A letter to the industries from HPBA Chairman, Steve Hall

In 2007, 60.8 million people volunteered 8.1 billion hours nationwide to help those in need.  Throughout my life I have made it a practice to reach out to those in need and offer to help in ways that I was able.  Not only do I believe that helping others is the right thing to do, but I believe that we get back, both personally and professionally, what we give to our local communities.  And, it's during these difficult economic times that it is especially important to lend a hand.

Locally, my wife, Nell, and I volunteer to make repairs at a home for unwed mothers and each holiday season, Fireside Distributors, Inc. staff donate items to Tubs of Love for homeless men, women, and children.  We also take a portion of our budget for our annual company Christmas party and make a cash donation to Cops for Kids, a local program in which police officers donate their time to take a child from a low-income family shopping for holiday gifts for their parents and siblings with those donated funds.

Those are examples of what you can do to brighten the life of someone less fortunate than you.  I have made it a goal to work with HPBA and its members to make charitable giving an integral part of the HPBA spirit.  I want to work with HPBA to mobilize our industries to create a focus and direction on service to our local communities and neighborhoods.  Just recently the HPBA staff volunteered with their local food bank to prepare packages for senior citizens and Mid-West HPBA member Norman Moss of Arnold Stove & Fireplace Center raised over $3,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by holding a "Barbecue Throwdown," grill demonstration and cooking class.

Whether you do a fundraiser, donate items you no longer need or use, or target specific interests such as the local food bank as HPBA staffers did, I can promise you that you will find it a rewarding experience.  Serving communities in need is now a permanent HPBA program and we will continue to actively encourage our members to do the same.

If you have a favorite charity or been involved in local community service, and have found it to be a rewarding experience, please share that information with your HPBA family.  Others may want to also support that organization or service activity.  If you are unsure of what organization you would like to get involved with or how to do so, scroll down to find a list of charitable organizations and their websites.  For ideas on how to help, click on Community Enrichment Suggestions.

I thank you for your service and your dedication to our industries.

Keep up the great work. 

Sincerely,

Steve Hall

HPBA Chairman

Volunteer Opportunity Search Resources

The following is a list of resources that can assist in finding available volunteer opportunities in your community and beyond.  (Please note that this list is for information purposes only and does not constitute a formal endorsement by HPBA.)

Volunteer Match  www.volunteermatch.org  Volunteer Match is a website that provides resources for individual, non-profit and corporate volunteers, including a search feature for finding opportunities in various locations throughout the United States.

Idealist  www.idealist.org  A site that provides multiple resources for exchanging ideas and getting involved, Idealist offers information on charitable giving, volunteering locally or in other communities nationally and internationally.

Craigslist  www.craigslist.org  A classifieds website with a section devoted to finding local volunteer and charitable giving opportunities.

Smart Volunteer  www.SmartVolunteer.org  An organization dedicated to connecting individuals to skills-based and general volunteering opportunities benefiting local communities and beyond. Virtual volunteering options listed as well.

Global Volunteers  www.GlobalVolunteers.org  This organization provides information on service opportunities in the United States and throughout the world.

Single Volunteers  www.SingleVolunteers.org  A national organization with chapters in cities across the U.S. that organizes group volunteer activities for singles of all ages.

Network for Good  www.NetworkforGood.org  A website geared toward adults and youth interested in locating a volunteer  or charitable giving opportunity, including crisis relief opportunities nationally and internationally.

Serve Net  www.servenet.org  A comprehensive website for finding service organizations, volunteer opportunities and other types of volunteer resources, including funding for service projects.

Youth Serve America  www.ysa.org  A site geared toward the youth in America that provides volunteer resources, grants, and training for youth and adults seeking to participate in service-learning projects.

Experience Corps  www.experiencecorps.org  An organization dedicated to matching retirees 55 and older with youth in their communities who are in need of a mentor or tutoring assistance.

Volunteers of America  www.VOA.org  With programs in 400 communities across the United States, Volunteers of America trains volunteers to work with some of the country's most vulnerable populations (e.g. at-risk youth, those recovering from addiction, the frail elderly).

The Volunteer Family  www.TheVolunteerFamily.org  An organization whose mission is to find volunteer opportunities for families as well as train organizations that seek to utilize families as volunteers.

Serve.gov  www.serve.gov  or www.volunteer.gov  A government-sponsored website calling for volunteerism and providing resources for finding volunteer activities or creating individual service projects.

Senior Corps  www.seniorcorps.gov  Part of the Corporation for National Community Service, the Senior Corps matches seniors 55 and over with volunteer organizations and volunteer needs based on their individual skill sets.

Volunteer Solutions  www.Volunteer.united-e-way.org  A website dedicated to assisting interested volunteers in finding volunteer opportunities in their communities.

1-800 Volunteer  www.1-800Volunteer.org  A website that searches for volunteer resources, opportunities and events in communities and cities in the United States.

Volunteer Abroad  www.VolunteerAbroad.com  Volunteer Abroad is dedicated to finding volunteer opportunities for individuals desirous of using their volunteer skill sets in regions outside of the United States.

Globe Aware  www.GlobeAware.org  Globe Aware is a non-profit organization that offers "volunteer vacations" to countries around the world.

Hands on Network  www.handsonnetwork.org  A website that searches for volunteer resources, opportunities and events in communities and cities in the United States.

Family Cares  www.familycares.org  A volunteer search and resource site for family volunteer activities.

Finding Volunteer Opportunities On Facebook and Twitter:  Search for "Volunteer + your city and/or state" for specific volunteer opportunities in your area.

Volunteer Organizations:

The following is a list of organizations that have volunteer opportunities available. This list is not exhaustive. Scroll over the name of the organization and click in order to go directly to a website of interest.