New Jersey Governor's Conference on Volunteerism and Service

SAVE THE DATE

New Jersey Governor's Conference on Volunteerism and Service

The Power of Volunteers: Compassion in Action

Friday, October 5

Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick

Presented by New Jersey Department of State Governor's Office on Volunteering and Service

In Partnership with The Governor's Advisory Council on Volunteerism & the Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council

For more information, click here for the NJ Governor's Office on Volunteerism or call 609-633-9627.

Conference Presenting Sponsor: 

Christmas in July

Save the Date

The Volunteer Center's Holiday Giving Program - All Wrapped Up kicks off on November 1.

Click here if you wish to receive information reminding you about All Wrapped Up.

Register Now for the 2012 Bergen Bike Tour

Sign up now for Bergen Bike Tour! This family-fun event on Sunday, September 30, benefits the Volunteer Center of Bergen County and Tomorrows Children’s Fund.  The event ride features routes for cyclists of every ability from novice to expert!   Each ride begins and ends at Darlington Park, in Mahwah, and family fun includes a special Kids’ Ride, barbeque, clowns, face painting, crafts, music, games, prizes and more!

You can register any of four ways - 1) Online at begenbiketour.org; 2) Download and print a registrationform; 3) Call 1-877-BER-BIKE; or 4) Register at the event on September 30.

All riders are expected to turn in $100 per individual or $200 per family (4 members), with all proceeds split between two outstanding organizations:  the Volunteer Center of Bergen County and Tomorrows Children’s Fund.  Every pre-registered rider will receive 5 silicone bracelets to give as a 'thank you' to friends and family who support your ride.

Several local companies are stepping up to support the Bergen Bike Tour:  Kids Event sponsor TD Bank; Diamond sponsor JDD Aldersio; and Platinum Sponsors , (201) Family, Amica Insurance, Apax Partners, Inserra Shop Rite Supermarkets, Jamis Bicycles, Lakeland Bank, Oritani Bank Charitable Foundation, PNC Bank, Sanzari Companies, Synetek Solutions, and Tanis & Sons.

Sponsorship opportunities begin at $500, and sponsors of $2,500 or more get their logo on our NEW micro-fiber t-shirt and can register an unlimited number of employees at no extra charge. (All riders are expected to raise at least $100 - $200 for families - in donations.)

For further information, call 877-BER-BIKE, or visit www.bergenbiketour.org.

Give Back: ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

Informational meeting July 20!

Are you looking for new and fun volunteer opportunities for your employees? Then don't miss All In A Day's Work (AIADW) on Friday, September 21! This is the Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC) inaugural area-wide day of service and we have lots of great projects for you to choose from! Spruce up military vehicles, fix up a medical clinic serving the working poor, help kids learn to volunteer, and 20+ more!

AIADW is a great chance for companies to give back, and by joining in such a BIG effort, your company will get the recognition it deserves as a good citizen of the community!

To learn more and to "claim" your project, please join us at the AIADW INFORMATIONAL MEETING on FRIDAY, JULY 20 at 9:00 am at the Volunteer Center, 64 Passaic Street in Hackensack. Projects will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't forget to send a representative to this meeting! Click here to RSVP by Wednesday, July 19.

The cost to participate in All in a Day's Work is $20 per volunteer, or $10 per volunteer for BVC companies. Participation fees do not cover supplies or transportation.  The July 20 informational meeting is free.

Want your community investment dollars to go even further? Sponsorships are available - just call Tess at 201-489-9454 ext. 114 for details and benefits.

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK INFORMATIONAL MEETING

Friday, July 20, 9:00 am

Volunteer Center of Bergen County - 64 Passaic Street, Hackensack

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Area Companies Needed to Collect School Supplies for Needy Kids

The Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC) is sponsoring its annual collection of school supplies for hundreds of children of low-income families, in foster care, or homeless.  Community-minded companies are invited to participate in the “Tools for Schools” initiative, which runs until August 31st.  Employee volunteers are asked to collect school supplies and deliver them to non-profit organizations including Bergen County Head Start, Center for Food Action, Children’s Aid and Family Services, and Youth Consultation Services.

“The new school year begins the first week of September; children will be given a list of school supplies that they need to purchase for the year,” says Tess Tomasi, BVC Coordinator.    “In these difficult economic times, families are struggling to pay for a roof over their heads or put food on the table.  School supplies are low on the list of priorities, and unfortunately, the children will do without.  Think of how a child will feel when all of the other children have new pencils, notebooks and backpacks, and s/he does not.”

The BVC is basing the school supplies drive based on lists developed with the youth-serving agencies. Any company wishing to participate can contact Tess Tomasi at the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, at (201) 489-9454 Ext. 114.  You’ll receive an organizational packet with complete instructions on how to organize and conduct the campaign.  Donations are also welcome through our secure online payment page.  Click here to support "Tools for School".

Calling All Kids! Community Action Heroes Needed

Kids have an outstanding opportunity to make a big difference this summer.  To start, they can visit www.generationon.org and click on “Action Heroes Needed.”  Then, they can pick a cause, choose from a multitude of simple, fun project ideas (or create their own) and report on it for a chance to be selected for one of several $500 micro grants. The first 2,000 kids or teens to report on their projects will be sent a special gift from Hasbro and generationOn, is a global youth service movement that gives kids the opportunity to see issues in their communities and the tools and resources they need to respond and become part of the solution.

GenerationOn is the youth division of HandsOn Network, and the Volunteer Center (an affiliate of HON) has teamed up with GenerationOn and Hasbro to give kids, teens and families the opportunity to be heroes this summer.

The Community Action Heroes campaign kicked off July 2nd and continues throughout the entire summer.

“What a wonderful way for kids to keep busy, have fun and do good this summer,” says Janet Sharma, executive director of the Volunteer Center.  “It’s a chance for families to come together an help others at the same time, don’t let the summer just pass by.  Inspire your family to be heroes.”

BoardLink: Connecting Leaders with Non-profit Organizations

Serving on a nonprofit board can be very rewarding and, at the same time, provide a vital community service.

Bergen LEADS, Bergen County’s premier civic leadership program that is sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, is offering a training for individuals who wish to serve on a non-profit board or for those already engaged as a board member.

The workshop, called BoardLink, will be presented the evening of Wednesday, July 25, from 3-9 pm at the Volunteer Center in Hackensack.    Cost is $100 per person, which includes dinner and all course materials.  A group rate of 3 registrations for $175 is also available to agencies that are members of the Volunteer Center.  Space is limited and pre-registration is required.  Register on-line at www.bergenvolunteers.org or call 201-489-9454 Ext. 119.

“Serving on a non-profit board can provide recognition, visibility, networking, career enhancement and the ability to effect change by addressing important social needs,” says Amanda Missey, Director of Bergen LEADS.  “But along with the benefits comes responsibility to help the organization accomplish its mission and achieve its goals.”

New Jersey is home to more than 31,000 non-profit organizations, with 3,600 in Bergen County alone. These organizations employ 7% of the workforce and spend more than $33 billion annually, constituting a significant portion of the state’s economy.   A non-profit organization is only as strong as its leadership, and local non-profit boards are eagerly seeking skilled and knowledgeable volunteers to help guide their organizations.

“BoardLink offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about board structure, strategic planning, fiduciary responsibility, ethics, advocacy and fundraising.  A thorough understanding of these topics is critical to serving – and serving well – on a non-profit board” continues Ms. Missey.   “Upon completion of the workshop, the Volunteer Center will help match participants to a board that is in need of their particular skills, talents and interests.”

For more information about Bergen LEADS, or the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, visit www.bergenvolunteers.org, or call 201-489-9454.

2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service Youth Summit and Youth Workshops

During the recent 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago, generationOn (the youth enterprise of Points of Light) hosted a special Youth Summit with workshops exclusively to inspire, equip, and mobilize teens to take their leadership and service to the next level. Over three days, nearly 100 teens from across the nation participated in two service projects benefiting over 250 seniors in the Chicago community. First, they prepared Good & Ready “Black Out Boxes” to help seniors during emergencies; then they created tote bags filled with games to help seniors maintain mental agility.

Attendees participated in seven skill-building workshops that focused on communication skills, fundraising, social media, public relations, public speaking, idea development and service-learning and heard from an array of experts in the youth service field. Attendees were equipped with two toolkits to help them make their mark on their own communities. During one workshop session, attendees were asked "who does service?" The resounding response from the participants was: “kids!” Youth Summit and Workshops were a true testament to the power of youth to make their mark on the world.

The next National Conference will be held in June, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

For information on volunteering, take a look at our database, www.bergenvolunteers.org. For additional information and resources about fun summer service projects you can replicate on your own, visit www.generationOn.org.

A great Fifth Friday

 

A sellout crowd enjoyed the Fifth Friday networking lunch hosted by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County’s Bergen LEADS program on Friday, June 29 at the Stony Hill Inn.  Featured speaker was Rich Petriccione, Senior Vice President of the 2014 NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee, who enticed the crowd with the many ways that the mega-event on February 2, 2014, will impact the broader Bergen County area.  During the program recent graduates of Bergen LEADS presented “Destination Bergen,” a website in formation to entice visitors to Bergen County as a viable tourist destination.

Special thanks to the sponsors of the event: 

Presenting Sponsor - Wells Fargo

Event Sponsors: TD Bank, Archer & Greiner, PNC Bank, Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce and Synetek Solutions

Mark your calendar and save the date:  The next Bergen LEADS Fifth Friday will be on Friday, November 30.  (Well, actually, the next Fifth Friday is August 31, but we’ll probably all be on vacation!)

Happy Fourth of July!

The Volunteer Center wishes you a safe and happy Fourth of July!



“Lunch and Learn” for Volunteer Managers

Those who manage volunteers are invited to a “Lunch and Learn” Roundtable on Thursday, July 26, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm hosted by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County’s Non Profit Training and Resource Center.  Roundtable is free, but all attendees must be pre-registered to attend. To RSVP, call 201-489-9454 Ext. 118 or e-mail training@bergenvolunteers.org by July 23rd.

Bring your own lunch and we’ll provide drinks and cookies. Driving/parking directions will be e-mailed to registered attendees before the program.

All professionals who work with or manage volunteers in non-profit, corporate, community, governmental or faith-based settings are invited to attend.  This program is one of a series of informal, interactive programs which feature time for networking as well as group problem solving activities.

Each Roundtable will provide an opportunity for professional growth and interaction with colleagues as well as a forum for sharing ideas and best practices in the field. Additionally, attendees will get updates on new programs and services that the Volunteer Center has available to enhance agencies’ volunteer programs.

“These meetings have proven to be informational as well as inspirational”, says Debbie Emery, Community Volunteer Services Director for the Volunteer Center. “The lively exchanges have helped participants keep their skills sharp, find out about new ideas, and get answers to questions about making the most of their volunteer workforces.”