Nominations Now Open For The 41st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards

08/20/2024 |
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A version of this press release was originally posted here by the Office of the Texas Governor.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 41st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards. Administered by the OneStar Foundation, the Governor’s Volunteer Awards are an opportunity for the State of Texas to honor exemplary individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to improving their communities through outstanding service and volunteering.

“Texans recognize that the heart of our communities lies in the selfless acts of service rendered by countless volunteers,” said First Lady Cecilia Abbott. “Greg and I are inspired by the unwavering dedication and profound impact of organizations and individuals across the state who keep making a difference in the lives of so many Texans, and we are honored to recognize them through the Governor’s Volunteer Awards. The work of all Texas volunteers inspires us all to build a better, brighter future through one act of kindness at a time.”

“As we embark on the 41st Governor’s Volunteer Awards in partnership with the Governor and First Lady of Texas, we will continue shining a spotlight on individuals and organizations whose commitment to service illuminates the resilience and compassion that is the essence of Texas,” said OneStar President and CEO Chris Bugbee.

Nominations are open in nine categories:

  • Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award
  • First Lady’s Rising Star Award
  • Volunteer of the Year Award
  • Volunteer Family of the Year Award
  • Community Champion Award
  • Education Champion Award
  • Corporate Champion Award
  • Rebuild Texas Disaster Impact Award
  • AmeriCorps Legacy of Service Award

To submit a nomination and view detailed descriptions and criteria for each award category, visit onestarfoundation.org/governors-volunteer-awards.

Nominations will close on Monday, September 30, 2024. Awardees will be honored during National Volunteer Month in April 2025 at the Governor’s Mansion during an awards ceremony hosted by First Lady Abbott, Honorary Chair of the Governor’s Volunteer Awards.

 

 

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About OneStar

OneStar strengthens Texas communities by creating pathways for individuals and organizations to engage, connect and accelerate their impact. We advance service and volunteering as effective solutions to our state’s toughest social challenges. We are recognized as a statewide voice for the Texas nonprofit sector and a respected partner to foundations, state agencies and the business community. Born from state government in 1974, we carry out our mission with direction and guidance from the Office of the Texas Governor. Learn more at onestarfoundation.org.

Nominations Now Open for the 40th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards

08/08/2023 |
Download as PDF

A version of this press release was originally posted here by the Office of the Texas Governor.

Governor’s Volunteer Awards commemorate 40 years of recognizing those who have made a difference through service across Texas

AUSTIN — Nominations are now open for the 40th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards. Administered by OneStar Foundation, the Governor’s Volunteer Awards are an opportunity for the State of Texas to honor those who have made a significant and measurable difference in their communities through exemplary service and volunteering.

“As we celebrate 40 years of honoring exceptional volunteers, Greg and I are immensely proud of the profound impact they have had on inspiring generations of Texans, illuminating the path of selfless service, and igniting a brighter future for all,” said First Lady Cecilia Abbott.

“We are honored to partner with the Governor and First Lady of Texas to recognize individuals and organizations that are making a profound difference in their communities,” said Chris Bugbee, OneStar President and CEO. “Through the Governor’s Volunteer Awards, we hope to inspire all Texans to consider how they can make a difference through service.”

Nominations are open in nine categories:

  • Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award
  • First Lady’s Rising Star Award
  • Volunteer of the Year Award
  • Volunteer Family of the Year Award
  • Community Champion Award
  • Education Champion Award
  • Corporate Champion Award
  • Rebuild Texas Disaster Impact Award
  • AmeriCorps Legacy of Service Award

For descriptions of the award categories and to nominate an individual or organization, visit:
onestarfoundation.org/governors-volunteer-awards

Nominations will close on Friday, September 22, 2023. Awardees will be honored during National Volunteer Week in April 2024 at the Governor’s Mansion, hosted by Honorary Chair of the Governor’s Volunteer Awards, First Lady Abbott.

 

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About OneStar

OneStar strengthens Texas communities by creating pathways for individuals and organizations to engage, connect and accelerate their impact. We advance service and volunteering as effective solutions to our state’s toughest social challenges. We are recognized as a statewide voice for the Texas nonprofit sector and a respected partner to foundations, state agencies and the business community. Born from state government in 1974, we carry out our mission with direction and guidance from the Office of the Texas Governor. Learn more at onestarfoundation.org

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OneStar | Texas Rural Nonprofit Network

Join the Texas Rural Nonprofit Network

08/04/2022 |
Rural nonprofits across Texas are invited to become part of the 2022-2023 Texas Rural Nonprofit Network. The Network was established to foster networking, collaboration, volunteer management development, and resource sharing among nonprofits engaging volunteers to support thriving rural communities. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, August 31.
Apply

Benefits

OneStar has partnered with Resilia, a social impact technology organization, to give 25 nonprofits access to their exclusive online platform. Resilia offers technology and 1:1 coaching to support effectiveness, creativity, and workflow in nonprofits across the country. Texas Rural Nonprofit Network services will be centered on providing hands-on resources for nonprofits serving rural communities, and to strengthen their volunteer recruitment and engagement strategies.

Network members will have access to a suite of on-demand tools and resources to support organizational growth and impact, which include:

  • Curated resources that support development in storytelling, fundraising, volunteer management, compliance, and much more
  • Unlimited 1:1 consultation with nonprofit coaches on core nonprofit functions
  • Peer-to-peer learning experience that includes workshops for network development and collaboration
  • Tools to capture program outputs, outcomes, and impact narratives
  • 40+ downloadable and customizable templates spanning sample fundraiser plans, elevator pitch, bylaws, and strategic plans
  • Grants database of 60,000 grantmakers and thousands of grant awards to support diversifying funds and increasing mission impact.

Selected nonprofits can invite unlimited users from their organization to access all these services from September 2022 to July 2023.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Texas Rural Nonprofit Network, organizations must complete the application no later than Wednesday, August 31, 2022, and:

  • Operate in a rural* area and/or serve a rural community
  • Be designated as a 501(c)(3) organization
  • Recruit and engage volunteers (or plan to utilize volunteers)

Primary consideration will be given to applicants presenting needs that, if solved, will significantly increase organizational capacity and/or directly impact their mission. Priority will also be given to organizations that are at least 50 miles outside of the geographic footprint of a volunteer center and have an operating budget under $500,000.

Organizations selected to participate in the Texas Rural Nonprofit Network will be notified by Monday, September 12, 2022. The program will officially launch in September 2022.

Apply

For additional information or questions, please submit all inquiries to volunteer@onestarfoundation.org or call 512-287-2007.

*OneStar uses rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes to classify program addresses as either rural or urban for analytic purposes. RUCA codes classify U.S. census tracts using measures of population density, urbanization, and daily commuting. Census tracts with an urban cluster population of less than 50,000 are considered rural (RUCA codes 4-10). Applicants can designate themselves as serving rural communities if some or all service locations are in rural areas as defined by RUCA codes or if the program can provide other compelling evidence that the program is rural in the narrative portion of the application. This self-designation will be considered in membership selection decisions. For more information about RUCA codes, please visit the USDA website.

Celebrating the recipients of the 2020 & 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Awards

04/20/2022 |

To commemorate National Volunteer Week and Global Volunteer Month, OneStar was delighted to honor past recipients of the Governor’s Volunteers Awards with a special reception hosted by Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott at the Texas Governor’s Mansion on April 19.

Due to COVID-19 public health concerns, awardees from 2020 and 2021 were recognized in online Zoom-based ceremonies. After two years of virtual recognition, we appreciated the opportunity to physically gather with our inspiring awardees and celebrate their extraordinary achievements in person. Our thanks to Mrs. Abbott and Texas Governor Greg Abbott for their continued support of volunteerism in Texas! View photos from the event here.

Governor’s Volunteer Awards honor the exemplary service & volunteerism of individuals & organizations making a significant impact in communities across Texas. Our most recent winners in particular have exhibited an enduring commitment to service in extraordinary circumstances and rose to the challenge of meeting exceptional community needs. We extend our gratitude and congratulations to these inspiring award recipients!

“Our award winners are the people that take action in your communities when you are needed most, with many of you serving despite the challenges of the pandemic,” said Chris Bugbee, OneStar President & CEO. “You truly are incredible, and your personal volunteerism, or the programs you run that harness other volunteers – your stories are helping us to inspire others to get back out there to volunteer and serve.”

Do you know volunteers who deserve statewide recognition for their exemplary service to Texas communities? We are now accepting nominations for the 39th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards!

Governor's Volunteer Awards Reception Celebrating 2020 & 2021 Award Recipients

Words Matter, Actions Matter. Serve on MLK Day 2022.

01/10/2022 |

The 2022 MLK Day of Service is almost here – and Texans across the state are rolling up their sleeves in service. Are you ready to get out and serve?

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make our communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed The Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.

Making time to volunteer for MLK Day of Service is a great way to engage with your community while honoring the legacy of Dr. King. Whether you plan on cleaning up a public space, mentoring a young person or engaging dialogue to explore ways to address inequity, foster inclusion and improve access, honor Dr. King’s legacy through service.

Looking for a way to participate?

While much work remains to fulfill Dr. King’s dream of a Beloved Community, service can help unify Americans of different backgrounds and experiences. Through service we can build more equitable and just communities to underpin racial equity, expand civic opportunities, and foster respect for individual differences.

How will you step forward and serve this MLK Day?

Texas insurance company builds a culture of service through employee involvement | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/20/2021 |

Texas Mutual was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

On a mission to build a stronger, safer Texas, Texas Mutual has a culture of service spurred by team members who are dedicated to making our state a better place to live and work.

“We are the largest provider of workers compensation insurance in the state of Texas. We have about 40% of the market, insure 70,000 businesses, and they employ about a million and a half workers. The overall strength and safety of Texas is really, really important to us,” said Jeremiah Bentley, Vice President of Marketing & Community Affairs at Texas Mutual.

In 2019, 473 Texas Mutual employees volunteered an impressive 5,300 hours for 103 nonprofit organizations across the state. The depth of Texas Mutual’s engagement can be seen in their longstanding partnership with the Central Texas Food Bank. In addition to providing nearly 550 hours of volunteer support to the organization, they also used their business expertise to revamp pantry distribution logistics and operations to better serve families in need.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year, Texas Mutual remained committed to strengthening communities and found ways to continue serving safely. For example, the company purchased meals from local struggling restaurants and had them delivered to families at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Employees also wrote letters of encouragement to dedicated 211 call center representatives and hosted virtual reading sessions with students to promote literacy.

“Sometimes you just have to get creative. If you’re not able to help one way, you can help in another way,” Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah shared with OneStar his approach to corporate volunteering and talked about the impact companies can have on the community.

How do you build a culture of service within your company?

Our tagline is that we’re looking to build a stronger, safer Texas. We do that through what we do everyday in our jobs, we do that through our philanthropy and grants, and then we also do that through volunteers. It has always been part of our culture to give back and to strengthen our communities. 

Look at yourself, look at your mission, and look at the causes that align with who you are and what you stand for. Look at the unique skills that you and your employees can bring to the table, and then talk to employees and see where they’re already engaged. A lot of times, you find that you’ve got a group of employees who are doing things that honestly already aligns with who you are and what we do. We had people working with the food bank for a long time before we figured out that beyond just these shifts, there was more that we could do. Ask people, and you’ll find that there’s probably something out there that makes sense for you as an organization.

What unique value does your company bring to volunteering?

We’ve got lots of activities we do, but where we can, we want to bring our unique abilities to bear in volunteerism. As an organization, you need to know your strengths, so we looked at what are the things that we that we can uniquely provide to help out a nonprofit? At first, we thought, “We’re all just spreadsheet jockeys一maybe we don’t have unique talent.” But we dug deeper and thought about the core of what we do in different parts of the company, and it became evident that we do have skills to contribute to these causes beyond working a shift.

The Greater Houston Partnership was developing communities of practice around workforce development—talking to companies first to find out what they need and developing programs around that. That’s the way we work at Texas Mutual: we look at our customers, center what we do, and develop products and services based on that. We’ve got a bunch of project managers who are really good at logistics, so we actually loaned out some of our project management people to them.

We did it on the marketing side too. We had a really strong relationship with Workforce Solutions Capital Area and developed a campaign called Trade Up Texas, which was about connecting 18- to 25-year-olds with job skills. How do you let young people know that you can make a lot of money in construction and plumbing and trades, and that it is a real career path with an opportunity to create wealth? We provided our services pro bono to help solve that problem as a marketing problem while also meeting a real community need.

What makes an effective corporate volunteer program?

The most important thing is to involve employees in designing the program. Don’t just pick your favorite charity and expect the kind of engagement you might have if you’d talked to people and listened to the voices of the folks who are actually doing the volunteering. Make sure that whatever you’re doing is something that they find meaningful.

We’ve got a volunteer committee in each office with different levels of employees who have their ear to the ground on what it is that people really want to do and how you engage people. It’s human behavior: people are going to buy in more if they feel involved in the process and feel like their voice is heard, so we work really hard to do that. Let’s talk to people about what they want, and how we can connect what they want to do to who we are and build our program that way. We have to facilitate that. It’s a fine line to provide some direction and guidance while still being encouraging.

What are the benefits of corporate volunteering?

The number one benefit that we get out of it is employee recruiting and retention. We’ve been really intentional about talking more about the things we’re doing in the community and talking about volunteerism. We’ve heard more applicants who say, “I know who you guys are because I saw on Facebook all the good work y’all are doing.” It helps us attract the types of employees who are committed to that. Italso helps give employees meaning to their work. If you’re a programmer or an accountant, you don’t see every day the results of your work in the way that someone who is actually out in the field interacting with clients does. Volunteering can help them do that. 

There’s also a developing consumer demand. There is a lot of research around younger buyers all the way across the board, from consumer products to business services, who want to buy from companies whose values align with theirs. People sometimes feel like it’s bragging to talk about it, but it’s really just letting the public know your story. The more you can let the public know who you are in an authentic way一who the people are and not necessarily just the brand一the better off you’ll be. There is a price premium people are willing to pay for companies that share their values, and I think it’s becoming more and more important and will continue to be over time. For us, it’s particularly important because we’re only in Texas, and we only sell work comp, so we want to be known as a company that’s here based in Texas taking care of all Texans across the board, because that’s how we’re all gonna succeed together.

Good Samaritan pastor builds partnerships to help families on the road to self-sufficiency | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/13/2021 |

Blake Jennings was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

Pastor Blake Jennings noticed a need in 2015 when multiple single mothers in his College Station congregation came to him with vehicle problems. Blake and his wife Julie created a nonprofit called OnRamp that provides reliable transportation to people in need, setting them on the path to self-sufficiency and enabling them to care better for their families.

“We noticed that in the Brazos Valley, folks who lack reliable transportation end up struggling in a lot of ways. They have a difficult time getting and holding down employment. They have a difficult time getting themselves and their kids to education opportunities, to health care opportunities, to other services within the community. A lack of reliable transportation can be something that traps families in poverty for a long period of time,” Blake explained. “We saw that in our community and wanted to do something about it, so what OnRamp does is partner with other charities, school districts, healthcare providers, churches, and places of faith to identify individuals and families who are struggling towards self-sufficiency, but who lack reliable transportation, and we gift to them a reliable vehicle along with the first full year of repairs and maintenance.”

OnRamp’s impact has been substantial, donating 72 vehicles to date, and repairing approximately 30 more. OnRamp actively engages volunteers in both vehicle repair and client care and partners with more than two dozen local businesses and charitable organizations. Most recently, they gifted a single mother of four boys a Honda Odyssey minivan. One week later, one of her young sons was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and the doctor’s immediate response was to send him to a specialist for treatment in Houston—an appointment that would have impossible to make without reliable transportation.

Blake spoke with OneStar about his volunteer journey and his motivations for serving others.

What inspires you to volunteer?

Being a pastor and coming from a faith-based background, so often we talk about the parable of the Good Samaritan, where you have a person coming to the aid of somebody who has been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, or you have verses about somebody who has no food or clothing showing up to your door, and you help them. After preaching that for so many years, I realized no one is coming to my door and knocking on it, and I don’t drive down my neighborhood street and see a guy who has been beaten and abandoned. I know that happens in the world, but it is so easy to never see that in a suburban community in Texas. What motivated me was this feeling of I have to do something. There has to be people who are in that position. Maybe it’s not food that they need, but there have got to be some deep needs out there: people who have been abused or victimized that need help. I realized then that maybe the fact that I was an automotive engineer before I was a pastor wasn’t an accident—maybe there’s a reason that I have that background.

In our church, there was one single mom who brought me a car that she bought from a corner lot that was very shady. She had very limited funds and had poor credit rating, so she had to turn to a dealer who took incredible advantage of her. She has four kids, two of whom are struggling with disabilities, and she had no hope to get out of that. I realized that is my Good Samaritan moment: it’s through cars, and it is through helping people who been victimized or taken advantage of. This is my chance to live out the religion that I talk about. How do we put these beliefs into practice in suburban Texas? I think everybody has their particular gift that they are able to contribute to the community, and for me, it was through cars.

How do you build intentional community partnerships and inspire others to serve?

The primary way we rallied the community around the cause is to tell stories to make it tangible. Whether you’re talking about a person who might donate or a person who runs a business or a person who runs another charity that could partner with you, the human heart is driven by stories and by specific needs. It’s so easy for many of us to live our isolated lives in our suburban environment, but we don’t see the need. As long as we don’t see the need with our own eyes and it remains intangible, it is only an idea out there, and it’s very easy to ignore ideas. It’s very hard to ignore people and specific stories.

A big part of my role in leadership is to tell stories to people in ways that capture their hearts, so that they see how their unique set of skills and resources can make a tangible difference. I view myself as the networker. I’m the connector. When I’m speaking to people who are business owners in the automotive sector, a lot of them have a desire to contribute to their community, but how are they going to do that? I get to walk into your place of business and tell you a story that helps you to see how that radiator or that auto part that you’re going to offer us for a discount (or free) is going to make a tangible difference in the life of another person. If you can tell stories well in a way that resonates with the person’s heart and their skills and their resources, then people get excited. They’re enthusiastic because they wanted to make a difference and didn’t know how, so they jump up and want to get involved. The real work to be done is that inspiration that comes through telling stories, so people understand this is a tangible way in my community to make a measurable difference. That’s what leadership looks like for me.

What benefits has volunteer service had in your life?

Volunteering has given me an opportunity to put principles I believe into action. As long as we live a life where the principles we care about are never put into action, they never really transform us, and in a sense, we’re living a hypocritical and unfulfilling life. Finding an opportunity to take principles I believe deeply in and actually put them into practice allows me to see those principles become true and feel like my life is making a difference.

It has also been a source of a lot of hope. In the last four years, it just feels like there has been so much division and anger and disagreement in our world and in politics and in society that can be overwhelming, and it can induce anxiety and hopelessness and lead us to apathy. I find when I put away the news for a minute and go do this volunteering, it reminds me that there is hope. Even if I can’t fix things at a national level, for this lady that we gave a minivan to, what she cares about is that she can now take her son to get treatment for his condition. That’s what matters. It has given me great hope to feel like, in the midst of so much I can’t control, it’s okay because I have a place where I can actually contribute, and it makes a difference.

What advice would you give to someone to encourage them to volunteer?

What you will find is your hope and your peace in life will grow, and it will provide something for you that you can’t find anywhere else. For somebody who is asking, “Why should I volunteer?” I would ask, “How happy are you with your life right now? Do you feel completely fulfilled?”

Most people will say, “I feel anxious. I feel angry. I feel frustrated. I feel apathetic.” Whatever it is, there is a solution to all of that: go serve. If you go serve, you are benefiting the people you’re serving, but it is also benefiting you because it’s giving you hope, and it’s giving you meaning that will help counterbalance all of those things that worry you and frustrate you and anger you. It gives you a reason to wake up in the morning. It gives you a hope that your life is contributing in some meaningful way. I think that most people who are self-aware are going to realize that if they’re not volunteering, there’s something missing, and it’s leading to a life that is just a fraction of what it could be.

Volunteers sustain crime prevention nonprofit during a complicated year | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/12/2021 |

Crime Stoppers of Houston was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

The past year has been a challenging one for Crime Stoppers of Houston, which is leading Texas and the U.S. with innovative crime prevention programming to keep our communities safe. Established in the early 1980s as a Tip Line Program, Crime Stoppers is committed to solving and preventing crimes and now offers robust public safety and victim advocacy programs. Each year, the nonprofit reaches more than 5 million community members, educates over a million students, and provides crisis services and support to hundreds of victims and survivors. Through the power of volunteers, they also advocate for enhanced victim’s rights and public safety through peer support, legal advocacy, parole board hearings, support group meetings, and annual events.

“It was the most complicated year. I’ve never seen a year like 2020,” said Rania Mankarious, CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston. “We started the year sounding the alarm on felony bond reform. We went straight from that into COVID and everything COVID meant for our kids in schools. We knew that family violence would go up, we knew animal abuse would go up, we knew child abuse would go up, we knew certain types of crimes would peak—especially around mental health and addiction. We went straight from navigating all of that into the killing of George Floyd that summer and everything that meant to the defund police movement.”

In the midst of these challenges, Rania said that volunteers have been “angels that are sent to keep nonprofits going with time, talent, treasures, in addition to research, outreach, and ideas.” Rania shared with OneStar the many ways that volunteers have made an impact in their organization.

What are innovative ways that Crime Stoppers of Houston has leveraged volunteers in the past year?

We are a small team. We have a staff of thirteen people that serve a city and county of 6 million people and ultimately reach the entire state of Texas and beyond. It was our volunteers that rose up. It was the board, it was our Young Professionals Group, it was our Leading Women for Public Safety, it was survivor leaders, it was experts in the field. They said, “We’re coming to the table. We’re going to join you in conversations. We’re going to join you in important questions. We’re going to join you in outreach, and we’re going to make sure that this message gets out.” When you think of all the issues that stemmed out of 2020, a lot of them involved information: information on COVID, information on crime, information on George Floyd, information on the relationship between police and communities. We needed help to get that information out.

We put together bits and pieces of this entire formula of women, young professionals, young kids, board members, business partners, community partners to create unique programming that was really specialized throughout the year. It’s just been incredible. The community and the volunteers have breathed life into so many of the programs we seek to push out every day.

What value do volunteers provide to your organization?

Our volunteers create a platform for us to increase our messaging. They provide research for us when we can’t research everything that’s coming in, and they give us ideas of new issues. They help us provide media stories when media needs our input but also want to hear from people in the community. If it wasn’t for our volunteers, there would be many communities in the Houston-Harris County area and across the state that we would not be able to reach. Our volunteers bring Crime Stoppers into corners and nooks of the city and county that there is literally no way for our team to reach. They’ve listened, they sit in on meetings, they help us craft messaging, they look at different demographics, and they fill in major gaps for us.

Following George Floyd’s killing, it was hard running a public safety nonprofit whose primary partner is law enforcement. We respect law enforcement with everything we have, yet we had to have very difficult conversations. There were volunteers within the law enforcement community that spent so much time with me. I’d say, “My gosh, I feel like some of these conversations are inherently disrespectful.” And they would say, “No, it’s OK to have these conversations, and here’s why: some of the history that is being brought up is fabricated but some of it’s not. Some of it is very deeply true—and we need to talk about it.” I spent so much time listening to volunteers within the law enforcement community, oftentimes being led literally to tears, but so thankful for their stories and for the fact that they said, “OK, so now what?” Now we continue to bridge the gap. We understand, so now let’s hold hands and come together. Those were some of the most moving, emotional, stretching, exhausting moments for me, and they will never, ever leave me. They were all at the hands of volunteers.

How does Crime Stoppers of Houston attract volunteers?

The key is making your mission relatable, and for most, that’s very easy to do. For us, it’s actually quite difficult. When you think of Crime Stoppers of Houston, the average person says, “That has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to be a tipster, and I’m not in an area where I’m watching crime. It doesn’t relate to me.” But we’re so much more than that Tip Line. Public safety is something every single one of us cares about. If you put a thousand people in the room, they will have a thousand different interests, hundreds of different languages, multiple different religions, orientations, dreams, and goals. But the thousand will agree that the health and the safety of themselves and their loved ones are among their top two or three concerns and priorities.

Public safety is something that we had to re-package: reminding people that we all care about it, that it is not a scary topic, and that actually it is quite empowering to understand how to take hold of public safety proactively. We don’t want to be reactive only after a crime is taken place. There are many things we can do right now to keep our kids safe, whether at school or online; to keep our business safe, no matter what climate we’re facing; to keep our neighborhoods and our home safe, our animals and the community safe, the elderly safe. There’s so much we can actively do.

How does Crime Stoppers of Houston retain its volunteers?

Keeping volunteers relies on making people feel valued. Volunteers don’t get paid for their time. Certainly it’s wonderful to put something like this on a resume, but that’s not enough to keep you coming back and volunteering at an event that helps us raise funds, or give out thousands of ID kits during a hot summer day, or research and share information that other people may not think is very popular. Volunteers have to feel appreciated. Once you’ve developed the connection and they understand the value of the message, they have to understand that we value them. It’s important to us that we constantly let them know. People want to get engaged and get their hands dirty, and it’s just wonderful for me to see huge groups—whether it’s individuals, corporate partners, or community groups—stopping and saying, “We’re going to do it. We’re going to use our employees and manpower to help you get a job done.”

Air Force veteran’s commitment to service extends beyond the military | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/09/2021 |

Brandy Baxter was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

For U.S. Air Force veteran Brandy Baxter, serving others is a way of life that extends beyond her career in the military. She has found many ways to remain involved in her community, but her greatest calling has been in serving her fellow women veterans.

“We recognized that women veterans in the Dallas area were coming home and looking and finding resources, but they were not finding connection. The military is very much built around connection and camaraderie and working together, and if you didn’t need resources but you just wanted a new community, there were very few places to go,” Brandy said. “We came together and said, ‘Let’s build an organization that focuses on connection.’”

Brandy has collaborated with nearly every veteran organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to increase awareness about the unique needs of women veterans. She uses her professional experience in personal finance to host webinars and workshops for women veterans who may need assistance in managing their household income, and she has been a voice for women veterans as a frequent speaker on panels, podcasts, advocacy, and training events. Through her work with At Ease Texas, a nonprofit for women veterans by women veterans, Brandy was instrumental in bringing the Women Veteran Network program to Dallas and has created many networking opportunities for women veterans who want to connect with each other.

“My personal belief is a lot of the challenges that we are facing as a culture stem from self-centeredness versus other-centeredness,” said Brandy. “Volunteering allows you the opportunity to center someone else other than you. I think it’s healthy if we spend some time making others a priority. It influences our decisions because we’re more likely to make inclusive decisions when we have experiences from other people.”

Even when COVID-19 inhibited in-person events, Brandy continued to foster connection by serving on outdoor volunteer projects and hosting digital events in which participants wrote encouraging notes and assembled personalized care packages. As an added benefit, the online engagements allowed her to reach even more women veterans.  Brandy spoke with OneStar about how she cultivates a life of service.

How did you first get involved in service?

I always give credit to my grandparents. My grandfather had a garden in our backyard and would always share veggies with our neighbors. It felt like a community garden. My grandmother always had open arms: she would welcome anyone in the neighborhood to dinner. What I saw with my grandparents was this other-centeredness. It wasn’t about hoarding or being selfish—it was a very open environment. It impressed upon me to be grateful for what you have and to use what you have to help make someone else’s life better. We never know what that “better” is until we step into that space and offer what we can.

For me, volunteering started at a very early age. I remember in elementary school, I was a crossing guard. I have found myself involved because it is my way of impacting the world around me. It also comes out of a heart of gratitude for the little that I have—which still is a lot compared to someone who doesn’t even have that.

What motivates you to continue serving?

I’m inspired by a strong desire for change. Initially, volunteering for me was just a really neat way to give back. Now I feel volunteering is an opportunity to impact change. If something is bothering me—litter or trash, the way people are caring for their homes, or anything challenging in our society at large—I have found volunteering is a way to feel empowered to impact that change.

Here in our city, I volunteer on the local housing board, and it helps me to understand why affordable housing is important. I’m able to hear the stories firsthand of what people are experiencing. That shifts my perspective, so rather than pre-judging what I think is going on, I have a renewed respect for people who are living in tough situations. That’s one of the examples that keeps me going.

What benefit does volunteering provide to you?

Volunteering keeps me humble. My background is in personal finance, so I have seen both sides of the spectrum: clients who have affluence, and clients who have poverty. Volunteering helps me to never take anything for granted because you never know which end of the spectrum you’re going to be on with a turn of events.

Just think about COVID: all of those employees who could not go to work because their businesses or companies were cutting back. Those poor families were not expecting that. Volunteering reminds me to be grateful for all the things that you have because one decision can change the entire trajectory of your life. How do you want people to treat you? Do you want to be treated with respect and honor and recognition that you’re a human first? Every time I find myself in a situation where I’m able to provide for others, it just affirms for me that they are still people deserving of respect. Their circumstances are different, but you know what? Anything could change in your personal life that could also put you in a similar circumstance, so treat others the way you would want someone to treat you.

Why is it important for people to volunteer?

Volunteering is so much bigger than the task. It is so much broader than just picking up trash or reading to students or serving a meal. Really take the opportunity to allow volunteering to help you step into a world that someone else has to live in every single day. Hopefully that will influence the decisions that you make or the conversations that you have.

We often think of volunteering as homelessness or soup kitchens and shelters, but there are amazing organizations here locally and across the country that offer volunteering in so many areas. Whatever your area of interest is, I am certain you can find a way to volunteer. If you are troubled by something, I encourage you to volunteer so you can see the behind the scenes of what is going on in this situation. Volunteering gives you that insight.

Take Action on VolunteerTX

04/21/2021 |

While Texas communities have faced extraordinary challenges over the past year, we have also witnessed extraordinary kindness and compassion as Texans took action to support their neighbors. As we celebrate the impact of volunteer service this National Volunteer Week, we are excited to announce the launch of VolunteerTX, a website where you can connect with ways to give back in your community. VolunteerTX is our first statewide online hub for volunteering and lists more than 2,000 volunteer opportunities across Texas, so you can explore new causes and organizations that inspire you!

Here are few ways that VolunteerTX makes it easy for you to serve:

  • VolunteerTX allows you to filter volunteer opportunities by geography, issue area, skills/interests, commitment level, and more!
  • Volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic while adhering to public health guidelines has been a challenge, so nonprofits have adapted by developing ways for volunteers to serve remotely. But as vaccines are distributed and the risk of social activities decreases, you also may be interested in exploring opportunities to safely volunteer in-person. VolunteerTX provides a convenient way to find both remote and in-person opportunities appropriate for your comfort and risk level.
  • AmeriCorps brings people together in service—harnessing the passion and enthusiasm of everyday Texans to tackle some of our state’s toughest challenges with hands-on solutions. AmeriCorps members commit their time to serve long-term with nonprofits, government agencies, and faith-based & community organizations, while also receiving a stipend, education award, professional development opportunities, and other benefits. If you want to serve while also advancing your career, check out VolunteerTX for opportunities to serve with AmeriCorps in Texas.
Search for volunteer opportunities

VolunteerTX compiles volunteer opportunities from national organizations as well as local volunteer centers, including:

These organizations have built strong ties with nonprofits in their local community, and VolunteerTX amplifies their work and opens up their listings to new and diverse volunteers across the state. If you are interested in posting volunteer opportunities on VolunteerTX, contact us via the Become a Partner form found at the bottom of the VolunteerTX homepage. We can connect you with a current partner in your area or discuss how to become a volunteer center yourself.