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Teal Pumpkin Project

Teal Pumpkins for a Safer Halloween

Food allergies don't take a break for one of the biggest food holidays of the year, and it's so important to spread awareness to help keep all kids safe. Helping families make Halloween celebrations sweet for all kids, the nonprofit FARE (Food and Allergy Research Education) is continuing the Teal Pumpkin Project this year, hoping to reach 100K households. It's super easy to get involved!

1) Take the pledge to support a safe and happy Halloween for all kids over on FARE, click here.

2) Buy non-edible Halloween goodies to hand out to trick or treaters like:

•     Spider rings
•     Pencils
•     Erasers
•     Stickers
•     Glow sticks
•     Bracelets
•     Bouncy balls
•     Bubbles

3) Pain a pumpkin teal and place on your front porch so families with kids with allergies know it's a safe place to go!

Will your family be joining the Teal Pumpkin Project this year? Tell us about it over on facebook!

 

 *Images courtesy of FARE.org (Teal Pumpkin Project)

July 4th Acts of Kindness

5 Fun Ways to Give Back at Your Independence Day Gathering

Planning a big 4th of July bbq, pool party, or potluck? It's easy to turn your community gathering into a bonus act of kindness with these 5 fun ideas that will have your whole family pitching in:

1. Dandy Donation: Remind your party guests and attendees to bring 2 - 3 non-perishable or canned food items with them to be donated to a local food bank. Help your kids decorate a "donation" box and place it right outside the front door for folks to drop their goods on their way in. 

    Related: 8 Things to Know Before Donating to a Food Bank

2. Bonus Bake-off: Chances are your Independence Day potluck will have you creating a delicious masterpiece or two in the kitchen. Bake an extra batch of cookies, cake, or other type of goodie for an elderly neighbor, shut-in or friend.

    Related: 5 Flavorful Bake Sale Hints & Tips

3. Hamburger Handout: On the day of your cookout, make a plate with a burger, sides and all the fixin's and have the kids deliver it to a neighbor you know won't be getting out for the holiday; or a new mom who could use the fuel.

4. Cards & Crafts: Get in the Patriotic spirit and create a kids corner where all your guests' children can decorate cards, write letters, and create artwork as thank you's for their camp counselors, babysitters, coaches and other mentors they have during those months off from school.

5. Snappy Snack: Planning a sunny morning at the Independence Day parade in town? Stash some extra granola bars and water bottles in your bag to have on hand to hand out to homeless men and women you pass on the street.

    Related: Print Off Resource Cards and Help Numbers for Homeless Veterans

 

Summer Sign-Ups

Coordinate Potlucks, Family Reunions, Camping & More!

You know VolunteerSpot can power your nonprofit and school volunteer efforts - but did you know it's also the perfect tool for coordinating Summer fun? Quickly create sign-ups for potlucks, family reunions, camping trips, you name it. Our easy, intuitive features simply the task of creating lists and schedules, while 24/7 mobile access and automated reminders keep all your family and friends on track! Get started

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Our Quick Item Entry feature makes it so easy to build a fast list of items you need brought or donated to your party, potluck, or function. Create your sign-up in minutes and invite friends and family to sign-up via email or social media! Learn more

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Our FUN Summer themes add that flare and flavor your potluck sign-up needs! Choose from a variety of foodie and Summer theme and badge combinations - or upload your own neighborhood or family image to customize your sign-up. Learn more

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Your family and friends will be singing your praises this Summer when you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate get-togethers, potlucks and parties. Now no one will forget what they signed up for or show up with the same dish!

15 Summer Volunteer Ideas for Kids (of All Ages)

Family Volunteer Ideas

Thanks to RewardVolunteers for this inspiring guest post. RewardVolunteers makes it easy to do GOOD, earn rewards and spread the word about helping others.

Shine a light on service this Summer with these creative and FUN volunteer ideas for kids of all ages!

K – 6 > You’re never too young to give back! We love these easy, kid-friendly ideas for helping others:

• Make a treat with mom for an elderly neighbor or new mom like Light & Classic Lasagna or Baked Macaroni & Cabot Cheddar
  
• Host a lemonade stand and give the proceeds to a local cause
• Donate gently used toys & books to a children’s shelter
• Write/decorate cards for shut-ins, troops overseas (using leftover artwork from school)
• Volunteer with mom or dad at a local animal shelter walking, grooming dogs

Teens > Encourage your teen to join their friends in planning a special service project over the Summer:

• Clean and landscape the green space of a local school or nonprofit
• Collect change, allowance and summer job tips over the season to donate
• Host a bake sale for your neighborhood or community and donate the earnings; try baking easy recipes like Lemon-Yogurt Poundcake, Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Squares, or Whole Grain Quiche
  
• Mentor, coach or tutor a young person (neighbor, friend) at no charge
• Join your faith group or other on a mission trip or Habitat build

Youth/Adults > It’s easy to weave service into fun Summer events and activities you already have planned:

• Take part in a fundraiser or event where proceeds benefit your community, i.e. Fun Run
• Volunteer with a local wildlife museum, nature center or parks department event
• Share your time and talents at a Summer workday for church, childhood camp or school
• Pick up a Meals on Wheels route or plant extra veggies in the garden to donate to a homeless shelter. Check out Cabot's Cheddar Cheese Fudge.
  
• Turn your gathering into a food drive – ask for donations of canned goods at the next bbq or pool party

Get rewarded for all your GOOD work with RewardVolunteers! Reward Volunteers is a free, easy way to track the time you spend volunteering in your community and to earn rewards for your contributions. You can also amplify your good work on social media to spread the word and get friends involved. Prizes include vacations, cash, cruises and much more. Get started 

Family Volunteer Ideas

Big-Hearted Projects for your Spring Bucket List

By: Sarah Aadland of Doing Good Together

Did your resolutions for 2015 snuggle in for a long winter nap, never to awake? If your good intentions were overtaken by the gray malaise of winter, now is the time to dust them off. Spring is here, and along with it, the renewed verve and optimism we’ve all been waiting for.

Below are some of our favorite ideas for volunteering as a family this spring.

• Pin them! Add them to your spring bucket list. And don’t forget to return to our links for conversation starters, book recommendations, and tips to make the most of each meaningful family moments.
  
  
• Plant a Row for the Hungry. This is April’s Project of the Month! If you’ve ever wanted to try gardening with your child, this project may be the way to hook them. Most food pantries are delighted to receive freshly picked and cleaned produce. Sharing your bounty may make the magic of tending a garden even more meaningful.
  
  
• Host a May Day Prep Party.   May 1^st is fast approaching and it has the potential to become a family favorite. Kids will have fun creating colorful baskets filled with treats, real or paper flowers, and sweet, anonymous notes. And they love sneaking out of the house a bit early on May Day to leave surprises on their neighbors’ doorsteps. By gathering a few friends to create May Day baskets together, you’ll share the cost and the fun.
  
  
• Get Fit for a Cause.  Whether you’re a runner or you love someone who is, getting your family out to support a charity run can be a rewarding experience for everyone. Sign up to race together and raise donations as a family. Or sponsor and cheer for a racer you know.
  
  
• Spread Cheer with Old School Work.  Don’t recycle those stacks of student art (all above average, of course!). Try this school-year-end tradition instead. Ask your kids to sort the drawings and artwork they’ve created over the year into three piles: keep, recycle, and mail to Color-a-Smile. This great organization will use them to cheer up nursing home residents, soldiers overseas, and anyone else in need of a smile.
  
  
• Pick up our May Book Club Selection - Two Old Potatoes and Me:  Bewitching illustrations will help this story worm its way onto your list of favorites. Our enrichment materials will help you explore the ideas of patience, creating something new from something old, and the many ways we can connect with family members. Then start a gardening project that may be just as fruitful.
  
  
• Set Your Summer Service Goal. Sure, summer calendars may be crowded with camps and vacations and much-needed down time. But don’t forget to make room for kindness during these halcyon, home-work-free days. Some summer favorites include picking up a Meals on Wheels route, hosting a lemonade stand on behalf of a charity you love, or reading to an elderly friend at a nearby nursing home.

It seems we began with a spring bucket list and concluded with summer planning, but we all know how fast this season of renewal lasts. Make the most of it! By choosing a project that interests you and putting it on the calendar now, you’ll be sure to make some lasting, meaningful memories from now through the end of summer.

Sarah Aadland, MPP, Directs Doing Good Together’s Big-Hearted Families™ program and shares the trials and tribulations of her family’s kindness practice on the organization’s blog.

 

5 MLK Day Activities for Families

MLK Day of Service | Do Something Today!

If you don't have a standing service project or volunteer opportunity already planned today, there are still ways to honor MLK's legacy with your family. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that love and kindness will always triumph and always bring light to others - practice kindness and generosity today in helping others and giving back:

1. Donate to a cause your family cares about: If your family has a local non-profit or national cause that is close to your hearts, make a donation and talk with your kids about why it's important to support things we care about. Or send the kids on a mission to find all the loose change in the house and car to start a "Make Change" piggy bank (decorate a shoe box or coffee can). Plan on continuing to fill your Make Change bank over the months to then make a big donation at the end of the year.

2. Help out a neighbor: Is there an elderly neighbor down the street whom your kids could help? How about a new mom? Join your kids in baking a special treat, shoveling snow, raking leaves, cooking a meal or even delivering flowers to a neighbor who could use a hand or a pick-me-up. Let the kids brainstorm more random acts of kindness and write them down for doing the rest of the year.

3. Collect and contribute: Scour the house for gently used clothes, coats, blankets, toys, and books. Neatly box and bag them up and take your whole family to a donation center or local charity story to donate them. House cleaned out? Head to the grocery store with a list of items your local food bank is asking for (canned meats and vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, diapers, toiletries, etc) > shop with the kids and head straight to the food bank to donate the goods.

4. Write and Draw: Kindness in appreciation and saying thanks goes a long way. Whip out the construction paper, cards and markers and have the kids spend a couple hours writing thank you notes for local civil servants and non-profits; or have them draw pictures and cards for kids and elderly people in local hospitals and nursing homes.

5. Plan a service project: Perhaps the timing didn't work out for your family to serve together on MLK Day, but take the time today to plan a service project for the coming months. Whether it's an afternoon outing to volunteer at the food bank, connecting with a local no-kill animal shelter to schedule volunteer time, or simply planning your own neighborhood clean-up

Volunteer Recruitment Ideas

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Recruit More Holiday Volunteers

The holidays boast a range of volunteer needs > from bell ringers to service project doers, from class party helpers to fundraiser volunteers, the list goes on. Boost turnout and participation with these go-to tips & ideas:

 

1. Use free online sign-ups: Set up an online schedule or volunteer calendar so the opportunity to sign-up and offer to help is more available to everyone during the hectic holiday season. 24/7 access from a computer or mobile device makes it easy for everyone to get involved, and automated reminders keep everyone on track. Try it for free now

2. Socialize your need: Spread the word about your organization's special holiday service needs - tweet about it, post on facebook, even Instagram and pin it! Don't have active social communities, connect with organization members who do and make them ambassadors of your message and opportunities.

Related: Tweeting for Help, 8 Best Practices

3. Don't forget about your website: Those volunteers looking to serve this season will seek you out - and they'll do it online! These are the folks you really want to capture and bring on board. Don't forget to put links to your online sign-ups right from your website. Display upcoming volunteer opportunities very visibly too along with contact info and links to social channels for new-comers to learn more.

Related: 10 Ways to Pump Up Your Volunteer Webpage

4. Invite volunteers to invite others: The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, and what better way to boost turnout for your holiday service project then to encourage volunteers to bring others with them! This warm introduction to your organization will encourage new-comers to return again on their own.

5. Be specific about what you need: The holidays can be chaotic so help your volunteers out by being specific about what is needed, i.e. exact dates and shift times, tasks to be completed, donations to be collected. People serve because they want to feel like they are helping others - giving them real jobs and goals helps them acheive satisfaction in making a difference.

 

Also see:

6 Things to Say to Grow Your Volunteer Base

10 Ideas for Volunteer Recruitment

Facebook Tips for Volunteer Engagement

National Family Volunteer Day Ideas

Celebrating Volunteering the Family Way

Studies show time and time again how volunteering as a family not only benefits one's health, but helps teach compassion, empathy, communication and relationship-building skills. Kickstart your family's holiday season with a new tradition of joining others in service this National Family Volunteer Day!

10 Family Volunteer Tips:

1) Keep it close to home > find a service project or volunteer opportunity that means something and interests your family - get creative and find a way to volunteer your family hobby.

2) Ask others to join > invite neighbors, friends, classmates, and extended family to join in on the Family Volunteer Day fun.

3) Save time getting organized > Use VolunteerSpot's free online signups to save time coordinating and communicating a service project this season. Count on mobile access and auto-reminders to keep everyone on track.

4) Look online > Check out VolunteerSpot's Family Volunteer Ideas eBook for inspiration, and find ways to serve in your neighborhood, school, community, you name it! Also visit HandsonNetwork or GenerationOn for local NFVD opporutnities too.

5) Put thought into it > if your family decides to clean house and donate old items or canned goods, make sure they are worthy of donation, wash, dry and fold them - even contact your local food bank to find out what they are most in need of.

    Related: 8 Things to Know Before Donating to a Food Bank

6) Try something you haven't done > Volunteering is often about stepping out of our comfort zones. Consider doing this as a family when selecting your holiday service project and encourage the kids to take the lead

7) Take something away > Follow up your family volunteer day with a time to set together and talk about the experience and what each of you learned and enjoyed

8) Don't keep up with the Jones' > How and when your family is able to give back is all your family needs to worry about. Your service project or holiday volunteer opportunity is unique to you, as is the experience. Put energy into making the most of serving others with your own children.

Related: 10 Family Volunteering Ideas

9) Take pictures > Where appropriate, take photos and capture those special moments of giving back as a family so it feels just as important as vacation.

10) Go volunteer > Don't plan on it but then get swept up in the busy holiday season! Make serving together as a family a priority - put it on the calendar, involve everyone and start a new tradition!

 

Also see:

Family Volunteer Day Poem

Mark Your Calendar for Family Service

Family Service Plan & Ideas

15 Benefits to Volunteering as a Family

Giving Tree Signup | New Feature Makes It Easy!

 VolunteerSpot's Quick Item Entry Saves Time

Using VolunteerSpot for all your GOOD work this holiday season is a given, but now it's even easier to save time and stress less coodinating the signups and holiday help you so need.

VolunteerSpot's brand new Quick Item Entry feature helps organizers build lists in minutes of all the items and things they need donated or contributed: Quickly organize:

• Thanksgiving potlucks
• Food Bank Donations
• Giving Tree/Adopt-a-Family Projects
• Winter Class Party Supplies
• Holiday Community Meals
• Teacher Group Gift Basket Donations

Watch our quick how-to video below and click to set up your signup now!

Invite volunteers, family members and participants to sign up to help with a quick email invitation - or post a shareable signup link to your webpage, social accounts. Rely on mobile access, eCalendar sync and automated reminders to keep everyone on track! Get started now

 

Also see:

8 Things to Know Before Donating to a Food Bank

Holidays & Winter Signup Sheets

8 Holiday Decorating Hacks

 VolunteerSpot Makes it Easy to Give & Gather 

 

5 Apps for Busy Moms During the Holidays

 Holiday Time Savers

Save time and money (and stress less!) this holiday season with these top-rated apps and sites for busy moms!

1. Cozi Family Calendar: Performances, class parties, end of season celebrations, service projects, you name it - the list of family obligations really seem to add up during the holidays. Help keep your whole family on track with synced calendars, alerts & reminders, plus To Do and grocery lists, and more with Cozi's Family Calendar (iOS). 

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2. Zulily: Save time scoring the cutest (and best bargain) gifts for your family and friends with daily deals on the Zulily app. With tons of great gift ideas, stocking stuffers, clothes, home decor, healthy and beauty products, and more, Zulily is your go-to shopping destination for the holidays.

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3. VolunteerSpot: Coordinate holiday service projects, potlucks, class parties, Giving Trees and more with free online signups and reminders. Save time (and stress) doing GOOD for others and give everyone the gift of time. Mobile access, eCalendar sync and automated reminders keep everyone on track too! Get the iPhone app free for the month of November 2014, click here

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4. RetailMeNot: Before your click to buy, check the RetailMeNot app for coupons, promos and discount codes you can use to rack up big savings. For iOS and Android devices, RetailMeNot's app is a must-have for saving big during the holidays.

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5. ZapVM: Share quick recipes, holiday photos, video from the tree lighting, the kids first snow of the season and more in a jiffy with the visual messaging app from ZapVM! Add voice over narration, stickers, and captions with their useful tools right on your iPhone; and privately send them to anyone you want (grandparents, friends, etc) via email, social media and more - no registration required!

 

Also see:

8 Holiday Decorating Hacks

5 Free Apps to Boost Parents Involvement

8 Potluck Food Card Ideas

8 Food & Name Card Holders for the Perfect Potluck

Potluck Decorating Ideas

Planning the perfect holiday potluck? We've got your covered with neat and nifty decorating ideas that are super useful for labeling food, organizing a buffet and assigning seats!

Thanksgiving Pinecone Turkey from SmartyHadaParty

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Tea Light Place Holders from CraftCrossing

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Candy Cane Holder from SewManyWays

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Pumpkin Card Holders from AFabulousFete

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Cork Food Cardholder via StylishSpoon

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Ornament Cardhold via Shelterness

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Scrabble Letter Labels via PlanningItAll

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Free Printable Thanksgiving Place Cards from HomeCookingMemories

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Also see:

8 Fun Potluck Themes

Online Potluck Signups with Reminders

6 Potluck Favorites 

 

 

5 Steps to Snack Success for Team Parents

Little League, swim teams, soccer clubs and more are in full swing this season - make sure your team parents are on track for snack success with these 5 tips!

Image via Pinterest

Start early. Buy the snack the first day of the season and just wait for your turn -  sports drinks and granola bars keep in your pantry, and then you can pick up fresh fruit  the night before the game. 

Ask about food allergies. Nut-free is practically the norm these days when it comes to shared snacks with kids, but also make sure you’re aware of other food allergies on the team as well as dietary restrictions.

Volunteer to organize the snack schedule. Don’t want to be caught emty handed when your turn to bring snack suddenly pops up? Volunteer to organize team parents instead; set up an online signup sheet using VolunteerSpot’s free snack scheduler – there may be enough spots filled without you contributing too; plus, team parents can check their commitment anytime from their smartphone, swap spots if they can’t make it, and rely on automated email reminders. Click HERE to get started

Stay stocked. Keep a cooler in the car with a roll of paper towels & tube of wet wipes.  You can always drop in the convenience store for extra food and drink items.

Think healthy snacks.  With pick-up schedules and late dinners, kids can be mighty hungry by practice.  Avoid sugar-filled empty calories and make healthy choices.  Need inspiration, check out VolunteerSpot’s free TeamSnack eBook below!  

Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids and Teams from VolunteerSpot

Potluck Sign Up Sheet - Simple, FREE Online Potluck Planning!

Organize a Potluck, Teacher Brunch or Holiday Party in a Snap with VolunteerSpot

It's easy to coordinate stress-free potlucks and parties this holiday season with VolunteerSpot's free potluck sign up sheets. You'll be thrilled how easy it is to designate the number and types of food you want people to bring for your big event using our simple planning wizard. Participants will love how they can quickly sign up and choose their dish, from any smartphone or computer, no registration required! Bonus: automated reminders keep everyone on track.

Watch our quick how-to video below:

Gone are the days of 5 people bringing the same dish and no one is left feeling guilty or running to the store last-minute; which means more FUN and good food for your get-together.

Get Started Now: Click HERE to start planning your potluck today!

 

Also see:

More potluck planning tips using VolunteerSpot 

Delicious Potluck Recipes

5 Yummy Teacher Brunch Recipes

Festivals, Festival, Festivals

Festival Planning & Volunteer Coordination

Spring and Summer are festival time and that means outdoor fun, great food and drink, games, art, and so much more! Festivals can have anywhere from hundreds to thousands of attendees and are often supported by a large volunteer effort - that's where VolunteerSpot comes into play!

With tons of large festivals across the country taking advantage of VolunteerSpot's free online sign up tool, thousands of volunteers are getting organized quicker, easier and with less stress. Interested? Take a tour today and check out just a few of the fun festivals below who have saved countless hours, emails and phone calls just by using VolunteerSpot to coordinate their big event.

KUDOS FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS & VOLUNTEERS!

Pin-a-Go-Go Pinball Festival	New Orleans Oyster Festival	Omaha Beer Fest
Ouray Co Mud Fest	Ridgeway River Festival	CountryFest
St. Philip Neri Italian Festival	Fleurs et Vin, Dayton OH	Crossroads Film Festival
Chandler Jazz Festival	Fairfield Co Irish Festival	Solar Fest 2013

We salute all the volunteers who make festivals so much fun to attend! From the parking attendants, to the food booth volunteers, to helpers at the admission tables...thanks for doing good!

Festival & Large Event Resources:

10 Volunteer Recruitment Ideas

Organizing a Large Event with VolunteerSpot

Festival Game Ideas for Kids

 

Happy Earth Day!

 

The earth is what we all have in common.

 ~ Wendell Berry

At VolunteerSpot, we love to celebrate Earth Day because our volunteer community is constantly moving us with their stories of how they are doing GOOD for our world and it's future sustainability. From organizing recycling iniatives at big events, to spreading environment awareness and cleaning up rivers and communities, the purposeful drive with which volunteer groups fight for the future of our only world (all in their own time and of their own means, talents and resources) astounds and inspires us daily - kudos to our 'green' go-gooders everywhere and Happy Earth Day!

 

Eco & Environmental Resources and Ideas:

6 Eco Friendly Service & Volunteer Ideas

Organizing a 'Green' Team

Earth Day Activities for Kids

5 'Green' Fundraising Ideas

7 Ways to Help Your Classroom Go Green