Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hands on DC?
Hands
on DC is an all-volunteer project that creates better schools and
brighter futures for students in the District of Columbia, by
holding a day-long work-a-thon that improves conditions in the
public schools and raises money for college scholarships.
When is the
work-a-thon?
The 16th
annual Hands on DC work-a-thon will take place on Saturday, May 15th, 2010.
What happens on event day?
At 9:00 am, you should arrive at your assigned school, sign-in with
the Site Registrar (SR), and hand in any pledge money that was not collected online.
Your Site Coordinator (SC) will then instruct you and your team about the projects
that will be done at the school. There will be a break for lunch, and
clean up begins around 3:00 pm. Then join us for a day's end celebration
at 8:00 pm.
What types of projects
happen at the schools on event day?
Many of the projects
involve painting (classrooms, hallways, etc.) or landscaping (mulching
or planting). Sometimes, there are special projects. Some of these
special projects have included wiring classrooms for computers,
installing carpeting, repairing bathroom plumbing and painting murals.
Do I need any special skills?
No! Anyone can
volunteer at a school on event day. But if you are a plumber, carpenter,
artist, computer technician or have another special skill you’d like to
put to use for Hands on DC, please contact the Sites Committee’s special
projects coordinator at
sites@handsondc.org.
Do I need my own supplies?
No. All the supplies
you’ll need will be available at the school on event day. Just bring
your enthusiasm! And wear work clothes and shoes, because many of the
projects include painting and cleaning.
What happens if it
rains?
The work-a-thon takes
place rain or shine.
Will lunch be
provided?
Although some schools may provide lunch for the volunteers, it is not
guaranteed. Your Site Coordinator and Site Registrar will be in contact
with your Team leader about lunch arrangements for the day. In cases where
food cannot be donated, we typically ask volunteers to bring $5 for pizza
or sandwiches. We encourage all volunteers to bring water.
Why do I need a team?
HoDC expects around 2,000
volunteers to work at nearly 30 schools on the day of the
work-a-thon. Each school has specific project needs, and the number of
volunteers varies school-by-school. To make sure that the right number
of volunteers are at each school and facilitate the logistics of
volunteer assignment, Hands on DC recruits teams of volunteers. All
volunteers from a team are assigned together to a school.
What does a Team
Leader do?
A Team Leader is the
liaison between Hands on DC and a group of volunteers. Team leaders
recruit a group of volunteers to participate at a school on the day of
the work-a-thon. Team size is generally between 10-25 people, but we
welcome teams of any size. As a team leader, you are required to attend
one orientation session and are responsible for passing logistical
information to your group.
What if I can't attend
the team leader orientation, can I still volunteer?
We strongly encourage
every team leader to attend a brief (one-hour) orientation session to
hear about the day, and to receive important information about
volunteering for you and your team members. If you cannot attend any of
the several scheduled sessions, contact the Volunteer Management committee at
volunteer@handsondc.org and we will try to make alternate
arrangements.
Is transportation
provided to my assigned school?
Unfortunately, we
cannot provide transportation for the more than 2,000 volunteers on the
day of the work-a-thon. Therefore, we encourage teams to car pool.
Some schools will be metro accessible. If you do not have
transportation for your team, please indicate when you register
that you need a metro-accessible school. Your Team Leader will know your
school assignment about two weeks before the event and can help coordinate transportation
for your team.
What if my teammates
flake out, should I still show up?
Yes. As soon as you know that your team is smaller (or larger) than you
originally thought, let us know by e-mailing volunteer@handsondc.org . We still need every
possible volunteer to show up, even if your team is smaller.
Can I request a
particular school/assignment?
We try to honor
requests to be placed at a specific school on event day, but we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all preferences.
Can I know my school
ahead of time?
Approximately two weeks before the event, we will contact the team leaders
to let them know which schools they will be going to. Team leaders will communicate with their team members and help to coordinate transportation.
What is the
Adopt-a-School program?
Adopting a school is a
great opportunity for your team to build a relationship with a local
public school. A minimum $500 donation will enable HoDC to purchase the
supplies to be used at your adopted school, and your team will volunteer
at the adopted school during the work-a-thon. Learn more about the
Adopt-a-School program and other sponsorship opportunities on the
sponsors page.
My team adopted a
school; do I also have to raise pledge money?
We encourage all volunteers, including volunteers on
teams that adopt a school, to raise pledges to raise money for
scholarship funds for deserving students.
Why do I have to raise
pledge money?
Pledge money raised by
volunteers helps to create brighter futures for DC students. 100% of
pledges raised by volunteers go directly to
scholarships. Hands on DC works with College Bound (www.collegebound.org/),
a local mentoring and tutoring organization, to identify outstanding
students in their program who receive $6,000 scholarship grants. Read
more about past scholarship recipients.
Can I get people to
pledge online for me?
Absolutely! In fact, using our online system makes collecting pledges much easier!
Once you've registered for the work-a-thon, you can easily send e-mail messages to friends that link directly
to a special donation page for you. Also, anyone can look you up
from the http://handsondc.kintera.org website and make a pledge to you.
How do I get a
t-shirt?
T-shirts are given to
volunteers who raise $35 in pledges. A specified number of t-shirts are
also given to sponsor teams based on the size of their sponsorship.
Can a group of high
school students/scouts/youth group members volunteer?
Yes! We
ask that each team with youth volunteers has at least one adult to every
3 minors. All volunteers under 18 must have their
liability waiver
signed by a parent or guardian in order to participate in the event.
Can students earn
community service hours for volunteering?
Yes. The Site Coordinator or Site Registar for your school can provide
any necessary signatures.
Are there volunteer
opportunities available other than the spring work-a-thon?
The work-a-thon takes a lot of preparation. Volunteers on the HoDC Organizing Committee
meet regularly, beginning six months prior to event day, to plan the event. We’re
always looking for people to help on one (or more) of our several committees (Sites,
Public Relations, Volunteer Management and Fundraising). See below for descriptions of the committees.
Also, we hold projects periodically throughout the school year and during the summer
and welcome your help with those. All projects are announced through our newsletter
and on our website homepage.
When and where does the Organizing Committee meet?
The Hands on DC Organizing Committee meetings are held every other Wednesday from
7:30pm-8:30pm in the 7th floor conference room at the offices of Resources for the
Future, 1400 16th Street NW (16th & P streets, near the Dupont Circle
metro stop). You will need to sign in with the guard and show an ID. Then join us
after the meeting for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant.
Click here for details on our next Organizing Committee Meeting.
What happens at Wednesday’s Organizing Committee meetings?
Volunteers on our several committees (Fundraising, Public Relations, Volunteer Management and Sites)
meet to brainstorm and determine what tasks need to be done to successfully coordinate
the work-a-thon. Meetings last about 60 minutes, then are adjourned to a local restaurant
for dinner and/or drinks.
What does the Fundraising committee do?
The Fundraising Committee secures financial and in-kind support needed to stage
the work-a-thon, from local businesses and individual donors. Read a more detailed
committee description, including sample tasks and expected time commitments, on
the committees page.
What does the Public Relations committee do?
The Public Relations Committee promotes Hands on DC's fundraising events and the work-a-thon,
by communicating with the media and the community. It seeks to raise awareness of
the needs of DC schools and students and the role Hands on DC plays in the community.
Read a more detailed committee description, including sample tasks and expected
time commitments, on the committees page.
What does the Volunteer Management committee do?
Members of the Volunteer Management Committee reach out to all sectors of the Washington-area
community to sign up volunteers to participate on the day of the work-a-thon, as
well as to help plan the work-a-thon throughout the year. Read a more detailed committee
description, including sample tasks and expected time commitments, on the
committees page.
What does the Sites committee do?
The Sites Committee selects the work-a-thon’s schools and projects. It coordinates
the collection and distribution of supplies, and oversees the actual work on the
day of the event. Read a more detailed committee description, including sample tasks
and expected time commitments, on the committees page.
What does a Regional Coordinator do?
Regional Coordinators (RCs) are responsible for coordinating efforts at several schools.
Initially, RCs visit each school to gauge potential painting, landscaping and special
projects, and collect school contact information. For each school selected, an RC
makes a second visit to collect detailed project information. During the week preceding
the event, RCs are expected to be at the staging area during the evenings.
What is the staging area?
The staging area is where volunteers gather and distribute all the supplies and
tools needed for the work-a-thon. During the weeks leading up to event day, the
staging area is the location for all planning meetings.
What does a Site Coordinator do?
Site Coordinators (SCs) are responsible for the projects at one school on the day
of the work-a-thon. SCs direct the volunteers assigned to their school in completing
the projects at their school. Hands on DC provides training and all the supplies
needed for the school. The SC will be expected to make at least 1 visit to their
school prior to the event to familiarize themselves with the various projects. Their
major responsibilities are to manage volunteers on the day of the event and to make
sure all tools and supplies are properly distributed to appropriate tasks.
What does a Site Registrar do?
The Site Registrar’s (SR) commitment is solely to one school. The Site Coordinator
contacts volunteer teams before the event, registers teams and collects pledges
on the day of the event, helps to coordinate service learning information, and supports
the Site Coordinator (SC) throughout the day.
I can’t come to Wednesday meetings. Can I still volunteer?
Yes! You can be a team leader or team member on the day of the work-a-thon without
attending the Wednesday Organizing Committee meetings. You can also volunteer as
a Site Coordinator (SC) or Site Registrar (SR) at a school on event day. For more
information about being an SC or an SR, please contact the Sites Committee at sites@handsondc.org .
