Volunteering

Earlier this month, I sat in a room alongside 400 nonprofit sector leaders at the Center on Effective Philanthropy’s annual conference – all of us still trying to find our footing in the wake of regressive and unjust social policy announcements from Washington, D.C., and the resulting fresh challenges facing our organizations and the communities we serve. Grant Oliphant, CEP’s Board Chair, opened the conversation with sobering, resonant words.

This Saturday, April 22, marks the 16th annual Comcast Cares Day, where more than 100,000 volunteers in 21 countries will leave a lasting impact in the communities where they live and work.

In honor of National Volunteer Week, Common Impact is hosting a Twitter chat on Tuesday, April 25th at 12 pm EDT to explore how corporate skills-based volunteer programs activate civic engagement in employee volunteers. Skills-based volunteerism gives employees a chance to roll up their sleeves and truly understand the challenges facing nonprofit organizations and the social sector.

Ethan Zohn and Lisa Heywood Zohn kicked-off their marriage with a humanitarian mission to aid Syrian refugees in Northern Greece, raising $45,000 to support a large refugee camp.

Less than four percent of single-family homes have three of the most critical accessibility features of universal design, which includes zero-step entrances, extra-wide hallways and single-floor living. Rebuilding Together affiliates nationwide are working to make homes safer and more accessible for homeowners.

The lasting impression volunteering leaves is often told through the account of one person spending their time making a difference for another. One person showing up on one day could make all the difference in someone else’s life.

As part of its five-year commitment with the American Heart Association to improve the health of Americans 20 percent by 2020, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food, facilities management and uniforms, is launching Feed Your Potential 365, a public health and well-being campaign, to promote healthy lifestyles among all consumers, as well as families in underserved communities and Aramark’s customers, clients and employees.

Take action during National #RebuildingMonth!

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading nonprofit that envisions a country in which every community is a clean, green and beautiful place to live, today announced that Helen Lowman, who served as an appointee of President Barack Obama at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Peace Corps, has been named the organization’s new president and CEO. She will assume the role on May 1.

What started as a small project in their kitchen has now grown and expanded into their garage. To date, they have made and donated 15,000 crayons and are expanding with local partnerships like their local Boys & Girls Club and different schools in the area.