CVN Volunteer Profile: Heather Rabinowitz

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of volunteer: Heather Rabinowitz

Position with CVN: Monthly Meet-Up Lead

Hometown: Herndon, VA

What first drew you to CVN? CVN provided flexible and local volunteer opportunities that I could do with other individuals my age.

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? It is important to give back to the community you live in. I like the following verse from the bible and it is one of the many reasons I enjoy volunteering. " As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I schedule volunteer events and then schedule everything else around those commitments. I make volunteering a priority and do the proper time management to make sure it happens.

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what three causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? I enjoy volunteer activities where I get the opportunity to interact with people (e.g. serving food at a kitchen for the homeless), perform physical tasks (e.g. house painting), and help the environment (e.g. stream clean up).

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do? The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the leading consumer and community-focused health organization dedicated to the prevention of osteoporosis and broken bones, the promotion of strong bones for life and the reduction of human suffering through programs of public and clinician awareness, education, advocacy and research. Their website is www.nof.org.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? I really enjoyed participating in Relay for Life at James Madison University (JMU). I fundraised and participated in the event three different years at JMU. It felt good supporting such an important cause (fighting cancer) while staying up all night walking and hanging out with friends.

Moving from Resolution to Reality in 2011

res·o·lu·tion [rez-uh-loo-shuhn]

• the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.

• the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose

The beginning of the New Year is a great time to reflect on the past and set resolutions to improve our future. While many resolutions are dismissed after only a few weeks, other resolutions are easy to incorporate into everyday life. Fortunately, for volunteers, the simple act of giving back to the community encompasses a number of the most common resolutions.

Meet new people

It’s easy to meet new people when you’re helping out in the community. Not only do you meet the like-minded individuals you are volunteering with, you also meet the leaders of non-profit organizations and agencies. With CVN, you can also meet people in a social setting between events. Our monthly meet-ups are a great way to meet new people and reinforce bonds made at volunteer events.

Get in shape

Volunteer events are a great way to stay active and help you get in shape. If you like to be outdoors, events like gardening at an elementary school or pulling invasive weeds at a nature center are the perfect way to break a sweat. Inside, you can help with family ice skating events, community dances, or haunted houses. All of these events will have you moving and are guaranteed to be more fun than time spent on the treadmill!

Find a new job

As a volunteer, you learn a lot of valuable skills that can help you increase your experience and perhaps lead to a new job. Volunteering provides opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and innovation. You can also learn job-specific skills by targeting certain opportunities. For example, many groups look for help with social media, administrative tasks, or event planning and implementation. Finally, volunteering provides a great way to network and meet people who can serve as mentors or help you in your job search.

Lend a helping hand

With so many options, it’s easy to give back to community in a way that is meaningful to you. You can volunteer in almost any area – helping the homeless, coordinating a food drive, tutoring – and you can do so as part of a group or on your own. As a search on Volunteer Arlington’s page reveals, the opportunities are truly endless.

As this New Year takes shape, I encourage you to think about your resolutions and how serving as a volunteer can help you meet your goals. And, of course, I hope that volunteering with CVN can be part of your plans.

Happy New Year!

- Tiffany, CVN Chair

Fun is my agenda, but what is my greater purpose?

When I was in college, every day had a full agenda: go to class, volunteer at elementary school, meet friends for lunch, and attend meetings. It seems as though my purpose was to smush as much socializing, school work, and preparing for the future as possible into my first few years of freedom. By my fourth year, I was a little tired of all the planning and developed the mantra "fun is my agenda." In true college style, I even made a t-shirt with those words.

During a recent move, I came across that t-shirt along with some pictures from college. It made me wonder what mantra I'd come up with now if I started over. At this point in life, I spend a lot of my free time volunteering. I certainly have a lot of fun, but it leaves me wondering what exactly is my purpose? Do I volunteer just to make a difference? Or do I volunteer for recognition, free t-shirts, to meet people, and/or to increase my skill set? Perhaps it's all of the above, but do I need an overriding purpose or to measure the difference I am making?

Ultimately, as an organization, CVN aspires to bring together like-minded individuals to make a difference in the community. While we may not volunteer for the same reasons and we may not help out in the same areas, we can be proud that our combined efforts really do make a huge impact on the community.

And, all things considered, I think that having fun is a solid agenda and that making a difference is a pretty worthy purpose in itself. As for the specifics, we can worry about those later.

How about you? Do you have a greater purpose in volunteering? How do you measure what you’ve accomplished? I’d love to hear from my fellow volunteers!

Volunteer Profile: Kelly Corbally

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of Volunteer: Kelly Corbally

Position with CVN:   Social Chair

Hometown, State and/or country: Birmingham, Alabama

What first drew you to CVN? I joined CVN as a way to get back into volunteering and meet a new group of people.

Why do you think it's important to volunteer?  I believe that each person is different and has something unique to contribute to their community.  Sometimes you are given those opportunities to contribute and sometime you make them yourself.  Volunteering is a way to make those opportunities happen. 

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I think that when something is important to you, you find a way to make it happen.  I also find that often I get as much out of the experience as I hope the people I’m helping do, so I try to make volunteering a priority. 

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? (not counting politics, though we think civic engagement is HUGELY important!) I am most drawn towards causes that help kids and animals.  I feel like these populations are the least able to help themselves, so they are especially in need of assistance.  That’s why I am especially a fan of things like Reading Connection and the OAR Christmas project.

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do (in Arlington or nationally, though again, not counting political groups)? The Reading Connection, www.thereadingconnection.org, is an organization that helps create and sustain literacy-rich environments for at-risk children and families.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why?  One of the first places I volunteered was at a day shelter called Pathways in Birmingham, where I helped to organize the clothes closet.  I remember helping a client select a couple new outfits, something which wasn’t a big deal to me made her week.  I think that was one of the first times I really began to understand the impact of volunteering. 

Why CVN and why volunteering?

Use the arrows on either side of this video player to see thoughts from CVN volunteers on why they were drawn to CVN and why they think volunteering is important--and keep returning, as we'll be adding more videos as we go:



See more CVN videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/ArlingtonCVN and get involved by checking our calendar out here: http://arlingtoncvn.blogspot.com/p/cvn-calendar.html.