The HandsOn Network was a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization focusing on
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
based in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, U.S.A. It sought to bring people together to strengthen communities through meaningful volunteer action, and mobilized some half million volunteers in communities inside and outside the United States. HandsOn Network created and managed nearly 50,000 projects a year, from building wheelchair ramps in San Francisco to teaching reading in Atlanta, to rebuilding homes and lives in Gulf Coast communities following
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. Originally an independent organization, it became part of the nonprofit organization. The nonprofit was disbanded sometimes in 2019.
History
The organization was founded 1992 under the name City Cares. They sought an alternate way of doing volunteering, in contrast to established organizations such as the
Points of Light Foundation
Points of Light is an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Georgia, United States dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service.
Each year, Points ...
and its associated
Voluntary Action Centers.
[ Included linked-to chart from the third edition of the Ellis–Noyes book.] In particular, they sought to focus on attracting younger, more business-focused volunteers by offering a single day of service on a per-month basis.
The national entity would then be an umbrella organization and which would provide shared resources to local entities.
Example local affiliates included
New York Cares, which in point of fact was launched in 1987 and provided the basis for the later national model.
In 2004, City Cares renamed itself to the HandsOn Network.
Over time, HandsOn Network became made up of 58 national and international volunteer organizations that act as entrepreneurial civic action centers.
HandsOn Network worked in partnership with local organizations and schools to create HandsOn service projects that produce tangible benefits in communities. The Network enlisted a corps of hundreds of thousands of volunteers who join forces to address community needs worldwide.
HandsOn Network collaborated with hundreds of major companies and organizations to promote volunteerism across the United States. They include the
CMT television station and
SAP investments, as well as several with
nonprofit organizations and volunteer groups. Additional corporate sponsors of HandsOn Network included
Home Depot
The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...
,
Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse is an American chain of Australian-themed casual dining restaurants, serving American cuisine, based in Tampa, Florida. The chain has over 1,000 locations in 23 countries throughout North and South America, Asia, and Aust ...
,
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...
,
Ameriquest
Ameriquest was one of the largest United States sub-prime mortgage lenders until its dissolution in September 2007. Among the first mortgage companies employing computers to solicit prospective borrowers and hasten the loan application process ...
,
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups ...
,
Corporation for National and Community Service
AmeriCorps (officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer work prog ...
,
W.K. Kellog Foundation,
UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American multinational managed healthcare and insurance company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. It offers health care products and insurance services. UnitedHealth Group is the world's seventh largest ...
,
Case Foundation,
Singing for Change, and others.
In August 2007, HandsOn Network merged with the Points of Light Foundation to form the
Points of Light Institute
Points of Light is an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Georgia, United States dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service.
Each year, Points of ...
, the nation's largest network of organizations skilled at mobilizing volunteers to meet important needs in local communities.
Points of Light Foundation
website. Retrieved 11/11/07. and its website redirected to ''www.pointsoflight.org/handsonnetwork'' during much of 2019. Its original website, handsonnetwork.org, no longer works and the Points of Light Foundation page about the network was taken down by the Fall of 2019.
The individual volunteer centers under the HandsOn Network, such a
HandsOn Atlanta
HandsOn Suburban Chicago
HandsOn Twin Cities
(Minnesota)
HandsOn San Francisco
an
HandsOn PDX
(for the Portland, Oregon Metro area) remain.
See also
* Association for Volunteer Administration
* European Volunteer Centre (CEV)
* Global Youth Service Day
* Good Deeds Day
* International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)
* International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
* International Volunteer Day
The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (5 December), more commonly referred to as International Volunteer Day (IVD), is an international observance mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. It offers an opportunity ...
* International Year of Volunteers
International Year of Volunteers was designated for 2001 by the United Nations General Assembly. The initiative aimed at increased recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteering, to highlight the achievements of the millions of ...
* Join Hands Day
* Make A Difference Day
* Mandela Day
* MLK Day of service
* Mitzvah Day
Mitzvah Day International is an annual day of faith-based social action that takes place in November each year, primarily in the United Kingdom. On Mitzvah Day each year, community groups and individuals undertake a range of volunteer projects f ...
* Random Acts of Kindness Day
* Sewa Day
* World Kindness Day
References
{{reflist
External links
Hands on Network home
Non-profit organizations based in Georgia (U.S. state)
Organizations established in 1992
Service organizations