Take Action Round Up: March 30

What can you do when the news casters tell you about the current flood/hurricane/tornado/earthquake/fire to wreak havoc? You can donate money to the relief fund or you can sign up to volunteer to help. Volunteers are currently needed in California with the forest fires.

We are entering an era of participatory democracy, and what better way to participate than to call your Congress members. Use Cause Caller to create a phone bank and call all the congress people involved in the issue you care about. Cause Caller will do all the dialing for you; every time you are finished imparting your opinion to one representative, they next will be called so you can continue to spread your opinion. It also makes it very simple for others to call on regarding any cause you have posted.

United Nations World Food Program has launched a hunger abolishing video game: Food Force!

News and Resources

No more slogging through the internet to find the news you really care about. Idealist now has news! News for and about and by NPOs. NGO post, also works for the same purpose.

Suggesting ways to be the change that you want to see in the world, the So What Can I Do blog, gives those to you in easy bite size pieces.

Brunch and Choral Performance at 171 Lex

Sunday, a choir from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids Iowa, volunteered to perform for the residents at our housing site at 171 Lexington Avenue. Everyone had a smashing time! Thank you to the choir for a lovely morning!

Non-profit Jobs

Idealist has published guides to finding jobs in the non-profit sector, for first time job hunters as well as career changers. And they are free on Google!

Met Council's Career Fair

Twenty-six people walked away with jobs and 11 with scheduled interviews at a Met Council job fair this past week, showing that despite the hard times, job-seekers can find a welcome career in healthcare.
Nearly 70 graduates of Met Council career services, including EMTs, home health aids, registered nurses and other individuals circulated amongst a dozen employers from staffing agencies, healthcare agencies and more, landing interviews and job offers. Nearly half of the participants will have gained employment by the time next week rolls around.

Take Action Round Up: March 23

Check out author Tim Ferriss on Twitter (tferriss), for all those who follow him by the end of the day today (he's been doing this for two weeks already) he will donate $1 to public schools, and an anonymous donor will match another $2 to that. Good deal for schools.

Got a jar of change not doing anything on your dresser? Take your coins to a CoinStar machine and you can choose to donate your change for change by giving it to the non-profit of your choice right at the machine.

Donate blood. Probably one of the easiest things you can do to make a huge impact. Check out the Red Cross website to find a place to donate. And the cookies are free!

Invisible People : Eddie

Eddie from invisible people on Vimeo.

Nominations

Volunteers work hard and for nothing more than the good feelings that they are helping a cause that they believe in. Sometimes it's nice to get a little more recognition, so when I find them I've been posting volunteer awards. Here are two more:
Nominate your favorite community serving retired person for the Andrus Award by the AARP. Or nominate one of your volunteers for the Points of Light award.

Take Action Round Up: March 18

Use the idle time on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) to cure diseases, study global warming, discover pulsars, and do many other types of scientific research. Sign up at the BONIC project.

Find creative ways to help out in your local schools. Dave Eggers started writing workshops in San Fransisco and it spread to 6 other citys, helping kids all over the country. Check out Once Apon a School for ways to engage.

Empty out your change jar and sign on to MircoGiving, the site the brings people and organizations in need of funds to complete projects together with people who have a little money to spare to help with those projects.

Invisible People : Brianna

Brianna from invisible people on Vimeo.

Ask the Expert

We have just launched a new feature on our website, Ask the Expert.

Met Council's executive and senior staff have decades of experience in a wide variety of fields, ranging from home care, domestic violence counseling and government assistance to poverty, middle-income need and social services.
Now, we're sharing that wealth of experience with you. Take this opportunity to ask whatever's on your mind. Whether you're wondering how to find home care for an aging parent, looking for a better job, or just curious about the Jewish poor and how you can help, Met Council's experienced staff can give you the answers you need.
So, go ahead! The floor is open. Take advantage, ask what's on your mind, and let their answers inform and empower you.
Submit questions on the site, read previously asked and answered questions, and get advice from the most knowledgeable people around!

Take Action Round Up: March 11

Make a pledge to end hunger and Tyson will send trucks of food to those who need it.

Give time, get time. Find a Time Bank in your area and share the wealth.

Help fund other people's goals at Pledge Bank. They'll give time or money if you will do the same.

Met Council Volunteering Fun!

Resume Reviewers Needed

Met Council’s Home Attendant Training Program will be kicking off its next session with a Resume Review for its clients. Met Council’s program teaches these individuals to assist the elderly and frail in washing, dressing, shopping, cooking and other essential daily-living tasks. Many of these students do not have a resume nor do they know how to write one correctly. With your help, our clients are able to a create high-quality resume which will better enable them to obtain a home attendant job and apply for future employment. Volunteers are needed to help create and improve students’ resumes in the Met Council Home Attendant Training Program. Volunteers will spend 1 to 2 hours with clients. Volunteers should be comfortable using a computer, be patient, have good listening skills and of course, friendly.

Met Council
80 Maiden Lane, 10th Floor
March 11th, 6PM

If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please contact Jillian Constantine at jconstantine@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9675.

It’s “Almost Spring” Cleaning at Met Council’s Clothing Warehouse
We are looking for a group of energetic people who are interested in sorting clothing donations and cleaning out our clothing warehouse. This would be a perfect volunteer opportunity for a group of co-workers or friends to work on.

Sunset Park, Brooklyn
March 25th, 11AM- 2PM

For more information or to participate, contact Jillian Constantine at jconstantine@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9675.

Single Stop Food Stamp Enrollment Volunteer
Met Council’s Food Stamp Enrollment Program seeks a volunteer to help with administrative tasks for three hours each week. Potentials duties will include filing and data entry. Scheduling is flexible.

Met Council
80 Maiden Lane, 21st Floor
Time is flexible Monday -Thursday 9-5, Friday 9-2

If you are interested, please contact Jillian Constantine at jconstantine@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9675.

Financial Report Developer
We need a volunteer who is familiar with Sage or Sage Timberline accounting systems to help our fiscal department develop management and financial reports. Scheduling is flexible. Met Council

80 Maiden Lane
21st Floor
Time is flexible Monday-Thursday 9-5, Friday 9-2

If you are interested, please contact Jillian Constantine at jconstantine@metcouncil.org or 212-453-9675

Invisible People : John

John from invisible people on Vimeo.

Newsletter

What do you want out of a newsletter from a NPO that you support? According to this article which quotes the Obama team, most newsletters from NPOs are a waste of time. They say that we should be focusing on short one issue personal emails that ask our supporters to act in one way or another, not these newsy paragraphs. What do you think? What kinds of mail from NPOs are you most likey to read and/or react to? What kinds of info do you want from the non profits that you support?

Actions with deadlines

Tweet #apowerfulnoise today and tomorrow, and NCM Fathom will donate 50 cents to CARE.

Nominate your favorite community worker and world changer over 60 for the Purpose Prize. The winner gets a $100,000 grant to continue their work to change the world. Nominations/applications are due by the end of tomorrow.

Take Action Round Up: March 3

I'm sorry I've been slow with the posting, my job has suddenly gotten very busy, but don't despair, I have not forgotten about you!

Like Social Action's widgets, that you can embed into your page that allow site visitors to take actions related to the issues on your page, they have come up with a Firefox extension that allows you to take actions from any page you visit.

Time Out New York has teamed up with the Food Bank for New York to bring you Time Out for Hunger. Dine on March 8th at select restaurants an said select restaurants will donate 10% of their earnings to the Food Bank. Good for everyone!

Help the Food Bank for New York name their new blog, and potentially win a Jet Blue voucher.