Category Archives: Service News

06.22.09
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Launching Today: YouTube’s Video Volunteers

Originally posted on today’s Idealist homepage blog by Julia Smith.

President Obama has asked everyone in the United States to heed the call of service – to pitch in and make their communities a better place. YouTube is stepping up to provide a very “21st century” way of doing just that: a new program called YouTube’s Video Volunteers.

The mission of YouTube’s Video Volunteers platform is to connect nonprofit organizations with skilled video makers who can help them broadcast their causes through video, reaching new audiences online and driving action around issues and projects that matter to them.

The Video Volunteers page shows video-related volunteer opportunities that have been posted to Allforgood.org (which includes listings from Idealist.org and VolunteerMatch). As a result, a YouTuber eager to help out might find a listing like this (“Afro Diaspora Music Video Website” in New York City) or this (“Promotional Video for the GO-Science Challenger Learning Center” in Greenville, NC).

Do you work at a nonprofit that needs help making a video? From now on, when you post a volunteer opportunity on Idealist, make sure to use the words Video Volunteer in your posting. That way, it will show up in the AllforGood feed – and as a result, on the YouTube Video Volunteers page.

To learn more, visit youtube.com/videovolunteers.

06.18.09
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Film Screenings at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service

Sargent Shriver, <br> an American Idealist

Sargent Shriver, an American Idealist

NCVS is next week in San Francisco, and will bring together thousands of volunteer and service leaders from around the country — and world.

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service (NCVS) is the world’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors. Co-convened by Points of Light Institute and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the annual event gives participants an opportunity to learn, connect and be inspired through a wide range of plenary sessions, workshops, special events, service projects, exhibits, specialized corporate tracks, and more. More than 4,000 attendees are expected to attend the 2009 conference, taking place June 22-24 in San Francisco.  

One thing I am getting really excited about — other than getting to see old friends and meet new people (you?) — is the mini-film festival taking place Tuesday afternoon from 4-6 pm.

Two films are showing at the conference as part of the Civic.Energy.Generation. Film Festival: Continue reading →

06.17.09
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New Podcast: A Pride Month Interview – Lesbian and Gay Perspectives in AmeriCorps and Peace Corps

June is Pride Month, so The New Service podcast from

Gay Pride 8-colors Flag by Stonewall Veteran Gilbert Baker

Gay Pride 8-colors Flag by Stonewall Veteran Gilbert Baker

Idealist.org is taking a closer look at the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals serving in Peace Corps and AmeriCorps.

Today’s guests are lesbian and gay former service corps participants:

  • Chad Jeremy, a former AmeriCorps NCCC corps member, currently a training specialist with AmeriCorps NCCC in Perry Point, MD. Chad is an officer with National Service GLOBE, an affinity group for LGBT folks involved with national service.
  • Kate Kuykendall, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (China, 1999-2001); currently a Public Continue reading →
06.17.09
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A Pride Month Interview: The First Known Transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Speaks Out

A Pride Month interview.

A recently-Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and the first known transgender person to serve, writes about his experiences—first on the website for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group (also known as the LGBT RPCVs), and now in an interview with my intern Sara Lozito and me.

The interview here is timed to appear on the same day as our podcast interview for Pride Month. The RPCV has chosen to remain anonymous for security purposes.

To give you a little background here are some excerpts from the LGBT RPCVs website:

My desire to become a Peace Corps volunteer stemmed from not only believing in the mission and goals of PC, but because I wanted to gain valuable international experience Continue reading →

06.17.09
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Pride Month Podcast Transcript

Gay Pride 8-colors Flag by Stonewall Veteran<br> Gilbert Baker

Gay Pride 8-colors Flag by Stonewall Veteran Gilbert Baker

Below is the transcript of our June podcast, “Lesbian and Gay Perspectives in AmeriCorps and Peace Corps.” Huge thanks to podcast intern Sara Lozito, an AmeriCorps member, for work in creating the transcript.

Amy: Welcome to the Idealist podcast. I’m Amy Potthast and this is the The New Service Podcast from Idealist.org – moving people from good intentions to action.

June is Pride Month, so The New Service podcast is taking a closer look at the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals serving in Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. The terms lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender are abbreviated throughout the show as LGBT or GLBT.

Today’s guests are lesbian and gay former service corps participants: Continue reading →