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What is Hands On Orlando’s mission? |
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Hands On Orlando solves community problems by inspiring and empowering people to make a difference through volunteer action. |
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When was HOO founded? |
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Hands On Orlando is a non-profit organization founded in June, 1999. |
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As a charitable, non-profit organization, how does Hands On Orlando stay in operation? |
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We are funded 100% by donations. |
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When I volunteer on a Hands On Orlando project, am I helping Hands On Orlando? |
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No. We help you help non-profit agencies, public schools and community parks on volunteer projects that we identify, plan and manage. None of our projects support us. |
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Is Hands On Orlando a referral service...a middle-man? |
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Not at all. We identify, plan, manage and lead our projects. It is detailed work that involves site visits, pre-planning, on-site project leadership, tools and supplies. We are the opposite of a referral service. |
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I am the leader of a group. Can we reserve volunteer slots or just show up to a project? |
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Group leaders should call us (407.740.8652) if they want to participate in a particular calendar project. If enough volunteer slots are available at that moment in time, the group leader should e-mail the URL of the project’s sign-up page to their members or call them and urge them to sign up. We run a risk of projects failing if people who say that they are coming don’t show up. Communicating important information like the date, time and place of a project, printing our waiver form and bringing it to our projects and even telling volunteers what to wear are best communicated one-on-one via our website. Group leaders are encouraged to call us after they contact their members and we’ll be happy to let them know who actually was interested in the project and signed-up. Our calendar projects fill up on a first-come, first-served basis. |
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Why does Hands On Orlando lead its volunteer projects? |
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On-site, hand-on project-level leadership helps to assure positive outcomes for our volunteers and partner agencies. Hands On Orlando projects are lead by capable, dynamic and passionate volunteer Project Coordinators, who we recruit, train and support. It is our community leadership program. |
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Is it okay if I need to arrive late or leave a project early? |
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No, for a few important reasons. All HOO projects include a Welcome and Wrap-Up. In addition to the actual volunteer work, the starting and ending segments of all of our volunteer projects are the most important. All projects start and end on time. |
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Why doesn’t Hands On Orlando list several months of future calendar projects? |
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We’ve tried. Too many people forgot what they sign up for and didn’t show up to their projects. This could lead to a project failure and a negative outcome if not managed well. |
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How many volunteers has HOO served? |
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We have recruited, supported and managed more than 152,000 volunteers on hundreds of our hands-on projects. |
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Many projects require tools and supplies. How are they obtained? |
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It’s not typical for agencies we help to have enough tools and supplies on-hand to accomplish projects that they identify as important. Hands On Orlando has invested in tools to help make many projects possible. |
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How does HOO come up with project ideas? |
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We call and visit numerous non-profit organizations to see how we can assist. Some organizations call us for help. |
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Hands On Orlando has helped lots of people. How many? |
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That’s difficult to estimate. Our help comes in degrees of importance. For every 1.5 pounds of food one of our volunteer sorts, that generally equals one meal for a hungry person. We’ve engaged thousands of volunteers on food salvage projects. When we installed over 1000 traffic guide posts in a public park, 250,000 children, families and groups who visit the park annually will be safer, for the next 15 years. There are hundreds of other examples. |
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How can I help Hands On Orlando? |
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Monetary donations enable us to offer our services to volunteers, non-profit agencies and to people who need some helping hands. |
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Does Hands On Orlando serve people who are ordered to perform “community service” by courts? |
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We encourage everyone to volunteer because we believe it is the right thing to do in a civil society. When people are sentenced to perform “community service” the court system makes our job substantially more difficult. That’s because many people believe “community service” is what “bad people” have to do. We don’t use the phrase “community service.” In our opinion, courts do almost nothing to help offenders find meaningful “community service” opportunities that could help them reform their lives. Victims have a right to restitution, but the non-profit sector is generally unable to meaningfully engage offenders. |
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Does HOO set the minimum age of participation for volunteers on its projects? |
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No. The minimum age of participation is set by the agencies who benefit from our projects. Factors they consider include liability, work quality and quantity. It is our policy that all Hands On Orlando projects will welcome youth at an appropriate age. We will not help organizations that only want adult volunteers. |
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Can HOO list and promote events or volunteer tasks at non-profit agencies that involve administrative tasks or fundraising? |
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We wouldn’t have much luck recruiting volunteers for these jobs. Our volunteers want to have a direct impact upon others, learn about community issues, get hands-on, see their impact, enjoy the experience and create a better community. Others are motivated by the project; doing things like landscaping or painting. |
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Do Hands On Orlando’s projects and volunteers only come from Orlando? |
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Our volunteer projects take place in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties. Volunteers we have served and supported have come from all 50 states and more than 60 countries. “Orlando” means Central Florida! |
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Is Hands On Orlando a membership organization? |
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No. Our volunteers are from the general public. |
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Do volunteers need special skills to participate? |
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No. We don’t want people to self-disqualify themselves just because they don’t know how to change an electrical outlet or fix a computer. On projects that do involve some special skills, we try to find an expert facilitator so volunteers feel capable and empowered. We do ask every volunteer to bring their smile and a desire to make a difference. If we required specific skills, we would dramatically limit the number of qualified volunteers. Undertaking projects that require high skills would also increase our costs in terms of tools and supplies needs. We identify, plan and manage projects that have direct and positive impacts and outcomes that virtually everyone will find rewarding and meaningful. |
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Can HOO write a letter to verify that I volunteered? |
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We would be happy to sign your volunteer attendance form at the conclusion of each project. We also make a time sheet available. The charity that actually benefits from your time and effort might be able to acknowledge your volunteer time with a note or letter. HOO would need to dedicate a full-time employee to respond to these requests. We can not afford the cost; staffing, verification, postage, letterhead, etc. We operate with a small staff and budget. |
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Beyond a project’s obvious, direct benefits, why should non-profit agencies seek Hands On Orlando’s help? |
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We save non-profits money and accomplish tasks that they identify as important. This enables agencies to dedicate more financial resources toward helping their constituents. Hands On Orlando also enables non-profit organizations to become better known by more caring people (friendraising). When our volunteers have great experiences on our projects, some of those people may continue to help those agencies with their time and money. Some agencies also use our volunteers and hours served as a result of our projects to seek, retain or obtain grant money. |
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Is Hands On Orlando a faith-based organization? |
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No. We serve thousands of diverse volunteers, non-profit organizations, public schools and parks each year. People of all faiths and philosophies are welcome. |
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When it comes to helping non-profit agencies, what are Hands On Orlando’s greatest challenges? |
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Some organizations don’t want to commit the resources needed to accomplish projects that that they benefit from and identify as important. Many don’t know how to attract prospective volunteers. Would someone with little or no awareness of a non-profit organization that helps young children want to stuff envelops to promote a gala or stage a monthly birthday party or fix its playground? There is also a high staff turnover rate in the non-profit sector. This means that we have to rebuild relationship on an ongoing basis. |
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Hands On Orlando Volunteer Central Florida |
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