Volunteer Opportunities for UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund

Sarah Jessica Parker is one of the many celebrities that have embraced volunteer opportunities for the UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund.  Parker, an ambassador for UNICEF, will be on hand at the Global Business Coalition’s 10th Anniversary Conference to introduce the UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund.  The conference is scheduled to take place on June 2^nd.

Worldwide Opportunities

The Global Business Coalition’s 10th Anniversary Conference is being co-sponsored by UNICEF and the Global Business Coalition.  The fund is designed to raise UNICEF’s presence of mind and to join together a vast network of entities from more than 150 developing countries to gather information and to draw on the assets and experience of industry experts.  The ideas gained through this network will be reviewed and shaped by the GBC with the aim of refining ideas to provide a valuable base of resources for the fund.

The UNICEF HIV/AIDS Innovation Fund is focused on bringing together HIV experts along with a group of diverse business leaders and philanthropists to invest in a variety of high impact, low cost technology and interventions that have a strong potential to alter the face of the AIDS epidemic.

UNICEF, one of the world’s foremost charity organizations plans to allocate $4-5 million annually through the fund to support projects with the highest potential success rate, and starting in 2011, the plan is set on a five year schedule with the hopes of achieving the possibility of an HIV/AIDS free generation by 2015 thanks to a number of volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer Opportunities Abound on Easter

There were plenty of volunteer opportunities over the Easter holiday, especially in downtown Los Angeles where The Los Angeles Mission opened its doors for its 75th year of helping the homeless on Skid Row.  The streets were closed down so that the thousands of homeless could be fed and clothed as a part of the Mission’s service program.  In addition to leading civic figures, there were many celebrities on hand to help hand out Easter baskets, serve food and pass out shoes to those in need.  The Los Angeles Mission served over 600,000 people last year by offering meals, clothing, medical care, dental care, housing assistance, job training and placement services and emergency financial assistance.

Stars Embrace Volunteer Opportunities

Among those helping out the Mission on this holiday weekend were Joey King (Ramona and Beezus), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Melissa Gilbert, Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Leeza Gibbons, Gilles Marini (Brothers and Sisters), Stephanie Pratt (the Hills), Aldis Hodge (Leverage), William Mapother (Lost), Angie Everhart, Jayde Nicole (Holly’s World), and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“Many of the nearly 600,000 meals we served last year were to people who came to us because of the recession’s impact on their lives,” said Los Angeles Mission President Herbert L. Smith.  ”The impact of losing a job and sometimes a home is devastating.  Our guests are seeking more than a free meal or a hand out, they want to restore their lives.  The Mission is working every day to give them the hand up.”

For the most up to date news on volunteer opportunities across the nation, Microgiving.com is the number 1 resource on the Web.

Celebrities Help Hunger Relief Organizations

Hunger Relief Organizations: it is easy to forget that there is hunger in the world when our plates are full. Often it takes a major disaster to realize that other people are in fact suffering in parts of the world. Various celebrities and world government officials have banded together to ask for support for the people affected by the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. President Barack Obama, Prince William, and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, are just a few of the celebrities who are asking people to reach out and help the survivors of the tragedy. At present, many of the people in Christchurch are being housed in shelters where supplies are scarce.

Hunger Relief Charities – How They Can Help

Many relief organizations dedicated to hunger relief are on the move to help the survivors deal with the insurmountable losses surrounding the earthquake. Two of the charities working to help victims are RedCross.org.nz and SalvationArmy.org.nz.

Following the earthquake, various volunteer opportunities have become available and even Google has set up a website to help those in Christchurch.

Prime Minister John Key said: “Many people have lost their lives. Families have lost their cherished loved ones. Mates have lost their mates. Though lost lives will never be replaced, and though your city will never look the same, you will rebuild your city, you will rebuild your lives, you will overcome.”

Hunger relief organizations will help provide support to victims of the earthquake. Hopefully much of the world will follow suit.

Volunteering Opportunities for Shoe Lovers, Olsen Twins Help

There are many companies that have developed volunteering opportunities to help people in various ways, including making direct donations or giving time to help with causes. In the case of TOMS Shoes, the company donates one pair of shoes to children in need for every pair sold. The concept has been so popular and successful that Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have decided to team up with TOMS Shoes to create a line of footwear specific to children. The young actresses rocketed to widespread fame and popularity during their stint on the Full House sitcom. The newly Olsen Twin-embraced line, called The Row, is going to be linked to TOMS Shoes’ One for One program, an ongoing campaign since the company was founded in 2006. TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie wanted to start a program that would create volunteering opportunities and positive change by giving away one pair of shoes at a time, which shows that even the smallest donation can make a very big difference.

Volunteering Opportunities Through Buying Shoes

How does buying shoes equal the same kind of charity as it would if one would make a donation? It’s easy. The program allows consumers to a part of something bigger, transforming shoppers into benefactors of the less fortunate.

“We feel it’s really important to spread awareness of the Toms One for One mission,” said Ashley Olsen. “For every pair of TOMS + The Row shoes sold, a child in need will receive a new pair of shoes. TOMS + The Row customers will have the ability to give back and create change with a single purchase.”

The new program will help to make it even easier for consumers to find volunteering opportunities when they might otherwise be unable to help.

Make a Donation to Go Red for Women – Cheryl Hines

Actress, Cheryl Hines is asking people to make a donation to a charity that has become close to her heart. The spokesperson for the Go Red for Women movement, Hines, who is famous for her role on Larry David’s hit show “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” has realized how important it is to raise awareness and support for the number one killer of women in America – heart disease. Hines kicked off a campaign for the charity in New York where she appeared on the Today Show to talk about her new position in the organization. According to Hines, she only became fully informed about heart disease after her father suffered a major heart attack. Hines’ father survived but it was clear that changes needed to be made. Since then, Hines has dedicated her time striving to help people learn about this dreaded and often preventable disease.

Donate Today!

Go Red for Women is just like every charity in that it needs funding to support its work. People that donate online can certainly make a difference, and there are also volunteer opportunities to help spread the word. The organization can teach volunteers how to help people with their battle against heart disease. Minor changes in diet and exercise can make all the difference, as can giving up smoking, alcohol and other harmful substances. Hines talks about her father’s conviction to stop smoking after his open heart surgery, saying that it’s worth giving up any habit in order to live.

To make a donation, click on the link or go to the Go Red for Women movement website.

Lady Gaga’s Philanthropy Encourages Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities: Lady Gaga hooked up with Virgin Mobile during her 2^nd global tour – Monster Ball – and offered premium VIP tickets that offered charitable volunteer opportunities to her fans.  Gaga has been on the music scene two short years, yet she was voted celebrity philanthropist of 2010. And for good reason:  Her Monster Ball VIP ticket offering generated over $80,000 to support homeless youth and 30,000 hours of community service to be undertaken at charities across the country.  A recipient of the evening’s generosity, The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to eradicating homelessness in the United States.

Gaga Supports More Than Volunteer Opportunities

Gaga is aware of and supports a multitude of issues through concert sales, online donations and show ticket sales.  With her January 24, 2010 show, all three areas totaled over $500,000 in support of victims of the Haiti quake; most specifically for charities based in Haiti.  Lady Gaga also encourages fans to finish their education on a successful note so they might have “choices” in life.  In May, she joined Sir Elton John at the 16^th Annual Rainforest Benefit celebrating the organization’s 21^st anniversary.

But Lady Gaga’s true passion is national equality for gays and lesbians.  She considered her speech at the National Equality March in October 2009 to be one of the most important events of her career to date.  Gaga recently joined Cyndi Lauper and MAC Cosmetics to fight HIV and AIDS; the campaign is targeted to educate women about the risks of this disease.  Gaga and Lauper have launched their own lipstick line with MAC; all net proceeds of line sales are donated to prevent HIV and AIDS worldwide.

Seizing Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities

Microgiving applauds Lady Gaga and all of her philanthropy efforts. Like Lady Gaga, Microgiving works to help other through the online donations of others.  If you would like to assist Microgiving in crowdfunding efforts – or you might benefit from our help – please register with our website and see what volunteer opportunities are available.

Thanking Those Who Fill Volunteer Opportunities

Want to send your appreciation to individuals who take part in volunteer opportunities? Sweetest Day – October 16^th – is the perfect opportunity to do so. Celebrated primarily in the Northeast United States, Sweetest Day is known as a day to appreciate those who are important in your life. For relief organizations and agencies dedicated to helping others, volunteers are often the most important people in the day-to-day running of their charitable efforts.

Ensuring That Volunteer Opportunities Provide a Positive Experience

Volunteer opportunities often takes great effort and time away from other activities that are important to the volunteer, and very often these individuals sacrifice aspects of their own personal life in order to help others. With this in mind, how do organizations ensure that their volunteers enjoy their experience and come back to help again? If you are an organization requiring the help of volunteers, consider the below suggestions:

Have a Plan. If possible do some pre-planning. Before your volunteers arrive, ensure that you match their skills to the task at hand. When they arrive, have definite tasks in mind for each individual. Ensure that they have the tools necessary to carry out their job effectively.

Communicate Clearly. At WomenOnCall.org, an agency dedicated to helping nonprofits, organizations that require volunteers are encouraged to write to them about the upcoming opportunity. The organization recommends that any description of volunteer opportunities be totally clear, for example – estimate how much time the task may take, and describe the end-goal of the activity. Also ensure that different jobs are available to each volunteer, so that they can step into an alternative role during any “down time”.

Show Your Volunteers Your Appreciation. Everyone likes to be thanked. Remember that your volunteers also like hearing the words “thank you”. Maybe take advantage of Sweetest Day, and send them some candy to show the organization’s appreciation of their efforts.

Microgiving appreciates the hard work of those that take part in volunteer opportunities – If you would like to join our donors in our efforts to help others, please sign up today, or if you might benefit from our assistance by signing up as a recipient, please visit our website.

Volunteer Opportunities Can Lead To Permanent Change

A tragedy that resulted in thousands of volunteer opportunities, this past week marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As devastation slammed the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, but most particularly Louisiana, a nation of volunteers responded to the emergency. Some of those volunteers had their lives changed permanently as a result of what they witnessed.

Relief Aid in New Orleans

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, in the first year after Katrina struck, over 550,000 volunteers headed to the Gulf Coast to fulfill volunteer opportunities and help victims and the area to recover from the massive devastation. John Burnap left his day job to serve as a Red Cross volunteer during the acute emergency of New Orleans in response to Katrina.

John’s role was to help prepare, coordinate and serve over 50,000 meals a day during the weeks immediately following Katrina. John was so inspired by his experience that he is now committed to disaster recovery. As an independent consultant, he often works for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). According to John, he was amazed at how many people came forward to work together and fulfill the volunteer opportunities that were created.

Perhaps you would like to contribute to volunteer efforts but are currently unable to give up your time to do so. Fortunately, the first crowdfunding website on the internet is here to help you make it happen. If you would like to contribute financial relief to individuals or families that may be suffering from the result of a personal and/or community disaster, please donate online; we can help you contribute to other individuals or families if you are unable to take part in volunteer opportunities.