Leadership Morgan Hill is a community based leadership program that is open to citizens residing and/or working in Morgan Hill, CA. The purpose of the organization is to develop future community leaders by engaging and introducing "students" to the inner workings of the city government and the community in general.

The class is nine months long and includes instructional and practical hands-on learning. An important part of our curriculum is the development of a class project which is meant to bond our class together and have us use our collective strengths for the better good of the community.

This year, our class of 23 motivated students chose to focus on the needs of the community by hosting a Volunteer Fair to connect local and national organizations with community members looking for opportunities to volunteer.

Our initial focus was to host a well managed event – which has resulted in a new organization called Volunteer Morgan Hill. Our class is graduating in September, but we expect Volunteer Morgan Hill to continue beyond graduation and to fulfill the mission we established for our class. We are all very proud to have created something that will continue to serve our local community and many of us plan to remain involved to ensure that the organization we created continues to thrive.

Our main event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2009 in our Community & Cultural Center. There are over 25 organizations participating, including the American Red Cross and Community Solutions. We've already generated local publicity and drawn attention to the event and our organization through the United We Serve sample media advisory. This week we are releasing posters to be put up in store fronts, businesses and community centers in town. We have also created a website, a blog and accounts on Facebook and Twitter in order to promote our event.

Local schools in Morgan Hill resume next Tuesday, August 18th and we anticipate that our efforts will attract High School students that are required to participate in community service. In addition, many people we've approached have expressed an interest in volunteering and we hope the Fair will give them an opportunity to explore various organizations and learn the different ways in which they can give time to improve the community – all in one place.

As you can tell, I am very proud of the work we have done.

Follow Volunteer Morgan Hill and check out the United We Serve media tools Victor and his classmate used to publicize their event. To find a similar event in your area search keyword: “volunteer fair” or “volunteer orientation”

Mary was weary of responding to the President's call to service, but during an afternoon working with special needs children at a local pool, she quickly discovered that volunteering offered much more.
 

On August 6th, nearly 40 volunteers - some as young as 7, donned gloves, grabbed shovels and rakes, and hauled trash to help beautify and revaitalize Milwaukee's 30th Street Industrial Corridor. Many of the community's industrial sites are underutilized and volunteers hope that clean-up projects like this one will help attract new business and revitalize the community.
 

For her July birthday party, Cara M. told friends and family to forget the usual gifts and leis. Instead, she asked guests to bring cans of food for her church's food pantry, reminding them that even in idyllic Honolulu neighbors were struggling with hunger and homelessness.
 

Busy working mom Kenya was driving home from her children's little league game when she wondered, "why don't we have this for service?" To teach her children and others in the community the importance of service and time with family, Kenya came up with the Family Service Team Program.
 

160 Odyssey House staff, clients and community volunteers tackle record breaking rainfall to build a new playground at the Family Re-Entry supportive housing facility in the South Bronx.
 

On July 23rd, in support of United We Serve’s Community Renewal Week, Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ron Sims and Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion teamed up with Teens 4 Good at the East Poplar Urban Farm to harvest potatoes for donation.
 

Disheartened by the state of the local cemetary and the lost memory of past neighbors, a Sumter, SC family takes matters into their own hands.
 

As part of ARAMARK Building Community and United We Serve's Community Renewal Issue Week, Rodney, Domonique Foxworth of the Baltimore Ravens, and 150 other ARAMARK employees spent the day volunteering at the East Baltimore Development Inc (EBDI) Community Center -- a place of great importance to Rodney.
 

In 2006, Kristin teamed up with four of her friends to start Birthday Wish. In the past two and a half years, they have helped over 80 families throw birthday parties for their children. The experience has strengthened her friendships and taguht her that "young people can make a difference." She advises: "Don't think you can't get it done, don't think a task is too big and never give up."
 

For three weeks, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has been collecting men's and women's business attire in an agency-wide effort to donate clothes to unemployed Americans seeking to re-join the workforce.
 

As a part of United We Serve's Community Renewal Issue Week, USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan worked alongside volunteers at the Cleveland Food Bank to prepare sandwiches for hungry children.
 

A Big Brother volunteer in St. Louis helps out at the MLB All-Star Game
 

Volunteers from the Grand County Senior Center and member of the Delicate Stitchers Quilt Guild give "Children in Crisis" a sense of stability with Love Bags.
 

A week of volunteering in rural Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia opens Abraham's eyes and pushes him to serve in his own community and beyond.
 

In the summer of 2006, saddened by the sight of local schoolyards that had been abandoned by children and occupied by troublemakers and drug users, Marco and Jennifer Chiappetta began reaching out to youth in their community. What started out as a single game of catch has evolved into a powerful mentorship program that is shifting the culture of their neighborhood. On Monday, July 20th the New York Yankees helped celebrate the Chiappettas as part of their HOPE Week.
 

On Saturday, July 11th, over 300 volunteers turned out for the first of a year long monthly Downtown Skidrow Clean Up Initiative in Los Angeles.
 

After Hurricane Katrina, retired businessman Bill Groome wanted to help rebuild New Orleans, his home of 30 years, but knew his best talents were not in the carpentry or construction field. Operation HOPE provided him with the opportunity to put his extraordinary business skills to good use.
 

On June 25th, Molly S headed to a block party, but not for the festivities. Instead, she was busy pre-screening individuals for SNAP (food stamp) benefits - work that she describes as "the most rewarding."
 

This post from the Arizona Republic just scratches the surface of a great story of service, and how we can help increase volunteerism around the nation.
 

The Columbus Crew, the 2008 Major League Soccer champs, took Washington, DC, by storm on July 13. First stop was the White House, where they were honored by President Obama for winning the championship and for serving their community.
 

After watching a news story about his local food bank, Peter N. decided to takle hunger head on and started "One Can a Week."
 

First Lady Michelle Obama helps build a new playground in San Francisco, discusses the importance of service in tackling our nation's greatest challenges and discovers her new favorite tool - the ratchet.
 

On June 22, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan kicked off United We Serve by volunteering with the St. Bernard Project in New Orleans, LA.