102. Putting Volunteer Wellness First

As a wellness organization, one of the aims of Beach Cities Health District is to impact the health and wellbeing of volunteers themselves. Through their research, they have found that volunteers who reach a threshold of at least two hours a week of volunteering are more likely to realize health benefits.  So, they work to engage volunteers at this level.

While many leaders of volunteers focus on what supporters can do for them, Megan recognizes the need to help meet the emotional and motivational needs of volunteers as well. As a manager of talent across the organization, she recognizes that volunteerism is a two-way street and that ensuring that the personal needs of volunteers are met is a key part of her job. It’s a balancing act between the needs of the organization and the needs of volunteers.

Megan also recommended building strong relationships with the various departments in her agency where volunteers are placed by understanding their goals and aspirations.  She called this practice “knowing the business” of the organization and her colleagues.

For more on how Beach Cities Health District cultivates a positive work culture for employees and volunteers, read more here -- https://www.apa.org/applied-psychology/beach-cities-health. They won the 2019 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award from the American Psychological Association.  Way to go!

If you are interested in learning more about Beach Cities Health District volunteer opportunities, wellness programs, and to learn more about mindfulness, visit https://bchd.org/.

Megan is also President-elect of ALIVE (the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement).  To find out more information about joining ALIVE and to browse their resources, go to -- https://www.volunteeralive.org/.

Megan can also be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganvixie/.

Guest Bio:

Megan Vixie, MPA, CVA, PHR, SHRM-CP

Chief Engagement Officer

Beach Cities Health District

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganvixie/

Megan Vixie, MPA, CVA, PHR, SHRM-CP is the Chief Engagement Officer at Beach Cities Health District, one of the leading preventive health agencies in the nation. In her current role, Megan uses strategic human resource planning to improve business value and advance organizational goals and objectives.

She is responsible for designing and implementing the infrastructure to manage BCHD’s network of more than 1,000 volunteers, providing 34,000 hours of service annually. She enhances and sustains workplace culture that elevates BCHD as an employer of choice, receiving accolades as a best place to work from organizations such as the American Psychological Association, Modern Healthcare and Outside Magazine.

Megan earned a Masters of Public Administration degree and certifications in volunteer administration (CVA) and human resources (PHR, SHRM-CP). She is on the board of the Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagement and serves on task forces such as the National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement to help advance the volunteer engagement industry and its leaders. Megan’s purpose in both life and career is to ignite the flame for others to achieve what they thought may not be possible.