Monthly Feature October 2009: You Can Make a Difference!
On Saturday, October 24, you can make a difference during Make a Difference Day, an annual celebration of service! The event is sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine in partnership with HandsOn Network and supported by Newman's Own.
In 2009, three million people across the world participated in volunteer projects on this day. It's a great opportunity to step up your regular volunteer project efforts by planning something extra, or to get involved in volunteering for the first time ever.
Look around your community for ideas about where help is needed, or contact area nonprofits that coordinate volunteers. Volunteer centers can serve as referring agencies or may collaborate with other groups to focus on a single issue or a multi-faceted one. Call 1-800-865-8683 to find a volunteer center near you. Other helpful contacts include Volunteers of America (800-865-8683) and local branches of the United Way, Red Cross and Salvation Army. Call the Make a Difference Day hotline at 800-416-3824, sponsored by HandsOn Network, and visit makeadifferenceday.com for tips on planning and recruiting.
Video: Marietta College students, faculty and staff pitch in during Make a Difference Day.
Many volunteer centers have found new sources of volunteers through partnerships built on this day. Effective ways to form partnerships include combining Make a Difference Day with another community service day; expanding on a pre-existing commitment; teaming up with other civic organizations (such as AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps VISTA); leveraging community resources by serving as a host to another project or event; responding to a newsworthy need; and thinking about permanent volunteer loyalty by collecting contact information and distributing materials about current programs.
Past volunteers serving for Make a Difference Day have cleaned up the Kinnickinnic Riverbed on Milwaukee's South Side neighborhood; painted and landscaped a suburban homeless shelter outside Chicago; donated desks to a hurricane-ravaged school; and cleared debris from a teacher's home devastated by Hurricane Katrina. These are just a few of the hundreds of projects you can read about on the website; or use the "Idea Generator" to come up with a unique project relevant to your location. Look for the USA Weekend cover story in mid-October that features dozens of planned Make a Difference Day projects.
As part of your volunteer endeavor, be sure to report your experiences by submitting an entry form (downloadable here). Not only will this help organizers track overall progress, but your idea could benefit other communities in need of solutions, while also creating publicity for your cause. Each year several organizations are eligible for an award, including a $10,000 cash donation to a charitable cause.
Visit the Make a Difference Day website to get downloadable planning guides, links to groups offering support and supplies, and a toolkit of press materials.
Bibliographic Records
- Ryan's Well
- Difference a Day Makes: 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours
- How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
- Kid's Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference
- Be the Change! Change the World. Change Yourself.
Effective Practices
- Restructuring current volunteer opportunities to appeal to baby boomer volunteers
- Developing service project ideas for younger children
- Identifying activities for volunteers and service members with disabilities
- Planning and implementing a successful statewide service event
- Providing childcare to increase participation in neighborhood events
