HandsOn Greater Phoenix

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our amazing AmeriCorps VISTAs on completing their year of service! Meg, Liberty, Leeann, and Rachel we are so proud of you can cannot wait to see what the future holds for you four ladies 💚💙

🌟 Meg spent her service with Southwest Human Development as the Little Free Libraries Sustainability Coordinator. During her time as a VISTA, Meg said she has learned so much! Meg learned how to manage large groups of volunteers, create sustainability within a program, how to run a large-scale assessment, and create a committee including training practices. Her favorite part of her time in this position was working with her team of volunteers. Meg loved meeting new people who are also passionate about literacy! Not to mention she also loved seeing their creativity, it was always so fun seeing how they approached the design of a Little Free Library!

🌟 Liberty is finishing up her year of service at BLOOM365 where she served as the HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA Tech Assistance Coordinator. It was important to Liberty to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA as she believes national service is an opportunity to connect with my community, confront the disparities that exist, and find meaningful solutions for achieving equity. Through her time as a VISTA Liberty said that she was most surprised to find that she became more confident in her work and will take that with her into future roles.

🌟Leeann has successfully completed her time as the volunteer coordinator at Area Agency on Aging. As she finishes up her year Leeann reflected on her time and wished to share the following advice to others! "Best thing I learned was the confidence and Trust within myself and even the expectations that I set for myself. I am not only capable but able to surpass any limitations. Best advice I can give especially as someone who struggles immensely with Imposter syndrome. This is an opportunity of growth for you, so quiet out all the outside noise whether it's your own self-doubt or work politics. You will not win everything and that's okay . Trust yourself and let the integrity of your work speak for itself. Know there is not one single way to do something . Be who you are and own your system in how you figure things out. Your difference is your leverage. The best investment you will ever make is in yourself so just go for it. Speak up. Do not be scared of your own voice . If you don't say anything, who will?"

🌟Rachel spent her year as a HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA member at the City of Phoenix, Office of Public Health. Her year of service has inspired Rachel to continue the work in the public health space. Rachel is excited to announce she will be going back to school to achieve her Masters in Public Administration!

Congratulations again to our VISTA members and good luck with your future endeavors.

New month, new opportunities to make an impact! 🌟 Who's ready to volunteer this October?

Volunteerism strengthens communities, boosts personal growth, and fosters meaningful connections. Plus, it enhances mental and physical well-being. Let's come together this October to create positive change and inspire others! 💪❤️

Check out October's featured volunteer projects. Sign up at https://www.handsonphoenix.org/calendar

Have some free time this Saturday? Volunteer at Hope's Closet! 👚

Hope's Closet is New Life Center's social enterprise thrift store, open to both the organization's emergency shelter residents and the local community. Join us at Hope's Closet to collect and sort through clothing donations, move items to the sales floor, and organize clothing racks.

All proceeds from Hope's Closet goes back to New Life Center's participating families and help to fund shelter operations.

Take 2 hours out of your weekend to help these families in need.

Where: Hope's Closet
When: Saturday, September 21 10 am - 12 pm
How: Volunteers 14 and older use the link below to sign up!

Thrift Shop Assistants at Hope's Closet Hope's Closet is New Life Center's social enterprise thrift store, open to both the organization's emergency shelter residents and the local community. Join us at Hope's Closet to collect and sort through clothing donations, move items to the sales floor, and organize clothing racks.New Life Center'...

Volunteer this Thursday morning with Azcend!

Food Bank Maître D's are needed at AZCEND, a Chandler nonprofit that changes lives by nourishing minds and bodies to create a connected, thriving community. Volunteer duties may include:

-client check-in 📝
-sorting and bagging donated food 🛍️
-creating produce boxes 🥕
-cleaning and clearing the food bank area 🧼
-filling carts and assisting clients load food into their vehicles 🚗

Volunteers 13 and up can sign up at https://www.handsonphoenix.org/opportunity/a0CUi00001pSVvsMAG/food-bank-ma%C3%AEtre-ds-at-azcend

We hope to see you there! 👋

Honor Heroes and Make a Difference with Us!🌟🇺🇸

In tribute to the heroes we lost on September 11, 2001, we’re coming together to build a brighter future. This day of remembrance is an opportunity for us to unite through volunteerism and service, creating positive change in our community.

We invite you to join us at the HandsOn office on Saturday, September 7th from 9 am - 12 pm for a day dedicated to giving back. Your support can make a real difference for our partner nonprofits. Be ready to paint and color an activity paths to enhance the learning environment for students with autism, color baby onesies to bring joy to new moms , and more!

Gather your family and come to our Mesa office for a day filled with meaningful activities and fun. With a variety of options to choose from, it’s a perfect chance to bond with loved ones while contributing to our community. 💙💚

Sign up at https://www.handsonphoenix.org/opportunity/a0CUi00001p2rddMAA/911-service-week-community-give-back-day-at-handson-greater-phoenix

Another great project in the books!

Last week the Southwest Conference Planners team was hard at work volunteering to improve the hallways of ACCEL Metro Campus. Volunteers added teacher names above classroom doors, painted a desert landscape mural, and left behind some bookmarks and water bottles for the students to enjoy.

What a great way to give back and a great way to start off the school year 😎🍎📚 Thank you to everyone that helped out!

Are you looking to share your knowledge and make a lasting impact? Join Your Experience Counts (YEC)!📚🍎

As a YEC volunteer, your expertise can transform the lives of students in Title I schools. We’re looking for dedicated volunteers who can offer at least 2 hours a week during the daytime to help students achieve grade-level understanding in math or reading.

By volunteering as a tutor, you'll help shape young minds, inspire future leaders, and find fulfillment in giving back. Your experience can be the key to unlocking a child’s potential—become a YEC volunteer and make a lasting difference today!🌟

Learn more at https://www.handsonphoenix.org/YEC

Mesa Public Schools
City of Mesa, Arizona Government

Give a warm welcome to John Baik, HandsOn's newest team member! 👏💚💙

John is starting as the Service Project Coordinator. In this role he will help to facilitate corporate volunteer engagements and our annual days of service.

John grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and has a bachelor’s degree in Informatics with an emphasis in Software Development from the University of Arizona.

John has a wide spectrum of work experience. This includes software engineering in hospital software solutions (CueSquared), teaching music for various schools in the valley, serving as a mental health technician for a psychiatric inpatient hospital (Southwest Behavioral Health and Services), and directing a youth performing arts organization (Linea Inc).

Now part of the HandsOn team, John hopes to direct his efforts toward giving back to his community with a focus on accessibility and affordability in resources for youth and young adults.

🌟 Big Thanks to Salt River Project Volunteers!🌟

A massive shoutout to all the incredible SRP volunteers who have already rolled up their sleeves for our new Drink Up initiative! Your hard work in sticker-ing water bottles and writing inspiring notes is not only promoting reusable practices but also making a real difference for at-risk youth through our partner, A New Leaf.💧📝✨

We’re excited to invite other companies and teams to explore these micro-volunteer opportunities —it’s a fantastic way to contribute to a greener planet and support impactful causes with only 30 minutes!

Learn how your company can get involved at https://www.handsonphoenix.org/companies

🇺🇸 Honor 9/11 with a Week of Service 🇺🇸

We remember and honor those that we lost on September 11, 2001 by building a better tomorrow.

This September, let’s turn our reflection into action. Join us for a week-long service campaign from September 7th to 13th, dedicated to commemorating the spirit of resilience and unity that emerged from 9/11.

We need passionate volunteers like YOU to help us give back to the community. From preparing meals to crafting with the family, we have a little bit for everyone.

Learn more at https://www.handsonphoenix.org/september-11

Hello, Lahayla! 👋

Lahayla is our newest addition to the HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA team. She will be spending her year of service at the City of Phoenix- Office of Sustainability as a Solar Facilitator.

Throughout her year as a VISTA, Lahayla hopes to engage the Office of Sustainability with its larger Phoenix community to help facilitate meaningful relationships between the City and those who call it home to foster an environment of community learning and growth. Lahayla is hopeful that by the end of her program she can take away knowledge on practicing equitable community engagement and leave behind the tools to continue to consider equity as a foundational pillar on which sustainability stands.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM 💚💙

Volunteer PHX

🌟 Huge thanks to Fidelity for their incredible volunteering efforts in improving West High School - Salt Lake City for their 2024 transformation day!

Fidelity volunteers created a de-escalation room for students, painted a mural in the day care wing, made over a conference room, touched up the landscaping around campus, refreshed the West High panther mascot mural, added a cup mural, organized the theater department's storage, and more!

Your dedication and support mean the world to us. Together, we're making a real difference! 🙌

Points of Light

The first day of school is approaching and we need YOU to help students succeed in the classroom! 🍎📚

Your Experience Counts (YEC) is looking for new volunteers to mentor students to achieve academic success and social-emotional development in our young learners. Use your knowledge and skills to tutor K -6th grade students to grade-level understanding in reading, math, and/or science. Or pop into a study hall to support high schoolers in Mesa.

By giving just 2 hours a week of your time, you can deeply impact a student's life.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out https://www.handsonphoenix.org/YEC to learn more and how to apply!

Three cheers for Ruby 🎉🥳

A big congratulations to Ruby for completing their year of service as a HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA! Ruby acted as the Volunteer Program Assistant at the S'edav Va'aki Museum - formerly Pueblo Grande Museum. This year, Ruby learned the importance of community input when making decisions for the community you serve. They got really good at making surveys, but most importantly, Ruby connected with others who care about the mission of the museum.

As this is Ruby's last day, in their next chapter they are seeking employment with nonprofits, the arts, and cultural institutions in the field of GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, museums), and Ruby is looking into Master's programs that suit those areas.

Thank you for your service Ruby, the HandsOn team wishes you all the best in your next endeavor! 💙💚

-Volunteer by your love language-

Identifying your love language can help to understand how you naturally show appreciation to others. As civic participants we can utilize our love languages to recognize ways in which we can help your neighbors and community members. Find out which opportunities best suit you to serve others.

Interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities? Visit https://www.handsonphoenix.org/calendar

We are so grateful for amazing community members like Mesa Data Center! Thanks to their generosity the HandsOn team was able to complete two Summer STEM Camps to students in Mesa Public Schools. We nearly doubled the number of students that were able to attend the free camp that enriched their learning and exploration of topics in science, technology, engineering, and math.

We cannot forget about the spectacular volunteers that helped the students with their hands on experiments and capstone projects. Thank you to everyone involved!

Drum roll please ...🥁

The HandsOn team is welcoming Paige to the AmeriCorps VISTA team. Paige will be dedicating her year towards alleviating poverty as a E-Mobile Equity Outreach Program Specialist at the City of Phoenix, AZ USA, Office of Sustainability. Paige is hopeful that her time as an AmeriCorps VISTA will provide her with new experiences and connections that will benefit her career in the future.

We are all so excited to have you!

Meet our newest AmeriCorps VISTA member, Lucille 🥳

Lucille will be spending their service at the S'edav Va'aki Museum - formerly Pueblo Grande Museum as a volunteer program assistant. Through their time at the museum, Lucille hopes to build capacity for the museum, further their professional development, and learn new skills in the museum field. Throughout the year long commitment as a HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA member, Lucille to growing as a person and push myself to new heights. Lucille has always loved museums and cultural anthropology, so they feel right at home working and helping at the Museum.

Welcome to the HandsOn team!