Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that operates an extraordinary bookstore, provides community programs, and mobilizes passionate volunteers to promote literacy in Chicago and beyond. Open Books has a MISSION: to enrich lives through reading, writing, and the amazing power of used books!
Today, our Volunteer Spotlight shines on Ava Zeligson, Volunteer Coordinator for Open Books in Chicago, IL.
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Please tell us about your organization.
How did you get started as a volunteer leader?
Before coming to Open Books, I was just a lone volunteer out in the world, lending a hand with local Dr. Seuss Day festivities or helping out with various campaign efforts. I first joined Open Books as an intern, so, a volunteer with much more responsibility. I spent many months giving my time to learn more about the organization and its mission of spreading the love of literacy, and I jumped at the opportunity to officially join the team and help our volunteer corps of over 3,000 make the greatest impact possible.
What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?
Volunteers, spread the word! Let your friends know where you are spending your Tuesday afternoons or Thursday mornings! You can add so much by opening the opportunity up to your network of friends, family, and colleagues.
Leaders, know your volunteers! These spectacularly generous people often have much more to offer than you might think. I am consistently impressed by the great people who work with us and the valuable knowledge they share. The other obvious thing is to give thanks, and give it often! It honestly blows me away when volunteers are stunned and thank us profusely for whatever token of appreciation we share. I feel like we could say "thank you" back and forth forever if we allowed ourselves. No, really, thank you!
Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
Once we added the Open Books store to our list of volunteer opportunities, it became clear that we needed a system that was a bit more advanced than emailing back and forth with each individual volunteer. VolunteerSpot turned out to be just what we were seeking. We now use it to schedule volunteers for three programs. It has saved me countless hours, and I know that our volunteers really enjoy having a one-stop-shop for upcoming opportunities.
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To learn more about Open Books Chicago's wonderful literacy programs, please visit http://www.open-books.org
We salute Ava 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]
