Volunteering 101

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