PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:
Dear VAN Members,
It’s been a good year for VAN!
A few of the highlights: we brought on some fantastic new board members, our membership count is back to where it was before 2020, and we had a jam-packed schedule of fantastic presenters all year long. I hope you feel like we helped you professionally this year. (And if not, I hope you told us what you’d like to see through the survey!)
This is my last President’s Message. Weird to think about! I’ve been in a musical mood the past few months, what with Rush’s Tom Sawyer and recommending RENT. Here's one more to end my term: (https://youtu.be/KD_1Z8iUDho?si=VVCjs_farkDk2Wcg&t=145)
I’m not going anywhere; that’s just what comes to mind. You’re in good hands with our incoming board for 2025! Leachuin Dean will be your next president. You’ll be able to meet all of next year’s board in January at the annual meeting.
I hope you’ll join us for the last professional development session of the year: a volunteer stint at the Furniture Bank’s woodshop! (There will be no painting, unless you really want to.)
Galen Roth, CVA
Volunteers Manager at the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio
VAN President
DECEMBER SESSION: VAN Gives Back!
It has become a VAN tradition that our December PD session includes an element of giving back. As busy volunteer managers, we don't often get to take the time to turn our hats around and serve as volunteers. VAN Gives Back is a perfect opportunity to do just that! This year, we will be volunteering our time and helping hands at the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio as we learn and serve together. This is a great opportunity to not only give back, but also gain valuable insight into other organizations and how they operate their volunteer projects and manage volunteer engagement. We hope you can join us!
- Date: Thursday, December 19, 2024
- Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Location: Furniture Bank of Central Ohio: 118 S. Yale Ave | Columbus, OH 43222
- Agenda Details: The morning kicks off at 9 a.m. with coffee, a light breakfast & Furniture Bank overview. We will then serve together by preparing furniture pieces for future builds, building furniture as well as sorting donations of household goods for families.
- Attire: Dress in weather-appropriate clothing that you can get dirty. Wear closed-toed shoes (NO heels, sandals or flip flops please)!
- Parking & Arrival: Please arrive as close to 9 a.m. as possible. Please do not arrive early. Volunteers may park in the lot between Town Street and State Street. The lot is not accessible from Yale Avenue. Here are links to the lot entrance:
VAN AWARDS ARE BACK!
'Tis the season to be jolly! Help us spread seasonal cheer by nominating those who made a difference in 2024! You can even nominate yourself!
- The nomination process takes just a few minutes and helps set a joyful tone for VAN's new year. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the incredible contributions of your peers and volunteers in 5 different categories (1. Mary Merrill Excellence, 2. Corporate Champion, 3. Executive Leader, 4. VAN Member of the Year, and 5. Outstanding Youth in Service). The award descriptions can be found on the nomination form below.
- Make your nominations today HERE – we want to hear from you!
- Winners will be announced before the VAN Annual Meeting & Award Presentation scheduled for January 16, 2025 (9:00 am) and invited to attend to accept their award at the meeting.
JOB POSTINGS:
Our website is full of job listings in central Ohio! If you're a VAN Central Ohio member looking for a position working with volunteers, you can click here to access the page. There are many local openings including positions at the Alzheimer's Association, BESA, and MORE! Postings are updated throughout the month, so log in and check back often!
OTHER UPDATES & HAPPENINGS:
- Volunteering and Civic Life in America: According to the research, more than 54% of Americans (or, 137.5 million people) informally helped friends, neighbors or community members at least once a month. And, in Ohio, more than 2.8 million residents served more than 182 million hours through various organizations. Check out the findings through AmeriCorps HERE.
- MLK Day 2025 Projects: It's time to start planning your MLK Service Projects for 2025. Get ideas for how you can create community for collective impact through national days of service HERE.
- ServeOhio 2025 Awards: Nominate outstanding people, groups and initiatives in Ohio - check out the details and make your nominations by Dec. 20 HERE.
- Presenter Opportunity! The ServeOhio conference is scheduled for March 7, 2025 and they are looking for workshop presenters! This is a great chance to share your successes and help others in our profession learn and grow in their roles. Learn more and submit your workshop proposal HERE.
- VolunteerPro's 10th annual Volunteer Management Progress Report: Help provide insights into volunteer recruitment - be a part of the survey and complete by Dec. 20 HERE.
Need to renew your VAN Membership or know someone who might be interested in joining VAN? Visit us online at vancentralohio.org!