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5 Thoughtful Gifts that Give Back -- for Moms, Teachers and Other Caring Souls

With Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-7), Mother’s Day (May 9) and the end-of-school all happening in the next few weeks, there are several opportunities to show how much you care with a thoughtful gift.  Always on the lookout for fresh ideas and gifts that give back, we asked the good folks at Daily Grommet, a citizen commerce website with daily unique finds and entertaining stories, to share some of their favorite gift ideas in the $15-$50 range.

Our 5 Favorite Thoughtful Gifts – from Daily Grommet

If you've ever struggled to pick out the perfect thing for that oh-so-caring person in your life (mom, teacher, room parent, super sitter), consider one of these gifts that genuinely keep on giving. Each one of these Daily Grommet go-to gifts would be perfectly lovely as-is, but they've all got the added benefit of supporting people who really need it. And that's the kind of gift caring souls are sure to love.

  Beautifully hand-embroidered nightgowns of dreamy cotton batiste help female artisans in a country that was impoverished even before the earthquake.

This handcrafted set of 26 magnetic -- and eco-friendly -- wooden blocks will delight entire families, and comes from a company two brothers founded to create jobs in Honduras.

Whether they're fans of baking, iced tea, or coffee, they'll love these deliciously different vanilla extracts and sugars from fair trade farms in Mexico, Madagascar, and Tahiti.

 

These soaps that look like polished river stones are made by an Afghanistan-based cooperative. It's an effort that's the brainchild of a former-NPR reporter moved to do her part to create opportunities outside of the war-torn country's opium trade.

This selection of shea butter-enriched, organic skincare products smooth all the rough spots AND help the people of Benin, West Africa (with jobs, and a share of profits that supports local educational organizations).

For more gifts that make a difference, see our full catalog here.

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Thanks for the great gift ideas Daily Grommet! When you need unique gift ideas for anyone or any occasion, Daily Grommet fits the bill. Please sign up to receive their daily alerts.

If you're interested in low cost/no cost teacher gift ideas, take a look at our free ebook - The Greatest Teacher Gifts!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother's Day from VolunteerSpot!

5 Swim Mom Musts for a Successful Season

Participating in summer swim league is a joyous and memorable part to many-a-kid's vacation. For most, summer teams provide an introduction to competitive swimming; a positive experience for both kids and parents can lead to continuing in the sport year after year. Today's guest post comes to us from Holly Robb, founder of The National Association of Swim Moms who recognizes that swim moms (and dads) are special and deserve extra support and attention. 

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As a mom, the key to keeping the household running efficiently is being organized. As a swim mom the key is to be organized, organized, organized -- from remembering to pack snacks, to bringing a back up pair of goggles -- the swim mom always has to be on her A game. Listed below are 5 tips to help navigate the waters of competitive swimming.

• Whether it be a practice or a swim meet, always, always pack your bag the night before. As your child gets older make sure they become organized and pack their own bag! Include the essentials: Bathing suit, towel, goggles, cap, sunscreen (face and body), flippers,water bottle and snack. You may also need a change of clothes and a toiletry kit depending on your schedule after the pool.

• Never leave the house without a back up pair of goggles, cap and swim suit. It's inevitable that your child will loose, break or misplace one of these items so be prepared.

• Nowadays, most swim meet entries are handled online. As a parent, make sure your child is with you when signing up for their events. It's important that they are completely aware of the events they are swimming in the meet. This will eliminate a potentially uncomfortable situation . Also remember to print our a hard copy of the events that you signed up for. Many of the swim meets I've gone to only to find out my daughter was not entered. The hard copy will immediately fix this issue.

• Be prepared to volunteer! What's the best way to learn the sport of swimming? If you volunteer as a timer, place judge, meet official, office clerk, you will quickly learn the ropes of competition age-group swimming. Be sure to share VolunteerSpot with your team - it's one of the very best ways to get parents organized quickly to help at meets during the entire season. (Online scheduling, sign-ups and email reminders save time and are super helpful!)

• Check the team website regularly and always stay in well connected with your child's coach. As your swimmer gets older, his/her progress can sometimes be measured by group placement. Watching them develop not only as a swimmer, but as an individual will help you understand a coach's rationale. Picking up a few tips from the coach about skills and meet strategy can help you with the knowledge needed to be a supportive swim mom to your child.

As a swim mom of two, I dove in head first with very little knowledge of the sport. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a first time swim mom, please join the National Association of Swim Moms - www.NAOSM.org. It’s an excellent one-stop resource with helpful tips, coaches instructional videos, Olympic swimmers' testimonials, and much more. In addition, the site has an online store with deep discounts and free shipping (for members) on all your swimsuit and equipment needs!

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Thanks, Holly, for sharing your tips with our VolunteerSpot readers. Please add your own swim mom (and dad) tips below by clicking 'comments'.  Here's to a wonderful summer swim season!

Volunteer Spotlight: Leah Fuhr, Volunticipation Chairperson, Limmud, Atlanta: Southeast

Limmud is a conference, a festival, a gathering of hundreds of Jews from all walks of life, all Jewish backgrounds, lifestyles, and ages. Limmud is a celebration plus an evening and a full day of lectures, workshops, text-study sessions, discussions, exhibits, performances and much more—all planned by a community of volunteers.

Today, our Volunteer Spotlight shines on Leah Fuhr, Volunticipation Chairperson, Limmud, Atlanta, southeast.

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Please tell us a little about yourself and about your work with Limmud.

I was a public school teacher for five years and now work at a temple. I am very active in the young professional Jewish groups in Atlanta.

I attended the first Atlanta Limmud conference 2 years ago on a whim. Since it is entirely volunteer-run, they ask everyone to volunteer for at least an hour or two. After last year's conference they asked me to be the Participant Care/Hospitality Chairperson for the first ever LimmudFest over Labor Day weekend. My responsibilities included registration, donations, and housing for almost 200 people. We have over 600 participants from the Jewish community each year and a lot of different tasks that need to be done before and on-site. VolunteerSpot has definitely helped me organize all the volunteers for this event.

What are your volunteer needs for Limmud?

Our volunteer needs start months before the actual event. The leadership team is comprised of about 10-15 people with each person leading a different committee (marketing, logistics, hospitality, etc). We need a lot of help for the event. The presenters, musicians, building monitors, registration desk people, set-up crew, clean-up crew, etc - we are all volunteers. Most of the 600 participants will be helping with something during the day. 

How did you get interested in volunteering? 

I'm not really sure exactly how it got started. I grew up less fortunate than others and was able to overcome that and become a successful adult. So I think that makes me want to give back. I started in high school as a member of the Interact volunteer club and then in college joined Elon Volunteers. I also really enjoy volunteering each Saturday through Hands on Atlanta. We do different types of projects around the city each week - from planting new trees at a park to tutoring at a low SES elementary school to sorting food at a shelter. Last year I participated in two trips to Tampa and New Orleans to assist in those areas of need. That was really meaningful because we stayed for several days and really saw an impact in the lives of the people we were able to help. I also volunteer as the Community Service and Social Chair at my local temple.

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Don't overwhelm yourself (I'm definitely not good at that). 

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

I attended LimmudNY in January 2010. They used it to coordinate their volunteers and I thought it was very helpful. I decided to check it out and really liked it! It's very easy to set up an event, contact volunteers, and manage everything.

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For more information about Limmud Atlanta, Southeast, visit their website.

We salute Leah and all the other volunteer leaders out there helping those in need. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected]

Teacher Appreciation - 2012!

Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week

Editors Note:  Original post updated for 2012 with more ideas!

Teacher Appreciation Week is just two weeks away...are you ready?! Teachers work hard all year (for way too little pay) and are charged with the awesome responsibility of guiding our children's learning and inspiring their passions. They definitely deserve a week in the spotlight!

Some schools go all out and plan daily celebrations with banners, raffle prizes, luncheons and fanfare. Others take a more personal approach and invite parents and students to write thank you notes and send small remembrances to their beloved teachers.

If you don’t have plans yet, or are looking for an idea or two to round out the week – we’ve got you covered!  We know that choosing a sweet surprise for teachers is not as challenging as planning the actual event and coordinating volunteers. Never fear! VolunteerSpot has you covered on that front too! We want to make sure that your teacher appreciation week planning is simple and stress-free.

Cindy H.M., a 4th grade mom in Asheville, NC sums it up:

“VolunteerSpot made it so easy to sign up to bring items for our teacher breakfast. What an easy way to be a working mom and stay involved! Great site!! Thanks for finally having something like this for all to use - and it's free!!”

Here are a few simple, tried and tested appreciation ideas that are sure to make your teachers smile and feel loved!

•  Adopt-a-Teacher – Parents and administration take turns watching the class during the week so teachers can go out for a nice lunch. Ask a local restaurant to provide a special teacher discount.
  
• Community Bouquet – On a designated day, each student brings one flower (paper, from the garden or store...anything goes) to add to a class bouquet. 
•  Home Cooked Dinners – One family per day arranges to provide a home-cooked meal for the teacher to take home. Even something as simple as a pasta casserole and a green salad makes a teacher's day of appreciation carry over to her home.
•  Morning Surprise – Every morning a different parent brings the teacher a steamy cuppa joe and breakfast treat (here in Texas it's gotta be a hot breakfast taco!). Teachers will be boosted with enough energy and love for the rest of the day!
• Random Acts of Kindness – Perform random acts of kindness for teachers. Whether it’s cleaning the classroom windows or reading to the class for an hour so that the teacher can take a break during the day, they will definitely feel appreciated.
• Teacher Lounge-O-Plenty – Families and local businesses can donate an array of baked goods and fruit to keep the teachers’ lounge totally packed with goodies all through the week.

Looking for more low cost/no cost teacher appreciation ideas? Please check out our free eBook: The Greatest Gift for Teachers (click here). 

Would you like to save time (and sanity) getting everyone signed up to help during Teacher Appreciation Week? Please take a live or video tour of VolunteerSpot and get started today.

Hope this Teacher Appreciation Week is fun for everyone!

Please share your creative and fun Teacher Appreciation Week traditions by clicking "Comments" below - thanks!!

For more low-cost/no-cost ways to say Thanks, please see our free eBook: Volunteer Recognition from A-Z.
 

National Volunteer Week - Parents are Volunteers, Too!

This week is one of our favorite weeks at VolunteerSpot - NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK!  We like to celebrate our community heroes everyday, but this week especially, we get to say Thank You to all our volunteers...so THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!

As we kick off National Volunteer Week (April 19-25), there are some obvious volunteers to be recognized and thanked -- food pantry workers, toy drive sponsors, afterschool mentors, Habitat builders, community clean-up-ers, charity fund raisers -- awesome day to day do-gooders!

What's always surprising is the number of parents that don't consider themselves volunteers. Not this week! We want to shine the light on parent volunteers hiding in plain sight: Jim's dad the little league coach, Cara's mom helping in the school library, Daniela's mom the Sunday School teacher, Alex's dad who reads to the class once a month, and Diego's mom the homeroom leader. Think of all the good folks who volunteer to support our kids and please take this opportunity to just say an extra thank you. And getting kids involved let's them appreciate all the good that people do "just because"...

Here are some great ways to recognize parent volunteers who are coaching and supporting our kids:

• Parent Volunteer Afternoon Tea - Take time to show parents how much you care with some tea and desserts after class or practice.

• "Hand"-Signed Thank You Cards - Let the kids make a giant card for each volunteer, painted with everyone's hand print. Have the kids sign or write a short note over their own hand print to personalize it for the volunteer.

• Autographed Class or Team Photo - Present the volunteers with framed and signed class photos as a keepsake.

• Class/Team Mix - Parents are always on-the-go and in their cars, whether it's going to work, volunteering or carpooling kids to practice. A CD mix of the kids' favorite songs would be something nice that they can listen to. Have each child pick a song that they like and burn CDs for parents.

• "We Care!" Car Wash - Older students (5th grade and higher) can thank their parent volunteers by setting up a free car wash.

These small tributes show your parent volunteers how much you appreciate their help throughout the year. Here's a free eBook with more simple Volunteer Recognition Ideas, from A-Z. 

Show some love to all your volunteers this week, and remember, parents are volunteers too!

Journey of the Volunteer: Tourist, Traveler & Guide

Becoming a volunteer is a process. Guest blogger Chris Jarvis of Realized Worth works to design and implement employee volunteer programs all over the world. He describes the evolution of a volunteer as a journey, transforming each person with different experiences.  

We welcome Chris and his insights!

   

 

Tourist - Traveler - Guide. This is the journey of the volunteer. The great failure of volunteer coordinators lies in expecting tourists to act like guides, treating guides like tourists, and ignoring the traveler all together. It's time we meet people where they're at. Here's what you need to know to get started.

Stop treating everyone the same

When volunteers show up for the first time, we generally try to give them the same opportunities, attention, responsibilities and recognition as we do those who have been volunteering for years. Seems appropriate, but....it's not. It's wrong. 

Here’s why: People are not the same. We are all at different stages on the journey. Some of us are tourists, some travelers, others guides, and the rest? Well, they're somewhere in between.

Recognize the differences

The Tourist: Tourists are excited, enthusiastic and a little stumbly as they figure out what they're looking for. The space is new and the potential is endless. Tourists want to love their experience; but first impressions are paramount. If it doesn't meet their needs, they'll probably never come back. 

No problem. This is the group from which you will discover the best and most loyal of your volunteers. Do not expect long-term commitment from this group – they're not ready yet.

The Traveler: Travelers have been here before. They know where to go when they arrive and what they like doing best. At this stage, volunteers begin to invest in the cause. Because the space begins to feel like “theirs”, they will ask hard questions and even begin to complain a little (which is a good sign that they're connecting emotionally). Travelers want to be seen and heard. They want someone to confirm that they belong here. Discover them; give them space to continue to the next stage. 

The Guide: Guides know they are home and will show the way for tourists and travelers. This group is as dependable as the executive director, and maybe even more committed. There are only a few of them, but they will lead your organization into the future. Do not treat these volunteers like first-timers; do not give them buttons and trinkets as thank you's. They own the space; treat them as such.

What you need...

As a Tourist: You require spaces of discovery where you are free to investigate. At this point, pressure and obligation will only hinder you, so long-term commitments aren’t really what you’re after. You’re at your best when compelled to ask better questions and go beyond what you’ve always known and believed.

As a Traveler: You need permission to feel some ownership, which in some cases will mean you're a little angry and a little confused. You know that committing to this organization is akin to committing to a relationship. If you never get past the infatuation stage to start getting angry, hurt and wounded, then you probably never cared much in the first place. When things don’t matter, things are easy. You are ready for substance and you hope that the organization can prove to you that they’re ready for your investment.

As a Guide: You need a space brimming with offers of high-level, contributing responsibility. You know they know you’ll take care of the ditch-digging every time, but they respect you too much for that. You need to be treated carefully because, like a long-term relationship, this kind of commitment is rare and fragile - not to be taken lightly.

Paying attention to people's differences is not as difficult as it may seem.

Read Part 2 of Journey of the Volunteer here.

Realized Worth works with businesses to build their corporate social responsibility through corporate volunteering. Co-Founder and Senior Consultant Chris Jarvis works with his partner Angela Parker to plan and implement volunteering programs for corporations big and small. Check out Realized Worth for more tips and trips on corporate social responsibility.

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The Big Green Purse One in a Million Challenge

Shift Your Spending to Protect the Planet…and Yourself

In the spirit of Earth Day’s 40^th anniversary coming up next week on April 22nd, we’d like to invite our readers to take a look at how we can protect the environment with our everyday actions.  When we heard of The Big Green Purse One in a Million Challenge, we knew it was a winner worth both joining and sharing. 

Please welcome today’s guest contributor, Diane MacEachern, Author of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, www.biggreenpurse.com.

The Big Green Purse One in a Million Challenge

One of the fastest, easiest, most effective ways to protect the environment is by shifting money you already spend to eco-friendly goods and services.

The Challenge is a project we started a couple of years ago to inspire people to shift their spending to the most environmentally-friendly products and services available. Many people worried that going green would send them to the poor house. What they’ve found by taking the Challenge is that switching to greener goods actually saves them a lot of money.

Just ask Erin Peters. This budget-conscious mother of three young boys is so concerned about saving money and spending wisely that she writes a blog called The Conscious Shopper.

"For a long time, I had a misconception that living green was expensive and therefore out of reach for my family," she says. "Then one day, I got frustrated with the feeling that I was buying inferior and unhealthy products and that I wasn't spending my money in accordance with my values. I decided just to go for it and see if I could buy organic, non-toxic, and fair trade products without blowing my family's budget.

"I found that by living more frugally and doing the green things that save money, I was able to shift our savings to our food and clothing budget. Without affecting our overall budget at all, I was able to go green!"

The changes may not be obvious, but they do make sense. For example, a $.49 sponge lasts as long as ten rolls of paper towels, each of which cost $.99. So over the lifetime of that sponge, you save almost $10 in paper towels, and throw away about 1/10 as much trash.  
 
But there’s an added benefit. The more money you shift to green products, the more you encourage manufacturers to reduce pollution, save energy and water, use less packaging and protect natural areas. Many companies resist regulations and legislation with a vengeance. But consumer dollars are their lifeblood.  When you choose greener goods, you’re dangling a bright green carrot in front of the industries that produce them, providing a powerful incentive to do more.

Taking the challenge is also a great way to magnify your impact. The shifts you make will save you money and benefit your family. If a million consumers intentionally shift at least $1,000 of their existing budget to environmentally-friendly products, we will have a noticeable ONE BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT in the marketplace.

Where to start?

You can have the biggest impact by picking one commodity and shifting all $1,000 to it. Some of the most important options (and ones that should be readily available in your neighborhood as well as online) include:

• Organic, locally grown food (reduce pesticides)
• Energy-efficient appliances (stop global warming)
• Phthalate-free cosmetics (protect your health)
• Fuel-efficient car (save energy, clear the air)
• Fair trade, shade grown coffee (protect rainforests)
• Non-toxic cleansers (protect your health, reduce toxins)

Alternatively, you can spread what you shift to a variety of eco-friendly products and services that you need to manage your household. You'll probably find that you'll end up shifting far more than the initial $1,000 you pledge.

That would be great because the key to getting literally the biggest bang for your buck is this: the more money you shift, the bigger impact you'll have.

Ready to sign up? You can get a Free Balance Sheet to help you get started when you take the Big Green Purse One in a Million Challenge.

Sign up here.

To learn more about the One and a Million Challenge and for tips and ideas on saving the planet everyday, please join author Diane MacEachern at BigGreenPurse.com. 

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Our Thanks to Diane for her Earth-friendly insights! Take a look at these helpful hints for Earth Day and on. Remember that we can help our Earth with some simple steps, one person at a time!

   

6 Tips to Make your Vacation Bible School a Summer Success!

Summer Vacation! It’ll be here before you know it and dedicated children's ministers, parents and parishioners are planning to make it exciting and memorable with Vacation Bible School (VBS). Whether your VBS is grand or modest, run by professionals or parent volunteers, these tips and resources will make sharing the Gospel message with children in your community a powerful and fun experience -- for the kids AND the leaders.

Tips for VBS Leaders

Theme is King: From the Wild West to Outer Space to the Deep Ocean, creative themes keep kids interested and give organizers inspiration in planning curriculum-based games, arts and crafts, songs, dramatic and outdoor activities. Having a new theme for each week of VBS keeps it fresh and encourages parents to enroll their kids for more than one session. Plan your own themed curriculum or purchase it pre-packaged from publishers. This article lists several publishers and resources for planning VBS curriculum for many denominations.

Volunteer Volume! Volunteers are what make VBS a reality. Without the help of parents, teens and church members, the summer program would be nearly impossible at most congregations. Keep it simple and stress-free:

• Recruit lots of teen helpers.  Little kids love big kids and when coached, big kids are awesome helping hands, activity leaders, supervisors and role models.
• Schedule VBS around your volunteers. Sometimes it's difficult to get enough volunteers to staff VBS the same hours as you have in the past. Consider mixing it up - changing to a half-day or evening format may be just the fix for attracting an abundance of help.
• Give all parents an opportunity to support VBS activities. Offer volunteer jobs that span the week, take-home jobs like shopping for supplies or preparing craft kits, and one-time spots like leading the morning prayer, a song, or an art activity. Ask parents to donate supplies, provide healthy snacks, etc.  Making it easy for everyone to get involved, even in a small way, builds commitment and rapport with your congregation.
• Schedule and sign up volunteers online and save a tremendous amount time (and stress). Our simple online calendar sign-up tool eliminates the need for clipboard sign-up sheets, spreadsheets and reply-all email when coordinating volunteers to help with activities or to bring snacks and supplies. VolunteerSpot makes it easy to ask for help, and easy for parents to choose when and how they will contribute (with a few clicks). Not only do volunteers get plenty of time to organize their calendars, automated reminder messages give VBS leaders peace of mind knowing they will have the help they need when they need it.
• Provide orientation materials and in-person briefings to get volunteers up to speed on VBS formal and informal requirements. Cover things like background checks and safety considerations, what to do if kids get out of hand, Gospel messages, songs and activities to be covered, contact information, and even small stuff like reminding volunteers they will likely get messy and wet in the course of a typical VBS day.

Welcoming to All:  VBS extends the reach of your church into the broader community. Think about everything a new family will need to feel welcome and inspired to learn more about your congregation. Some things to consider:

• Mail (or email) welcome packages including an enthusiastic letter from the Children's Minister or VBS leader. Include other information important for your VBS: E.g.: important church website links, instructions for parking, drop-off and pickup, church background and minister bios, a campus map, emergency contact information, what to bring (water bottles, change of clothes, snack, sunscreen, etc.), hours, behavior expectations, etc.
• Post extra signs during VBS weeks showing parents and kids where to park and gather. (Put colorful signs down low too so it's easy for kids to see 'em too.)
• Food = Fun! Welcome everyone with coffee, orange juice and muffins on the first morning (or every morning). If holding an evening VBS, consider providing a simple dinner (pizza, fruit) for both the kids and volunteers arriving after work.
• Provide colorful t-shirts name badges for all staff and volunteers so they are easily recognized and remind them to introduce themselves to new families. Provide name tags for kids on the first day - or have them make their own as a craft activity.
• Post a daily agenda and activity instructions at each station for volunteers (remember, they are new too!).

Frequent Communication: Along with daily craft projects, send home a note or an email letting parents know what happened each day - the lessons, the songs the activities. This information will help parents engage their kids in conversation about VBS and the Gospel messages.  Also cover any special instructions or supplies needed for the next day.

Follow Up: VBS enhances bonds with your current congregation and builds new relationships within your community. Make sure to take advantage of this outreach opportunity by following up with VBS families. Here are some ways to make a lasting impression.

• Send a letter home with kids on their last day of VBS summarizing the week's events. Include information on future church events and let parents know how happy you are to have been a part of their children’s summer and religious education.
• Have the kids themselves write their parents a note about how much they loved VBS.  Mail it home the week after their session has ended.
• Enroll children in Sunday School who aren’t already.
• Add VBS families to the church contacts database and keep them posted of session openings throughout the summer and activites into the school year.
• Share rosters with contact information (with permission) of families who attended so parents can arrange post-VBS playdates.
• Provide a list of qualified VBS teen volunteers who babysit. (Red Cross-certified, background checked).

Give Thanks: Letting your volunteers know that they’re appreciated is a big part of retaining your staff for next year’s VBS.  Send personal letters from ministers and kids, give public recognition during Sunday services and in church newsletters, and post photos and thank you messages on a bulletin board and the church website.  Our free Volunteer Recognition eBook is filled with other low cost/no-cost tips and ideas for thanking volunteers.

 

 

 We hope these tips make your VBS season a bit easier and even more enjoyable. Please click 'comments' below to share your church's best practices, tips and VBS traditions.

Engaging Parent Volunteers: PTA Action Planning for Back-to-School

Parent/teacher leadership teams: get more parents involved - by design

It's the time of year when parent/teacher leadership teams are engaged in strategic planning sessions for next school year. This year, many districts are hit hard with budget cuts and engaging parents to fill gaps will be more essential than ever. As your leadership team turns their focus on next year, ask yourselves, "Is there room for improvement in how we engage parent volunteers?" This article has questions and ideas to help guide your dialog and planning.

Involvement builds commitment

Most parents welcome a meaningful way to contribute that fits their interests and schedules – but it’s contingent on school leaders and teachers to ask for help in a way that parents successfully respond and engage. As much as many teachers like the thought of having parents help in the classroom, especially in younger grades, they shy away when it comes to implementation. It’s often perceived as too time consuming to coordinate parent schedules and plan their work, or they have had bad experiences with parents disrupting lesson plans and class arrangements. Providing teachers with quick access to simple volunteer scheduling software and online signup sheets makes it easier for them to ask for specific help and supplies, and proactively manage classroom volunteer opportunities.

Schools that successfully engage parents in the classroom, even in small ways like weekly readers, find more parents willing to take leadership roles in fundraisers and academic and enrichment projects. Parents at Oak Hill Elementary in Austin, Texas, for example, launched a drop-in after school tutoring program to boost reading skills. Parents in San Carlos, California, provide art instruction, and school gardens are sprouting up across the country thanks to parent/teacher teams. Online volunteer sign up solutions give parent leaders confidence and save time coordinating project like these by letting parents schedule themselves to help, quickly and easily. 

Is your school a volunteer-welcoming place? 

Does your school offer volunteer jobs to fit a variety of schedules and interests? 

• Sporadic classroom opportunities, like readers and science helpers  
• Ongoing day-time opportunities in the library, cafeteria or copy room 
• Take-home projects like packaging materials and updating the website  
• Weekend cleanup/beautification projects involving the whole family 
• Special-skill projects like gardening, accounting, and updating computers 
• Fundraising and Booster committees 

Do teachers, administrators and parent leaders ask for help and solicit involvement regularly, including using online scheduling and sign-up tools?

Are processes for volunteer background checks, confidentiality and security well documented and easy to follow? 

When parents show up to help, are they given clear direction and enough to do?

Are parents alerted if a volunteer shift is canceled due to field trips or special schedules?

Are parents promptly dismissed and thanked at the end of their scheduled shift? 

Does your school orchestrate one or two large community-building fundraisers like a carnival, book fair or family movie night? 

Is it clear how to make donations, including electronic equipment and classroom supplies? 

Finding more ways to involve parents at school yields big results in terms of parent commitment to your school community, fiscal fitness, and most importantly, student success. 

Save time and get more parents involved in your school community -- please visit VolunteerSpot and take our live or video tour today. VolunteerSpot is ideal for all kinds of school scheduling: classroom helpers, parent-teacher conferences, exam proctors, PTA fundraisers and more...

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This post was originally published on The Educator's Royal Treatment, where educators and education technology leaders share ideas and best practices.

by VolunteerSpot founder, Karen Bantuveris

VolunteerSpotlight: Paula Aiton, Cookie Co-chair, Girl Scout Troop 2365, Hanford, CA

At VolunteerSpot, we love supporting Girl Scouts; Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. A key way Girl Scouts funds it's good work is through the annual Girl Scout cookie sale.

Today, our volunteer Spotlight shines on Paula Aiton, Cookie Co-Chair for Troop 2365, Hanford, California. Paula's troop is part of  Girl Scouts of Central California South serving more than 12,000 girls, grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare Counties.

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What's your role with the Troop?

I am the “Cookie Co-Chair” for my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. The girls will begin selling cookies in March as their annual fundraiser. My primary role as Cookie Co-Chair is to coordinate the girl volunteers (and their parents) for two-hour shifts over 4 weekends in March. We will be selling the cookies from table “booths” in front of our local supermarket.


Do you volunteer in other arenas of your life?
I  have volunteered as a musician at church since I was 13 years old.  I play multiple instruments (flute, saxophone, piano, percussion). This activity is a big part of who I am. It is my ministry.  In addition, I also volunteer as a leader for women’s ministry at my church.  I lead small group bible study as well as mentor women who need encouragement and direction in their lives, both practical and spiritual.


How did you get interested in volunteering?
My mother always made herself available to volunteer for church groups, women’s groups, community work, etc. I am the youngest of her eight children and it was just a natural extension of my upbringing to volunteer.  I am a very solution-oriented person and so I often jump in to help because I hope that I have good ideas that help the group as a whole.


What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there?
Pace yourself.  Easier said than done, I know. If a parent has management skills, those can be a big help because managers are used to delegating work to others.  Moms without leadership experience may not have those same skills and they may try to do too much themselves.  I’ve also seen parent volunteers who would not let go of control over their little piece of the puzzle.  This can cause tension and strife within a volunteer group.  So, pacing yourself, looking for other parents in the group that can take over part of your burden and asking for help are all extremely important to a successful volunteer experience.


Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
I wanted to offer our parent volunteers an online scheduling tool so that they could sign up for shifts at their convenience.  In the past, I have had to do a lot of phone calling.  I’ve also had to lay out a paper schedule at each of the Girl Scout meetings and I still do that.  But I’m using VolunteerSpot this year as our primary vehicle for scheduling the Cookie Booth Sales.


Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
I couldn’t imagine my life without spending time as a volunteer. Sometimes I wish I had said “No” instead of “Yes”.  But, generally, all my volunteer experiences have been rewarding.

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To learn more about Girl Scouts, visit http://www.girlscoutsccs.org/index.php

We salute Paula and all the other volunteer leaders out there working on behalf of our children. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected]