Volunteering 101

Okay, I'll start. Here are a few of the volunteering projects I've participated in:

1. Just a few weeks before Walk (2005), a few members of my family decided to participate. (The kids stayed at home with Nana).

2. We were chosen as a 2006 Ambassador Family and began making the speaking circuits with (and sometimes without) London. We did radio, TV and newspaper ads, and our story was featured on our regions Walk brochure.

3. Number 2 lead me to speak at a kick-off meeting, at which time I met several MOD moms and we began to schedule "Girls Night Out" at which time we talked about our kids, and what we could do to help the MOD.

4. By simply calling my local office, they were able to direct me a list of volunteering options I could help with. I stuffed envelopes, I was given a list of phone numbers to call and personally invited to our kick-off meetings for Family Teams and for corporate.

5. I volunteered to collect money during Bank Days for Walk.

6. Carissa (Miracle Monster's mommy) and I co-chaired the Family Teams committee for our last walk. We also (along with Darcy and Crystal) helped set up and take down the banners, decorations and signage at walk.

7. My husband was a model at our Stork's Nest fashion show, where money and gifts for low income families are collected and distributed in the community.

Okay, you get the idea. Now, what have YOU volunteered to do? OR what ideas do you have that might help the MOD?

Shonda

Volunteering for the MOD is the best work that I have ever done.

We started a family team in 2005 and that is what lead me to Share. The family team was a great way to get involved in the work of the March of Dimes and Walk America.

In 2006 we spoke at the Walk America Kick-Off and we also helped with the bank days.

This lead to being on the Walk Committee and Counting the money after the Walk in 2007.

One think just lead to another. Doing all of this lets me give hope to other Mom's and Dad's while supporting a great cause.

If anybody needs any help let me know!

I think that volunteering for the MoD can be imitating at first because we really don't know what the staff will want from us. For me it has been the building of a great friendship my local office. It started like most people with a call to the office to get registered for Walk and now six years later I serve on a national committee and I am comfortable doing it. I love it.
I have always been very clear with the office with things that I can do and can't do. I have also made it a point to ask MANY questions so I know what I am doing ahead of time so that the whole family is prepared. When the office calls me to do speaking events...I ask them what to wear..what time to report..what they will want me to say...what time it will be over.
We have also just talked to other families on the phone and let them know about events coming up.
My favorite thing that I do from the comfort of my own home is write emails to the Family Teams in my chapter just keeping them up on the happenings and information regarding walk.
As I said..it can be imitating at first but it has opened many doors for me.
Melissa

Great post, Shonda!

The things I've mostly done with the MOD have cenetered around WalkAmerica. In 2005 - we formed our first Walk team (there were like eight of us). In 2006 I was asked to join the Family Teams committee and the Walk planning committee. That was SO much fun - getting to help in planning the event! In 2007 I was asked to be the local ambassador in our area and stayed on both committees. Next year I'll go back to both committees as well. It keeps getting better every year!

Other things I've done are, of course, volunteering on Share and contacting family teams by e-mail and phone in case they had questions about Walk. It has been *awesome* to "give back" to an organization who means SO much to me. It makes me feel SO good to know that I am making a difference - no matter how little or how big the things are that I do - I know each of them make a difference!

Can't wait to hear what others are doing - maybe there's something I can do that's even more fun!

Take care,
Kara

I have to admit, for a long time I thought that just doing Walk and helping with Share where I can was not really volunteering as it helped me so much.

But reading what y'all wrote, I may be wrong. Let's see:

-Family Team Coordinator 2 years in a row calling/e-mailing families about walk and all that was happening before & leading up to walk. Welcoming new family teams and getting them *pumped* as I was about Walk and learning why they walk.

-Speaking at (2) kick-off breakfasts sharing my story and about Share.

-Walk of course, for going on and around 9 years (started doing walk before pregnant with George & being personally affected by MOD...just love babies)

-Serving on Share committees, helping out where my talents/experience is best suited

-Helping out with 1st Share Union

See...all of this helps me...guess that's why I don't really consider it volunteering...it's more grief work for me!! But hey, that's what it should do, right? Make you feel good?!

Volunteering for MOD is an easy.. and fun thing to do. I think I've done the gammet of tasks.

My involvement began in 2004 with our first WalkAmerica, and from that year on have grown to a 60+ member Family Team.

At the local level my involvement has been in many areas. I have been sitting on the Walk Committee since 2005, and chaired it last year for the first time. I coordinate in kind donations for walk day, and have shopped, and/or picked up food donations. I've also helped the day of with registration, set up, etc. I've done phone calling, and emailing Family Teams to thank them for registering for Walk, and answering any questions they may have prior to Walk day.

I was nominated and joined the Greater Chicago Division Board in 2005 being the first Mission affected volunteer on our Board.

I sit on our Mission Family Council, and have helped to coordinate our family team event for the passed two years.

I've done interviews for local newspapers, and radio stations on numerous occassions. I spoke at the WalkAmerica Kick-off this year, and have shared our story on many occassions at various cooperate events since 2004.

I've stuffed envelopes.. from my own home... with invites to various events, thank yours to cooperate sponsors, and family teams, even advertising SHARE.

At the National level I first became involved through Share.. which in turned is how I became very involved in my local chapter. I have been on Share since it's inception back on Aug. 2004.

I also sit on the National Mission Volunteer Council since 2005, and have been a part of some amazing changes for all MOD volunteers.

Involvement is pretty easy for most everyone. You can easily find something that will fit into your life.. be it Walking, and raising money, participating here at Share, or stuffing and mailing envelopes for events throughout the year at the local level.. all from your own home.

I'm honored to be a part of this incredible group of volunteers both here at Share, at my Local chapter, and at the National level!!

Like so many others, I started my volunteer efforts with the WalkAmerica.

The first year after my daughter was born, I just participated as an individual walker.

The following year I found Share and along with it a world of resources at my fingertips! After reading what others were doing with their fundraising, I was so inspired and motivated to step up my own fundraising efforts. I found out about the on-line fundraising tool (OFT) and this really helped me reach potential sponsors. I just e-mailed them a link to my Walk page and Voila! The donations started coming in. Can it get any easier than this??

With each little step forward I was motivated to do more. I called my local office and told them I was interested in what volunteer opportunities they had. I went down to the MoD branch office later that week to meet the director as well as the community coordinator. Two of the sweetest women I have ever met! They were so excited about my offer to help which in turn motivated me even more.

They keep me informed of all upcoming events which led to me volunteering at the Signature Chef's auction. Although my job was to help set up the auction tables and man the coat check, I was so happy to be involved.

Through this involvement I was introduced to many other mission families and we now work together to move the mission forward.

I was asked to co-chair the Family Teams tent at our WalkAmerica this year. At first I was admittedly very nervous. I didn't have very much experience. After meeting with my co-chair and exchanging ideas, I soon realized I had more experience than I knew.

I'm with Sharlene. I believe that 'Giving back' and Getting more involved as a mission family, really gives me so much more in return.

I too started with WalkAmerica in 2006. To raise money I have done a lot of fundraising at work. Raffle tickets, lunches...etc.

I also try and give myself endlessly here at SHARE. This is one place that has a very special place in my heart.

I am currently just working on getting MUCH more involved with my local chapter and can't wait to add more to this list.

Like a lot of you I started with WalkAmerica - as a Family Team Coordinator/Captain for two years now.

I also help with the University of Michigan Hospital's "Healthwalk" which they put together every year for Prematurity Awareness Day in the hospital.

I did an interview for "Today's Child" magazine when they ran an article on prematurity.

Volunteering here on SHARE with the Resource Group - just offering the little bit of knowledge I have on various medical conditions with everyone here.

-- Kena

What I do....

I started with MOD with WalkAmerica in 2005. It was our first year as a family team, and I literally threw it all together in 3 weeks. We raised over 2000.00 that year.
In 2006, we raised over 3000.00 and had about 60 walkers.

In July/August of 2006, I was contacted about being an ambassador for the Signature Chef's Auction. I became involved in the planning committee for that, and also helped get things set up and ready that night- for the preview party, and for the actual auction.
I have been an ambassador at last year's PAD event, given interviews at WalkAmerica, and gone to local businesses and clubs and shared our story. Being an ambassador is one of my favorite roles!
This past year, I served as the WalkAmerica Family Team Chair for Iowa City, and also served on the planning committees in Cedar Rapids, and IC. This year, in 2008, I will return as FT Captain in Iowa City, and we will serve as the Walk Ambassadors in IC.
I served on the Action Committee for our local hospital that houses a NICU Family Support Program, but left to begin helping UIHC (where the kids were born) to align themselves to hopefully receive a FS program in the future.
I helped to initiate "Parent Packs" in all of the major hospitals in Iowa = and hopefully those will be distributed to NICU families starting Sept. 15.
I am also the Iowa Volunteer Outreach Coordinator- helping to make sure that everyone that wants to "Join" the MOD is reached out to, helped to get involved, and making sure that each of the divisions have helping recruiting volunteers for their various events.
And, I can now proudly say that I am a National MOD volunteer as well. I am serving on the National Mission Volunteer Advisory Council...and helping to keep Iowa going strong.

And, I love each and every job.

Stacey

Well, I'm from a small town so much of the things that I do to volunteer overlap with other areas.... For instance, I started out as a committee volunteer for WalkAmerica, but at the same time I was also a team captain. Now I'm committee chairperson and also still work as team captain at my school. As the chairperson, I've gotten to work with businesses in an effort to gain sponsors, my family has served as Ambassador family at which time we were able to share our personal story. There are also many speaking engagements that have allowed me to share our story. I also check in here daily to help encourage others who are or have been in my situation.
Tracy

I am a little behind on this thread, but this is what I have been doing since we have been involved with the March of Dimes. We started by walking in our first Walk America last year. I found out all about walk by logging onto Share and finding all of you! I have been blogging ever since too! This year I was on our walk Committee and in 2008 we are the ambassador family for walk! I have also become involved with a local charity for our preemies at the hospital where Kaden was born. It's called the Preemie project, they knit and crochet hat's booties, and blankets for the preemies in the NICU and they have just expanded thier mission to helping the families in the NICU as well, by collecting food and making packets to hand out to families and also helping some needy families when they are going home! I use our story every chance I get to plug the March of Dimes and Share! I am wanting to get a group of preemie parents together in my area, that is my goal for this year is to get that under way!

Hi, I am new on this board but wanted to find ways of volunteering. I just had a baby, but she was born on time. After having her I heard a lot about premature babies and decided that I wanted to help volunteer my time and find ways of helping them. So far I started collecting old cell phones to donate and also started collecting change to donate. I just started the wrist band fundraiser, but now I am really interested in getting more involved with sending awareness emails, etc... Does anyone have any advice for me? I did contact my local March of Dimes chapter but they have yet to get back to me. Thanks for reading this.
Rikki

Hi Rikki,

Different parts of the country have different volunteer opportunities at different times. This time of year, many places are doing Chef's Auctions or gearing up for a Prematurity Awareness Day event.

Our biggest event is usually the last weekend in April in most area.

If you can tell us where you're from, we can definitely steer you in the right direction.

Welcome and thanks for wanting to help. Every *dime* counts.

-Darcy Milder

Hi Rikki!
It sounds like you have gotten a wonderful start on your volunteer work! Kudos to you! I'm sure you will hear from your local chapter soon. As Darcy mentioned, many chapters are involved with Signature Chef's auction right now as well as planning activities for Prematurity Awareness month next month. I would certainly call back if you haven't heard from them yet.

You mention you would like to get involved via emails and internet. Have you checked out the MoD's homepage? They have a new site called Every baby has a story You could possibly create a page about your precious baby and explain the importance of all babies getting their nine months. You could then e-mail the link to all of your family and friends and they can read more about all the babies across the country with a story to tell.

Keep in mind that this is a brand new site so not a lot of stories are up yet (I haven't even gotten around to adding mine yet ) but I am certain it will fill up fast now that the Story bus tour has started. E-mailing the link to others is a great way to raise awareness to our mission.

Good luck to you and thankyou so much fo volunteering your time to our mission.

Welcome to Share!

Karen

Hello Everyone.
I am thrilled to have found this site. I have yet to tell my story but will be doing so very soon. To make a long story short though, I have been pregnant 4 times. The first ended at 26 weeks in a great loss of a little girl after hours of labor. The second was my now 13 year old daughter who was born at 32 weeks weighing 4lbs 7oz. The third was a full term healthy boy who is now 9 and stuggles with ADHD. The fourth and last was my now 16 month old son who was also born at 32 weeks weighing 4 lbs 1/2oz. I was blessed that my three children (after my loss) were healthy, dispite the fact that two of them were preemie. I owe much gratitude to the neonatal center and the march of dimes. I too have contacted the RI Chapter to find opportunities to volunteer but have not received work yet. I will be persistant though. I love reading all the stories of how you all volunteer and hope that I can one day be able to have lists of ways that I have helped.
I would love to share recent pics that I took with my three blessings. They are blurry because my daughter set the laptop on a setting that appears as though you are looking through water so I apologize for the blurriness. Happy Holidays to you all.

Christina

Hi Everyone.

I just wanted to let you all know that I just got a call from Ed at the RI Chapter of the March of Dimes. I will going in to meet the director at noon on Friday. It turns out that they need a lot of help because there are just four people that run the RI office. I can't wait to get started. I will keep you ladies posted.

Christina

Christina that is great! I am sure you will find volunteering to be a very rewarding experience. Please do keep us posted on the projects you will be working on.

Good luck!

Karen