Whether it’s expected, or comes as a complete surprise, being separated from your job is a shock to your psyche as well as to your savings account.

I joined the ranks of the unemployed last February. After the normal cycle of blaming and raving, I realized what happened to me was truly a blessing in disguise.

Finally I could step back, evaluate my experience and decide how to reclaim my purpose in life, which was much more about creating a livelihood than it was about just having a job. Obviously I would have to devote many tedious hours to finding a full-time position, but I also wanted to make that search process creative, nourishing and outwardly focused.

After spending months networking within industries related to my diverse background, I ultimately decided to return to my passion and focus my job search on finding a position as a Director of Volunteers for a nonprofit organization. 

Working with volunteers had always brought out the best in me, both personally and professionally, so it seemed logical that the next step in my job search should be seeking an appropriate volunteer opportunity to keep me nourished and connected to the professional community. My goal was to find an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution, network with the people in my industry, and gain new skills to enhance my resume (pretty ambitious for a 63-year-old grandmother who recently had retirement in her sights!)   

I soon was energized by a great opportunity! I am completing an unpaid internship at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. My assignment is to write a volunteer policy manual—a perfect fit for me right now. I’m “working” for a highly recognized and respected organization with professionals who appreciate my skills and experience. I’ll add this project to my resume, and I’m gaining valuable knowledge while conducting the research required for the assignment. By taking the initiative to pursue volunteer work while unemployed, I’m hopeful potential employers will see me as a resourceful, energetic and creative person who also takes responsibility for making a contribution to our community.

Whether you’re seeking employment in the private, public or nonprofit sector, the benefits of volunteering in these economic times are invaluable—a win/win for everyone!

Charities are experiencing unprecedented needs for skilled volunteers as requests for their services skyrocket and resources dwindle. Volunteers can provide much-needed expertise and in return, have the opportunity to freshen skills, add depth to their resumes and network with a wide variety of resources that can make valuable connections for them.

As for your psyche—volunteering turns your focus outward and helps you keep your own situation in perspective as you help those in need. 

Ready to volunteer?  I offer a few tips to help make your volunteer experience successful. 

• Explore your passions and determine what matters most to you before beginning your search.
• Target your approach. Find a position that will enhance your skills, and once in a position, seek project opportunities that showcase your talents and leadership ability.
• Be genuine and don’t over commit. Be honest about what your expectations are and make sure you understand exactly what is expected of you.
• Always be professional and do the best job you can, no matter what you are asked to do.
• Take every opportunity to learn everything you can.
• Temper your expectations. Nonprofits don’t always have the same level of resources that corporations do, so don’t complain about what the organization may be lacking.
• Always speak well of the organization. You never know who is listening!
• Be humble and helpful, and always respect the staff and their clients.
• Don’t leave the organization in the lurch! Seek short-term projects rather than long-term commitments, and if you find a job and need to leave the position before the agreed upon date, figure out a way to finish the project before you go.
• Request a letter of recommendation from your supervisor when you leave, and be prepared to make specific connections from your volunteer experience to a job interviewer.

 David McNally, international business speaker and author, suggests that “the seeds of thriving are sown through giving.” Aren’t you ready to thrive rather than just survive?  You have the time; you have the skills; now go find your passion and volunteer today!  

No matter where you live, organizations are waiting for your help. Step away from your computer and engage in a healthy activity with untold benefits. You never know where this path may lead!

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Guest columnist Jane Stubblefield is experienced in volunteer and event management and is     currently serving in a “nontraditional” internship with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. She lives in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, where she sings in the church choir and enjoys spending time with her toddler grandson.

http://www.trippingontheladder.com/2009/12/how-i-did-it-a-suddenly-unemployed-grandmother-goes-back-to-work-as-an-intern-and-finds-her-professional-passion/

A few weeks ago, a volunteer coordinator at an assisted living facility received a phone call from a director of a youth music group. The director stated that her group was interested in coming to the facility to play holiday music for the residents.  After talking at length about the event, the director emphasized how excited she was to “come and volunteer at the facility because of the warm and lively residents.” However, then the director said something that surprised the volunteer coordinator -- she asked how much she paid. 

If you have received this question before, you probably had a similar reaction.  Paid?  Well, no, I’m a volunteer coordinator. In our volunteer coordinator’s case, she informed the director that she simply did not have any money in her budget to compensate her for her services. The director said she understood, but then quickly spewed out a list of other facilities that had already agreed to pay her group.

Receiving payment for volunteer services is becoming a hot topic within today’s philanthropic landscape, especially as many of our budgets are growing smaller. In most cases, the payment is considered more of stipend to cover costs related to the volunteer activity, such as transportation. In this tight economy, many volunteers simply do not have enough money to front these costs themselves. Volunteer coordinators are then faced with dilemma of parting with money or parting with their volunteers.

It is important to note that the idea of paid volunteering is anything but new; paid volunteering in the U.S. dates back to the eighteenth century with the nation’s first volunteer fire departments. Today, paid or stipend volunteering has been heightened due to President Obama’s national call to service, which increased funding for service programs throughout the U.S. As a result, volunteer programs, like AmeriCorps, are sending more stipend-based volunteers to serve within organizations than ever before. Another important category worth noting is the many recently retired individuals that are seeking positions of social good, but still require some form of income.

So, what does this mean for the volunteer coordinator today? An informal poll by MAVA indicates, mostly headaches. When a volunteer coordinator is confronted with this idea, she or he must reexamine not only their definition of volunteer, but their volunteer program. What are the priorities of your agency?

To respond to paid or stipend volunteering, some coordinators have added a new type of volunteer to their volunteer policies, called the “special case volunteer.” These volunteers may come into your organization from different venues, like a university or an employee volunteer program, and require a unique or special agreement.  

While little has been written on the topic, paid or stipend volunteerism has become a hot topic within the volunteer community. It is important for volunteer coordinators to know where their agency stands on the subject. MAVA wants to know what your thoughts on this subject are:

1)      How has paid or stipend volunteerism affected your role as volunteer coordinator?

2)      Is there a role for paid volunteers within your agency?

3)      Does your agency have a procedure in place for compensating volunteers?

September 10, 2009

NEW YORK, NY ---

UNPRECEDENTED BLOCK OF TV PROGRAMMING IS FIRST WAVE OF MULTI-YEAR "I PARTICIPATE" CAMPAIGN

From October 19-25, More Than 60 Network TV Shows To Spotlight The Power and Personal Benefits of Service

Celebrities, "Cities of Service" Founding Mayors, Volunteer Groups and Major League Baseball Players Gather in Times Square to Launch

Today in the heart of Times Square, actors and executives representing the Entertainment Industry Foundation (or EIF, the entertainment community's collective charitable organization) joined New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and 15 mayors from around the country, numerous celebrities, and key service groups to launch two new initiatives aimed at fostering a new era of volunteerism: EIF's I PARTICIPATE and the mayors' Cities of Service coalition.

EIF is mobilizing the entire entertainment community around the ground-breaking, multi-year I PARTICIPATE, which will promote a new way of thinking about service and seek to persuade millions more Americans to volunteer regularly. To jumpstart the campaign, Entertainment Industry President and CEO Lisa Paulsen, Tyler Perry and Ashton Kutcher announced its 2009 centerpiece: a week-long television event running from October 19th to the 25th, when America’s most-loved TV shows on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC and other broadcast networks will spotlight service through scripted programming, segments and PSAs with inspirational messages and storylines about volunteerism. Randy Jackson (FOX), Christine Baranski (CBS), Tim Daly (ABC) and Michelle Trachtenberg (NBC) also participated in the announcement.

"Most people know that volunteering can have an enormous, positive impact on their communities, but they often don’t realize how much volunteering benefits the person who does it," said Lisa Paulsen, president and CEO of EIF. "We're trying to broaden the collective national conversation about service; volunteering is rewarding, but it's also energizing and fun. It can even be a great way to meet people."

"We think hearing that from the cast members and characters on shows like Mercy, American Idol, Private Practice, Ugly Betty and The Good Wife will help millions of viewers consider volunteerism," said Tony Award Winner Bernadette Peters. "I think it’s important to help people and causes that need our help. The I Participate campaign will ultimately involve all segments of the entertainment community including film studios, the recording industry, Broadway and others."

Emceeing the event in Times Square was New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who earlier in the day convened a meeting of his counterparts from around the country, including Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Dublin, OH Mayor Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer, Vicksburg, MS Mayor Paul Winfield, Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, and West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, to launch a volunteerism initiative called "Cities of Service."

"Today is an exciting day for service in America," said Mayor Bloomberg. "These two distinct initiatives - bound by their common commitment to increase community service and volunteerism in America - represent a significant step in realizing the goals of the bipartisan Edward M Kennedy Serve America Act. The Entertainment Industry Foundation's I Participate Campaign will animate the public to find more ways to give back. And the Cities of Service coalition will harness that newfound energy and put it to good use."

"These two efforts complement each other superbly," said Paulsen. "Through I PARTICIPATE, the entertainment community will generate new enthusiasm about volunteering, and when people look for ways to do that in their own communities, the Cities of Service coalition will provide them."

Demonstrating the power of social media activism, Ashton Kutcher joined Mayor Bloomberg and those gathered at Times Square, sending a message to his 3.5 million Twitter followers, urging them to volunteer on September 11th as a way to honor the memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks. A giant screen in the Square projected Kutcher's request, "2Day, I activate my citizenship by participating. I Participate! Do u? www.iparticipate.org", and some of the instantaneous replies to it as they began to pour in.

Other elements of the EIF I PARTICIPATE initiative include:

1. a dedicated website IParticipate.org, designed to make it easier than ever before for millions of Americans to find volunteer opportunities in their local communities across five key areas of service: Wellness, Community Health, Financial Security, Environmental Conservation, and Support for Military Families. The website features calendars of events, maps, digital tool kits and uses the power of social networking vehicles like Facebook, making it simple for individuals not only to volunteer, but to recruit friends to join them;
2. a series of celebrity-driven public service announcements that will reinforce the importance of volunteerism and supporting causes like Welcome Back Veterans. Blythe Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew McConaughey, are among the performers featured in the PSAs, which filmmaker Jesse Dylan with his agency FreeForm is directing and producing. Dylan works with Bono’s "Red" and "One" campaigns and also directed will.i.am's iconic "Yes, We Can" video.

3. grants from the Entertainment Industry Foundation to key volunteers organizations to help build capacity to accept, train and deploy volunteers.

"The ability to both entertain and inform is one of the hallmarks of a broadcast network," says Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment. "Integrating messages of volunteerism and service into America’s favorite television shows can have a powerful and lasting impact that benefits both the audience and the country at large." NBC president Angela Bromstad agrees. "The week of volunteer-themed programming in October provides an opportunity for the networks to tap the power of television," she says. The ultimate goal, says Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment is "to get people thinking about what they can do in terms of volunteering, and then to act on that." "The most satisfying result for us is when our programs entertain viewers as well as inform themundefinedand maybe even call them to action," FOX Entertainment president Kevin Reilly points out. "And that’s what we’re looking to do by supporting EIF’s initiative. We are calling on our talent poolundefinedin front and behind the cameraundefinedto get involved." The day began with ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC morning shows all broadcasting interviews from Gracie Mansion during the Cities of Service Summit.

Leading companies and organizations that have joined EIF in supporting I PARTICIPATE include AARP’s Create The Good volunteer network (www.CreateTheGood.org), Medco Health Solutions and its "Give Health a Hand" program (www.GiveHealthAHand.org), Major League Baseball and its "Welcome Back Veterans" initiative (www.WelcomeBackVeterans.orga>), and UnitedHealthcare (www.UnitedHealthGroup.com). These organizations will engage their employees all over the country in grassroots service efforts.

The rate at which Americans volunteer regularly has not increased in 40 years and has generally remained around 26%, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly half of all people who currently volunteer started because they were asked by someone they know.

Celebrities who participated in the Times Square event include: Ashton Kutcher, Tyler Perry, Randy Jackson, Christine Baranski, Fran Drescher, Sway Calloway, Kenneth Cole, Rocco DiSpirito, Kelley Menighan Hensley, Bernadette Peters, Cameron Mathison, Tim Daly, Lee Ann Womack, Constantine Maroulis, Jeff Francoeur, Al Leiter.

Service organizations who participated in the Times Square event include: HandsOn Network, NYC Civic Corps, and Service Nation.

Network shows that will feature volunteerism in some way during the week of Oct 19th include:

ABC
All My Children, America's Funniest Home Videos, Brothers and Sisters, Castle, Cougar Town, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Flash Forward, General Hospital, Good Morning America, Grey's Anatomy, Hank, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Modern Family, One Life To Live, Private Practice, The Forgotten, The Middle, The View, Ugly Betty

CBS
Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs

FOX
America's Most Wanted, Bones, Brothers, COPS, So You Think You Can Dance, Til Death

NBC
30 Rock, Access Hollywood, Community, Days of Our Lives, Heroes, Parks and Recreation, The Biggest Loser, The Office, Today Show

# # #

About Entertainment Industry Foundation
The Entertainment Industry Foundation is the leading charitable organization of entertianment industry, and has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs addressing critical health, education and social issues.

About Cities of Service
Cities of Service is a bi-partisan coalition of large and small city mayors from across the country who will work to engage millions more Americans in a new era of service. Founded in New York City on September 10, the coalition and its member cities will respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges. Additional information about the coalition can be found at www.citiesofservice.org

# # #

Media Contacts
Tom Chiodo
Rubenstein Communications for EIF/I Participate
212-843-8289
tchiodo@rubenstein.com

Jim Anderson
City Hall
212-788-3245
janderson@cityhall.nyc.gov

At the late August MAVA Strategic Directions Committee meeting, the topic came up of about what leaders of volunteers should be focusing on related to the potential heavy flu season this winter.  Two areas for consideration came up:

1. Is your organization including volunteers in flu contingency plans? One committee member indicated her organization was doing extensive contingency planning for delivery of service if staff are ill, but had not considered the vital roles that count on volunteers until she raised the question.
2. Do you have guidelines or criteria in place for when volunteers should stay at home?  In some setting, especially heath care, volunteers are given criteria for health symptom that are indicators not to come to volunteer, especially for position in contact with people vulnerable to illness.

At this point in time, no one knows what will happen with the flu season, but many organizations are working on contingency plans to minimize the spread of flu and the impact it will have.  Please post comments on guidelines your organization has for when volunteers should stay home with illness, if you organization has included volunteers in flu contingency plans, and your thoughts on how volunteers should be included in flu contingency plans.

Mary Quirk, MAVA Volunteer Resources Leadership Project Manager.

Child Labor Laws and Volunteering

By Susan J. Ellis

(The following is adapted from the chapter on legal issues in Children as Volunteers: Preparing for Community Service, by Susan J. Ellis, Anne Weisbord, and Katherine H. Noyes, © 2003, Energize, Inc., http://www.energizeinc.com/store/2-102-E-1)

Because labor laws limit or prohibit the paid employment of children under the age of 16, the question regularly surfaces whether this means volunteering is also off limits.  The short answer is no. 

Federal child labor laws are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act and regulations issued under the Act, which also deals with issues such as overtime pay. If you wish to read the child labor regulations for yourself, go to http://www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/childlbr.htm or go to the Web site http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/. 

Except for clearly-defined exceptions, all paid employment of children under the age of fourteen is considered “oppressive child labor” and is illegal. But the Fair Labor Standards Act applies only to paid employment; volunteers are not covered by the Act because they do not receive monetary compensation (see Wage and Hour Publication 1297, pages 6-7).  So there is nothing in Federal child labor laws that expressly forbids or limits children under the age of fourteen from becoming volunteers. The issue of unsalaried work by children is actually not addressed at all and, in a free society, we assume permission to do something if there is no specific law against it. 

When a school district mandates a community-service requirement, it is obvious that a governmental authority is giving authorization for children to do volunteer work.  Similarly, school-sponsored service-learning can also be presumed as a legal activity.

It is nevertheless worth noting the prohibitions of the child labor laws. It’s illegal to employ youth under the age of eighteen in “hazardous” work. Very few would disagree with the definition of “hazardous” work, since it covers such activities as operating power equipment and handling explosives or dangerous substances. In some settings, “hazardous” work also specifically includes working on ladders and large-scale cooking. (Agricultural jobs are discussed in a separate set of regulations.)  It would be wise and prudent (and downright smart!) to design assignments for young volunteers in compliance with the general restrictions of child labor laws. After all, if a situation is considered hazardous for youth over age fourteen, it certainly would also be hazardous for a younger child.

While it is not necessary for the young volunteer to obtain working papers/permits (again, these only apply to paid employment), it is appropriate and sensible to ask for parental permission to allow anyone under 16 (even 18) to volunteer – probably in writing for the record. 

As with everything else, labor laws differ from state to state (and I am not a lawyer). Check your state’s definition of “employee” and “volunteer,” age restrictions on employment, description of “hazardous” work, and requirements for working papers. But just because there are restrictions on the paid employment of children, do not automatically assume you cannot utilize youngsters as volunteers.

You need to look for supplements to and annotations of your state’s child labor laws for any relevant applications to volunteering. For example, in Pennsylvania, the State Attorney General issued a ruling that specifically permits youth under age sixteen to volunteer in conservation and parks programs. Even if you find no such clear directives, as long as nothing forbids the volunteer work, you may assume a green light.

TV Programming To Spotlight Volunteering And Service

Celebrity star power will be on hand today at the nation’s largest conference on volunteerism to detail plans for a new multi-year campaign to help make public service a national priority.

As reported exclusively on www.nptimes.com this past Tuesday (June 16), the centerpiece of the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s (EIF) push will be to include national service into programming by the major television networks this fall. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox have all agreed to write service into the fall programs, multiple sources told The NonProfit Times.

“It’s about how to amplify the president’s call to service, to get more Americans involved in service,” one source told The NonProfit Times.

This afternoon’s opening session of the National Conference for Service and Volunteering in San Francisco, where more than 4,000 service leaders are expected to attend, will include First Lady Michelle Obama, musician Jon Bon Jovi, actor Matthew McConaughey and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, among others. The first lady’s appearance will launch United We Serve, a summer initiative to encourage citizens to engage in meaningful, sustained community service. The initiative will conclude on Sept. 11, which officially was designated a national day of service in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act passed in the spring.

The television programming effort will be similar to the EIF’s push this past September for Stand Up To Cancer, an event to raise money for cancer research that involved network programming. In this case, instead of one show simulcast on the broadcast outlets, national service will be written into shows on all of the outlets. There will also be public service spots and online outreach.

Working with AARP, Points of Light Institute/Hands On Network and ServiceNation organizations, EIF plans to launch its new multi-year campaign on Oct. 19.

For Immediate Release                                                           Contact:  Daryl Klous

Date: April 19, 2009                                                                                      

Ridgewood Villa Honors 2 Volunteers with

President’s Volunteer Service Award

 Award is a Prestigious National Honor for Volunteer Service

Glenwood, Minnesota – Ridgewood Villa Independent Senior Living today announced it has awarded 2 volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national honor offered in recognition of volunteer service. Carolyn Larson received a Gold Certificate Award and Pin. Madalynn Hermanson received the Bronze Certificate Award and Pin. This was in recognition for their volunteer hours of service and efforts which began in September of 2008 through April of 2009.  The award was given on Monday in honor of National Volunteer Week; April 19 – 25^th, 2009.

Established in 2003, the Award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering.  As one of thousands

of Certifying Organizations participating in the Award program, Ridgewood Villa confers the award to recognize the outstanding achievements of its volunteers. 

Ridgewood Villa now has more than 10 volunteers perform community service each year on behalf of the organization.

“In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush created the USA Freedom Corps, and called on every American to make a lifelong commitment to volunteer service.  The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals and families who have answered that call,” said Daryl Klous, Director of Ridgewood Villa.

“America’s volunteers work to make our communities stronger and safer. As a Certifying Organization for the Award program, Ridgewood Villa is proud to be aligned with this prestigious volunteer award, and we are especially proud of our volunteers who have made volunteer service a central part of their lives.” Daryl Klous, Director of Ridgewood Villa stated.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is an award for volunteer service that every American – from every age and every walk of life – can aspire to achieve.  To be eligible to receive the Award, individuals, families and groups submit a record of their annual volunteer service hours to participating Certifying Organizations, such as Ridgewood Villa that will verify the service and deliver the Award. Award eligibility for individuals and groups is based on hour requirements varying by age. 

“Both Carolyn and Madalynn, this years recipients of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, are role models for all Americans,” Daryl Klous said.  “Each volunteer hour contributed makes a difference in improving the quality of life for others. Even if you’ve never volunteered before, the President’s Volunteer Service Award is within your reach. There are so many ways to contribute, and every volunteer hour makes a difference in improving the quality of life for others.”

The Award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group created by President Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our Nation.  Chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs, the Council comprises leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, nonprofits and volunteer service organizations, and community volunteering.

Volunteers give of their time, money, and selves. They are essential in the lives of those they aid and in the organizations they serve. In recognition of volunteers and the power of volunteerism, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine annually selects 10 people to receive the Rusty and Burt Cohen Volunteer Award. Those 10 people are then inducted into the magazine’s Twin Citian Volunteer Hall of Fame and recognized in our October issue.

Please contribute to the 21st annual Twin Citian Volunteer Hall of Fame by submitting your nominations for outstanding volunteers. Qualified candidates are leaders and role models who demonstrate commitment and make a positive impact.

Click here for more information and to nominate a volunteer.  Nominations are due by April 24th!

News Flash!  President Obama Signs Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

President Obama just signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act yesterday afternoon, April 21, 2009!  He asked "every American to make an enduring commitment to service."

A Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS) Media Advisory stated, "Under the Act, the Corporation will increase opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve by increasing AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 positions, expanding service opportunities for students and baby boomers, and strengthening America's civic infrastructure by investing in social innovation and volunteer mobilization."

In addition, today the President announced his intention to nominate Maria Eitel for Chief Executive Officer of CNS.  "Eitel is the President of the Nike Foundation and a Vice President of NIKE, Inc.  As president of the Nike Foundation, she has lead the Foundation's work to increase opportunities for the world's most disadvantaged girls," according to the White House website.

Stay tuned to media coverage and follow MAVA communications for forthcoming related information.

Check out the slideshow of the bill signing and service event afterwards!

Over the last year we have received several questions in the MAVA office whether there are any regulations related to volunteering and unemployment compensation. Although it is common advice to job seekers to volunteer, several MAVA members had heard volunteers talk about caution from their employment counselors on being highly visible volunteers.

Here is what we found:

• According to an e-mail response from the Minnesota Unemployment online customer service, “If you work 32 or more hours in a week, even volunteering, you are not eligible for benefits that week.” 
• Page 8 of the Minnesota Unemployment Handbook, “You are not eligible for benefits if you work for an employer, in self-employment, or in volunteer work for a combined 32 hours or more in a week, even if your gross weekly earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount or you have no earnings at all.” (http://www.uimn.org/tax/pdf/Employer_Handbook.pdf). 

Although this is the information we found from easily available sources, it advisable for people on unemployment compensation to obtain their own information from an official source related to their unemployment compensation.

A check of other (non official) web sources, found discussion of two other associated issues:

1. You must be available for work, and cannot volunteer to the extent to interfere with being available for work.
2. You must give the impression of being available for work, and not let volunteering interfere with that impression.

If have additional information to share on this topic, please comment below.

Mary Quirk, MAVA Volunteer Resources Leadership Project Manager