VOLUNDEER PARENT MEETING

September 2, 2008

Volundeer Hot Line  (832) 668-7380                  Email  volundeers@dpisd.org

Web site  http://www.dpisd.org/~volundeers/

 

Welcome to VOLUNDEERS, a service club open only to DPHS 9th graders!

 

What is the VOLUNDEER organization?

  • The Volundeer organization consists of 9th grade students who volunteer their time in a variety of non-profit settings throughout the community. 
  • Volundeers obtain valuable documented credit for the hours volunteered and can use this documentation on college scholarship and job applications. 
  • Volundeers is mainly an after-school and weekend activity; however, some activities will occur during school advisory periods.

 

What is the DPHS Community Service Program and how will this affect participation in Volundeers?

  • The DPHS Community Service Program is a new initiative to encourage students to volunteer their service throughout all four of their high school years. 
  • Students who complete 25 documented community service hours during each of their four high school years will receive a Community Service Honor Cord and be recognized at Graduation. 
  • Specific guidelines apply and you will receive a copy of these guidelines from South Campus.

 

How will the new DPHS Community Service Program affect the VOLUNDEER program?

  • Volundeers is currently being revamped to align with the guidelines of the DPHS Community Service Program
  • Whereas the DPHS Community Service Program credits only 25 hours per year, Volundeers has no credit hour maximum.
  • The first 25 hours earned as a Volundeer will count toward the new DPHS Community Service Program.   This will ensure that students can continue getting documented credit for their volunteer service as they transition to South Campus next year. 
  • Also, freshmen students who choose not to participate in Volundeers, but do choose to participate in the DPHS Community Service Program can, and all students will be held to the same guidelines.
  • Volundeer sponsors will no longer maintain monthly records of students’ hours.
  •  Students will be responsible for maintaining their Community Service Log Sheet and documenting the completed hours.  
  • Volundeers must submit a copy of their completed log  to the Volundeer sponsors by April 1, 2009.

 

What will the revamped VOLUNDEER program look like?

  • Volundeer service will mostly be centered in the community and during North Campus Advisory Periods. 
  • Because of changes in school start times (North Campus will dismiss later than elementary and junior high schools), Volundeers will no longer volunteer at elementary and junior high campuses.  
  • Volundeer sponsors will meet with Volundeers during advisory periods as needed to complete projects such as the Christmas Toy Drive, food drives, making goody bags for nursing homes, sorting clothes and school supplies for the North Campus Clothes Closet and more. 
  • In addition, Volundeers may have some group sponsored volunteer activities outside of school.  These may include a Christmas visit to a nursing home, and clean-up of a state park.

 

Where else can my student volunteer?

  • Community service is defined as:  to volunteer, aid or assist a non-profit organization in a particular district. 
  • We have many opportunities to volunteer in the community and Volundeers work in many Deer Park City sponsored events. 
  • We will post many community volunteer opportunities on the Volunteer Bulletin Board in the cafeteria.  Remember to check the bulletin board frequently!  
  • Additionally, students can find their own volunteer opportunities that meet our guidelines.
  •  If an opportunity is appropriate, we’d like to offer it to other Volundeers.

 

What are some of the Volundeer guidelines?

  • Students may not be paid for or benefit from any work.
  • Activities that are generally acceptable:  work at well known charities such the Salvation Army, Red Cross, or Habitat for Humanity, and work at non-profit hospitals, nursing homes, pet shelters, or soup kitchens.
  • Activities that generally are not approved:  babysitting, work for current or future teachers (since there may be other gain from doing this), working for a family member, a job that is usually a paid position (like babysitting), working at a family member’s place of employment.    
  • Volundeers may not count hours for Volundeers if the hours are also being counted for another activity or organization, like hours for Scouts, church confirmation, court ordered community service, etc. (Remember, volunteering is giving without getting something in return).
  • No volunteer hours will be awarded for volunteering time to a class that is in the student’s current school schedule.  For example, volunteer musicians for the school musicals, attending after school meetings for organizations of which you are a member, and etc. 
  • Simply being active in church is not considered volunteer service.  Playing an instrument in the church band, or being an altar boy/girl is not community service. 
  • Volunteer hours may not be earned by fundraising except for fundraising projects by non-profit organizations. 
  • Volunteer Service for family owned/operated businesses is not acceptable!
  • Volundeer sponsors have the right to question any documented hours that are not within the set get guidelines. 
  • April 1, 2009 is the end of the 2008-2009 Volundeer year.

 

How do you become a Volundeer?

  • Make a minimum donation to the DPISD food bank or North Campus school supply bank (there is a list of specific school supply items needed) and submit this with the application. 
  • Alternatively can submit their application and indicate on it that they have signed up to work 2 hours in the North Campus Clothes Closet.  (Sign-up times are available). 
  • For record keeping purposes, applications are not accepted without the donation or work sign-up.  That’s it!

 

General Information:

  • Volundeers has a recycling bin on the corner of 8th Street and Ivy.  Please use this often as we get the proceeds from this bin.
  • If parents have any ideas for volunteerism for the Volundeers, please email the details to   or call the Volundeer hotline.
  • Volundeer Hot Line 832-668-7380.  Please use this number to communicate with the sponsors; or you may email . 
  • If you call the clinic with Volundeer questions, your call will be re-directed to the Volundeer hotline.
  • Volundeers must remember at all times that they are representing their school.  Students must dress and act appropriately when working as a Volundeer. 
  • If a Volundeer signs up to work or attend an activity, he/she should show up.  If he/she can’t make it, then he/she must cancel with the contact person listed on the sign-up sheet. 

 

Welcome Committee

  • Students  can demonstrate their leadership in the Class of 2012 by being a part of the Welcome Committee. 
  • When new students enroll at DPHS—North, the welcome committee will ask the new student to eat lunch, show the new student around campus and generally make them feel welcome.
  •  Sign up on the Bulletin Board.

 

Volundeer Fundraisers

  • The sponsors and some of our new Volundeers sold T-shirts during registration to benefit Volundeers.
  • We will have a faculty/student dodge ball game in the Spring.  Proceeds from the dodge ball game generally go to a charity designated by Volundeers.
  • We may have other fundraisers during the school year if needed.

 

REWARD TRIP

  • In the past, Volundeers has had sufficient funding to take approximately 50 Volundeers on a reward trip in the spring. 
  • Trips have included Astros games and Schlitterbahn. 
  • If a trip is offered this year, criteria for selection will include:  hours volunteered, participation in group activities and fundraisers, and sponsor recommendations.

 

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Two Volundeers of 2004-2005 (Seniors of 2008) were awarded scholarships in May. 
  • If our fundraising continues to be successful, we will offer scholarships to Volundeers of 2008-2009 when you are Seniors in 2012.
  • The main criteria for the scholarship is continued “Volunteerism” throughout high school.
  • Volundeers  must participate in the Scholarship fundraisers as needed in order to apply for the scholarship.

 

We look forward to working with our Volundeers this school year.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please call the Volundeer Hotline at 832-668-7380.

 

VOLUNDEER SPONSORS:

Josy Diaz De Leon

Lisa Edmoundson

Lynn Ledbetter           

Nancy Osterberg                                    

Susan Parastar                                        

                           

             

                           

 
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