Episode 204 - Building Community Together - Online & During a Pandemic
Release Date: 10/05/2020
Time + Talent Podcast
Faiza Venzant used to focus on the paperwork and processes of managing volunteers in her work with the YMCA of Greater Toronto. But she doesn't do that anymore - she's shifted how she sees her work and the role she plays within her organization, and it's changed her whole approach to volunteer engagement!
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SOAR365 (formerly the Greater Richmond Arc) was founded 65 years ago by parents determined to find new and different ways to support their children with disabilities. The agency provides a range of services and employment opportunities for people of all ages with a wide range of abilities.
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In the past, Voya Financial’s Employee Volunteer Program was similar to many - legacy events that were uninspired and unfocused. But not anymore.
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Like many organization’s Habitat for Humanity, NYC has faced challenges when tapping into the time and talent of young professionals, but Ricardo Sebastian seems to have found the secret to success!
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Oasis Institute is the largest intergenerational K-3 mentoring program in the nation with 83 school districts and 4000 tutors. I the past, all tutoring took place in person before COVID-19 required a pivot.
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Cedars has been supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1919. Their residential and day programs are known for creating a life-affirming, loving environment in which participants are able to live creative, productive, and joyous lives.
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Metrocrest Services in the greater Dallas Area provides food and support services to 600-800 clients a week. While they had a diverse clientele, volunteers came from the surrounding suburbs and didn’t reflect the diverse community they served.
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After decades as a leader of volunteers for high-profile national charities in the UK, Helen Timbrell switched gears to work as an organizational development consultant and coach.
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What do you get when you interview a slate of talented leaders of volunteers and nonprofits professionals who understand the power of community? You get Season 2 of the Time + Talent podcast!
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In Part 2 of this interview, Dabash Negash from NYC Service shares practical ideas for starting a conversation and setting some goals and practices to help your organization understand and achieve better Board diversity, equity and inclusion. She also shares the ABCs of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. If you missed Episode 108, you can hear her discuss the results and findings from their survey and report on Board diversity in New York City.
info_outlineCedars has been supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1919. They work together with the people they serve — as individuals deserving of respect, personal choice, and the chance to develop interests, skills, and independence.
They’re residential and day programs are known for creating a life-affirming, loving environment in which personal accomplishments are celebrated, individual skills are recognized and participants are able to live creative, productive, and joyous lives.
But Cedars has been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and a particularly devastating wildfire season in northern California. When the pandemic hit, the agency doubled down on their focused process to operationalize the organization’s values and considered how they would be reflected in their response to COVID-19. Their motto for weathering the crisis became “We show up.”
However, to keep their residents safe they have had to cancel all in-person volunteer opportunities and events. In response, they created a curated private Facebook channel to keep everyone -- residents, volunteers, staff, and donors -- up to date on developments. It has become much more than a way to communicate; it has become a way to continue services and connections through Zoom classes and individual chats.
After the interview, Cheryl reported back that with their fall bowling fundraiser, usually done in person but converted to a virtual event, they achieved 147% of their revenue goal, making this pivot a successful one.
Because of their success with technology, they are also planning to move forward with an online store, to complement their brick and mortar gallery, where they will sell resident artwork.
For more information on Cedars and their innovative programming, visit https://www.cedarslife.org/.You can find Cheryl on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-white-4113673a/.
Guest Bio:
Cheryl White
Associate Executive Director
Cedars
Cheryl White is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has worked in the field of developmental services for over 20 years. As a case manager and later a program director, Cheryl began her work in the field at Tierra del Sol – a day program for adults with intellectual disabilities in Southern California.
After returning to her home in the Bay Area, Cheryl worked with the resource development team at Golden Gate Regional Center for nine years. Her focus at the regional center was on projects related to the development of services for individuals leaving state developmental centers, as well as projects to meet the needs of children and adults living in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
Currently, Cheryl is Associate Executive Director at Cedars, which provides residential and day programs for adults in Marin County, Cheryl has also worked as a clinician in private practice and a regional director of a national non-profit serving Job Corps youth.
For More:
For more info on how organizations manage virtual volunteer engagement, check out Season 1 of the Time + Talent podcast, Episode 107: Digital Team Building with Remote Volunteers.