Volunteer Lake County October Newsletter

News & Updates

October 2020

Season of Caring Projects

See how you can help.

Blood Donors Needed

The American Red Cross is in critical need of blood donors.

Click to Learn More.

Help Make Masks For NWI Healthcare Workers

Help create masks for our local healthcare workers from the comfort of your own home.

Click to Learn More.

Become a Coach, Change Her Life

Volunteer as a Girls on the Run Coach. This is either an in-person or virtual volunteer opportunity.

Click to Learn More.

PackaPalooza Cares!

Help create care kits for local seniors. This is a virtual project.

Click to Learn More.

Host A Voter Registration Drive

There's only 5 days left to register to vote! Help get out the vote by hosting a voter registration drive.

Click to Learn More.

Virtually Share Your Skills and Talents with the Girl Scouts

Share your skills, talents, and expertise in short video tutorials.

Click to Learn More.

Virtual Girl Scout Leaders Needed

Click to Learn More.

Food Pantry Packing Food Boxes and Distribution

G.A.P Food Pantry is looking for volunteers to help pack and distribute food boxes for their giveaways.

Click to Learn More.

Food Pantry Stocking

Help stock the shelve at G.A.P Food Pantry.

Click to Learn More.

SAFE Coalition Volunteers

SAFE Coalition For Human Rights is looking for volunteers to help with Technical Support, Event Associates, Marketing Volunteers, COVID-19 Helpline.

Hospice Volunteers

Volunteers are needed to help patients and their families as well as do administrative work.

Click to Learn More.

STAR Award Nominations Are Now Open!

The STAR Awards are back for their fifth year! STAR, which stands for Serving Together Achieves Results, offers local non-profits, community organizations and the faith-based community the opportunity to recognize the employees and volunteers that are making a difference in Lake County. Nominations for the 2020 STAR awards are now open, and will be accepted until 5pm on Friday, November 6^th, 2020. Nominations can be made online HERE. We encourage volunteers to nominate the organizations they serve, as well as to self-nominate for the amazing work they have done this year in the community.

To make a nomination, fill out the online form and upload a 1 minute or less video describing why you are nominating the volunteer, employee, or organization for the particular award. If you want to nominate multiple people or organizations for awards, please submit an individual form for each nomination.

Awards Categories include:

· The Shooting Star Award will be presented to volunteers whose efforts on behalf of a nonprofit or faith-based organization deserve recognition.

· The Mega Star Award will be presented to an individual with special needs who works as a volunteer or staff member whose efforts benefit the organization and the community.

· The Rising Star Award will be presented to a youth or youth group who has gone above and beyond in their efforts to give back to the community. This can include outstanding volunteer work or efforts to help an individual, a specific population, or their community as a whole.

· The Heart of Service Award will be presented to a staff member that consistently provides superior service and genuine care to clients and the community. Client-facing staff including case managers, social workers and support staff should be considered for this award.

· The Shining Star Award will be presented to a non-profit demonstrating superior performance in all aspects of nonprofit management, community engagement and service.

· The Collaborative Effort Award will be presented to organizations demonstrating the best collaborative initiative or event. Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations working together to complete a shared task or achieve a shared goal.

· The Little Dipper Award will be presented to a volunteer, staff member, or organization who has shown superior service in the field of child care. This includes organizations providing child care, early education services, and out-of-school programming.

· The Sol Award will be presented to a volunteer, staff member, or organization who has shown superior service in the providing clients with services in the field of basic needs. Basic needs include assistance with housing, food, clothing, health care, and mental health care.

· The North Star Award will be presented to a volunteer, staff member, or organization who has shown superior service in assisting families working towards financial stability. Financial stability work includes continued education, job training, financial education, financial services, and any other services designed to help families improve their financial situation.

· The Comet Award will be presented to a volunteer, staff member, or organization who has shown superior service in assisting families obtain better paying jobs. This can include work in the areas of workforce development, job training, job search, teachers, trainers, and any other services designed to help move individuals into better paying jobs.

The 2020 STAR awards are going to look a little different this year. The award ceremony will be held online instead of in person this year due to the Coronavirus. The ceremony will take place in early December. The ceremony is free to attend; however, attendees will be asked to register online to receive the link to the online meeting. More information about the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information about the event or issues submitting a nomination please reach out to Megan Sikes, Community Engagement Manager, at [email protected].

Training Corner

Training video are now live on volunteerlakecounty.org! Whether you are new to the site or need a refresher on how to use certain features, we've got a video tutorial to help you make the most of the site. We'll constantly be adding new videos, but if there is ever anything in particular you would like to see please reach out to Megan Sikes at [email protected].

This month we'll walk you through your My Account page and all the different features available to you as a volunteer. Check out the video tutorial below!

My Account Page Walk Through

There's still time to participate in PackaPalooza Cares!

Care kits are being collected through October 16th at the Lake Area United Way, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, and Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana. Don't miss your chance to give back by showing our seniors that the community is thinking of them.