1st Quarter - March - 2024 Newsletter
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Inside this Issue:
Welcome to our 11 new Community Partners!
Two New Benefits for our Community Partners: PANO and AL!VE — 20% membership discount
Court-Ordered Service Survey Results Update - New Platform Changes Introduced Forthcoming in April/May
April 2024 National Volunteer Month Promotion Celebration - Please Read to Learn More - Donations to Community Partners!
March 29th Deadline for the CCCHS 52nd Annual Rose Cologne Volunteer Recognition Dinner
Leadership Centre County Class of 2025 Full-Tuition Scholarship for Community Partners
News About the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Intergenerational Conference July 10-12, 2024 in Lancaster, PA
Volunteer Centre County in the News
Did you know? Newsletters reside in each Community Partner’s portal on the Volunteer Centre County platform for easy reference.
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Welcome to our 11 new Community Partners
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11 Community Partners have joined since our last newsletter in October 2023!
Please welcome:
State College Lions Foundation
Random Acts of Reading
Nittany Beagle Rescue
Nittany Performing Arts Centre
Special Olympics PA
Centre Care Volunteers
Port Matilda Fire Company
The Roland Curtin Foundation
Port Matilda EMS
American Cancer Society
Penns Valley Conservation Association
We are 86 Community Partners Strong!
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New Benefits for Community Partners
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Volunteer Centre County is happy to announce that we have partnered with AL!VE and PANO to offer a 20% discount to all Community Partners for membership in these two organizations!
Send us an email at info@volunteercentrecounty.org if you would like to have the latest BENEFITS document sent to you.
PANO: https://pano.org/ — PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (20% Discount)
PANO is a statewide membership organization supporting the thousands of nonprofits that serve millions of people in the Commonwealth.
While other associations cater to specific nonprofit trades, PANO is the only membership organization that supports Pennsylvania’s nonprofit sector as a collective whole.
We support nonprofits through training, best practices, consultation, and discount programs. We amplify their impact through research, public policy initiatives, and advocacy.
PANO is accredited by the Standards for Excellence Institute, signifying that the organization practices the highest level of ethics, accountability, and transparency.
Discounted dues vary based on organization size and start at $86 a year for organizations with revenue of $50,000 or below.
Email info@olunteercentrecounty.org to request a membership form created just for Volunteer Centre County Community Partners to receive the discount. A list of benefits that come with membership is part of this form, so request the form if you simply want to peruse the benefits that membership covers (it is a long list - over 1 page).
AL!VE: https://www.volunteeralive.org/ — ASSOCIATION FOR LEADERSHIP IN VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT (20% Discount)
Al!VE is the national professional association for leaders in volunteer engagement to provide networking, professional development, mentoring, and advocacy for our peers.
Some member benefits include:
AL!VE Academies - both the live sessions and recordings
Monthly Member Newsletter and Quarterly Socials Online for Networking
Association Database and Resources – looking for a colleague to connect with regarding a certain topic? Reach out to your fellow members who are happy to share information, mentor, or network. Members span the nation and beyond and include advocates for change, educators, decision-makers, and practitioners who strive for diversity and inclusiveness. Collectively, we share a commitment to effective leadership of volunteer efforts and continued advocacy for our profession.
Join a Community of Practice
We are proud to partner with our colleagues in the profession who also offer member discounts.
We are:
Professionals in volunteer management and engagement
Advocates for the recognition and appreciation of volunteer management
The resource for and the link to tools, research, and best practices
Educators of decision-makers in all volunteer management arenas
Influencers for redefining job descriptions, compensation, and the position of volunteer manager in our organizations
Diverse, inclusive and member-driven
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Court-Ordered Service Survey Update
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Volunteer Centre County ran a brief survey to better understand our Community Partner’s views and needs surrounding the topic of court-ordered service, which some prefer to call court-mandated community service, or service that is motivated by a court situation.
We are working through some terminology and issues surrounding community service depending on the offense.
But we have started our information collection phase and are soon to move on to education and awareness efforts to help create a more efficient and effective way to help our Community Partners and potential volunteers find the best fit.
We also met with Magisterial District Judges McClain, Hahn, and Lachman as well as Luther Harlow with the Probation Office, and Dan McKenrick, Esq. and Dir. of Penn State Legal Services.
We owe a gratitude of thanks to the 53 Community Partners who responded to our court-ordered survey and to the additional Community Partners who responded via email with their feedback. This is a 64% response rate! THANK YOU!!
The results of the survey are as follows. If you’d like to share more, please feel free to email info@volunteercentrecounty.org.
About 60% (57% to be exact) Say No to working with court-ordered volunteers
About 40% (38% to be exact) Say Yes to working with court-ordered volunteers
5% Say Maybe
In order of popularity from the 40% “Yes” group (these are not mutually exclusive):
65% Say: We would like for Volunteer Centre County to ask for additional information from those who apply online such as "if you seek to volunteer because of a court situation, please tell us how many hours you need and by what deadline," and share this information with us when our opportunity is selected. See Image “A” Below.
40% Say: We prefer to use Volunteer Centre County's "court-ordered service filter option" to identify which of our volunteer opportunities posted to the Volunteer Centre County platform are open to court-ordered service or not. See Image “B” Below.
40% Say: We prefer being on a judge's special list where only those in court have access to our organization's name.
5% Say: We prefer to post opportunities for court-ordered service on Volunteer Centre County's platform separate from other volunteer requests.
5% Say: Volunteer Centre County should remove the court-ordered filter and simply forward every application to whom it is intended.
60% would like to have training/more education about working with court-ordered community service volunteers.
Here are two potential solutions that Volunteer Centre County is discussing implementing as a result of this survey.
Image “A” Mock-up from Developers on what this could look like when implemented:
Image “B” Mock-up from Developers on what this could look like when implemented:
We will be in touch regarding further information as well as education opportunities in the upcoming months. We appreciate your feedback and involvement in helping create a solution that will be better than what currently exists.
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April 2024 National Volunteer Month
Promotion Celebration!
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April is National Volunteer Month!
Volunteer Center County will be advertising extensively during April to recognize the power of this special month in the volunteer community. We will promote in the Gazette, Town and Gown Magazine, on WPSU, and in the CBICC and State College Borough newsletters to name a few.
And to celebrate this special month, starting April 1st (this is not an April Fools joke), Volunteer Centre County will be promoting our Community Partners by spotlighting each one on Volunteer Center County’s social media. Several individuals have stepped up to offer a donation to each Community Partner at the rate of $1 per “like or reaction” counted on each Facebook and Instagram spotlight post.
The donations will be made during Centre Gives 2024: May 8th and 9th.
If your organization is not signed up to participate in Centre Gives, then a donation will arrive separately.
The donor pool is $10,000.00 so if the number of “likes or reactions” exceeds this amount, donations will be awarded proportionately.
Our goal is to bring awareness to our Community Partners and ourselves since being top of mind in Centre County when it comes to giving back non-monetarily will help us all.
Here is what a spotlight post will look like (Ten Thousand Villages was Volunteer Centre County’s 1st Community Partner!)
The post is the same for all Community Partners using their logo on the left.
Likes and reactions to each Facebook and Instagram ‘Volunteer Centre County Community Partner Spotlight Post’ will be counted using Volunteer Centre County’s META statistics page. See example below:
Posts will be made during April at various times, with Community Partners selected randomly. The final tally will be taken as of April 30, 2024. We will use the hashtags and @ information that we have at the time of the posting. Look for your organization’s post and tell your friends to like it!
IT WOULD BE TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS’ ADVANTAGE TO REFRESH YOUR PAGES ON THE PLATFORM IF NEEDED.
Before March 31st, please update your organization’s postings for volunteers and goods to make sure that they are current.
If you need help doing this, please reach out to info@volunteercentrecounty.org and let us know and we will help you.
Also, email info@volunteercentrecounty.org and let us know your organization’s preferred hashtags and “@” mention. We have been collecting hashtags from many Community Partners and like to also use your organization’s specific “@” mention to make sure that the post is tracked on your social media as well.
Help Make Volunteer Centre County Better Known And In Turn, We Can Help Make Our Community Partners Successful
1) PLEASE FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES
https://www.facebook.com/volunteercentrecounty/
https://www.instagram.com/volunteercentrecounty/
2) PLEASE POST AS MANY VOLUNTEER NEEDS AS YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS,
ESPECIALLY SPECIAL EVENT VOLUNTEER AND DONATION NEEDS
Silent, online, or in-person auction donation items needed? Consider posting the need.
3) PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS AND WE CAN POST THEM TO ‘SPREAD THE WORD’
Email the details to info@VolunteerCentreCounty.org
4) PLEASE CONSIDER ADDING THE VOLUNTEER CENTRE COUNTY WIDGET TO YOUR ORGANIZATION’S WEBSITE
Available through your Community Partner portal on the website.
The widget connects to your organization’s Community Partner page on the Volunteer Centre County website — Free, and boosts SEO!
NOTE: Old posts will be removed from the website during March. We will contact you and offer a heads-up.
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The CCCHS’s 52nd Annual
Rose Cologne Volunteer Recognition Dinner!
This event is for CCCHS Members - How to join? See info. below
Volunteer Centre County is a Premier Sponsor of this Event
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Who is Rose Cologne?
Dr. Rose Cologne was known throughout Pennsylvania and beyond for her years of pioneering leadership in adult education and alleviating the problems of the poor. Dr. Cologne was known for her sense of humor and her love of all people regardless of the mistakes they may have made. Rose, as she was affectionately known, was a faculty member at Penn State in the Sociology Department from 1941 until 1968. She was a founding member of Tri-County Habitat for Humanity, which continues to honor her contribution to the organization with an education scholarship for Habitat families. Additionally, Rose was instrumental in starting the Centre County Branch of the PA Prison Society and was a regular prison visitor for many years. The Centre County Medical Society honored Rose with the Benjamin Rush Award, for her outstanding contributions toward the promotion of public health and welfare in Centre County.
The Centre County Council of Human Services (CCCHS) believed that Rose should be recognized for her commitment and dedication to improving the lives of Centre County residents and human services. CCCHS held its first volunteer recognition dinner at the Penns Valley High School cafeteria in 1971 and honored Dr. Cologne. The volunteer dinner, which continues today, carries her name in special recognition of her many contributions to the human services, field, and the community.
What is The CCCHS (https://www.theccchs.org/)?
The Centre County Council of Human Services (CCCHS) is a 501(c)3 membership organization that supports agencies and individuals working toward the support and betterment of individuals and families in the community. The CCCHS believes that meeting human service needs requires an interdisciplinary knowledge base, collaboration, and a commitment to improving the overall quality of life for our shared community. The mission os CCCHS is to provide opportunities for the betterment of the community through collaboration, networking, and the promotion of volunteerism. The CCCHS is comprised of human service agencies, business, school systems, government entities and interested individuals promoting communication and relationships among human service agencies and other organizations throughout and the community.
The Rose Cologne Volunteer Recognition Dinner
Named in honor of Dr. Rose Cologne, a mentor and role model for many in the human services field, the dinner pays tribute to those volunteers who work to further the mission of CCCHS member agencies and the community at large.
As a member of the Centre County Council for Human Services, you are cordially invited to recognize a volunteer for the 52nd Annual Rose Cologne Volunteer Recognition!
To join, if your organization is not already a member, go to https://www.theccchs.org/membership and select either Individual or organization at the bottom of the page to complete an application form.
Dues for this year at this time are $65 per organization and $20 for an individual member.
The Rose Cologne Dinner will be Thursday, April 25, 2024 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. The doors will open at 5:45 PM with a cash bar; a buffet dinner will begin at 6:30 PM. Please enter through the President’s Hall Entrance, along Innovation Blvd. (Due to staffing, the Penn Stater is not offering valet parking.)
Each member agency is invited to nominate one volunteer to be honored at the Rose Cologne Volunteer Dinner. The volunteer will also be recognized in the Centre Daily Times on Sunday, April 15, 2024. (Please note that your 2024 membership dues must be paid in full. Contact Tirzah Gibboney, Tirzah.boh@gmail.com if you are unsure of your organization’s status.)
To nominate a volunteer from your organization:
Complete the online CDT form by Friday, March 29 to have your volunteer featured in the CDT. The CDT has requested a short bio and a quote from your volunteer about why they chose to work with your organization. The online form includes a space to download a color photograph (head and shoulders shot) in JPEG format, of your volunteer for the CDT article. The photograph should be high resolution, 100 KB or larger.
Complete the online Rose Cologne Dinner RSVP form for your volunteer and any guests who will be attending from your agency. The form and payment must be received by Friday, March 29! As a member benefit, the CCCHS will cover the cost of your volunteer’s meal. The cost of additional meals is $50/person.
Online payment may be made via Paypal. Insert the total amount (ie. one ticket ($50), or one table ($400). Checks should be made payable to “Centre County Council for Human Services” and can be mailed to Centre County Council for Human Services PO Box 1064, State College PA, 16804-1064.
Email a one-page tribute for your volunteer to rosecolognedinner@gmail.com by Friday, March 29. The tribute will be read at the Dinner. Your volunteer will also receive a copy of the tribute. Please email the tribute on your agency’s letterhead; if that is not available, it can be printed on CCCHS’s letterhead. Please limit your tribute to 200 words. Longer tributes will be condensed. (Please note: We are unable to accommodate video or musical tributes.)
Any questions? Email Cori Agostinelli Kalupson at rosecolognedinner@gmail.com
CHECKLIST – ALL INFORMATION DUE BY FRIDAY, MARCH 29
❒ Ensure your 2024 Membership Dues have been paid
❒ Fill out the online CDT form and include a color photograph of your volunteer
❒ Fill out the online Rose Cologne Dinner RSVP form
❒ Pay either online/Paypal or by check and mailed to Centre County Council for Human Services.
❒ Email a 200-word or less tribute for your volunteer to rosecolognedinner@gmail.com
We look forward to celebrating our community’s extraordinary volunteers in the CDT on April 21, and in-person at the Rose Cologne Dinner on Thursday, April 25!
If your organization has been a previous sponsor, please consider doing so again. Any amount is appreciated.
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Leadership Centre County - Tuition Scholarship Class of 2025
Volunteer Centre County Sponsored This Full-Tuition Scholarship
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Volunteer Centre County is offering a full-tuition scholarship for 1 applicant to Leadership Centre County’s Community Leadership Program Class of 2025. Application deadline: July 31, 2024.
SCHOLARSHIP PROCESS
Leadership Centre County is currently accepting nominations for its Community Leadership Program, Class of 2025. The application deadline is July 31, 2024, and the program will begin in October 2024 and end in June 2025. Self-nominations are encouraged and accepted, or ask a friend to nominate you.
Once you apply, you will hear back from Kealy Daye, Executive Director of Leadership Centre County, at which point you may apply for this scholarship sponsored by Volunteer Centre County.
Simply reply to Kealy’s email that you will receive from her upon nomination and tell her that you are either an unpaid Executive Director of an organization that is a Volunteer Centre County Community Partner, or that you are a paid employee of an organization that is a Volunteer Centre County Community Partner, and ask for the scholarship link.
Leadership's Recruitment and Selection Committee will select the scholarship recipient with Ann Echols (Leadership Centre County Graduate ('10) who is on that committee and on the Board of Leadership Centre County) recusing herself.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Participants in the Community Leadership Program immerse themselves in an intensive 10-month exploration of current socio-economic issues that provides the foundation for a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. Through dynamic education and experimental activities, participants gain first-hand insights from discussions with leaders at the forefront of social change. Participants learn from a diversity of opinions, styles, and world views, and develop the capacity to approach and break down complex problems to drive transformative change in effective and collaborative ways. Learning is focused on problem-solving, specific information about the community, and ways to make a contribution essential to the quality of life. They train class members to work collaboratively for the good of the whole community with the goal of increased civic engagement in Centre County.
Think of this as a "Centre County 101" course. To learn more about the organization and the core program, click here: https://leadershipcentrecounty.org/community-leadership-program/.
As their 1,100+ program graduates can attest, the CLP program will provide you with the tools to be a more effective leader and make a greater impact on your community.
LEARN MORE
If you are interested in learning more, contact LEADERSHIP’s Executive Director, Kealy Daye at:
C: 814-553-2508 (call or text)
O: 814-238-5559 (call)
kdaye@leadershipcentrecounty.org
P.O. Box 10265
State College, PA 16805
Volunteer Centre County is happy to support our Community Partners!
Thanks to you all, Centre County is better for all!
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The Mid-Atlantic Intergenerational Conference
July 10-12, 2024
Volunteer Centre County is a Silver Sponsor for this Conference
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The Mid-Atlantic Intergenerational Conference will be held at the Holiday Inn - Lancaster in Lancaster City, PA
on July 10-12, 2024
Register by April 15th to receive Early Bird pricing of just $275!
Join us for the 2 1/2 day conference that includes hands-on learning, workshops, pre- and post-conference tours and group activities, interest group meetings, and pre- and post-conference site visits to innovative intergenerational programs and places in the Lancaster region. It will be a major event, showcasing innovative, impactful, intergenerational initiatives in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond.
Conference Objectives:
1. Inform and educate professionals about innovative and evidence-informed intergenerational program models taking root in PA and beyond.
2. Highlight the benefits of intergenerational programs and practices for promoting health and wellness, supporting families, and enriching community quality of life.
3. Provide information, training and support for those interested in joining, replicating, and/or developing new intergenerational initiatives.
Intended Audience:
Staff members, administrators, educators, advocates, volunteers, students, and others who are interested in learning more about intergenerational programs and practices in diverse settings.
The Pennsylvania Intergenerational Network Conference tracks include:
Health and Wellness
Education and Lifelong Learning
Arts, Culture, and Recreation
Kinship Care Families
Built and Natural Environments
Workplace Relations
Join intergenerational thought leaders from across the region in Lancaster for idea-sharing, presentations, and networking with like-minded community partners. You won't want to miss this thought-provoking gathering, and you can be sure to leave with plenty of ideas to bring back to your networks.
More Information about the Conference, including registering, submitting a presentation proposal, and finding out about sponsorship opportunities: CLICK HERE or contact Dr. Matt Kaplan.
Quick Fact: Did you know that Volunteer Centre County originated through Dr. Matt Kaplan’s Millbrook Marsh Summit? If it wasn’t for Matt, Volunteer Centre County would not exist! Thank you, Matt!
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Volunteer Centre County In The News
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Volunteer Centre County has been in the news several times since our last newsletter. Thanks to the State College Magazine, Town and Gown, the Centre County Gazette, and HappyValley Industry for this attention! You can find these articles and more on the Volunteer Centre County Blog: https://volunteercentrecounty.org/blog
Beating the Holiday Blues
https://www.statecollegemagazine.com/articles/beating-the-holiday-blues/
Youth volunteerism creates a positive impact in the community
https://digital.olivesoftware.com/olive/odn/townandgown/default.aspx
pp. 48-49
Breaking Stereotypes: Trends in Volunteering During Retirement
Making Happy Valley an “extra-special” place to live and work
https://happyvalleyindustry.com/making-happy-valley-an-extra-special-place-to-live-and-work/
And, a wonderful congratulations to our Board in the March 2024 “Heart of the Community” Issue of Town and Gown!
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Volunteer Centre County Board Meeting Update
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On January 10th, 2024 our Board of Directors met.
Our strategic goal for 2024 is to become top of mind as the one-stop platform for ways to give back in Centre County, PA where volunteering and donating goods is easily accessible to all.
Court-ordered service issues were discussed, as well as strategies for increasing our social media presence per our strategic goal for 2024.
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Volunteer Centre County is a volunteer-based organization that operates only on donations.
To donate, please consider the options listed here: https://volunteercentrecounty.org/donate
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Thanks for reading and for making Centre County a better place for all.
Please reach out if you need us to post for your organization, help with accessing your organization’s portal, or with any other questions or volunteer needs that you may have.
info@volunteercentrecounty.org
814-308-5052
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The End!
Our next newsletter will come out during the 2nd quarter of 2024.
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info@volunteercentrecounty.org
(814) 308-5052
P. O. Box 92
Port Matilda, PA 16870
http://www.volunteercentrecounty.org
Building connections to serve the needs of volunteers and nonprofits in Centre County.