Every year, around the end of December, a very specific voice within our conscience speaks up and says "It's a new year! What are you gonna do about it?" And of course, we're paraphrasing. But perhaps you've heard this voice? It's the cry of the New Year's Resolution.

Some of us here at Hands On Twin Cities (like me) have resolved to never again let the Minnesota Vikings get our hopes up. Though, honestly, I will probably keep watching the Vikings because I am a glutton for punishment (and they're pretty great once you start viewing interceptions as a fine art).

But there is a resolution that we take very seriously, and that is our resolve to train new project leaders.

Why? To put it one way, it's a simple case of supply and demand. The demand from able-bodied, energetic volunteers for well-organized and meaningful service projects is out there. We hear about this demand all the time from corporate volunteer groups, church youth groups, service organizations and individual volunteers. Unfortunately, the supply is often lacking. We work with over 300 nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities who need volunteers, but they (much like us) are understaffed and have too much on their plates already. The need for volunteer-driven projects is great, but the time and talent necessary to organize, plan, and lead projects is hard to come by.

To put it another way, we want to see volunteers taking the next step. So many organizations (ours included) have a great core of volunteers who could help plan meaningful, useful projects with only a little encouragement. Donation drives, park clean-ups, rennovations, public art projects, group meal service - projects like these don't just happen. Someone has to identify the need, figure out what volunteers can do to help the situation, and turn that idea into action.

Does this sound like you? Have you seen the need and wondered what you could do about it? Have you participated in a volunteer project and wondered who got the ball rolling, and how? There's so much that volunteerism can accomplish, but effective volunteerism can't happen without smart, confident leaders. So our resolution is to help people Be The Change by training them to be Volunteer Project Leaders.

And here's a few of the ways that we're going to do it:

• The Hands On Service Through Leadership Program - a training program where future volunteer leaders learn to lead in service projects and educational sessions. Participants will be taught by professionals how to develop their own projects, and then lead them as a part of the course.
• Free MLK Day Project Leader Training - a two-hour project leader training session on January 15th. Learn effective volunteer management techniques, and tips on how to go about planning your own volutneer projects. Space is limited! Sign up today!

on Holiday Volunteering.

Once again we find ourselves immersed in the holiday season. You can’t hide from it (although apparently you can declare war on it - a phenomenon that baffles us and is best saved for more ‘political’ blogs).

In the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day it is almost commonplace to see average citizens going out of their way to help others: heeding the call of the Salvation Army bell-ringers, shoveling a neighbor’s driveway (ok – we haven’t seen that this year, but our fingers are crossed), or just saying a few kind, friendly words to the stranger in line with you at the grocery store.

It’s true: the holiday season (regardless of which Holy Day you observe) brings out the best in us. We at Hands On Twin Cities know this because of the absolute flood of phone calls and emails we receive every day from people who want to know how they can help others during this extra-caring time of year. And we are totally thrilled. With so many volunteers willing to lend their time and energy, our communities’ ills must be all but gone! Right?

Not quite. The Holiday Spirit produces Holiday Volunteerism - the desire to give back to the community by volunteering on a holiday. Thanks to Holiday Volunteerism, nearly every organized volunteer activity (soup kitchen meals, toy drives, clothing drives, etc.) is full on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. And this is great, make no mistake. In fact, we find that volunteer opportunities on the holidays are typically filled weeks in advance.

The problem is the huge number of potential volunteers who get discouraged when they hear that there really is nothing left to do on Thanksgiving Day. They have opened their hearts to the spirit of volunteerism, and now they feel unwanted. Many end up not volunteering at all during the holiday season, or even during the rest of the year. And this makes us sad. It is great to volunteer on the holidays, but it is just as great to volunteer any time! The people and organizations that need help on Thanksgiving and Christmas need help the rest of the year, too. And the Holiday Volunteer Rush tells us that there are enough caring, willing volunteers out there to meet those needs – they’re just not thinking about it for most of the year.

Our suggestion: if you have been unable to find the kind of holiday volunteer opportunity you’d really like to participate in, don’t fret! Instead, spend an hour or two and look for volunteer opportunities in January or February (or any of those other months). Making the resolution during the holidays to volunteer afterwards is still Holiday Volunteering, as far as we’re concerned.
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- Still looking for a holiday opportunity? There are some left! Check out our Holiday Volunteering Page.

- To search for volunteer opportunities all year long, check out our Volunteer Opportunity Database.

- To meet personally with representatives from over 100 local non-profits who need volunteers, come to Volunteer Expo on Saturday, February 10th at Mall of America.

We at Hands On Twin Cities decided it was time to venture into the blogging world to let you know what we're up to, and to give you an outlet to share stories and comments about volunteering. It is our hope that by visiting the blog, you will not only learn something from us, but from each other as well. We invite you to share stories, comments and suggestions on the topic at hand, as well as topics you would like to see discussed in the future.

For those who are new to Hand On Twin Cities, let me briefly tell you about us. We are the link between volunteers and volunteer opportunities. There are over 350 non-profit organizations that are affiliated with us and thousands of their volunteer opportunities can be found on our website. It is a great and easy way to find exactly what you are looking for in a volunteer position. While volunteerism is the foundation of our organization, we also feel that learning about the issues facing the Twin Cities is of equal importance. It is then easier to see the true impact you are having as a volunteer and to better understand what can be done in the future. With that said, the purpose or intention of our particular blog is to further inform you about issues facing the community and to take it a step further by letting you know what you can do about those issues.

The first issue we would like your thoughts and comments about is homelessness. You need to do nothing more than drive the streets of Minneapolis or St. Paul to know that homelessness is a serious problem in our community. As of October 23, 2003, there were approximately 20,347 people who were considered homeless in Minnesota; over 10,000 of these are children or young adults. Each night shelters around the Metro provide haven for approximately 7,000 individuals while unfortunately nearly 1,000 individuals are turned away due to lack of space. Homelessness unequally affects communities of color. In Hennepin County alone, 68% of homeless adults are people of color.

Lack of affordable housing and economic development greatly contribute to the homelessness crisis in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Family Housing Fund, 68,900 renter households have incomes lower than $10,000 in the metro area, however there are only 31,200 housing units that would be affordable at this income level. Effective public policy can promote wide-ranging prevention strategies along with making certain there is affordable housing and a continuum of services available to the homeless population. Click here to read our issue briefing.

Hands On Twin Cities works with many organizations that specialize in the area of homelessness and hunger, including (but certainly not limited to) Simpson Housing Services, The Link, and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. While these organizations are continually making advances in alleviating this issue there is still much that is needed to be done. Please view our Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities page to see what you can do to help out.

Be the Change. Volunteer.