UNITED WAY SOUTH AFRICA VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. www.unitedway.org.za United Way South Africa
UNITED WAY SOUTH AFRICA The LIVE UNITED movement is about advancing the common good in our communities. United Way South Africa (UWSA) is committed to creating lasting, positive change to improve lives in our country. Our focus is on education, income stability and health - the building blocks for a good quality of life. Volunteering through UWSA is a great way to give back. Whether you have an hour or an afternoon, we provide you with a quality experience that improves lives. UWSA is partnering with Better SA, a local non-profit organisation, to design and implement our volunteer offerings. EMPLOYEE TEAMS UWSA connects employee teams to meaningful volunteer experiences that impact lives within our focus areas. Whether it s a one-day activity or quarterly teambuilding projects, we can assist you through the entire process. INDIVIDUALS Once your employees volunteer as a team, many will be inspired to do more as individual volunteers. There are several opportunities for individuals to remain connected throughout the year. For more information, browse the pages of this toolkit or contact us at volunteer@unitedway.org.za
UNITED WAY SOUTH AFRICA SNAPSHOT VISION UWSA envisions a nation where all individuals and families achieve their potential through education, income stability and healthy lives. MISSION UWSA mobilises the caring power of communities around the nation to advance the common good. EDUCATION-YOUTH SUCCESS UWSA is committed to increasing the knowledge, skills and experiences of disadvantaged youth. Our interventions include teacher training, after-school and holiday tuition, matric rewrite opportunities, apprenticeships and learnerships, and scarce and soft-skills training. INCOME-ECONOMIC MOBILITY UWSA connects disadvantaged unemployed South Africans to sustainable economic opportunities. Our programmes focus on job readiness, entrepreneur & small business development, business incubation, access to markets and employment opportunities for unemployed and under-employed youth. HEALTH-PEOPLE S WELL-BEING UWSA works with partners to improve on people s health literacy, increase access to primary health care and support healthy lifestyles for disadvantaged South Africans.
CORPORATE VOLUNTEERISM: WHAT DOES VOLUNTEERISM DO FOR YOUR COMPANY? BUILD YOUR TEAM: Engaging current and prospective employees in a community partnership strengthens talent retention, boosts morale, and provides staff development opportunities. BUILD YOUR BUSINESS: Community involvement helps you reach a broader audience. You can see increased sales and improved client relationships. BUILD YOUR BRAND REPUTATION: Community focus strengthens you as an industry and community leader with stakeholders, employees and customers. By partnering with UWSA you will maximise the points on your BBBEE scorecard. Our Impact and Volunteer programmes are aligned to the Enterprise, Supplier and Skills Development areas of the BBBEE codes. THE PROCESS 1 2 3 To organise an activity for your team, email volunteer@unitedway.org.za. Each request is handled individually; please allow us 2-4 weeks to develop your project. Our Volunteerism Department will coordinate with you and the appropriate partner or program staff to identify and develop an opportunity for you. Once you have selected and approved an activity, we will assign a UWSA Project Leader to manage your project and ensure it exceeds expectations.
HANDS-ON VOLUNTEERISM Get out into the community and participate in signature volunteer opportunities listed below, or work with us to create your own. These are ideal for corporate teams, community groups, individuals and families. EDUCATIONAL GAMES & READING CLUB Bring a book to donate and spend some time reading to children, and/or play educational games designed to improve maths abilities or literacy skills. Time commitment: 1-3 hours HEALING WITH LOVE Play educational games with young children. These children have fallen behind in their education due to illness, being in hospital, or sick at home, and could really use your support, encouragement and friendship! Time commitment: 1-3 hours EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT Help the staff of Kids Paradise crèche in Olievenhoutbos with early childhood development activities. No experience needed, just bring your enthusiasm! Examples of activities include playing games, reading, and educational activities. Time commitment: 1-3 hours
PAINT A MURAL OR WALL Give a school or community centre a much-needed facelift, or uplift a creche in need with a bright and fun mural. No artistic talent required! Supplies will be included. Time commitment: 2-5 hours ASSIST THE ELDERLY Spend the morning or afternoon with residents at an old age home. Often, these individuals do not have many visitors and simply being there can boost their spirits. Paint nails, play cards, take a walk outdoors, or have a conversation. Time commitment: 1-3 hours ON-SITE VOLUNTEERISM LOOKING FOR IDEAS TO GET YOUR COLLEAGUES ENGAGED WITHOUT LEAVING THE OFFICE? These rewarding opportunities are convenient ways for groups to make a difference at any time of year. Groups can run collection drives for specific items and then meet to assemble them into kits, bags, etc. Drives can range in size, take place at the location of your choice, and revolve around your schedule. BABYBOX PROJECT Collect and/or buy baby clothing to contribute to BabyBox project. In this project, volunteers will put together boxes that double as cribs, filled with baby supplies and clothing. Boxes also include hand-written notes to new mothers; these boxes go to local mother support organisations and shelters.
ON-SITE VOLUNTEERISM AND DONOR DRIVES TEACHER SUPPLY PACKS Collect and/or buy school supplies to create teacher supply packs for teachers to use throughout the year to replace every day supplies in their classrooms and/or to give to learners as needed. The packs would include basic school supplies (scissors, glue sticks, pencils, erasers, etc.) sorted into sets of 20-50 per item for each teacher. BASICS FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL Hold a donation drive to collect NEW backpacks and school supplies and assemble back-to-school backpacks for learners. Volunteers would also be invited to the school to distribute the backpacks to the kids. HEALTHY SNACKS FOR LEARNERS Create Healthy Snack Bags to distribute to the learners. The snack bags can include (but are not limited to) bags decorated with inspirational words, healthy snacks, bottled water, pens and pencils, and encouraging notes. Groups can be creative on what they include in the snack bags. SLEEPING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS Using recycled materials and fabric, make sleeping bags for homeless beneficiaries in Johannesburg. This seemingly simple task makes a huge difference for people without warm beds to sleep at night. This event has been very popular, so be sure to check availability!
SKILLS-BASED VOLUNTEERISM THESE OPPORTUNITIES CONNECT VOLUNTEERS TO PROJECTS THAT USE THEIR PRIMARY BUSINESS SKILLS OR KNOWLEDGE. These rewarding opportunities are convenient ways for groups to make a difference at any time of year. Groups can run collection drives for specific items and then meet to assemble them into kits, bags, etc. Drives can range in size, take place at the location of your choice, and revolve around your schedule. POWER-HOUR OF CODING If your team has coding and computer skills, this is an excellent way to contribute your abilities and upskill youth. Spend an hour with youth at one of our partners teaching basic coding skills. This volunteer opportunity requires some preparation ahead of time. Time commitment: 2-4 hours CV & INTERVIEW SKILLS Work with youth as they practice interview skills and develop their CVs. This volunteer opportunity will involve some computer work. You can also teach basic computer skills at our Youth Centre partners. Time commitment: 2-4 hours
FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING & ONE ON ONE COUNSELING Your office s finance team can make a significant contribution to our community through this project. Host a financial literacy training workshop in Alexandra or Soweto. After the workshop, allow participants the opportunity for 1-on-1 coaching sessions with a financial professional. This event provides opportunities for longer-term commitment if your company is interested. Time commitment: 4-6 hours ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING Volunteer your time and skills to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses. Host a workshop, coach or mentor individuals. Speak to us about personalised opportunities. Time commitment: 4-6 hours
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 1. 2. 3. Submit your project request at least 2-4 weeks before your desired participation date. If you are planning a series of events or multiple projects, please allow 4-6 weeks for planning. Within your company, assign a team leader to be the point of contact for UWSA. This will ensure smooth and consistent communication. We will provide information including volunteer assignments, details about the project, what to wear, directions and parking if necessary. Please note: the budget for a volunteer activity will depend on the nature of the project. Team LIVE UNITED t-shirts can also be included as part of your volunteerism package. 4. Cancellations must be made at minimum five business days before the event. Those cancelled fewer than five business days in advance will incur a cancellation fee. To schedule an informational or planning session with our staff, please email volunteer@unitedway.org.za CONTACT US: Volunteer@unitedway.org.za Sponsorship opportunities are also available to provide food, drinks or other resources to help make these events successful. volunteer@unitedway.org.za +27 (011) 8065890 www.unitedway.org.za Deloitte Place, First Floor Building 5, The Woodlands, 20 Woodlands Drive, Woodmead, 2052, South Africa. P.O.Box 2303 Saxonwold 2132 Johannesburg, South Africa United Way South Africa