REDEEM Community Outreach
This year’s HandsOn Tech Atlanta team is having the privilege to work with a wide variety of excellent nonprofit organizations. One of those organizations is REDEEM Community Outreach Inc. Founded in August of 1993, REDEEM is a grassroots organization that focuses on improving the safety of their community, introducing residents to new skills, increasing community communication, and stimulating intergenerational involvement. REDEEM works to enhance existing community (R)esources, provide (E)ducational classes, concentrating on (D)eployment which results in (E)mployment and (E)mpowerment of local residents for vital (M)issions.
REDEEM strives to complete these goals and work toward their mission. However, they were having difficulty spreading the word about their ongoing projects and how others could get involved. These difficulties were due to their lack of a website. REDEEM did not have a centralized location where they could direct potential volunteers, contributors, and local community members. Without a website it was near impossible to successfully advertise and promote their organization and their aspirations.
Through their partnering with our HandsOn Tech team, REDEEM was able to come up with a solution to these issues. REDEEM was matched up with a qualified Skills Based Volunteer. This volunteer donated his time and knowledge to create a WordPress website for the nonprofit organization. The WordPress web hosting strategy is easy for busy nonprofits such as REDEEM to keep updated and make smaller design changes. Having previously not had a website before, REDEEM worked with the volunteer in generating, compiling, and uploading content to their new site. Another volunteer has stepped up and is working with REDEEM for upkeep and maintenance of the website.
REDEEM’s new web presence will help tell the organization’s story, generate donations and volunteer interest. They have already begun sharing their new web address with interested volunteers, potential donors, and community members. REDEEM is going to use their new website to further promote themselves though via person references to the website, sharing the web address with other local agencies, and Facebook integration. A banking institution has partnered with REDEEM to further facilitate donations through their website. REDEEM is grateful and appreciative of the work and support that HandsOn Tech and their Skills Based Volunteer has provided for them and is in high spirits to have their new website.
Internet Safety Training 1/30/13
If you missed our last internet safety training, here’s your second chance! Join us as our HandsOn Tech member, Chris, gives us tips on the dangers of the web and how to keep our virtual selves safe online. You can RSVP for the event here.
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll be learning at our internet safety training:
We’ll see you there!
Hello, 2013!
Happy New Year!
To celebrate, HandsOn Tech Atlanta is ready to launch our second wave of applications for nonprofit probono tech services! Click the “For Nonprofits” tab above to review the requirements and apply for our program.
We are also coming up with more trainings for this upcoming year to help you and your nonprofit utilize technology and free tools to your advantage. Let us know in the comments if you have a training you’d like us to host. You can check out our events calendar to see when our trainings are and what topics they will cover. We hope to see you there!
Social Media 101 Training
HandsOn Tech Atlanta will be hosting a Social Media 101 Training on Wednesday, October 24 at 10 AM!
Leave us your email to receive an invite!
- Social Media 101
Tech Camp @ Google HQ
HandsOn Tech Team @ Google HQ
Recently our team here in Atlanta, along with all of the other HandsOn Tech VISTA members, had the privilege to travel to Mountain View, CA to attend training at Google headquarters. Amazing people with Google’s Social Responsibility department spent their time to guide us. They ensured we had a great week of training. We got to learn all about Google products ranging from Google Apps to AdWords to Google+.
We also got to hear from a previous HandsOn Tech VISTA, Ben from Pittsburgh. He told us about his year of service. He provided us with some great incite about how our year of service will go and aspects to prepare for. Along with hearing from Ben, we were engaged in workshops that will better help us understand and work with Non-Profit Organizations.
We are excited to have had such an amazing opportunity to visit and learn from our friends and Google. Our trip to Google has educated, energized, and inspired us to work with you and your non-profit organizations.
HandsOn Tech Update – Apply Now!
Applications are now open for the new season! If you’re a nonprofit, please check out the requirements and application under the “For Nonprofits” tab. If you are a skills based volunteer and would like to be placed on a project, please check out the “For Volunteers” tab!
Also, keep an eye out for our upcoming technology trainings! If your organization is interested in attending any of our technology trainings, you can fill out our survey here. You can also contact us to be added to our training session information mailing list.
We are looking forward to a great year working with awesome nonprofit organizations and skills based volunteers!
Project LIFT
Rai Oshima (SBV), Amanda Reed(Project LIFT’s Program Director), and Jenn Oshima (SBV)
Project LIFT is a performance-based mentoring program seeking to break the cycle of high school drop outs and reintroduce committed, happy and well-balanced teens to a rewarding and productive life.
The HandsOn Tech Atlanta Team had the pleasure of working with Project LIFT’s Program Director Amanda Reed and skills-based volunteers Rai and Jenn Oshima on a successful project which concluded this past weekend. The project was to increase the productivity of Project LIFT’s current website. Mr. and Mrs. Oshima’s solutions include: updating the website content, listing improvement areas and creating a plan to execute, establishing a donor database and management plan, and linking the website to social media widgets. They were able to implement MailChimp, Facebook, Twitter, and guidance on optimizing the website’s navigation.
Project LIFT is very satisfied with the project. The project has improved access to information on the website and communication with stakeholders and subscribers. The social media widgets have also increased the organization’s outreach. Overall, Mrs. Reed can now effectively and efficiently manage and update Project LIFT’s website, donor database, and newsletter. We thank our skills-based volunteers Rai and Jenn Oshima for leading this project.
For more information about Project LIFT, please visit http://www.projectlift.org
Transition House 2012 Graduation
Bottom Left : Transition House's Rodney Wolfe, Director of Clinical Services; Bottom Right: All Saints Episcopal Church in Midtown Atlanta
This past Tuesday, the HandsOn Tech team was very fortunate to attend the Transition House’s 2012 graduation ceremony. Approximately 20 veterans of the 60 in attendance graduated from the one-year rehabilitation program. This inspirational and powerful event was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Midtown Atlanta.
Transition House, a HandsOn Tech service recipient, is a nonprofit that serves homeless veteran men and women with alcohol and drug addiction. They partner with the VA Medical center to foster the recovery of men and women in the veterans program by providing housing, supplemental food, case management services and transportation. The veterans spend a year attending meetings, life-skills/employment training and supportive counseling. All of the veterans’ hard work leads to graduation and a chance to re-enter society as a hard-working, self-sufficient, and sober citizen.
HandsOn Tech mixed and mingled with a few of the hilarious and energetic veterans in the program. Including Naval/Marines Sergeant Eddie B. Mr. B. had been stationed overseas in as many as 17 different countries from 1972 through 1986. He spoke of his time in the Navy and ultimately becoming a marine. Mr. B. is a dapper gentleman dressed to a tee and even though he was quick to crack a joke, you could tell he didn’t stand for any mess.
While the Transition House family was waiting for the graduation meal to be served, Rodney Wolfe, Director of Clinical Services, encouraged veterans to share their experience. Many humble veterans proceeded to recount their stories of being homeless and addicted to drugs and alcohol on the streets of Atlanta. Several told stories of sleeping on the steps of All Saints Episcopal Church. Mr B. stood on the stage and, through a few tears, confessed that he was a fond believer in the “process”. He believes that without God and Transition House, his progress might not be possible. It was incredibly moving to witness a man who has triumphed, despite his struggle and is proud to share his experience with his peers. He and the rest of the Transition House veterans know that the journey through the one-year course will be challenging, but it is something they are prepared to endure.
We wish all of the non-graduating veterans the best of luck and look forward to seeing them at the 2013 graduation. Check back with HandsOn Tech soon for the unveiling of Transition House’s brand new website!
A Billion + Change
On Monday, we had the pleasure of attending the A Billion + Change conference hosted by Deloitte ad McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. A Billion + Change is a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based service by 2013 to address core issues our communities face across the country and around the world. The campaign was launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2008, it is now housed and managed by the Points of Light Institute. The initiative is powered by the support of Deloitte, HP, the Case Foundation and IBM with additional founding support from State Farm, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, and Morgan Stanley.
HandsOn Tech met with the representatives from organizations such as CBeyond and IBM. We briefly mingled and promoted a few of the projects we have on deck. We look forward to connecting nonprofits with volunteers from these great corporations. For more information, please visit abillionpluschange.org.
CPACS 2nd Annual GATE Day
On Saturday, April 14th, the HandsOn Tech Team supported the Center for Pan Asian Community Services’ 2nd Annual Gate Day. This was a “Drinking and Driving Awareness” event for the community. We had an informational booth about our HandsOn Tech program. We were able to inform new nonprofits about our services and technology trainings. Visitors were able to learn about volunteer opportunities as well.
Stationed by us were the Community Action for Teens members we’ve trained in January. We’ve introduced them them to Prezi, and they were using this tool to educate others about the dangers of drinking and driving.
