Sue Scheff: VolunteerSpot - Giving To Your Community

It is VolunteerSpot!  The place that everyone can be part of.  It is about time management, it is about giving and it is about being part of your community.

Whether you are part of an outreach program in Duval County or a youth group in St. John's County, VolunteerSpot can help you organize your community to benefit your cause and activities.  Fundraising can be a stressful time, however with supporters behind you, it makes everything a little bit easier and your success that much greater.

A little history of this young organization:

VolunteerSpot launched in Spring, 2009 with the mission of enabling ANYONE to quickly mobilize and coordinate volunteers in their community, congregation and social network. VolunteerSpot’s simple sign up application makes it easy for community members to participate and say YES to volunteering. No waiting for approvals and passwords, no software to install, just easy, free scheduling and sign up tools for everyday heroes making a difference. 

Learn more about VolunteerSpot at www.volunteerspot.com and visit their Blog. Follow them on Twitter and join them on Facebook.

Watch quick video and read more.

Sue Scheff: Walk With Me Broward - 2010

Easter Seals has many events to raise money and awareness to those with disabilities. Coming soon is Walk With Me Broward 2010! This is a great experience for the entire family. On April 24th, 2010 at Markum Park in Weston, there will be a 5K Family Fun Walk.
Registration begins at 8:00am and the walk begins at 9:00am.

Money raised through Easter Seals Walk With Me will support a variety of local services in South Florida including: Children's Therapy Services; programs for children with autism spectrum disorder; Child Development Center; Culinary Arts High School program; Adult Day Care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss; and in-home respite care.

For more information contact Paula Mejia at 305.547.4713 or pmejia@sfl.easterseals.com .

Sue Scheff: Becca' Closet - Teens helping Teens

Prom season is around the corner! What that means is the teenage girls will be in search for that perfect dress, shoes, accessories, and of course those nails and hair design to meet the times.

What about those that are less fortunate? Especially with a difficult economic season, many parents may not be able to give their teenage girls the little extras that can help a teen feel good about themselves, or even allow them to attend a prom.

On August 20th, 2003 our community suffered a loss of a beautiful, inspirational, young 16 year-old, Rebecca Kirtman, in a tragic car accident. Her family and friends continue Becca's love, generosity and passion to give back to her community. Becca's Closet lives on.

It's just a dress...but it's so much more!

In the Spring of her Freshman year at Nova High School in Davie, Florida, Rebecca launched a dress drive to provide prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who could not afford to purchase them. Rebecca was a passionate, bright, fun-loving young woman who loved being with her friends and felt that no one should miss a high school event because they couldn't afford to be there. She saw the inequity in the situation and sought to change things. During the Spring of her sophomore year, Becca single-handedly collected and donated over 250 formal dresses and helped hundreds of girls across South Florida attend their High School proms in style.


To keep Becca's dream alive, countless dedicated people throughout the world have joined with her family and friends to provide opportunities for those who seek them. Our volunteers work toward a common goal initiated by Becca.

Since the inception of this wonderful mission, Becca's Closet has expanded into educational scholarships to recognize the exemplary efforts of young men and women who demonstrate Becca's spirit of generosity in their own communities.

Start a trend in 2010 - learn how you can give back to your community. Do you have a dress you can donate? Or do you know someone in need? Click here. Even if you are not in Florida, there may be a local chapter near you. Becca's Closet is a member of Donate My Dress Network.

Help put a smile on a less fortunate teen girl that may not be able to attend their prom.....

Also on Examiner with a video.

Sue Scheff: Volunteer Spot

About Volunteer Spot

Karen Bantuveris, a management consultant working-mom, became a Girl Scout leader and PTA board member once her daughter entered school. Shocked at all the ‘little things’ that made volunteering a hassle, and fueled by frustration with reply-all emails, clipboards, Online! Groups, and late night reminder messages…she decided to do something about it.

VolunteerSpot launched in 2008 with the mission of enabling ANYONE to quickly mobilize and coordinate volunteers in their community, congregation and social network. VolunteerSpot’s simple sign up application makes it easy for community members to participate and say YES to volunteering. No waiting for approvals and passwords, no software to install, just easy, free scheduling and sign up tools for everyday heroes making a difference.

Make your next activity easier than ever before. Try VolunteerSpot today!! Watch their video and learn more.

Start today: http://www.volunteerspot.com/getstartednow

Follow them on Twitter @VolunteerSpot

Sue Scheff: Hannah's Sock Holiday Drive - It is always better to give!

By Susan Heim

In Toledo, Ohio, on Thanksgiving Day in 2004, four-year-old Hannah Turner helped her mom, Doris, serve food at a local homeless shelter. She saw a man with holes in his shoes and no socks, and she asked her mom if she could offer the man her own socks. The next day, Hannah’s mom took her to buy more socks and distribute them to local shelters. That year, they collected and donated more than 100 pairs of socks in the area. Over the next two years, Hannah distributed nearly 10,000 pairs of socks to shelters with the help of her mother, family and friends. Since then, Hannah’s Socks has collected more than 100,000 pairs of socks for homeless and domestic violence shelters.

The annual Hannah’s Socks Holiday Sock Drive has just been launched this year, with The Clorox Company as its sponsor. Their goal is to gather and donate 10,000 pairs of new socks to underprivileged children’s programs, as well as homeless and domestic violence shelters.

Wouldn’t this be a wonderful project for your family to adopt this holiday season? It would be a simple but powerful way to teach your children about giving to those in need. Your efforts can take many forms:

- Donate socks

- Host a drop box/sock drive

- Donate funds

- Volunteer to sort and distribute socks

- Spread the word via Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth!

Visit http://www.hannahssocks.org/ to learn more about how your family can join the Hannah’s Socks Holiday Sock Drive this year!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/hannahssocks (tweet using the hashtag #HannahsSocks)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hannahssocks

"P.S. Thanks to Mom Central for sharing this terrific cause with me!" -Susan Heim

Thanks to Susan Heim (Twitter @ParentingAuthor) for sharing this information!

Locks of Love - Getting your Teens Involved

Summer is coming - if your child is considering cutting their hair - make it worth something. There is not a better feeling than giving to those in need, especially with an organization such as Locks of Love. See if your child is a good candidate to help out other kids that need their generosity of love.

WHAT IS LOCKS OF LOVE?

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.