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VANtage: March 2023

Shannon Maurer | Published on 4/20/2023

VAN PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 

Dear VAN Members,

This time of year always seems to be a time of transition, renewal, and refocus. It matches the changes of the season with spring around the corner and more hours of daylight to give us all the extra energy and lightness we have craved all winter. This is also the time of year when our organization outlines our annual goals for the year. We all come together to brainstorm and explore areas of our work that can be improved or adjusted to best meet the needs of our community. A big focus for us this year was not to reinvent the wheel or strive for the exponential growth of our program offerings, but instead to become a more refined, grown-up version of ourselves. Our conversation shifted to the kinds of characteristics and values we wanted our organization to emulate and the ways we wanted to become experts or voices for the community around our subject matter. 

I couldn't help but think of last month's VAN Professional Development session with Anita Preer. She led a thoughtful discussion about networking and relationship building and spent a bit of time drawing us out about our own personal brand. I was challenged to consider ways that maybe I was getting a little too relaxed, or uninspired to put my best foot forward. I was happily reminded of the qualities I find most important: authenticity, strong communication, positivity, and others. 

VAN is a great place to be if you want to continue to strive for growth, new ideas, and success in your career. I am eager to hear what this month's session on Non-Traditional Outreach Strategies will bring. How can we step out of our normal mold and reach into different pockets of our community to engage with more people around our mission? To unleash new potential and skills by more volunteers and stakeholders? Let's find out together THIS WEEK!

Sincerely,

Christa Passafiume
VAN President

MARCH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
VAN Professional Development Meeting
Topic: Nontraditional Outreach Strategies with AA Wellness Agency
Meeting: Thursday, March 16, 2023
Time: 9:00 am - 9:15 am networking and breakfast, presentation will begin at 9:15 am
Place: IN PERSON at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Room 1A - 
96 S. Grant Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215

Save the Date for Our Next PD Session: April 20, 2023!

 

JOIN THE VAN BOARD FOR 2023

We are accepting applications for new board members for 2023!

Open positions:

  • Membership Co-Chair
  • Treasurer

For consideration, please email your resume to President Christa at christa@worthingtonfoodpantry.org.
 

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 Star House, Big Brothers Big Sisters Ohio, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Lifecare Alliance, BESA, and MORE! Postings are updated throughout the month, so log in and check back often!

Is your organization looking for volunteer administration? Contact us so we can get the word out!