YAVA - Connecting People Through Volunteering

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.  And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.
- Barack Obama, Inaugural Address

Newsfeed chatter stopped, and the crowds on the Mall were pin-drop silent; we were each called to serve the common purpose of our shared future.
 
New beginnings necessitate reflection, and the YAVA Board has been working to establish its goals for 2009. So with a new year and what feels like a new era, I'd like to enlist your help to make YAVA everything it has the potential to be.
 
Find new non-profit partners
YAVA's membership is continually expanding, so we're always looking for new organizations to serve with. If you're involved with a group that you think would be a good fit for a future event, please help us get in touch.
 
Have successful events...
We want to be able to commit to our non-profit partners and to our fellow volunteers that events will be full of awesome-ness and all slots will be filled. If for any reason you need to cancel, get in touch with us as soon as you can. No shows hurt the group's effectiveness and credibility.
 
...and keep 'em coming back for more
I know I've been guilty of letting my life get in the way of volunteering, it's a very easy thing to postpone. My new personal goal is to do an event once every six weeks. Please commit to what you can.
 
Increase the EL ranks
Are you able to volunteer twice a month? Are you willing to be the point person for a group on the day of an event? Email us about becoming an Event Leader.
 
The Young Alumni Volunteer Association is entirely volunteer-run. To me, it's proof of the power of numbers and why I feel proud to be part of the movement emblemized today. YAVA is my very small part. It's my community and my way to give back. Me writing you this email once a week doesn't change the world. But together, we can.

It's a long weekend for most of us. How will you spend it?

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Biden have launched a National Day of Service to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and enable Americans to make an ongoing commitment to volunteer service and civic engagement on the eve of this new administration. Join them in making MLK Dak "a day ON, not a day OFF"

The National Day of Service is a mass-organizing effort to engage volunteers to help organizations in communities across the nation.
Go to www.usaservice.org to find an event near you and join the national initiative on Monday.

In the volunteering world, Habitat for Humanity is that pretty blond volleyball player that's super popular but isn't stuck up at all, who is always really nice and always seems like she'd actually like to go on a date with you, but is just really really busy, so she always has to say no.

But not anymore... YAVA'S GOT A DATE ON JANUARY 16!
Sign up today on the event calendar

Greetings!

It's a New Year and, like always, I'm making about 70 bazillion resolutions. Some of them I'm fully expecting to fall by the wayside in about a week and a half (get up early every day and exercise before work. Ha!). But certain ones, YAVA will help me stick to.

1) Get out more.

I run a lot of events through my job, and spend pretty much all day every day on the phone. So when I'm off the clock, my natural tendency is to crawl under a blanket and spend some quality time with Hulu. With YAVA, I have lots of options to get out and meet people without having to plan anything (Thanks Lauren and Yael!). This year, YAVA will help me explore the world outside my apartment.

2) Get cultured. Cheaply.

Anyone will tell you, and most of you know, that you get more out of volunteering than you put into it. Usually, this payment comes in the form of warm fuzzies. Occassionally, it means access to events you wouldn't get into otherwise. Last year I volunteered at a shmancy auction - a night of pretty clothes, catered food, and interesting people. Late January, I'll be volunteering at the Boston Wine Expo and will get "thanked" with a free ticket.


3) Meet more people.

Kind of ties in to resolution number 1, but important enough to warrant its own category. Since college, meeting new people in the city has become something I need to go out of my way to do. YAVA throws me into the city, give me a chance to not only meet other volunteers, but to meet homebound senior citizens, schoolkids in Cambridge, and the women at Rosie's Place.


4) Make YAVA the best it can be.

Joining YAVA has been one of my best decisions of the last few years. And speaking for the entire board, we're committed to make 2009 YAVA's best year yet, so that all of you love this group as much as we do.

See you in 2009!

Stephanie