Subject: News from Volunteer Northwest Mississippi

VOLUNTEER NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI
An Initiative of the
Community Foundation of
Northwest Mississippi
"Connecting People Who Care With
Causes That Matter"
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March 2009
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Vol 1, Issue 4
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Volunteer
Northwest
Mississippi
Newsletter
Your Regional
Volunteer
Resource Center
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Dear Shulanda,
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February marked the two
year celebration of
Volunteer Northwest
Mississippi. Thank you
for allowing us to serve
your community. Please
continue to utilize our
resources and help
connect others that
might benefit.
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VOLUNTEER NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI CELEBRATES
2ND BIRTHDAY
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pictured
(standing from
left) Jeana
Bailey of the
Red Cross of
Mid-South, Livia
Harris with the
Department of
Human Services,
(seated)
Shulanda
Johnson,
Coordinator of
Volunteer
Northwest
Mississippi and
Joyce Haslip
with the City of
Olive Branch
 Volunteer
Northwest
Mississippi (VNM)
Advisory Council
members celebrated
the second birthday
of the volunteer
center. Established
in 2007 under the
umbrella of the
Community Foundation
of Northwest
Mississippi, this
first-ever regional
volunteer center for
northwest
Mississippi has made
an impact in the
area of recruiting
volunteers and
assisting
nonprofits. VNM is
part of the
Mississippi
Commission for
Volunteer Service
and HandsOn Network
generated by the
Points of Light
Institute. VNM
would not exist
today if not for the
support of its many
donors:
Entergy, United Way
of the Mid-South
Venture Fund, United
Way of the Mid-South
(Tunica and Tate
Counties), Town of
Walls, City of Olive
Branch, City of
Hernando, City of
Horn Lake, City of
Southaven, DeSoto
County Board of
Supervisors, and
Wal-Mart Foundation
(Hernando Wal-Mart).
To learn more about
Volunteer Northwest
Mississippi, click
here.
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TIPS FOR DISASTER
PREPAREDNESS
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Disaster can strike
at any moment. It
is better to ask the
question, "Am I
disaster prepared?"
before it happens
than in the
aftermath. There is
no 100 percent proof
way to prepare, but
every plan of action
will definitely
assist you and your
family through what
could be a very
dramatic
transitional
period.
TIP ALERT- A
CHILD
IDENTIFICATION
CARD
This card will
help authorities
or other adults
locate you if
you are
separated from
your children.
Parents should
ensure that the
card contains
updated
information
(picture,
address, phone
numbers, medical
alerts, etc...)
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Trainings for
Mississippi Nonprofits
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Excellence in Action:
The East Mississippi
Conference for
Nonprofits
Thursday, March 5th
8:00 AM - 2:30 PM
$65 Member Rate; $85
Non-member Rate
(Ends February 27th)
Onsite: $79 Member;
$99 Non-Member
MERIDIAN
Speed Networking for
Nonprofits
March 10, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
FREE- Register now due
to limit
seating!
GULFPORT
Nonprofit Day at the
Capitol
Wednesday, March 18
7:30 a.m. to
12:00 p.m.
MS State Capitol
400 High Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Creating Your Marketing
Plan
Presented by: Marvin O.
Smith, President of Drum
Major Marketing, Inc
Thursday, March
19
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
$35 members; $75
non-members; Free -
MDLEY Sub-grantees
Center for Community and
Economic Development
1417 College Street
Cleveland, MS 38733
For more information
about these trainings,
please visit the
Mississippi Center for
Nonprofits.
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BLURBS...
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Free Tax File Program
The Free File
Alliance (FFA) is
offering free tax
assistance for more
taxpayers. You can
prepare and e-file your
Federal returns for Free
if ONE of the following
applies to you: 1) You
earned an adjusted gross
income (AGI) of $30,000
or less in 2008; 2) You
are eligible to claim
the Earned Income Tax
Credit (EITC); or 3) You
were Active Duty
Military in 2008
(including Reservists
and National Guard) and
had an adjusted gross
income of $56,000 or
less. Mississippi
residents may also
qualify for free filing
of State returns. For
more information, please
visit
www.freefilealliance.org
or to use Free File to
e-file your taxes, visit
www.irs.gov and
click on the Free File
logo on the left.
Information Alert
for Nonprofits
The Social
Services
Coalition
established
through the Horn
Lake Chamber of
Commerce is open
to all
non-profits in
the DeSoto
County area
including those
in surrounding
counties. The
group meets
monthly to
network and
share ideas on
how they can
more efficiently
and effectively
service their
clients. The
meetings are
held on the 4th
Thursday of each
month at 9 a.m.
in the Horn Lake
Chamber
Conference
Room. Your
organizations is
invited to
attend. It is
time well
spent! For
more information
call Larry
Witherspoon,
Executive
Director of the
Horn Lake
Chamber at
662.393.9897.
DeSoto County
Business Expo
Mississippi
Southaven Chamber of
Commerce is hosting
a business expo on
April 9th from 10
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The expo will be
held at the DeSoto
Civic Center. For
more information,
please contact the
Commerce office at
662.342.6114 or
visit
www.southavenchamber.com
21st Annual Global
Youth Service Day
Volunteer
Northwest
Mississippi will
once again serve as
a lead agency for
Global Youth Service
Day (GYSD). The
reserved dates are
April 24-26. This
year's project
includes a Can Food
Drive competition
beginning April 1-17
and a Canned
Structure
competition. This
fun, community
service project is a
great way to involve
youth in
service-learning.
All high schools in
DeSoto county are
invited and
encouraged to join
this day of
service. For more
information, please
contact Shulanda
Johnson at
662.449.5002 or
volunteer@cfnm.org.
Join Volunteer
Northwest
Mississippi Online
Connect with us via
Myspace or
Facebook. Just
add Volunteer
Northwest
Mississippi as a
friend! This is a
great way to become
a volunteer
recruiter!
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VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
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The Samaritans
The Samaritans
serve the people
of Horn Lake and
Southaven who
are disabled,
elderly and on
fixed income,
working/financial
challenged and
families whose
income are at or
below
Mississippi
guidelines for
poverty.
Volunteers are
needed to assist
with intake,
food pantry, and
office
assistant.
Hours of
operation are
Monday,
Wednesday,
Friday from
10:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. For
more
information,
please contact
662.393.6439
Faith Victory
Church-
Hernando,
Mississippi
Volunteers are
needed for
Project HOPE
(Helping Other
People Excel).
There will be
ongoing
community events
for the entire
family. For
more
information,
please contact
Lori Brown at
901.590.8141 or
lorimychelle@yahoo.com.
Faith Victory
Church office at
662.429.5370 or
www.faithvc.com.
Hernando/Nesbit
Food Pantry
Volunteers
are needed
to pack
grocery
relief bags
for needy
families and
individuals
in the
Hernando/Nesbit,
MS area once
a month.
Food pantry
operated on
Mon., Wed.,
and Fri.
afternoons.
No more than
two
volunteers
needed per
shift. May
take a
regular
shift or
sign up for
substitute
duty. For
more
information,
please
contact
Sister
Adelia
Milligan at
662-429-5789
or
amilligan@shsm.org.
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Please post your
volunteer
opportunities or
register to
1800Volunteer.org
or via email
volunteer@cfnm.org.
There are volunteers
ready to serve in
your communities.
Remember to start
brainstorming about
your individual,
nonprofit or
business needs and
stay on the alert
for your Volunteer
Center Resource
packet.
Sincerely,
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Shulanda Johnson
Volunteer Northwest
Mississippi
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