Summer 2017 | Volunteer Network Newsletter

VOLUNTEER NETWORK

NEWSLETTER

June 2017

outreach-international.org

WHAT’S IN THIS FOR YOU? Whether you serve as a Volunteer Representative or Advisor, or as a Partnership or Primary Contact, you are an Outreach Volunteer.

If you’re receiving this newsletter for the first time, it is because we realized that segmenting volunteers by role means not everyone hears about all the news, campaigns, and opportunities that Outreach has to offer, and we don’t want you to miss out!

We’re sending you this newsletter because you and our generous donors are the backbone of our organization.

You represent Outreach and help us advocate for people in poverty around the world. We rely on and value your efforts on behalf of our mission.

Because we realize that you are working to eliminate poverty on your own time, we want to make your lives easier, save you time, keep you informed, and help you feel as successful and fulfilled as possible!

Inside this newsletter, you will find tips and tools to help you get engaged, and a yearly calendar activity sheet.

We invite you to post the activity sheet

on your bulletin board or refrigerator for easy viewing and advance planning.

The following is a checklist of whom to call to get the resources and help you need, for whatever those needs may be.

We are happy to help, and invite your input, as well.

Warm regards,

Volunteer Manager Outreach International

Looking for the right person at Outreach to answer a question?

Call 888.833.1235 and the extension needed, or email the following people: Volunteer-related questions:

Marsha Penrose

Ext 311

Partnerships & general info:

Ellen Goyer

Ext 301

e.goyer@outreachmail.org

Individual/ Group challenges:

Charlotte Belshe

Ext 315

c.belshe@outreachmail.org

Financial/Record- keeping info:

Amanda Carter or Amy Hough

Ext 312 Ext 302

a.carter@outreachmail.org a.hough@outreachmail.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

m.penrose@outreachmail.org

Outreach International Volunteer Network Newsletter

• What’s in this for You? 1 • Survey Results 2 • Serving Love 3 • Yearly Planning 4-5 • News to Use 6 • Call to Action 6

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YOU SPOKE, WE LISTENED

In January, we sent 1,019 surveys to all the volunteers and partnership or primary contacts in our database who represent a school, church, or organization. Our goal: To find what resources were most used, what things were most needed, and to ensure our contact information was up-to-date, to avoid unnecessary mailing expenses.

As an added incentive, our president and CEO, Kevin W. Prine, offered to donate $1 for each completed survey returned. We received 135 surveys, resulting in a matching $135 donation. Thanks to all of you that made that donation possible!

While not a large response, the information shared in the surveys returned is a good sample of our broader volunteer network’s feelings and opinions. More importantly, the data has helped us identify which elements you like and use most often, giving us an indication of how we can modify our resources to best suit your needs and preferences. Knowing how you prefer to receive your communications helps us reduce mailing costs, leaving in more resources available for our field programs.

Resulting Impact • We will be offering a one-sheet resource page with links and ideas for reunions or VCS, rather than developing new yearly packets, and host archived versions of these resources on our website • For those wanting their communica- tions to be delivered online or via email, good news: We’re offering more resources electronically, and have plans to implement even more materials online soon • The number of posters and mailings being mailed will be restricted to active Outreach supporting groups and congregations • We are updating our website and mobile platforms over a 12-month period, making it even more user-friendly.

• Since all our contacts are serving as volunteers regardless of role or title with many who are unaware of resources or campaigns - we will now mail the Volunteer Newsletter to all volunteers biannually (Representatives and Advisors will continue to receive them quarterly), in addition to a quarterly email and poster

If you are NOT receiving these resources and would like to, please let us know. As always, we welcome your feedback, input, and ideas on our work together, and are always striving to make your efforts as successful as possible.

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STATES WITH THE MOST SURVEY RESPONSES: Michigan Missouri Colorado Illinois California Iowa

20 17 11 11 10 10

SURVEYS SENT TO CHURCHES WITHOUT CONTACT INFO:

178

PREFER ONLINE VS MAILED INFO:

45

TOP FIVE RESOURCES REQUESTED: Posters Outreach Magazine Info to share & engage others (photos, stories, ideas, impact, activities) Advent Stable Partnership info

80 66 53+ 42 29

TOP TWO RESOURCES NOT USED: Reunion materials Vacation Church School resources

41 42

WANT PARTNERSHIP UPDATES, BUT NO GIFTS:

24

CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGES:

53

NEW PEOPLE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING:

4

Outreach International Volunteer Network Newsletter

VOLUNTEER PLANNING SCHEDULE FOR 2017

Planning for the year? Select any or all these ideas or campaigns to engage your youth group, workplace, school, faith community, or family!

MONTH

EVENT

DATE

RESOURCES

PROMOTION IDEAS

January Game night, dinner Anytime outreach-international.org/

benefit, carnival – fundraising/

be creative!

Spend cooped-up-inside days doing something creative, and benefit someone else in the process

February Donor Recognition 2-14-17 outreach-international.org/

happy-valentines-day/

Host a dessert bar, sweetheart dinner, or donate to Outreach in honor of someone you love

March World Water Day 3-22-17 outreach-international.org/

team-challenge

Do the Water Team Challenge to experience water issues faced around the world

April World Health Day 4-7-17 outreach-international.org/

team-challenge

Earth Day 4-22-17 outreach-international.org/

reforestation

World Malaria Day 4-25-17 outreach-international.org/

celebrating-malaria-prevention/

Team Challenge – Health Share how Outreach is protecting the earth through reforestation and smoke reduction Six dollars provides a mosquito net to prevent malaria

May Mother’s Day 5-14-17 outreach-international.org/

honor-moms/

Int’l. Day of Families 5-14-17 outreach-international.org/

international-celebration-of families/

Memorial Day 5-29-17 outreach-international.org/tribute

A gift in honor of your mom or of motherhood supports moms around the world Create awareness about families worldwide, while celebrating their successes in Outreach communities Honor someone with a tribute gift!

June World Environment 6-5-17 outreach-international.org/ Day

ecostove360

Father’s Day 6-18-17 outreach-international.org/

wil-power/

Reunions Summer outreach-international.org/

reunions

Vacation Church Summer School

Team Challenges All Year outreach-international.org/summit

outreach-international.org/

team-challenge

Share how reducing cooking smoke is reducing health issues in Nicaragua How might your group provide a livelihood for someone like Wil? Activities, worship plans, and more – they’re all here

July Parent’s Day 7-23-17 outreach-international.org/parents

Christmas in July 2-14-17 outreach-international.org/

its-christmas

Outreach International Volunteer Network Newsletter

Challenge your group to a Summit Challenge, team challenge, or other goal Give other parents a hand by providing basic needs for families Having needs met is like Christ- mas for someone living in poverty 3

VOLUNTEER PLANNING SCHEDULE FOR 2017 MONTH

EVENT

DATE

RESOURCES

(cont.)

PROMOTION IDEAS

August Int’l. Youth Day 8-12-17 outreach-international.org/baseball outreach-international.org/our World Humanitarian 8-19-17 values/

Day

Our humanitarian values shape our work. How can you invest in people?

outreach-international.org/levy September Int’l. Literacy Day 9-8-17 outreach-international.org/learnlots

outreach-international.org/why Int’l. Day of Peace 9-21-17 we-give/

You can give children like Levy a better life through the chance to attend school.

Peace and justice require action.

Share your actions with us!

outreach-international.org/children October Child Health Day 10-2-17

Greatnonprofits.org/org/out GreatNonProfits All Month reach-international-1

outreach-international.org/

Outreach Int’l. Day 10-15-17 resources

outreach-international.org/so-fresh

Global Handwashing Day 10-15-17 outreach-international.org/hunger

World Food Day 10-16-17 outreach-international.org/5-ways

Int’l. Day for Eradicating 10-17-17 Poverty

Host a dinner fundraiser to help children get the nutritious foods and schooling they need.

Take 5 minutes to write a positive review; help OI get a best-rated badge!

Find videos, worship helps, activities, etc for your event Your chance to be creative Do a Hunger Challenge!

Poverty is an uphill climb. Raise funds with a Summit Challenge!

outreach-international.org/class-inNovember World Kindness Day 11-13-17 session

outreach-international.org/

World Toilet Day 11-19-17 newlatrines

Thanksgiving Day 11-24-17 outreach-international.org/smallbut-mighty

Giving Tuesday 11-28-17 outreach-international.org/giving-tuesday Smile.amazon.com

Black Friday 11-25-17

outreach-international.org/

Advent Stable Nov/Dec advent-stable/

outreachshop.org

Sustainable Gift Catalog

Spread happiness, peace, hope, and joy, through fundraising for OI Every flush costs about $.03. Put a change jar by the toilet and provide a latrine for someone this year

outreach-international.org/ December World AIDS Day 12-1-17 noahs-bottle

Human Rights Day 12-10-17 outreach-international.org/baawrap

Christmas 12-25-17

outreach-international.org/

Year End Giving planned-giving/

Health issues are prevalent in devel- oping countries. What can you do?

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Encourage people to use AmazonSmile when shopping online to benefit OI Watch our website in September for the latest resources Check out our newest items in the catalog

Use the Outreach Shop or Gift Catalog to give a sustainable gift; watch how to wrap a goat Consider what charitable donation meets your financial needs

Outreach International Volunteer Network Newsletter

SERVING UP A HELPING OF LOVE SWEETS BENEFITING HAITI? MAIS OUI! “This is our fourth year in a row donating to Outreach International in efforts to help build and furnish schools in Haiti.

Every year, the French Club has a bake sale during or near the week of Valentine’s Day, which we call ‘Love your international neighbors week.’ For the entire week, students in the French club bake different desserts and sell them after school for $1.00. This year, we made $877.05 in our efforts to help Haiti!” reports Brandy Cooley, the French teacher at Unami Middle School in Chalfont, PA.

BAPTISMAL CLASS SERVES UP LOVE On February 12, 2017, the children’s baptismal class at the Worthington, Ohio, Community of Christ served lunch to the congregation and received an offering for Outreach International. Gloria Weese, their teacher, shared, “The total raised by the children’s efforts to decorate the activity area of the church (Valentine’s Day theme, with photos from Outreach International featured on hearts), help prepare, and then serve the meal, was $325. It was an excellent exercise in applying their time, talent, and treasure according to the stewardship principles they learned in their baptismal class lessons.”

“I volunteer for Outreach because I believe in the process it uses to help people help themselves. I have witnessed their process unfolding in a village meeting, as the people are guided to identify what they need and how they can solve their problems. There are many worthwhile organizations out there that I could give my resources and time to, but I feel like Outreach’s model [is] the best way of doing things [in terms of] administration, costs, and sustainable life changes. Thank you for the opportunity.” – Diane P. “I cannot go to the places in need, but by volunteering along with others, I feel I can make a difference.” – Judy P. “I love my volunteer work and the people I work with while volunteering at Outreach International! Probably my favorite thing about Outreach International is that they work to eliminate poverty in the world by helping others help themselves.

The people Outreach help have a sense of worth and accomplishment in whatever project they are working on — whether it be digging a new water well or organizing a small business to sell homemade items. It’s wonderful to volunteer for an organization that is making a real difference in our world!” – Rozanne D. Thanks to our respondents, and a continued, everlasting thank-you to all of our precious volunteers. You make our days brighter, and make our work more effective!

“We wish you well in your important work to abolish poverty and end suffering.”

LOVE GOES BOTH WAYS We LOVE our volunteers! May’s National Volunteer Week was a great excuse for us to celebrate all the ways they support our work: Opening and processing mail; stuffing envelopes with posters, receipts, and other mailings; stamping thousands of Christmas cards, assembling frames, tagging stuffed animals, processing tribute cards and honorariums, wrapping packages, sorting Advent Stable buttons, and more. Amidst the extraordinary selflessness on display, the love appears to be mutual. When we asked them why they volunteered with Outreach, their responses left us even more grateful for their presence and dedication: “I volunteer for Outreach because I believe in their mission and their approach to sustainability for families, communities, and environments. Volunteering with others brings a great feeling of camaraderie and fun!” – Diane S.

Outreach International Volunteer Network Newsletter

5

NEWS YOU CAN USE NEW E-NEWS FORMAT Outreach’s monthly eNews just got a topto-bottom revamp!

Keep an eye on your inbox!

EXPLORE YOUR PASSIONS Is your youth group, summer school, church congregation, camp, or family reunion looking for some fun, meaningful activities this summer? Try one of these Team Challenges, and then use the activities or ideas as a springboard for a fundraising event! Each theme has a lesson, activities, and snapshot of what Outreach is doing to help communities. These, and additional worship ideas, spiritual practices, crafts and recipes are offered separately at outreach-international.org/team-challenge/.

Team Challenge - Health Toilets save lives! This fun, informative and interactive half-day health event may cover a dirty topic, but will leave you laughing, with a vivid understanding of what it is to do without toilets, soap and water.

Team Challenge - Hunger This curriculum, with a sample schedule suited to a weekend retreat, uses games to expose participants to hunger-related problems worldwide, and how they might be overcome.

Team Challenge - Water The water challenge is designed as a one-day event, complete with interactive games and activities, videos, crafts and more, designed to explore our individual and collective water footprint on the earth.

FUNDRAISE Would you like to help eliminate poverty, but are intimidated by fundraising? Run, bike, hike, or freestyle your way to this new online fundraising page to register as an individual or group, join a team, or donate at: outreach-international.org/ fundraise.

STRUT YOUR STUFF Outreach socks and new T-shirts will be available this summer! Watch our posts and website to be the first in line to get yours.

Call to Action This summer, pair an Outreach activity with a fundraiser posted online at outreach-international. org/fundraise, contact us to let us know how it went, and send us photos (with people’s permission) by August 15. We’ll send three NEW t-shirts out to three volunteers with: 1. The most creative fundraiser 2. The most profitable fundraiser 3. The fundraiser with the largest team of supporters

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ANSWERS + RESOURCES

Marsha Penrose

Volunteer Manager m.penrose@outreachmail.org 888.833.1235 (Toll-Free USA)

Outreach International Volunteer Network Newsletter