Honoring Dr. King through service
Every single day Youth Volunteers across the country are serving with YVC, but last Monday, they were serving for one purpose: to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Hundreds of youth served with YVC to honor Dr. King, who was one of the greatest volunteers of the last century. Whether they were scrubbing a homeless shelter … Read more
YVC Spreads Holiday Cheer
Despite the cold weather, Youth Volunteers from all over the YVC network have been busy spreading holiday cheer through service projects this month. YVC offers youth the chance to make a difference in their communities throughout the year, but the holiday season brings on new ways for youth to spread joy to those in need. … Read more
Guest Post: Dr. Price-Mitchell on Youth Programs
Thanks to Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell, a developmental psychologist who focuses on youth empowerment and citizenship, who has agreed to republish the following blog post for YVC. While her original post focuses on how to evaluate the quality of summer programs, these three standards are relevant for any youth program, whether it takes place in the … Read more
Q&A with Tracy Hale, YVC’s new Chief Operating Officer
We are very excited to welcome our newest addition to the YVC team: Tracy Hale, Chief Operating Officer. Tracy has been with us for nearly a month now, and we’re so glad she’s part of our team. Meet Tracy! What is your role at YVC? As the COO, I’ll be working closely with David, the … Read more
Eight Tips for Hosting Youth Volunteers
Youth Volunteers can be a great way to boost energy of an organization—and get a lot done. Especially for small nonprofits with limited resources, youth can provide enthusiasm and excitement while contributing in a large way to the organization’s mission. But it’s not just the agency that benefits with Youth Volunteers—the youth also win by … Read more
‘Fires to be lit’
Here at YVC, we design youth service projects to ignite a passion in our Youth Volunteers–to get them hooked on volunteering. We plan interactive projects and service-learning to meet each individual volunteer’s needs and interests. A recent TED presentation echos these sentiments and articulates them perfectly. Peter Benson, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Search Institute … Read more
Back to School with YVC of Western Connecticut
Today’s blog is a guest post by Samantha Sommerer, Program Coordinator of YVC of Western Connecticut. On 9/11 the YVC of Western Connecticut, which is hosted by United Way of Western Connecticut, participated in the Taste of Danbury, a two day event where different restaurants sell samples of their food, agencies come out to advocate … Read more
A transformative summer of volunteering
This story was written by a parent of a Youth Volunteer who participated in a YVC summer program this year. To protect her son’s privacy, she has asked to remain anonymous. I’ve always thought every child has wonderful qualities, each child is different and each child needs to have a way to express their strengths. … Read more
Points of Light blog: The Power of Youth Volunteerism
We are honored to be featured as a guest post on Points of Light’s blog today. Head over there to hear YVC Founder and President David Battey tell the story of how youth volunteerism has impacted his life lately–through the eyes of his 11 year-old niece. While you’re there, explore the archives of Points of … Read more
A Canadian Summer with YVC
He turned a retirement home into a bowling alley for a few hours. He was part of a team that pulled six bags full of weeds at a park, then later that day served a meal for hundreds of hungry people at a homeless shelter. He manned the “Pin the Tail on the Cow” game … Read more
