PUBLIC/PRIVATE VENTURES is a Philly-based agency in the forefront of demonstrating the work of faith-based and community volunteering groups in civil society. It has launched and overseen a variety of demonstration projects around the country to test the capacity of such organizations to implement effective programs. It issued a study titled "Rewards of Giving: An In-Depth Study of Older Adults' Volunteer Experiences in Urban Elementary Schools."
RUTGERS-CAMDEN LAW SCHOOL has a professor who was the founding director of Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, and has authored publications including "Building the Ethic of Public Service" about Penn Law School's Mandatory Public Service Program.
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS -SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies through a variety of comprehensive Red Cross services and training programs.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, based in Philadelphia, provides a professionally supported service for at-risk youth. This is accomplished through "a one-to-one relationship with a committed and caring adult volunteer who is a friend, mentor and positive role model."
THE CARING PEOPLE ALLIANCE aims "to empower Philadelphia children and youth to become positive citizens, decision-makers and leaders by providing them, their families and their elders with high quality, community-based programs and services that promote character building, educational achievement, healthy lifestyles and teamwork."
THE URBAN LEAGUE OF PHILADELPHIA is a civil rights and community service organization that works for the equal participation of minorities in all areas of community living. One of its program thrusts is volunteerism.
THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY is home to Philadelphia Green, an extensive urban greening program. Working with neighborhood residents, community organizations and city agencies, the program uses greening as a community building tool.
COMMUNITY ACCOUNTANTS provides accounting-related services through volunteers to help nonprofit organizations become self-sufficient. CA trains nonprofits to maintain their own financial records and reports accurately.
THE FOX LEADERSHIP PROGRAM at the University of Pennsylvania has a senior fellow who is the principal investigator for a research grant from the USDA to the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger investigating the use of students and community volunteers in developing a food stamp enrollment campaign. She also seeks to develop effective models for the use of service learning students in inner city schools.
AMERICORPS/VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a program in which volunteers help further local efforts in alleviating poverty. In one-year placements, they work with community-based organizations and local government agencies on education, service learning, homelessness, hunger, economic development, elderly, youth or other issues.
ART SPHERE INC. is a nonprofit, largely volunteer organization established to teach inner-city students fundamental art concepts in order to promote motivation in learning, growth of self-esteem, and self-expression.
ASAP (After-School Activities Partnerships of Philadelphia) aims to increase supervised after-school activities for kids. It recruits volunteers to assist existing programs and organizes new after-school activities "as driven by their interests and the needs of the community."
CIRCLE VENTURE is an arm of the Circle of Hope network of small, informal churches created to generate "compassionate service" by postmodern, artsy young Christians. The group says its mission teams "provide alternative educational opportunities" for children and youth. Its Circle of Hope thrift store provides jobs and community gathering initiatives, while its Circle of Peacemakers presents workshops, retreats and a listserv on peace and reconciliation.
DELAWARE VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY is the association of Habitat affiliates in southeastern Pennsylvania and Camden. Under Habitat's aegis, volunteers from area companies and community groups have built more than 260 homes in partnership with low-income families.
GREATER PHILADELPHIA CARES develops volunteer projects for nonprofits around the area, matching volunteers teams from businesses and community groups with the needs of specific nonprofits. It also promotes best practices. Each month, it says, it offers over 100 "flexible, diverse service opportunities, as well as customized service projects for civic and corporate groups."
MENTORING MATTERS IN SOUTH PHILLY is a grassroots group that matches volunteer mentors with children who have an incarcerated parent, as a way to promote family unity and inspire youth. Through their hour a week together, the mentors hope to reverse the statistic that children with a parent in prison are 5-6 times more likely to go to prison than other children.
PHILABUNDANCE is a not-for-profit organization fighting hunger since 1984. It reclaims nutritious surplus food from restaurants, grocers, caterers, and like businesses. Its army of volunteers then distributes the food, free of charge, to over 100 community agencies that provide emergency assistance to low-income and homeless persons.
THE LAW FIRM PRO BONO COMMITTEE of the Philadelphia Bar Association is made up of representatives of Philadelphia law firms who coordinate, develop and staff their firms' pro bono (gratis) practices. The Committee serves as a liaison between the private bar and nonprofit advocacy agencies that use the pro bono services of the private bar.
PHILADELPHIA VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS "brings together the legal, arts and cultural communities to share strengths, expertise and their mutual commitment to protecting artistic and cultural expression for everyone." It has recruited hundreds of attorneys from Philadelphia and the surrounding region to work on projects such as negotiating performing contracts for actors, dancers and musicians; protecting copyrights and trademarks; preparing by-laws for newly formed nonprofits; negotiating short- and long-term workspace leases and exhibition agreements; securing protection of artwork; and setting up new community-wide arts initiatives.
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LAW SCHOOL says its Public Service Program sets the standard for pro bono service, being the first national law school to establish a mandatory pro bono requirement. Penn Law students offer clients free help in bankruptcy proceedings, civil rights and constitutional law issues, environmental justice, family law, governmental practice, health law, immigration, international human rights law, labor law, women's issues and youth law.
RFKCDC CLEAN AND GREEN CORPS aims to address the problems of litter and graffiti in the Richmond, Fishtown, and Kensington neighborhoods. The program says it sweeps litter from sidewalks, removes and paints over graffiti, presents anti-litter/anti-graffiti workshops to children and teenagers, and recruits volunteers to clean and green trash-strewn vacant lots and sidewalks. The personnel include twenty-five AmeriCorps members, three supervisors, a program coordinator, and a program assistant. Expected benefits, it says, include "a cleaner neighborhood; increased business; increased residential occupancy; increased community pride and civic spirit; increased civic engagement; reduced housing abandonment; increased property values; local, state, and national recognition; and, a track record that can be used to leverage other resources to improve the neighborhood. Overall, the program will be the first step in a comprehensive, long-range strategy to remake Richmond, Fishtown, and Kensington into a thriving community full of residents, businesses, and jobs."
THE SHARE (Self Help & Resource Exchange) Food Program is a nonprofit that promotes volunteerism by using the cooperative purchase -- and deeply discounted sale -- of nutritious food. Participants can purchase a package of fresh food (with a retail value of $35) for $16 and 2 hours of community service performed through churches, senior centers and other ?hosting organizations.'
SQUASH SMARTS, a 501c3 nonprofit operating out of Drexel University, combines the sport of squash with academic tutoring and mentoring of under-served, urban youth in order to develop self-esteem and discipline through academic, athletic and personal achievement. Participants benefit from one-on-one tutoring with college students and adult volunteers as well as one-on-one mentoring with collegiate student athletes. Participants attend two weekday afternoon sessions consisting of 1 hour 15 minutes of squash and 1 hour 15 minutes of tutoring.
WHARTON COMMUNITY CONSULTANTS provides consulting and advisory services to nonprofit and community organizations in the region. The club is managed by Wharton MBA and undergraduate students who volunteer their time to "make a measurable impact on the success of promising nonprofits in the Greater Philadelphia area." Clients have included art, theater, youth, health and community development organizations.
THE VERITY FOUNDATION helps socially focused nonprofits by recruiting business volunteers with specialized skills. Verity says it staffs, trains and manages volunteer-driven project teams "to provide pro-bono marketing and technology services to non-profits with missions that support education, social benefit or the arts."
WISSAHICKON RESTORATION VOLUNTEERS is a community-based environmental organization dedicated to "preserving the biological diversity and scenic tranquility" of the Wissahickon Valley section of Fairmount Park. It promotes the sustainable use of the valley and does public education about "responsible environmental stewardship through experiential learning."
THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF PHILADELPHIA is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The League reaches out to women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest and commitment to volunteerism.
TOWN WATCH INTEGRATED SERVICES is a volunteer-driven force that operate in every police district of the city to assure neighborhood safety. The office provides C.E.R.T (Citizens Emergency Response Training), recruits volunteers, and identifies new areas for safe corridors for students and others.
JEWISH INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE is a communal agency that, among other things, links would-be volunteers with organizations needing their services. In conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, it offers a Volunteer Hotline and a "Mitzvah Calendar" of current volunteer opportunities.
