The Borgen Project Iowa

Organization:   The Borgen Project Iowa

Address:
Offices are not yet established in Iowa (to be established soon).  The Iowa regional directors, recruiters, and other volunteers that call congressional leaders can all work over the phone.  Internships are also available in headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

Contact:  Cody Zoss

Email:  zossc1@gmail.com

Phone:  (515) 783-5984

Best time to contact: 8am-4pm

Website:    http://www.borgenproject.org

Student Opportunities:

The Borgen Project Iowa is a statewide campaign which builds the political will for legislation such as The Water for the World Act that benefits the world’s poorest.

Students and recent graduates can become involved as a regional director, a recruiter, or volunteer to call congressional leaders.  Regional directors work to mobilize a group responsible for writing and calling congressional leaders on a weekly basis.  Regional directors can also meet with senators and congressmen to find innovative ways to support key lesislation.

Time Committment:  Regional directors’ hours range from 2-20 hours per week.  Recruiters and call volunteers have the flexibility to create their own schedule.

Training:  Training just involves a typical two week period of familiarizing volunteers with the project’s initiatives.

Submitted by:  Ashley Crow

HELPING HANDS MINISTRY AFRICA

Organization: HELPING HANDS MINISTRY AFRICA

Address: 19603 Noble Ave. Le Mars, IA 51031                                                                                                 

Contact E-Mail: gangel0322@gmail.com

Website: http://www.helpinghandsministryafrica.com/contact.html

Student Opportunities: Helping Hands Ministry Africa Inc. is a non-for-profit organization. Their mission is to sponsor young boys and girls in elementary, high school and college to pay for their tuition and other school necessities. Helping Hands Ministry donates to Tanzania. Fundraising is the only volunteer opportunity for this organization.Making calls and canvassing by informing people the cause the money goes to support. Not a lot of student opportunity provided, but there is some if desired,

Submitted By: Gregory Whitaker

Wellspring Africa

Organization: Wellspring Africa

Address: 1621 Gryn Drive, Iowa City, IA 52246

Contact E-Mail: missenc@wellspringafrica.org

Website: http://www.wellspringafrica.org/

Organization President: Cliff Missen

Student Opportunities: Wellspring Africa is a non-profit organization committed to researching and promoting appropriate technology for water development in rural Africa. Only opportunity for student volunteering is when Wellspring  Africa is preparing to send out materials to African countries on how to properly drill the well, as well as the materials needed. Must check periodically to see when Wellspring is preparing to do so.

Best Time To Be Reached: Anytime via e-mail. No phone number listed.

Regions Served: Wellspring Africa has served nearly every African country. .

Additional Notes/What Does This Organization Do? Wellspring Africa’s goal is to promote simple technologies so that the villagers themselves can become self-sufficient in creating their own water sources. Wellspring Africa believes that the only way the African people are going to see broad-based and sustainable potable water development in the rural areas of lesser developed countries is through small scale technologies like the ones being provided, wherein the villagers themselves decide when and where and how the well is to be made, as well as have the means to carry out their wishes themselves.

Submitted By: Gregory Whitaker

Rise-Africa

Organization: Rise-Africa

Address: 2520 GLASGOW RD, Fairfield, IA
52556                                                                                                     

Contact E-Mail: lehrermarie@yahoo.com

Website: http://riseafrica.weebly.com/contact-us.html

Organization President: Marie Lehrer

Student Opportunities: Rise-Africa is an African development organization that has many grassroots programs in Africa, specifically Tanzania. Rise-Africa is constantly in search of volunteers to help at the office and with fundraising.

Other online points of contact: Facebook

Best Time To Be Reached: Anytime, because the only form of contact information provided is an e-mail address.

Time Commitment For Opportunities: As much or as little as the student desires.

Training Needed: No specific training is required for volunteers. A strong interest in international development is helpful

Regions Served:Rise-Africa has many projects throughout Tanzania, such as sustainable agriculture , infrastructure development by building schools and orphanages, introduction of machine-based grain milling, consciousness-based education, public health programs and micro-loan programs, for families to buy sheep.

Additional Notes/What Does This Organization Do? Rise-Africa.org is a registered 501 C3 non-profit organization with the purpose of improving lives through education, sustainable agriculture and micro-loans. Rise Africa is currently working in the Arusha region of Tanzania. It was founded in 2007 by Marie Lehrer.

Submitted By: Gregory Whitaker

Iowa People for Justice In Palestine

Organization: Iowa People for Justice In Palestine

Address: 335 S. Gilbert St. Iowa City, IA 52245                                                                                                     

Contact E-Mail: yaser5@excite.com

Website: http://www.iowapjp.org/

Organization President and Contact Person: Yaser Abudagga

Student Opportunities: Volunteer Opportunities available to students interested in justice and peace in Palestine, or those simply passionate about conflict resolution.Anyone in agreement with the PJP’s mission statement is welcome.

Best Time To Be Reached: Information about the People for Justice in Palestine should e-mail the above contact (yaser5@excite.com).

Opportunity Descriptions: Student volunteers are welcomed. Tasks to be performed include raising money for international organizations and NGO’s that work to end Israeli occupation of Arab land, provide a just solution for Palestinian refugees, end U.S. military aid and investment that fuels Israeli human rights abuses and enact United Nations resolutions.

Regions Served: Conflict in Palestine between Palestinians and the Israeli people.

Additional Notes/What Does This Organization Do? The overall objective, or mission, is to unite Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others involved in the conflict in order to live in peace, an absence of violence.

Submitted By: Gregory Whitaker

Iowa Peace Network

Organization: Iowa Peace Network

Office Address: 4100 6th Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312

Mailing Address: 4211 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50312

Contact: Jessica Ireland

Contact Phone Number: 515-255-7114                                                                                                       

Contact E-Mail: iowapeacenetwork@gmail.com

Website: http://www.iowapeacenetwork.org/index.htm

Student Opportunities: After contacting the Iowa Peace Network, speaking with the contact person and researching the organization, I found that student volunteer opportunities were not going to pan out like I had anticipated. However there are still ways to get involved. The contact stated that volunteers are always needed and greatly appreciated. There are weekly gatherings at different Des Moines locations to advocate for international peace. However, the primary objective is to raise money that can be contributed to larger NGO’s and peace advocacy groups, such as the International Peace Institute, Human Rights Watch and The Global Justice Center.

Best Time To Be Reached: During regular business hours, Monday-Friday by telephone. Contact via e-mail can also be made.

Training Needed: No specific training is required for volunteers, just an interest in non-profit humanitarian assistance, conflict resolution, and global  human rights advocacy.

Regions Served: Issues that headline the Iowa Peace Network campaign include violence in Palestine, gender equality and women’s rights, particularly in Africa, and the disarmament of nuclear capabilities in Iran and North Korea. Iowa Peace Network is concerned with advocating peace, regardless which region of the world.

Submitted By: Gregory Whitaker

Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking

Organization: Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking

Address: 843 Thirteenth Ave North,  Clinton, IA 52732

Contact Phone Number: 563-242-7611

Contact Fax Number: 563-243-0007                                                                                                        

Contact E-Mail: sisters@clintonfranciscans.com

Website: http://www.clintonfranciscans.com/our-mission-center-for-active-nonviolence-and-peacemaking.html

Organization President: Janice Cebula

Student Opportunities: After contacting this organization, I learned many things that I did not discover through my research. This is an all female advocacy organization sponsored by the sisters of St. Francis Church.While the Sisters have made lifelong commitments to the church, they do not discourage anyone, particularly students, from joining them in their efforts of advocacy for international peace, justice, environmental sustainability, humanitarian assistance, nuclear disarmament, global health, poverty, immigration and human trafficking. The sisters sponsor events to raise awareness and enlighten people to the issues faced at an international level that foster violence, war and destabilized regions of the world.  The events are also held to raise money in order to donate to large international NGO’s that work to support their beliefs, such as The Polaris Project (an anti-human trafficking organization), and the WHO, as well as UNICEF.

Best Time To Be Reached: During regular business hours, Monday-Friday by telephone, although it took multiple efforts to reach someone. Or contact the Center for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking via e-mail. The organization responded to my e-mail the following day.

Time Commitment For Opportunities: The contact person at the Center  for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking communicated that participation is entirely optional and the number of volunteer hours is at ones discretion. Events are not held all that often, as there is about one per month, so this is a viable option for students with only a small amount of time to spare.

Training Needed: No training needed for volunteering. The Center  for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking simply wants individuals passionate about the international issues that the organization is centered around.

Regions Served: The Center  for Active Nonviolence and Peacemaking does not directly serve any regions outside of Iowa, but raise money to donate to NGO’s present in every region of the world.

Additional Notes/What Does This Organization Do? I found that the Sisters of St Francis have a constitution which states that “As women of faith, in union with Christ, we, the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa, embrace this responsibility to be revealers of God’s presence by our lives, and to be co-creators of a world of love, justice, and peace.”

Submitted By: Gregory Whitaker