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The professional value of unpaid work can be tremendous when it comes to filling the gap of time while unemployed. From networking opportunities to professional positioning, volunteering with an organization or company can lead to a variety of employment opportunities and definitely beats sitting waiting for callbacks for an interview.

You can enhance your business skills, learn a new trade, or widen your networking net — oftentimes while helping your community — via volunteer work, and even add the experience to your resume as valid and applicable skills to land your dream position.

AOL Jobs details three top reasons volunteering is not such a bad idea for job seekers and how it can ultimately contribute to career success and personal fulfillment.

Read more at AOL Jobs …

The nation as a whole has been in a less giving mood. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26.3% of the population volunteered their time between September 2009 and September 2010, a drop of more than half a million people from the previous year.

I’m not suggesting that you spend less than the time required to support your family and build a nest egg. At Black Enterprise, we zealously promote our Wealth for Life principles so you can create a life of options. And we have never told our audience to apologize for achieving success, living well, and giving their family the best. I submit to you, however, that spending will not set you free. You will gain ultimate fulfillment not through the number of toys you’ve accumulated, but by the number of lives you’ve touched.

I recently told a friend that I really didn’t want for any material goods. He looked at me as if I were a brother from another planet. I wasn’t boasting, however; I am just grateful to have a wonderful, healthy family; a circle of close friends; a challenging, rewarding career; and the resources I need to take care of my obligations. I also have the blessing of activities that nourish my soul, such as coaching a team in the AAU youth basketball league. My participation is not just about teaching kids the fundamentals of basketball and collecting tournament trophies. I get to share life lessons with a group of kids who have great potential. Some come from broken homes. Most have never flown on a plane, stayed at a hotel, or dined at a restaurant beyond the local fast-food joint. In my role, I offer them guidance and expose them to a world with infinite possibilities. The reward I receive is seeing these young men attend a four-year college and grow into productive citizens.

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This spirit of giving must be passed on to the next generation. Indeed, I have done so with my own children. When they were younger, our Christmas tree would be choked with gifts for them. One year, we decided they could select two gifts and the rest would be given to those of lesser means. At first, they wondered if this new approach to Christmas was a form of punishment. I am proud to say, however, that they quickly embraced our new tradition and I was pleasantly surprised by the joy they derived from sharing their good fortune with others.

We must give back in ways both large and small. It must be more than the reflex action of watching thousands suffer after the earthquake in Haiti or tsunami in Japan. Yes, it’s vital that we support such humanitarian efforts in the wake of unthinkable tragedies. But we can’t stop there. While money is important, time is equally valuable. Devote time to serving at a soup kitchen, teaching adults to read, or mentoring young people. Encourage your corporation to sponsor a worthwhile organization or philanthropic effort with sweat and muscle as well as dollars. If you contributed one hour each week, that’s just 52 hours out of the roughly 8,760 we’re all given each year. Within that time frame, you can do more than just help people. You can change lives.

I strongly believe we must all be grateful for the gifts bestowed upon us and share them to create a better world because, as another well-known quote states, There but for the grace of God, go I. Whether you earn an annual salary of $50,000 or $500,000, you can offer your time, skills, and resources to improve the lot of others. All it requires is commitment. Believe me, you will find it one of your most enriching, exhilarating experiences.

“If every American volunteered for at least Daylight Savings Time weekend, it would translate into 300 million hours,” says McKissick, who has high hopes for his initiative. “Of course, if they did it both weekends—fall and spring–now you’re talking 600 million volunteer hours. So even one hour twice a year can have an impact within communities and help change the world.”

The overall goal of the SERVE 60 program is to increase volunteerism and community service among all Americans, including people of color. “We’d like to engage more African Americans, especially with such a tremendous and critical need [for help] within our communities,” says McKissick. “From volunteering at schools to promoting healthy eating to donating professional services to small businesses, there is a wide area where we can help.”

To see how and where you can volunteer and donate just 60 minutes of your time to help others, click here.

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Here’s just a sampling from SERVE 60 of the organizations or events where you can volunteer or donate 60 minutes (or more) of service during Daylight Saving Time Weekend Fall 2010 and after. Don’t see your city listed? Visit Serve 60 website and type in your zip code to find a list of volunteer opportunities within your community. And don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour as Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 7, at 2:00 a.m.

New York City: Optimum Institute of Economic Empowerment. Founded by author, financial expert and financial literacy advocate Ryan Mack, OIEE needs volunteers to assist with programs that help create and implement economic empowerment initiatives in communities.

Atlanta: Create Your Dream (404-249-9166). This youth development program offers volunteers the chance to mentor students through tutor assistance and book club activities.

Chicago: Children’s Home + Aid (312-455-5222). Volunteers are needed for their Homework Helpers Program on Chicago’s South and West sides.

Los Angeles: Great Chefs of Los Angeles Food & Wine Event presented by The National Kidney Foundation (800-747-5527). Volunteers are needed Saturday, November 6 to help stuff 800+ eco-friendly gift bags for the event.

Detroit: The Guidance Center (734-785-7331). Volunteers are needed Friday, November 5 and after to help winterize the Walter White Community Garden by completing tasks such as mulching, weeding and covering plant beds.
Are you really ready, willing and able to help out?
While you may have good intentions, it’s important to understand the magnitude of being called to serve. Here are 5 questions you should ask yourself before getting started.
1. Why do I want to volunteer?
2. What do I expect to give and gain?
3. What kind of organization or program do I want to help?
4. What skills and experience can I bring to the assignment?
5. What is my availability and how much time will I commit?

Tell us what you think: Would you sacrifice 60 minutes of your day or week to volunteer? What are some organizations in your community that could use a helping hand?

Related Links:

A Passion for Giving

America’s Call To Service

To Honor King’s Legacy, How Will You Serve?

Microlending seems like the most efficient way to tackle this student debt problem, says Shawn Agyeman, director of marketing, SponsorChange.org.

There seems to be a new trend taking root when it comes to college financing. Last week, I wrote about companies adopting a micro-loans model for student lending. Days later, micro-loan giant, Kiva, announced it was expanding its small business social lending to students seeking to get through school as well. Even though Kiva’s program is only for students abroad at the moment, this expansion demonstrates how college financing or student loan debt assistance is taking a social approach.

“Micro-lending seems like the most efficient way to tackle this student debt problem,” says Shawn Agyeman, director of marketing for SponsorChange.org. “If we wait for national reform it’s going to take a lot longer,” he adds.

SponsorChange.org is another organization seeking to attack the student debt problem head on. Its efforts are two fold: attract top talent to nonprofit organizations seeking volunteers to help out, and aid students in getting a handle on their school loans. Those admitted to the program will work a maximum of 50 hours in up to four months, though project hours and project length can vary.

Nonprofit organizations receiving the help also have a vested interest, says SponsorChange.org co-founder, Raymar Hampshire. They are responsible for contributing 40% of the total payment amount.

Once projects are completed, funds are transferred directly to the student loan account. “So far we’ve paid out close to $8,000,” says Hampshire.

Hampshire and his brother, Robert, conceived the idea in 2007 while having a conversation bout micro-financing. “At the time we said, ‘How can we use this to help people pay down student loan debt?’ But instead of paying it back, they could pay it forward,” says Raymar. The brothers officially launched the site in 2009.

Who’s eligible to apply? Anyone with a degree–undergraduate, associates, or vocational certification–and debt from a tertiary institution.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, head over to SponsorChange.org to sign up.

SponsorChange.org is also in the midst of a $300,000 fundraising campaign to provide more volunteer and loan assistance to graduates. “We want to eventually offer programs to corporate employees to give skills to nonprofit entities,” says Alicia Shipman, program director.

James Hutchinson

Title: Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice of HUB International Northeast

Location: New York

Age: 45

Power Play:  Hutchinson manages a department of senior brokers responsible for the negotiation and placement of all insurance coverages for HUB International Northeast’s clients, as well as developing and maintaining all insurance company relationships and the implementation of the insurance marketing strategy. Hutchinson and his team handle numerous industries, including real estate, construction, restaurant, and manufacturing and distribution

When one thinks of building a brand, they automatically assume that the brand is for the customer. Why does building a brand for your employees matter as well?
In any large multidepartmental organization there are three levels of brand building: Within your department, within your organization, and externally to your clients. The first is to build the identity of your department. This is accomplished by developing your department’s mission, goals, and objectives, your processes, and the right personnel to execute the process. Our success and/or failure both from within the HUB organization or to our customers is a direct result of the departments and, more important, individuals within the department’s execution and deliverance of the brand. Our department brand is our promise to represent HUB International and our customer fairly and accurately. I believe that if you are successful at building your departmental brand by getting your team to believe in you, your message, and the process, then projecting that brand within your organization and externally becomes easier.

How do you go about understanding the needs of your employees so that you can create a brand that’s for them and benefits them?
You have to talk to and interact with your employees constantly. You have to build a true team. The first step in building a successful team is picking the right personalities and skill sets. Not everyone should think, act, or perform the same. They need to get along with you and each other. Then you have to explain your philosophy and back it up when it is challenged internally or externally. If your employees see that you not only believe in the brand but will protect it, they will also. It becomes real. I try to get my employees to understand that their individual reputations and work product are their most prized possessions and that their current and future success depends on their individual branding of themselves.

How do managers balance the emphasis of the brand they present to their customers as well as the one they present to their employees?
Both brands should be treated equally because if your employees do not believe, then the brand will never translate to the customer. I don’t think that you can have one brand without the other.

This article originally appeared in the April 2010 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.

As we prepare to honor the life and works of the slain civil right leader with the National Day of Service on Jan. 18, and against the backdrop of global relief efforts in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, BlackEnterprise.com asks, “How will you serve?”

There are countless community service projects available, not just next week, but throughout the year. Opportunities listed below are searchable by zip code at the various Websites.

Find events at MLKDay.gov, which also has suggestions on organizing a volunteer project and fundraising. There are also resource guides for school and orgranizations, examples of projects.  Serve.gov, also run by the federal government, has service opportunities ranging from feeding the hungry and refurbishing local schools to weatherizing homes and providing employment counseling.

Habitat for Humanity International recognizes King’s legacy of service by working to eliminate poverty housing with their “Building on the Dream” project. Opportunities include sealing air leaks, weatherization, insulation, and repairing duct work.

The NAACP is holding events nationwide. Volunteer opportunities include blood drives, advocacy workshops, and food distribution programs for the homeless.

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger is sponsoring its 7th annual “Serve-a-Thon” to commemorate King’s anti-poverty legacy. Volunteers are needed to help 1,200 city-wide food pantries & soup kitchens.

You can also visit VolunteerMatch, AARP Foundation, and Allstate, for more projects seeking volunteers.

Elsewhere, the RainbowPUSH Coalition will host a scholarship breakfast, and Rev. Al Sharpton is taking a mercy mission to Haiti in honor of King.

 

Making friends as a volunteer in South Africa

“All that’s required is a willingness to make a difference. And that is, after all, the beauty of service. Anybody can do it,” said President Barack Obama minutes before he signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law on Tuesday afternoon.

The president’s approval of the bill is the most sweeping expansion of national service programs since the creation of AmeriCorps in 1993. In the president’s 2010 budget, he’s requested $1.1 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service, administers of AmeriCorps, which is a 25% increase over last year. With strong bipartisan support, the law went from introduction into final passage in less than a month.

Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Council, said during a press conference call that there was an overwhelming response to the president’s call to service on Martin Luther King Day. Instead of the usual 5,000 projects taking place on that day, there were over 13,000 projects nationwide, resulting in the largest turn out in 14 years.

“During the course of the campaign, the president talked about [how] government can’t be the solution to all of our problems,” says Barnes. “We have to work together and empower Americans to work alongside the government to solve our education, health care, and energy problems and challenges.”

The law will help to triple the number of volunteers in the AmeriCorps program from 75,000 to 250,000 by 2017.

“AmeriCorps programs provide the infrastructure for volunteers,” says Stephen Goldsmith, vice chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “The bill strengthens a program called ‘Summer of Service’ providing opportunities for middle-and high school students to serve, increases social innovation funds, streamline grantees, and support more non-profits.”

 

I received as much as I gave

Although I’m not an AmeriCorps member, I do agree with the president’s belief of “willingness”. I think people must possess a willing attitude in order to make real change in their own lives and communities. I believe service can be transformative not only for those you serve but also yourself. I remember my second year in college, when I decided to volunteer at a non-profit called SisterTime in Atlanta, an organization providing social and educational services for women living with HIV/AIDS. As months progressed, I remember feeling empowered to help these women in the smallest ways possible. In fact, my volunteer experience at SisterTime, encouraged me to volunteer a few years later in 2007 at another AIDS organization called Keep A Child Alive and travel back to South Africa with the founder to work and assist AIDS orphans.

Just recently, my urge to volunteer has resurfaced again. I’ve started to reflect on how my earlier service impacted others but also how it helped me not to focus on myself. With the encouragement of a dear friend, I decided on Monday to sign up with New York Cares, a non-profit mobilizing New Yorkers in volunteer services. My goal is to help fight illiteracy. As a child, I had trouble learning how to read. Without the help of tutors and dedicated teachers, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My hope is to encourage children to become better readers as I was once encouraged.

I believe we all, in our small ways, have the power to impact others around us to strengthen our communities and help to realize the president’s vision of a stronger nation.

Annya M. Lott is the Careers Editor of Black Enterprise