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November 19, 2008 12:36:49 AM CST

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Millions Mobilize for SoCal Earthquake Drill 

Students, workers practice ducking and covering in pretend 7.8 temblor

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Nov 13, 08 3:45 PM CST
(Newser) - An estimated 5 million volunteers and emergency personnel participated in a huge earthquake drill in Southern California today, the Los Angeles Times reports. The “ShakeOut,” as it is known, was designed to raise awareness of the continued need for earthquake preparedness. California will almost certainly get hit with a quake of 6.7 magnitude or higher in the next 30 years, the Orange Country Register adds. More »

More about:  Los Angeles • earthquake • Southern California • volunteer • Orange County, California

ANALYSIS

 Obama Forces Battle for Va. 

McCain forced to defend GOP stronghold

Washington Post Washington Post Oct 17, 08 1:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Virginia hasn’t swung Democrats’ way since Lyndon Johnson, but suddenly it’s a battleground, the Washington Post reports, and Obama appears to have all the tactical advantages. The Dem has three times as many campaign offices, and his army of volunteers has registered almost a half-million new voters. More »

More about:  Election 2008 • Obama 2008 • McCain 2008 • Virginia • voter registration • volunteer

(Newser) - There are a scant 27 days left to dedicate your blood, sweat, and tears to your candidate of choice. But some activists' moves are better than others. Christopher Beam runs down the best way to put your limited resources to good use in Slate: Got time to kill? Knock on doors to get out the vote, especially if you live in a swing state. Call people. It can work, ecspecially if you have something in common with those you call. Wave signs. It's easy enough. More »

 Storms Test New FEMA System 

'Dynamic' approach distributes response burden

Christian Science Monitor Christian Science Monitor Sep 8, 08 10:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - With three big storms hitting the US within about a week, FEMA is attempting to stay a step ahead, planning emergency response strategies and deploying supplies. The agency's new "dynamic regrouping" plan represents a real-time collaboration between military, civilian, and volunteer personnel, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "The depth of resources nationally, it's not a deep bullpen there," says a Red Cross adviser. More »

More about:  military • hurricane • Hurricane Ike • evacuation • FEMA • Red Cross • volunteer • emergency responders • community

 Quake Efforts Break
 Barriers in China 

Ordinary citizens donate, head to quake scene without government coordination

New York Times New York Times May 20, 08 11:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Chinese people have responded to last week's Sichuan earthquake with an unprecedented outpouring of volunteer work and donations—outside the scope, and control, of the Chinese government, the New York Times reports. China’s regime doesn’t trust public activism, and has long restricted private charity groups. But the quake crisis and public reaction are so broad it has grudgingly accepted help. More »

More about:  China • earthquake • China earthquake • Sichuan province • volunteer • activist

 Raunchy Narratives Open
 Web Porn to Blind 

Volunteers investing 'time and effort,' boasts spokesman

Wired Wired Apr 13, 08 11:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Looking for volunteer opportunities? The nonprofit Porn for the Blind is making free porn preview sites accessible to the blind, Wired reports. "We imagine that visually impaired people benefit from this service in many of the same ways that non-visually impaired people benefit from the hard-core pornography that's being described," said the group's co-founder. More »

More about:  sex • pornography • blindness • disability • nonprofit • volunteer • equality

Nonprofit Builds Free
Houses for Wounded Vets

Mass. group provides 'great ending to bad beginning'

Christian Science Monitor Christian Science Monitor Mar 20, 08 3:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - A nonprofit group is putting up customized homes for badly injured vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops is building in 20 states, fueled by donated supplies, land, and labor. “When a vet is in need, people come out of everywhere to help,” the contractor-turned-founder says. More »

More about:  Iraq war • military • soldier • Iraq veterans • volunteer • Afghanistan veterans • wounded • injured

Volunteer Efforts Revive
New Orleans Firehouses

Donations help fix 'critical safety issue'

Times-Picayune (New Orleans) Times-Picayune (New Orleans) Dec 13, 07 12:06 AM CST
(Newser) - With public money tied up, generous donations of time and funds have restored four New Orleans firehouses, the Times-Picayune reports. "This is a critical safety issue,” said the district chief. With 22 of 33 city firehouses hit hard in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, many firefighters still work out of trailers. The volunteers have offered to help mend another seven firehouses. More »

More about:  Hurricane Katrina • New Orleans • firefighters • donation • volunteer

SF Oil Cleanup Gases Up, Volunteers Rebuffed

Coast Guard sends eager residents home

San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle Nov 11, 07 6:44 AM CST
(Newser) - As cleanup of the San Francisco oil spill intensifies, so does the frustration of volunteers blocked from pitching in. At least one organizer ended up in handcuffs when his group ignored a park ranger's order to get off a beach and instead scooped up globs of oil. Hundreds of residents who arrived for what they thought were training sessions were told to go home because oil is "hazardous," reports the San Francisco Chronicle. More »

More about:  oil • San Francisco • wildlife • oil spill • Coast Guard • volunteer • environmental offenses

'Voluntourism' Feeds Profits, Not Mouths

Gap-year travelers waste their time and money, charity claims

Times (UK) Times (UK) Aug 14, 07 7:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - A leading British charity has blasted the new "voluntourism" industry as an amateurish scam, writes the Times of London. The vogue for gap-year travel to developing countries, where young volunteers pay for the privilege of teaching children or building homes does little good and enriches nobody but the travel companies, according to Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). More »

More about:  Great Britain • charity • student • Prince William • Prince Harry • volunteer • volunteerism • voluntourism

Wal-Mart Mexico Pays Teen Baggers Nada

Retail giant calls
young, uncompensated workers 'volunteers'

MSNBC MSNBC Aug 1, 07 4:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - Wal-Mart has 4,300 teenagers bagging merchandise for free in its Mexican stores, Newsweek reports. The retail giant isn't doing anything illegal, since the kids aren't technically workers but "volunteers" who donate their time in exchange for gratuities from customers. But labor activists say the notoriously bottom-line-minded company is nefariously exploiting local customs. More »

More about:  Mexico • Wal-Mart • teenagers • employment • salary • wages • volunteer • foreign labor

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