Volunteer Iowa

Volunteer Iowa is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame! This is the highest state-level honor a volunteer can receive. Nominate an outstanding individual or volunteer group today. Learn more and access the nomination forms at https://lnkd.in/gHfBacDv. Nominations are due January 21, 2025.

A note from AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith: The latest data from our Volunteering and Civic Life in America research found that 75.7 million Americans formally volunteered through an organization between September 2022 and September 2023. A whopping 28.3% of the U.S. population served an estimated 4.99 billion hours, showing that volunteering and community engagement is rebounding post-pandemic.? ? I’m grateful to our partners, U.S. Census Bureau, for collaborating with us to track this renewal of service across the country, while considering new frontiers of service like virtual volunteering.? Learn more about the latest data in this article by Laura Hanson Schlachter and Tim Marshall: #VolunteeringInAmerica #Volunteering #NationalService #CivicEngagement

Our country has a shortage of mental health providers. People in rural communities often face additional obstacles finding and accessing care. ???Availability: Mental health providers are much more likely to practice in urban centers. ???Accessibility: Because of the lack of providers, residents in rural areas often travel long distances to receive care.? ???Affordability: Paying out-of-pocket for mental health care often inaccessible. ???Acceptability: Residents in rural areas are more likely to face stigma for needing and/or receiving mental health care. In small communities there are fewer options for care, this can result in people relying on family members, friends, or others in their community for informal care. That’s why we worked with Pinterest, AmeriCorps, and America Forward to create the country’s first Youth Mental Health Corps to address the shortage of mental health practitioners while creating career pathways for young adults. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d2uQm3SJ

Northwest Iowa needs hard-working individuals who are not afraid to get dirty. If you want to have an impact on the lives of those who were affected by the flooding in NW Iowa, join the Habitat for Humanity of Iowa Disaster Response AmeriCorps Team! Housing and food, along with other benefits, will be provided. Full and part-time positions available. Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/gdmCnQfw. #DisasterResponse #DisasterResponseTeam #AmeriCorps

NW Iowa needs your help! Buena Vista, Clay, Lyon, Sioux and Woodbury counties have volunteer reception centers set up to accept volunteers and send them where they are most needed. Visit https://lnkd.in/gNQ8FuZH to find specific addresses for the volunteer reception centers in the above counties. Questions? Contact [email protected].

When disaster strikes, AmeriCorps answers the call and recruits more to serve.? ? From forest fires and floods to hurricanes and tornadoes, AmeriCorps members provide critical support to millions of Americans affected by natural and manmade disasters while gaining experience and training in emergency response to kickstart their careers.? ? Find out how AmeriCorps has provided disaster services for the past 30 years: Bit.ly/AC30SPK ? #AmeriCorps #AmeriCorps30 #NationalService #Volunteer #CareerPathways #Careers?

June 30 marks the end of terms for three of our commissioners. Thank you to all three of you for your dedication to volunteering and national service. Angela Jiskoot, commission chair for the past two years, was first appointed in July 2016. She served a total of eight years with the commission. She also chaired the Volunteer Engagement committee and served as Vice Chair prior to taking over as chair in 2022. Angela plans to remain engaged in promoting workplace volunteer engagement. Barb Westercamp, a retired teacher, served two full terms and had perfect attendance at commission meetings. Barb is passionate about children’s literacy and has donated over 100,000 books and hundreds of bags of school supplies to school-aged youth in Cedar Rapids over the past 50 years. Barb will continue to be engaged in her community. Bobbretta Brewton, a lifelong Des Moines resident, joined the commission in 2021 and served on both the Programs and Volunteer Engagement committees. Bobbretta was inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame in 2009. She has served multiple terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA and will remain a community volunteer, currently serving with the Polk County Housing Trust Fund. Interested in joining our commission? Applications are accepted year-round, but we are currently in the process of reviewing applications to fill slots beginning in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Apply today at Iowa Talent Bank https://lnkd.in/gq6T2CHC... or contact [email protected].

Congratulations to 2024 Give Back Iowa Challenge winners Community Youth Concepts (small business), Riverside Casino & Golf Resort (mid-sized business) and ITA Group (large business)! They had the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee logged by business size from April 1-May 31. Thank you for supporting your communities through volunteerism! Learn more about the Give Back Iowa Challenge at https://lnkd.in/gqjmVbwQ.

Individuals interested in helping with response in northwest Iowa following the flooding - here are the best ways to help: - DO NOT SELF-DEPLOY! - Register as a disaster volunteer at https://lnkd.in/gw8uPCqq and be notified when needs arise - Be patient - flood response and recovery can take months - Consider making financial donations - Check the Iowa Disaster Recovery website https://lnkd.in/gKZmbb6C for up-to-date information on needs by community

Volunteer Iowa staff has been in Greenfield since last Friday setting up and staffing the volunteer reception center at Cardinal Glass on Highway 25. If you want to volunteer, you can check in with us here or call 515-561-3744. Large groups should call at least one day before arriving so we can plan accordingly.