by Leah Koenig | April 18, 2013 | 0 comments
This morning, President Obama visited Boston to attend an interfaith service in honor of the people who were injured or killed during the bombing at the Boston Marathon. As of now, the details of the two bombings remain unclear. What is clear is how, as always happens in times of tragedy, the people of Boston and people across the country came together to help one another and show that love is stronger than fear. Here are some ways you can help now:
DONATE
One Fund Boston – Help the impacted families recover from injuries sustained during the marathon. This fund, set up by Massachusetts’ Governor Deval Patrick, and Boston’s Mayor Tom Menino will help the families most affected.
Give Forward – Support one family that was seriously impacted by the bombings.
DO:
Run in Brooklyn for Boston Join other runners this Saturday for a solidarity run. There are similar runs going on across the country.
Register your family Register at the Red Cross’s Safe and Well listing, a central location for people to find out news about their loved ones after emergency events.
Do you know of other opportunities to help the victims and families impacted by the Boston marathon bombing? Let us know by tweeting @repairtheworld #Boston.
by Leah Koenig | April 18, 2013 | 0 comments
Photo courtesy of Benji Fages (pictured).
Welcome to our annual series of interviews featuring a handful of the nearly 10,000 inspiring teens who are involved with Repair the World partner, J-Serve – the International Day of Jewish Youth Service coming up on April 28, 2013. These teens are going above and beyond to make their communities great, and bring together their love of service and their Jewish identities through J-Serve. This week: Benji Fages, a high school senior from Thornhill, Ontario shares his story.
What is your background with service and volunteering?
My commitment to service, philanthropy, and advocacy started with my 6th birthday party. Instead of the typical candy and toys that people give out at birthday parties, my parents and I brainstormed ways to put that money towards a good cause. We had heard about the Therapeutic Clown program at the Sick Kids hospital in Toronto. Starting with that birthday, and ever since then, I donate a portion of my present money to that cause, then visit the hospital to see the inspirational and amazing work that these clowns do as they brighten up the days and lives of children at the hospital.
In addition, I periodically ride on Ve’ahavata’s mobile Jewish response to the homeless van. I join other volunteers in driving around downtown Toronto distributing clothes and warm meals to homeless individuals, and hearing about their lives. Having the opportunity to chat with them and understand their stories beyond the superficial level has always been quite special.
Tell me about your involvement with service through BBYO.
I currently serve as BBYO’s International Vice President of Judaic, Community Service, and Social Action Programming. I have participated in and have led service experiences like the BBYO Day of Service and Advocacy, a day which brought nearly 2000 Jewish teens to the streets of DC participating in a range of meaningful activities. I also co-chair Stand UP Week, where thousands of Jewish teens join with their BBYO chapters to perform acts of service, philanthropy, and advocacy. The chapters and non-BBYO teens can display their service activities and share resources, knowledge and project ideas on the Stand Up website.
How did you learn about J-serve and what inspired you to get involved?
During lunch at school last year, I passed by a booth of volunteers who were encouraging students to sign up and volunteer for the upcoming J-Serve. Later that week while scrolling through Facebook, I was invited to an open call that BBYO was holding to advertise J-Serve. I joined the call, heard about the exciting service opportunities, and was particularly intrigued by the international element of J-Serve’s day of service.
How are you involved with J-serve this year?
I am working with my co-vice president, Andie Djamal, to ensure the success and presence of J-Serve in as many communities as possible. We have selected a small committee of BBYO teens to gather momentum and support for J-Serve across the globe. Our goal is to target BBYO and non-BBYO community leaders to create their own J-Serve projects in their hometowns, or help the planning of an already existent one. By providing grants, planning resources, and open calls, we are working to enable anyone to plan a local J-Serve. The main focus and motivation is to create the largest, most enthusiastic, and most meaningful J-Serve.
Why is J-serve important to you? Why do you choose to be a part of it?
I think that J-Serve helps to spark a passion for community service amongst teens. People get to join together with friends while making a difference. It’s a fun day that helps make future service alluring to most people who attend. J-Serve is important to me because few other events have the power to affect more Jewish teens throughout the globe in such an essential endeavor of chesed. The potential impact I can have by participating in and helping to organize J-Serve is great. I want to guide the Jewish future in a direction where we value our roots, community, and helping others.
Do you personally connect service/volunteering with your sense of Jewish identity?
Social responsibility derived from the classic Jewish value of Tikkun Olam has been ingrained in my identity since day one. Since elementary school, I have attended Jewish day school and Zionistic summer camps. They have taught me that promoting Jewish morals and creating a strong, unified community is essential to the health of Jewish society. I am a firm believer in maintaining our awareness and continually caring for the world and people around us.
by Leah Koenig | April 18, 2013 | 0 comments
Happy National Volunteer Month! All April long, Repair the World will be sharing stories, fun opportunities and tips to help you give back in all sorts of ways. We’ll also highlight great causes to get involved with. Check out today’s feature, and tweet your service tips and stories to @repairtheworld #NVM.
Hey, volunteer newbies (and old-timers too): this one’s for you.
Ever wonder how to get started as a volunteer, or get the most out of the volunteering you do? Our volunteerism experts-in-residence (aka Repair the World’s staff) put their heads together to share with you their top tips for good and effective volunteering. Take a read and share your ideas below!
1. People who volunteer doing what they love live longer! No joke: according to a briefing by The Corporation for National and Community Service, research is proving that a strong relationship between volunteering and health. According to the report, “those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.” So volunteer and get super buff (well, sort of …!)
2. Make your volunteering personal. To make the greatest difference, pick a volunteer opportunity that matches something you deeply care about. The more passion the issue stirs in you, the more good you’ll ultimately do.
3. Be open-minded. Try out all different types of service – hands-on volunteering and philanthropy, short and long-term activities. You never know what will inspire you!
4. Remember: The organization you’re volunteering with is the expert – especially when it comes to the kinds of support they need! Follow their lead to learn about the issues and challenges they are experiencing, as well as the service work they’d really benefit from. Also, remember that you are also there to learn – volunteering can end up having as much of an impact on YOU as you have on the world.”
5. Don’t underestimate your impact. You can think you’re spending a year tutoring a high schooler in English and what they take away is that you came every week and made them laugh. There are many ways to make a difference!
6. Volunteering is not about glamour or high fashion. But the internal glow you get from the good you’re doing will outweigh your old New Balance sneakers and too-big college event t-shirt!
7. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re volunteering – even if you are worried they are dumb! The last time I was at a soup kitchen, no one told the volunteers what time the guests would arrive. So ask, then share the info.
8. Stay positive. Sometimes volunteer opportunities are super well organized, and other times less so. Sometimes you are doing something super fun, and other times not. Maintaining a good attitude while volunteering helps to make everyone’s experience more pleasant and enjoyable.
9. Volunteer somewhere more than once. Most volunteer managers will tell you that volunteers are more effective the longer they have been at a site and understand both the explicit and implicit norms that govern it. It makes sense – the first time you do something, you are learning the ropes while volunteering. The second (and third and 30th) time you volunteer, you will be an old pro and can even teach others.
10. Don’t put it off! One of the hardest things about volunteering is getting started and saying “oh, I’ll get around to it eventually.” Stop procrastinating today: make a commitment, put a date on your calendar, and show up! You’ll be so happy you did.
What tips do you think every volunteer should know? Share them by tweeting to @repairtheworld #NVM.
by Leah Koenig | April 16, 2013 | 0 comments
Happy National Volunteer Month! All April long, Repair the World will be sharing stories, fun opportunities and tips to help you give back in all sorts of ways. We’ll also highlight great causes to get involved with. Check out today’s feature , and tweet your service tips and stories to @repairtheworld #NationalVolunteerMonth.
Got 20 hours to spare? (Over the course of a year that is…). We have a feeling you do.
GOOD is challenging people to put those hours to productive use by taking the 1% pledge. This cool campaign asks that you spend 1 percent of your work hours this year “changing a small corner of your world for the better.”
Sounds good to us.
Think about it: 20 hours is just half of a standard work week; it’s less time than it takes to watch a season of your favorite television show. Heck, it’s fewer hours than there are in the day! If you dedicated those hours towards doing good, how might you change your community? Or the world?
Head on over to GOOD and take the 1% percent challenge. Chances are, you’ll feel pretty “good” that you did.
by Leah Koenig | April 15, 2013 | 0 comments
Put your skills to good use by becoming a pro bono volunteer. Photo by via cc.
Happy National Volunteer Month! All April long, Repair the World will be sharing stories, fun opportunities and tips to help you serve at all different levels and in all different ways. We’ll also highlight great causes to get involved with. Check out today’s feature, and tweet your service tips and stories to @repairtheworld #NVM.
All volunteering takes skill and energy. But beyond signing up to staff a soup kitchen for one evening, spending the afternoon at an animal shelter, or organizing a book drive, another type of service helps make a big difference by using our skills and talents: pro bono volunteering.
According to Idealist.org, pro bono volunteering refers to people “volunteering their professional skills to assist nonprofit organizations in creating or improving their business practices.” Examples of pro bono volunteering include a lawyer who advises on cases for a non-profit organization, free of charge, a doctor who volunteers abroad, or a social media whiz who helps a community group spread their message. More and more organizations are beginning to rely on pro bono help. With resources and budgets shrinking all the time, this free, skilled labor becomes increasingly necessary to help organizations meet their goals and change the world.
Sure it helps to have a specific degree or lots of professional experience in the field you’re offering to volunteer in, but almost anyone can be a pro bono volunteer. Idealist suggests considering the following questions:
What are you good at?
What comes easy for you?
What aspects of your professional life might be assets to an organization or community effort?
What personal or interpersonal talents do you have?
Once you have these questions figured out, you can find an organization that is looking for someone with exactly these skills. Put your expertise to use! Find a pro bono volunteering opportunity via Taproot, Idealist, or Catchafire.
Already a pro bono volunteer? Let us know how you serve by tweeting @repairtheworld #NationalVolunteerMonth.
by Leah Koenig | April 11, 2013 | 0 comments
Nominate a service hero for the Do Something Awards.
Happy National Volunteer Month. All April long, Repair the World will be sharing stories, fun opportunities and words of wisdom to help you serve at all different levels and in all different ways. We’ll also highlight great causes to get involved with. Check out today’s feature below, and tweet your service tips and stories to @repairtheworld #NVM.
Do you know an amazing service hero who deserves to be recognized for their volunteering? (Or are you that person?) Now is your chance make it happen – by applying or nominating someone for a Do Something Award.
Since 1996, DoSomething.org has shown the spotlight on the country’s most inspiring, young world-changers (25 and under) who are making a difference in their communities, and in the world. These are the folks who have identified issues or challenges, and are working passionately to find solutions. They have made long-term commitments to improving the lives of others, brought light to the issues they care about and mobilized others to do the same. In other words: they are service and community organizing superstars.
This year, five finalists will appear on the Do Something Awards on Vh1 and win a $10,000 community grant and media coverage to support their work. The grand prize winner will receive $100,000 during the live broadcast!
Don’t wait: the deadline to apply or nominate your Do Something Award hero is April 15!
by Leah Koenig | April 10, 2013 | 0 comments
Photo courtesy of Seth Betman (pictured).
Welcome to our annual series of interviews featuring a handful of the nearly 10,000 inspiring teens who are involved with J-Serve – the International Day of Jewish Youth Service coming up on April 28, 2013. These teens are going above and beyond to make their communities great, and bring together their love of service and their Jewish identities through J-Serve. This week: Seth Betman, a high school freshman from West Bloomfield, Michigan, shares his story.
What’s your background with service and volunteering?
I’ve loved community service ever since I was a kid. If a project comes up and I’m not busy, I’ll almost definitely show up and participate. My passion for volunteering probably stems from my mom, who loves helping other people. I learned from her that service is a given, and a central part of who we are as a family. I’m currently in BBYO, where I’m the community service shaliach. That means I work to make my chapter aware of community service opportunities.
How did you get involved with J-Serve?
I actually found out through my mom, who suggested my brother and I attend. I started going four years ago when I was 10, and have been a part of it ever since. Over the years, we have participated in all different kinds of projects. Last year, for example, we volunteered at a soup kitchen and community empowerment organization called the Baldwin Center in Pontiac, Michigan. Our group packed food, assisted in the soup kitchen and helped with whatever work was needed.
J-Serve is coming up this year on April 28. How are you involved?
I’m on the teen committee. We take a survey of what students want for projects, and help make it happen. This year we’re working with BBYO Michigan’s rebuilding Detroit initiative, which means we’ll head to the city for a day of service. We’ll most likely paint murals and help with construction.
Do you see a connection between your service work and your Jewish identity?
I definitely tie them together. All of the service and volunteering activities I am a part of are done within a Jewish context. I always appreciate when our J-Serve projects include some kind of Jewish learning about service. It makes it even more meaningful to connect to something bigger.
by admin | April 9, 2013 | 0 comments
What gets you psyched? Whether it’s an awesome sunset, delicious meal, a great friend or your adorable kitty, we know you love to hear that shutter close when you snap a pic on your phone. What if you could use some of the awesome pix you take to help make a difference (and win some Repair the World spring swag)?
In celebration of National Volunteer Month (which we think lasts all year!), we’re launching a photo sharing contest to help spread the word about the endless issues, organizations and opportunities that inspire us to serve.
That’s where YOU come in.
HOW IT WORKS: (pretty simple!)
- If you don’t already, like Repair the World on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @repairtheworld
- Send us a photo of anything that represents an issue you’re passionate about, volunteer with, or want to volunteer with. For example: Love volunteering on park cleanups? Send us a snapshot of your favorite spot. Did you recently donate to charity: water? Send a photo of a refreshing glass of water. Amped up about your volunteer gig as an after school tutor? Send a pic featuring your student’s favorite books. You get the idea…
- Post your photo to Repair the World’s Facebook wall or Twitter page by April 30 (We’ll repost them to our National Volunteer Month Pinterest Board)
- Always tag @repairtheworld & include #NationalVolunteerMonth
- Include a short caption with the photo; we’ll help promote the organizations you love
- Share your photo with your friends on Facebook or Twitter to increase your chances of winning
All participants will be entered to win a stylish Repair the World tote bag. The photo with the most likes or re-posts* at the end of the month will win an amazing Repair SWAG bag with lots of goodies (Trust us. They’re good goodies). This contest is open to anyone, and everyone who submits a photo will be entered to win.
Check out some great examples we’ve already compiled on our Pinterest board. Like some? Repin them! (And you can follow our pins for info on future service opportunities.)
Pretty simple, right? (and fun)
Spread the word, get shooting, and start doing some good!
*Likes and Shares must exceed 36 and 10, respectively.
*Photos submitted to this contest may be used in future Repair communications with credit to the photographer
by Leah Koenig | April 4, 2013 | 0 comments
Students making the most of their break from school - by volunteering.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the case of an alternative break program, make that a million!
Repair the World believes that there is no better way to spend your break from school then by serving others. And the students in these pictures agree. The photo diary below shares the stories of inspiring students from several different schools who took the initiative to volunteer during their breaks – in this case, helping people who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. As you can see, these students worked hard, made a difference, and had fun in the process. It’s a school break win-win-win.
Take a scroll through the photo diary, and get inspired!
Teens from Temple Sinai of Roslyn, New York, Temple Israel of Great Neck, New York, and the Community Synagogue of Port Washington, New York.
Teens from Temple Sinai of Roslyn, New York, Temple Israel of Great Neck, New York, and the Community Synagogue of Port Washington, New York.
Volunteering with the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center to help people impacted by Hurricane Sandy in Staten Island, Long Beach and the Far Rockaways.
Students from Bnei Akiva of New York and New Jersey.
Students from Bnei Akiva of New York and New Jersey.
Posing after a long day of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to clear sand covered sidewalks and remove damaged floorboards from homes in Breezy Point, NY.
Students from the Hillels of Illinois.
Students from the Hillels of Illinois.
Smiling for a job well done after volunteering in Brighton Beach, New York with Nechama Jewish Response to Disaster.
Did you volunteer during your spring break – for Sandy relief or otherwise? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us at @repairtheworld #altbreak.
by Leah Koenig | April 3, 2013 | 0 comments
Here at Repair the World, we’re pretty psyched about National Volunteer Month. We’re talking about a month-long celebration of service and helping others here – how could we not be excited?! If you have ever seen the “put a bird on it” Portlandia sketch, that’s kinda how we feel. About service.
We also believe in not simply serving, but in serving well and making a meaningful difference with our volunteering. Everyone has a limited number of hours to serve, so when we do volunteer it should really count. That’s why, all month long, we’ll be offering stories, fun opportunities and words of wisdom to help you serve at all different levels and in all different ways. During the month, we’ll also highlight great organizations and causes to get involved with.
Of course, service is important every month of the year. Someday soon we’ll hopefully be able to claim every month as national volunteer month. When that happens, lending a hand in our communities will feel as simple, obvious, and necessary as breathing. Until then, let’s focus on making April our best month of service yet.
Have 5 minutes? A week? A year? We think that’s great – and are committed to helping you make the most of it. Check back every week for new ideas. And help us spread the volunteer love by sharing your own brainstorms, events, opportunities and tips for meaningful service. (Tweet your ideas to @repairtheworld #NationalVolunteerMonth)
So get ready to put a bird hand on it, and celebrate National Volunteer Month with Repair the World!
(And if you haven’t already, check out our photo contest here – where a simple snapshot can do a bunch of good, and get you some cool Repair swag)
Here are the great ways we’re already celebrating National Volunteer Month:
J-Serve Interview: Benji Fages
10 Things Every Volunteer Should Know
Take GOOD’s Service Pledge
Pro Bono Volunteering
The DoSomething Awards
J-Serve Interview: Seth Betman
The National Volunteer Month Photo Contest!
The Alternative Break Photo Diary
