared. After a pretty brutal conversation, I walked out with a “No” for the record books and big dent in my ego. They were blunt, honest and to the point…“We don’t believe in your strategy and aren’t interested in funding your work.” Not to humblebrag or anything, but this was my biggest fail as CEO of Hands On Atlanta to date. Go me.
So, why am I telling you about my big fail? As a nonprofit and community leader, I’m not supposed to admit when I fail. It’s my job to share stories of success, so that you become inspired by our work and continue to support our efforts, right? But let’s be honest. The truth is, nonprofit leaders (I more than most) fail all the time. Grant requests are denied; evaluation reports show poor results; team diversity doesn’t reflect the community we serve; meetings go sideways. And, that’s just the start.
We don’t ever talk about failure. But I think we should.
I’m a firm believer that failure is our best teacher. That’s why I founded FuckUp Nights Atlanta, an event where we ask leaders from all sectors to do the bold and brave thing, and talk about their biggest failure. If we’re going to move the needle on some of Atlanta’s most intractable problems, we have to share our failures. More importantly, we have to learn from them.
My experience coaching leaders through their FuckUp Nights talk, and as CEO of a lean nonprofit has taught me 3 things about failure:
First, things are often more complex than they appear - Be wary of leaders who throw stones. I have learned the hard way that leading is… well, it’s hard. Start at a place of humility.
Second, be careful of hidden assumptions. Most failures happen because we bring bias and assumptions into our work, which often undermine our best intentions.
Third, trust and communication are paramount. My favorite quote is from Mike Tyson (yes…that Mike Tyson) who said it best, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” The question isn’t “if” things will go sideways, it is just a matter of “when”. And when they do, your ability to pivot and preserver has everything to do with trust and communication.
I could go on to share stories and examples about volunteer projects that have gone off the rails, fundraising events that didn’t raise any money, or fails (large and small) in just about every aspect of our work to make Atlanta the most civically engaged and equitable community in the world. The truth is, I’d love to learn from your fails. So, take a deep breath and get ready. Add your biggest failure and what you learned from it in the comments below.
Oh, and before I forget, if you’re in Atlanta and want to hear more stories of failure, join the next F*ckUp Nights Atlanta event on March 19th. You’ll hear from an entrepreneur turned community leader, a CEO with a side hustle as a UGA adjunct professor, an Airforce veteran running a consulting firm, and a chief marketer with a passion for people.
This post was inspired by a talk I gave at Emory University for a Philanthropy Labs course led by Brian Goebel and Wes Longhofer. Students in their class are given the opportunity to invest $50K in the Atlanta community over the course of a semester.
Hot Projects: Week of March 2
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with Kashi Atlanta, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Your Community Food Pantry and more!
DISCOVERY PROGRAM @ SCOTT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Saturday, March 7 From 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (NW Atlanta)
The Hands On Atlanta Discovery program is a volunteer-led Saturday tutoring and enrichment program. The program reinforces weekday learning through academic assistance, educational games, service-learning projects, and other enrichment activities. Our goal is to have a one-on-one volunteer to student ratio, allowing for individualized attention and the building of relationships between students and volunteers.
YCFP - MOBILE FOOD PANTRY (FA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH LOCATION)
Friday, March 13 From 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Lithonia)
Your Community Food Pantry (YCFP) mission is to eliminate hunger and to improve the overall sustainability of communities. Volunteers are needed for the following positions: Food Pantry Table Distributor, Food Pantry Product Handler, Food Pantry Traffic Manager, and Client Assistant, etc.
TEAMWORKS! KICKOFF
Saturday, March 14 From 9:45 AM - 12:00 PM (NW Atlanta)
Hands On Atlanta TeamWorks! is a program that betters metro-Atlanta through meaningful service projects. Kick-off is the first meeting of every round. It is an orientation - a chance for volunteers to meet, form teams, and learn about the projects planned for that round. We are switching up this round and adding a mini-service project that will benefit one of our nonprofit partners.
WEST ATLANTA WATERSHED ALLIANCE 2ND SERVICE SATURDAYS
Saturday, March 14 From 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (N Atlanta)
This program facilitated by the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance provides the opportunity for youth 10 years and older to participate in meaningful activities encouraging conservation, stewardship, and experiential learning on the second Saturday of every month. Volunteer tasks are: Trail building and maintenance, Invasive Plant Eradication, Habitat Restoration and other activities needed to manage the facility and grounds of this unique urban resource!
KASHI ATLANTA KIDS ART PROGRAM AT EGLESTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
Sunday, March 15 From 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Druid Hills)
Share your art with a child! Kashi Atlanta educates and provides relief to all members of the community based on the yogic principles of health and healing, meditation and inner growth, and compassion and community service. Volunteers are needed to assist hospitalized children as they create arts & crafts projects.
Our 2020/21 AmeriCorps applications are now live! Learn more about what you'll do, what you'll get, why students and nonprofits across metro Atlanta need you, and how to apply for this meaningful year of service!
Look Who’s Talking - Talk With Me Baby @ Delta
Across Georgia, third grade reading scores have been consistently low. In fact, 58% percent of students are not reading at grade level. Learn about how Hands On Atlanta and our community partners are working together to ensure a bright future for all the children living in metro Atlanta.
Across Georgia, third grade reading scores have been consistently low. In fact, 58% percent of students are not reading at grade level. This is just one of the many alarming challenges students face across metro Atlanta.
At Hands On Atlanta, we’re focused on solving this public health crisis through our impact programs and strategic partnerships. A prime example of both, is the roll out of our Talk With Me Baby @ Work program. Since April 2018, we’ve been spreading the importance of language-rich interactions between parents or caregivers and their children. This work directly supports the research that indicates the number of loving words a baby hears in the first 3 years can make a huge difference.
The hope is that putting more of an emphasis on the first few years of life will improve kindergarten readiness, third grade reading scores, and life trajectory. Hands On Atlanta offers this program to companies and businesses as a free lunch and learn series as a way for organizations to support their working families. The Talk With Me Baby @ Work program consists of three, one-hour sessions:
Session One: Responsive Interactions, Brain Development and Developmental Milestones
Session Two: Becoming your child’s conversational partner, Serve & Return, Parentese, and Tier 1 & Tier 2 Words
Session Three: Interactive Storybook Reading
Delta and Talk With Me Baby @ Work
One of our early adopters and biggest supporters of our Talk With Me Baby @ Work program has been Delta Air Lines. Their passion to provide their staff the opportunity for stronger family dynamics and literacy nutrition led to a full-time employee volunteer facilitator, Kamaria Morgan, to lead the 3 Talk With Me Baby @ Work sessions.
““I thought that this was an excellent opportunity to incorporate this literacy program here at Delta because even as we were going through the sessions, I felt like I messed up on a couple of things. I wish I had this program when I was raising my children, and at Delta, this literacy nutrition program is very beneficial to all parents who attend.”
The program and trainings were led by our Family Literacy Programs Manager, Amanda Bisgaard, and the Delta facilitator was given all the resources for success. Resources include easy and innovative ways parents and caretakers can help end the word gap. And you guessed it, there’s even an app for that!
Children will now be prepared to start school, parents have direct access to the knowledge needed and the resources readily available, and the Working Families Resource Group reinforces their commitment to their members and extended families. It’s a win-win for the parents at Delta.
““The culture here at Delta, we’re all one family, always helping each other out, which is one of the many purposes of the Working Families Business Resource Group. We try to bring in those additional resources that employees may not have access to or aren’t aware of. We do this to help the parents and families faced with different dynamics in their lives, like raising young children and taking care of older parents or it’s a single mom needing resources or a family with a recent diagnosis of autism or cancer in their family. We bring in those additional resources for them.””
The “train the trainer” model is working, and not only at Delta, but at companies and organizations across metro Atlanta. The program is something parents and caregivers want, and with Hands On Atlanta offering this as a free service, there’s nothing to lose for companies!
Ready to bring Talk With Me Baby @ Work to your company or organization? Reach out to Amanda (contact details below) or click here for more information on how to get started.
To learn more about bringing TWMB@W to your office or organization, reach out to:
Amanda Bisgaard, Family Literacy Programs Manager
p: 404.979.2800 e: abisgaard@handsonatlanta.org
Hot Projects: Week of February 24
Check out this week’s Hot Projects that include awesome volunteer opportunities with Livable Buckhead, InCommunity, Breakthrough Atlanta and more!
2020 U.S OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS CHEER ZONE
Friday, February 29 From 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (NW Atlanta)
ATLANTA, let’s get HYPED! The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials will be held in Atlanta and thanks to our pals at the Atlanta Track Club, Livable Buckhead has been selected to host an Official Cheer Station! Don’t miss your chance to see Olympic-level competition on the streets of Atlanta as the greatest distance runners in the country vie for spots on the Tokyo Team. Livable Buckhead will need a host of volunteers to cheer on the runners in the country during the marathon trials!
INCOMMUNITY DAY PROGRAM BEAUTIFICATION
Saturday, February 29 From 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (Marietta)
InCommunity partners to enrich and sustain the lives of individuals who have developmental disabilities, their families, and their communities. Volunteers help us accomplish the tasks our staff cannot carry out and help connect our individuals with the greater community. Volunteers will be painting and creating an indoor garden that the individuals at the day program can use for horticultural therapy.
DISCOVERY PROGRAM @ CLAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Saturday, February 29 From 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Mableton)
The Hands On Atlanta Discovery program is a volunteer-led Saturday tutoring and enrichment program. The program reinforces weekday learning through academic assistance, educational games, field trips, service-learning projects, and other enrichment activities. Students are engaged in a variety of subjects depending on the needs of their particular schools. Our goal is to have a one-on-one volunteer to student ratio, allowing for individualized attention and the building of relationships between students and volunteers.
BREAKTHROUGH ATLANTA SUPER SATURDAYS VOLUNTEERS
Saturday, February 29 From 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM (N Atlanta)
Breakthrough Atlanta equips aspiring, economically-disadvantaged youth to become the first in their families to attend and graduate college. Our programs include a six-week summer school, as well as Saturday sessions throughout each school year that increase students' academic, social and college-readiness knowledge and skills. Caring and consistent volunteers are needed to provide group mentoring and academic enrichment to seventh through ninth grade students.
TEAMWORKS! KICKOFF
Saturday, March 14 From 9:45 AM - 12:00 PM (NW Atlanta)
Hands On Atlanta TeamWorks! is a program that betters metro-Atlanta through meaningful service projects. Kick-off is the first meeting of every round. It is an orientation - a chance for volunteers to meet, form teams, and learn about the projects planned for that round. We are switching up this round and adding a mini-service project that will benefit one of our nonprofit partners.