Yum Granola’s Post

🌟 Unlock the Power of Volunteering! 🌟 Are you ready to make a meaningful impact while boosting your own well-being? Volunteering isn't just about helping others; it's also about enhancing your life. Research shows that when we lend a hand or contribute resources to those in need, our brains release feel-good endorphins, leading to what psychologists call the "helper's high." 🧠💫 #BKSThePulse #WellnessWednesday #Volunteering

🌟 Unlock the Power of Volunteering! 🌟 Are you ready to make a meaningful impact while boosting your own well-being? #Volunteering isn't just about helping others; it's also about enhancing your life. Research shows that when we lend a hand or contribute resources to those in need, our brains release feel-good endorphins, leading to what psychologists call the "helper's high." 🧠💫 Watch April's The Pulse here: https://lnkd.in/gmNe79V6 #BKSThePulse #WellnessWednesday #Wellness

What abundance in your life? Guess what Abundance is created in our lives when we place value on being of service in everything we do. How are you being of service? Which value do you create? Grateful for being able to serve along many like Marsha Ralls from Entrepreneurs' Organization #growth #wellbeing #service

National Volunteer Month: Give Back and Make a Difference! Held in April every year, National Volunteer Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of volunteers. It’s an opportunity to join the impact of volunteerism and encourage more people to get involved in their communities. Why Volunteer? Tangible Impact: From restoring wildlife habitat and building trails to preserving historical monuments and educating visitors about diverse cultures, witness firsthand the positive impacts of your efforts. Connect with Nature and History: Immerse yourself in stunning landscapes, learn about diverse ecosystems, and contribute to conservation while unearthing stories from the past. Develop Valuable Skills: Gain practical experience in areas like resource management, education, visitor services, trail maintenance, or historical interpretation. The opportunities for growth and connection are endless! Meet Passionate People: Build camaraderie with fellow volunteers and co-workers who share your passions. Boost Your Well-Being: Volunteering has been shown to reduce stress, increase happiness, and improve mental and physical health. National Volunteer Month is a wonderful reminder that even small acts of kindness can have a profound impact. So, grab a co-worker, friend, or family member and spend some time volunteering. And while you’re at it, keep an eye out for the Consumers Energy volunteers proudly sporting their blue t-shirts. #CEVolunteers #NationalVolunteerMonth #VolunteersMakeADifference #GiveBack

Well done

Here are 5 things that made Leah and my Creative Waikato regional arts engagement work! 🥇 1: Experience! Working with community in a variety of settings, whether voluntary or paid, was so valuable in drawing on past experiences and creating fresh ones 😀 Never underestimate the wealth of practical knowledge attained in volunteering kaupapa too 🔥 2: Partner in crime! Having a partner or a small team is immeasurably better than riding solo into the community. In our case, we worked super well together and this only amplified our efforts. 3: People-centric! Proactivity and passion flow when you love people, and the reciprocity and forethought needed to engage diverse people respectfully cannot be shortcut. Genuine care goes along way. 4: Innovation! Whether tiny cycles of iteration or bold leaps of risk, innovation is improvement. Being reflective is effective, and recognising the need to tweak, helped us continually power better community responses and reinvent our approaches. 5: Fun! People-work can be tiresome and draining, so it is essential to have fun every step of the way! We built in intentional pit-stops, but actually, the ability to spice up mundane tasks and daily activities happened naturally as we built trust and enjoyed being ourselves. It's fairly easy to design something, but having the know-how and practical insight to deliver a multi-faceted campaign can be tough! Hope these tips helps in a small way? 😀 Ngā mihi

If I were asked to name my deepest passions for the world in two phrases, here's what they would be today: 1. A sustainable planet 2. Equity for all Although this is an admittedly simplistic list, I have found this exercise tremendously valuable. It acts as a filter to keep me pointed in the right direction. Over the past several years, I have made concerted efforts to embed these values into my giving, my volunteering, my work and my life. Today, I'm excited to share the next stage in my personal journey to truly live those values in every sphere of my life! I am joining Engage Globally to support their organization as an Advisor Board member. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me to truly leverage all of my experiences in non-profit development, communications and marketing, data analytics and storytelling, HR and environmental sustainability to support an organization doing amazing, life-changing work. If you haven't heard, Engage Globally supports community-led sustainable development. And that word "community-led" is a HUGE part of why I am hopping on board. Their local partners work with traditional leaders, women’s groups, parents, and program participants to choose priorities, design projects, and implement programming. Their team supports LOCAL leaders and community members in achieving their goals through capacity building, project consulting, funding, and other resources. What does this mean? No white savior complex. No useless projects created only to be wasted. Just meaningful, locally initiated and developed projects. If you're still reading, I'm excited to have piqued your interest. DM me or visit https://lnkd.in/esvybdFD to learn more. Thank you, friends and colleagues, for following along as I work to ensure my values are a highly integrated part of everything I do. Stay tuned for more ways to learn about and support this incredible organization.

5 key factors to a thriving regional activation campaign! Community Engagement can be heavy work, but it was made light by the tips Dujon Cullingford has outlined about our mahi below:

When inspiration is limited because capacity is low, empowering creativity becomes the 'antitode'; principally obtained by volunteering. This affirms the reason why EMPOWERING CREATIVITY: THE EVOLVING ROLE OF VOLUNTEERING IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY (#ICC24 1.2) becomes a must for every creative mind. Do well to join us in the March edition of the Inspiration And Creativity Conference'24.

Refreshed National Standards for Volunteer Involvement are out now! The National Standards are a best practice framework to guide volunteer involvement. The National Standards can be used flexibly, recognising that volunteering takes place in highly diverse settings and ways. All organisations and groups can implement the refreshed National Standards at any time. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/gZxJ59Fh Learn about the refreshed National Standards: https://lnkd.in/grZtTdvN Volunteering Australia (VA) #VMA #NSV #volunteering #volunteer #volunteers