The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties Events

Join us at our Open House - Saturday, April 24th!

We're celebrating our new expansion office in downtown Olympia on Saturday, April 24th by participating in one of the town's biggest local traditions - the Procession of the Species and the Spring Arts Walk!

Drop by our new location at 317 4th Ave. E., Olympia, WA 98501 (click here for a map) on Saturday, April 24th, from noon to 7 p.m. and check out our new office which will be on the Arts Walk map, and see the Civil Rights mural created by Komachin Middle School students! Lunch will also be served for guests from noon to 2 p.m. or you can stop by from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for appetizers and beverages. 

Learn more about our events during our upcoming Summer of Service, where we encourage every community in Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties to serve their neighbors in one of President Obama's 5 impact areas: health, community renewal, education, energy and the environment, and safety and security. We are recruiting Volunteer Leaders in each county for direct projects in their communities, we're bringing back Speed Dating for the Socially Conscious, and we're networking everyone who wants to serve with an opportunity that's right for them.

We are part of the community, and the community is part of us, so what better day to invite everyone through our new doors to get a taste of what we have in store? Watch last year's group of volunteer dancers strut their stuff to ABBA's Take a Chance on Me and see for yourself how much fun volunteering can be!  

Explore new ways to serve! Come on over Saturday, April 24th from noon to 7 p.m. and find ways to change the place where you live!

The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties

317 4th Ave. E.

Olympia, WA 98501

(click here for a map)

Visit us at www.volunteer.ws or call (360) 741-2622 to find ways to volunteer.

Live Local. Be Local. Serve Local.

Movies About Change Contest - Enter by May 5th!

Do you carry a video camera with you 24/7? Are you looking for a way to showcase your favorite volunteer organization? The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties is calling all would-be filmmakers who are passionate about service to enter the Movies About Change Contest!

We're looking for inspirational stories about every day people making a difference in their community. Whether it's helping the homeless, mentoring children or cleaning up the environment, we want motivational examples of volunteer efforts going on in Lewis, Mason or Thurston County. Videos should inspire volunteerism, highlight a nonprofit and their work, or educate about a community need in those counties.  Cash or prizes will be awarded to top entries which will be selected by a panel of judges. Some winning videos may be selected to screened at the Voluntonies award ceremony on May 21st, 2010.

Submissions must be entirely original work whether amateur or professional, and should make a clear statement about the impact of an organization, project or volunteer in the community. Entries will be accepted under the following categories:

• Education
• Poverty Alleviation
• Community Renewal
• Transformative Stories of Inspiration and Volunteerism

Entries must be received on a flash drive by May 5th, 2010 through one of the following means:

• Entrants may submit the Contest Entry Form and a Flash Drive containing one video per Flash Drive in a clearly marked envelop with entrants first and last name.
  
• Envelopes may be hand delivered to the volunteer reception desk on the Third Floor at:
  317 4^th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501-110
  
• Envelopes may be mailed to:
  Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties
  Attn: Megan Walker-Richards
  222 Columbia St. NW
  Olympia, WA 98501-1106
  
• For a copy of the Terms and Conditions click here or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (VT residents may omit return postage) to:
  Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties
  Attn: Megan Walker-Richards
  222 Columbia St. NW
  Olympia, WA 98501-1106

 

Author Offers Tips on How to Be a SUPERvisor - March 24th

There’s more to management than delegating work and overseeing the project, especially in the non-profit world. Because the atmosphere in a work place can have a big affect on productivity and volunteer retention, The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties is offering a one day workshop on how to effectively manage and motivate volunteers and staff.

Richard Lynch, a professional consultant and co-author of the books Secrets of Leadership, Keeping Volunteers, and Volunteer Management, will present his tips for successful management March 24th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Olympia Center located at 222 Columbia St. NW in Olympia. The cost to attend is $60 per person or $30 for AmeriCorps/VISTA members. Payment may be processed online by clicking on “Donate Now” at www.volunteer.ws. Also register online at www.volunteer.ws by clicking on “Training Registration”.

Participants will learn about the following topics:

• Why supervisory skills don't come naturally.
• Four styles of supervision and when to use each.
• Working with staff to foster an appreciation of how volunteers need to be supervised differently than paid staff.
• How volunteers with professional skills can transform an agency and why they rarely do.
• How supervisory style affects motivation and retention.

Richard Lynch's book, Volunteer Management, has been translated into four languages and is the world's best-selling book in the field of volunteer management. He is a Seattle-based management consultant with a variety of clients in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Singapore, and Russia. He is the President of Lynch Associates, a consulting firm whose mission is to help organizations create good places to work. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from an industry leader and gain skills that can help your organization succeed.

 

 

 

Next Chapter Workshop Invites You to Find Your Passion - March 20th

Are you retired and looking for another way to utilize your skills? Are you in between careers and searching for a different direction to take? Regardless of what stage you're at in life, if you want an opportunity to retool skills, obtain training, or explore new options, join us Saturday, March 20th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Olympia Center on 222 Columbia St. NW, in Olympia, for the Next Chapter workshop "Passion." Take a step back and learn more about yourself and envision your ideal next chapter.

The class focuses on how to:

• Understand a framework for discovering your passions.
• Break out of the bounds of reality and really dream big.
• Receive feedback from others about your greatest strengths and share the clues you discover about them.

Each individual session is $35. Payment may be processed online by clicking here or by calling the Volunteer Center at 360.455.0220. Register for the workshop by clicking here.  For more information contact linda@volunteer.ws. Scholarships are also available.
Next Chapter is a program of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties in collaboration with Centerpoint Institute and NonProfit Solutions NW.