Why Volunteer on the Northshore?

The list of reasons to volunteer can be endless, but the bottom line is that serving your community is advantageous to both yourself and others. You will feel better about yourself after volunteering, in addition to the people whom you helped through volunteering, which in turn means that the community is a happier and better place. Imagine a neighborhood where nobody helps each other out. How could that even be called a neighborhood? It would merely be a collection of houses, a group of strangers that just happen to occupy adjacent parcels of land. What kind of fun is that? Summertime is about coming together, enjoying the company of others, getting to know each other better. Your weekend grill outs and barbeques will be enriched by the company of the people that you meet through your service to the community, be they fellow volunteers or the recipients of your help.

Parents: Not sure what to do with the kids now that they are out of school for the summer? How about getting them involved with a charity as volunteers themselves? Of course, kids are going to want to spend every waking hour playing video games, riding bikes, running around with their friends, playing sports, and all of those other fun things that they have not had the opportunity to fill their day with all school year. But why not give them a little structure during their few months of freedom? Not only will they be out of the house for a little while (giving you, or the babysitter, a much-needed respite), they will definitely learn and meet new friends as they serve the community.

Retirees: You are also extremely valuable volunteers on the NorthShore. Your wisdom, skills, and experience that you have accrued over your lifetimes are invaluable in helping others throughout Mandeville, Slidell, Covington, and the rest of St. Tammany Parish. You will feel great knowing that you can still make a strong impact on your very own community and gain even more wisdom and experience along the way.

Volunteering on the NorthShore

One organization that can utilize the services of all kinds of volunteers on the NorthShore is the Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans. This organization prides itself on serving over 63,000 people each year throughout 16 parishes. VOAGNO even has its very own Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), which gives seniors and retirees the chance to volunteer throughout St. Tammany Parish. For more information on volunteering on the NorthShore, please visit www.voagno.com or contact Brenda Brown at (985) 674-0488 or bbrown@voagno.org.

What better way to honor a special person than by dedicating their memory to helping someone in need. A gift given in honor or in memory helps commemorate a life by taking the shape of lives of real people in need.

You want important people to live on. Giving a gift in their name is one of the greatest ways to do that.

It allows that person to continue on in the presence of a benevolent gift, going to help a struggling person, family or community.

Your gift can help relieve hunger, suffering or other terrible situations. It can bring about positive change in a life that has never seen any.

There is no better way to pay tribute than by helping others. It truly illuminates your love for that special person or people that have had an impact in your life.

There are several places to give your in honor or in memory gift. Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans is a great option to consider.

Give Your In Honor or In Memory Gift To Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans

Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans takes steps to make sure that your gift is not given without recognition. They take strides in making sure that your loved on lives on through your contribution.

All you have to do is provide an address of the honoree or a family member who you’d like to be notified. The organization will send a card to that honoree or family member notifying them that you have given a gift in honor or in memory.

Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans offers three (3) ways to make a living legacy gift.

The first is to donate your money securely online. You can e-mail the name and address of that honoree or family member who you would like to be notified of the gift.

A second method for donation is to call the Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans at (504) 482-2130.

Finally, if neither of these methods works for you, you can mail a check to the organization. Checks should be mailed to Volunteers of America, 4152 Canal St, New Orleans 70119.

With the check, provide the information of whom you would like to be notified, and include your own telephone number and e-mail address in case of questions.

Besides assisting you in your in honor or in memory gift, Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans is dedicated to ensuring your gift is used to help the needy.

The organization is the affiliate of Volunteers of America national, but is locally-run, managed and governed. Your dollars will go back in to your local New Orleans community.

Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans is a non-profit service organization that helps more than 63,000 people each year. They operate throughout 16 parishes in Southeast Louisiana.

Their programs help to transform the lives of struggling citizens. Through a string of programs, they focus on helping children, families, persons with disabilities and seniors.

Their programs range in helping at-risk youth to adoption to helping homeless veterans. Your gift would go to fund a program helping people that need help.

Your in honor or in memory gift will honor the life of someone you feel should be honored. In doing so, it will help a person, family or community in need. It’s one gift that does two tremendous things.

What to Know About Donating Stocks or Mutual Funds

While volunteering is not something for everyone, there are now many more ways to give than perhaps ever before. In this day and age most people are proud to speak of their investment portfolio because it reflects a mindfulness of how to use existing capital to make more money and has become very popular among workers who want to plan for their future and/or supplement their income. If you are lucky enough to be someone who is successful at investing, consider that you can now use that skill to make a difference in your community while also enjoying the personal growth and rewards of having cared about the needs of those whom are suffering.

Additionally, donating stocks and mutual funds offers certain tax benefits that you may or may not realize. For example, if you find that you have some shares that pay low dividends or have hit their maximum value and you want to eliminate them, you can donate them without having to pay a capital gains tax. An important thing to know is that the actual shares must be donated as opposed to the proceeds from the sale of shares, as this will change the nature of the donation and affect the eligibility for tax benefits. Donations can also be structured to bring about certain tax or estate benefits, depending on what you would like to donate and the specific results you would like to see.

Knowing your own expertise is one thing, but also be sure that the charity to which you donate is set up so that you will receive the maximum tax deductions for your donation. One good way to check an organization’s legitimacy is by finding out whether they are an Officially Recognized IRS 501 (c) (3) Charity. Most charitable groups will have an easy-to-find web site and if they are officially recognized by the IRS, then this information should be advertised in a prominent spot as a selling point for newcomers.

Another important thing to look for is a charity that has made the process easy and free of complications. You should not have to interrupt your schedule for unnecessary meetings or paperwork that could be prevented by dealing with a reputable business that has experience with such transactions and will handle the legwork for you. The process should be as simple as providing your broker’s name and contact information, and the names and numbers of shares you wish to donate. Again, beware of any transaction that gets to be cumbersome or time-consuming, as this means that the group has not done their share of the work and may not be very adept at using your donation to its maximum potential.

Donating Stocks or Mutual Funds to Volunteers of America

            By donating stocks or mutual funds to Volunteers of America, you will have the comfort and satisfaction of knowing that you will receive the maximum tax deduction available, and that .88 cents of every dollar donated goes directly toward funding that helps veterans, children, families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. A quick visit to www.voagno.org or a phone call to (504) 482-2130 will show you that Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans is an Officially Recognized IRS 501 (c) (3) Charity and their experts have done all the preparation needed to guide you through your donation with a simple exchange of information. Donations can also be made by fax or mail; just use the contact information above and make a difference in someone’s life today!

Planned Giving: Getting Started

When it comes to charity, have you ever found yourself saying, “I wish I could help,”? Even if you are someone who never has free time, or you are not really the ‘hands on’ type, there are still ways to give, and gift planning can be a very rewarding part of your own personal legacy. Everyone wants to know that they’ve accomplished something great and to leave behind a trail of goodwill. Planned giving will give you the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve given someone who is struggling to survive a helping hand.

Once you’ve made the decision to become a donor, you’ll want to find the right charity. To begin with, you’ll want to give to an organization that has some staying power. Fly-by-night schemes are everywhere these days and it’s crucial to know what to look for in a legitimate cause. This can usually be determined with a minor amount of internet research. It’s always a good idea to start by looking at groups that are local because it will allow you to follow up more closely on their activities, but it will also give you the chance to ensure that your donation will go toward helping your neighbors and community. Be sure to look for an agency that is an Official IRS Recognized 501 (c)(3) charity, which should be advertised fairly openly, as this will guarantee that your donation is made securely and also that you will receive the appropriate tax deductions.

Another easy way to find a legitimate organization is by looking at whether or not they openly volunteer to their donors what percentage of their intake goes directly to their recipients. You should know that the law does not require a minimum standard on this percentage in order for a business group to function as a charity. This means that a ‘charitable’ group can have all the right earmarks of legitimacy – such as swanky benefits, testimonials, web sites, etc. – and still only donate as little as 1% of their collections to the targeted population. Charities are also not obligated to offer this information to the public, so beware of any group that minimizes or ignores this important information.

You’ll also want to choose a charity group that offers different giving options, maximum tax deductions, and the right to set up the donation so that it helps a particular group of your choosing, such as veterans or children and families. You should also consider the flexibility of types of donations accepted to ensure a good fit. A good charity should allow you to donate anything from cars or other vehicles to property, artwork, or a monetary bequest. It’s important to know for sure that your chosen organization has made as easy and safe as possible for you to donate, so be sure to ask about procedures. Settling an estate is complicated enough without the added hassle of legal entanglements or petitions later on!

Make a Planned Gift to Volunteers of America

            Since the 1890s, Greater New Orleans Volunteers of America has been providing charitable services to Louisiana in 16 parishes. Volunteers of America accepts planned gifts of all types and amounts, and they will help you structure your gift so that you receive the maximum tax benefits available. Call (504) 482-2130 for more information or visit www.voagno.org and select the “Give A Gift” tab to get started, or just read some of their success stories. Gifts can be made online, by phone, fax or mail, and donations can be anything from stocks or mutual funds to a car to volunteer hours. Start your legacy today!

Create a Living Legacy: Where to Begin

A good first step is figuring out what you have or would like to donate. Most will think immediately of money since it is, after all, a more traditional means of giving, but there are also many other sound options from which to choose. You might donate a person’s books to an assisted living facility or donate their clothing to a local shelter. You can also donate a loved one’s car to an organization that helps less fortunate people get their lives back on track. Of course a financial donation such as an In Memory Gift will always be welcome at any charitable organization and can be bolstered by requests for friends and family to make a donation in lieu of sending flowers to a funeral.

In the event of a sudden or untimely death that affects many people, a campaign or project in honor of the deceased can do wonders for everyone involved. A grieving mother in California invited her son’s friends to help her build a memorial garden out of a run-down park in the area to honor the memory of her lost son who played there as a child. The project helped them give meaning to their grief while channeling their energy into creating something beautiful for their neighborhood. Everyone who participated agreed that the project helped them feel empowered to make his death stand for something good while having a positive outlet for their sadness.

Donating your time is also a viable choice and one that is often overlooked. In the case of those who are retired and have lost a spouse, the challenge of filling what feels like an enormous hole in their lives can be quite daunting. The need for interpersonal contact is greatly intensified by the loss of a long-time companion and the abrupt, all-encompassing change in lifestyle can be quite overwhelming. If material things are not an issue, donating one’s time can serve as a life raft that helps the volunteer as much as it helps the receiver. In the case of the grieving mother in California, she enlisted the help of anyone who mourned her son’s death to donate their time and pour their grief into a project that improved their neighborhood.

An In Memory Gift doesn’t have to be money and no matter what you donate, the feeling of having turned your grief into something worthwhile is as good a way as any to honor someone’s memory and help yourself heal at the same time.

Making an In Memory Gift in Greater New Orleans

Making an In Memory Gift, whether it is financial or otherwise, is easier than you might realize. With an impeccable reputation and history of giving, Volunteers of America will help you establish your In Memory Gift or In Honor Gift and be there to guide you every step of the way. Since the 1890s, Greater New Orleans Volunteers of America has been providing charitable services to Louisiana in 16 parishes. After Hurricane Katrina, Volunteers of America placed over 20,000 volunteers in and around the affected areas to help rebuild our great city. Call (504) 482-2130 for more information or visit www.voagno.org and select the “Give A Gift” tab to get started, or just read some of their success stories. Gifts can be made online, by phone, fax or mail, and donations can be anything from stocks or mutual funds to a car to volunteer hours. Start your living legacy today!