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Foundation Beyond Belief is thrilled to announce the winners of our first-annual Heart of Humanism Awards. This year’s awards recognize the outstanding community service of local groups who participated in our Volunteers Beyond Belief (VBB) program in 2012, as well as individuals who made extraordinary contributions to compassionate humanism. Earlier this year, VBB became part of Beyond Belief Network, along with our Foundation Partners Program and Light The Night international team. In addition to recognition, winners receive grants they can direct to any 501(c)(3) organization they choose.

Volunteers Beyond Belief launched in 2011 with seven teams: Triangle Freethought Society, Fellowship of Freethought, Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, Harvard Humanists, Valley Skeptics in the Park, Humanity on Call, and Humanist Community of Central Ohio. As of this year, BBN has grown to more than 70 teams across the United States, with more than 4,000 volunteers and nearly 27,000 hours of community service to date. We are amazed by all the exciting service opportunities the BBN teams have planned so far in 2013, and we can’t wait to see who the 2013 award winners are!

2012 team winners are:

1.    Humanism at Work Award for Most Volunteer Hours (total hours volunteered divided by the number of people in group) and $250 grant: Triangle Freethought Society
2.    Eat. Sleep. Volunteer. Repeat. Award for Most Volunteer Events and $100 grant: Fellowship of Freethought Dallas
3.    Rookie of the Year for Best Team Added in 2012 and $50 grant: Humanists of Rhode Island
4.    Campus All-Star Award for Outstanding Student Team and $100 grant: SSA U Michigan
5.    Humanist Communication Award for Best Event Reporting and $50 grant: Minnesota Atheists
6.    Feed the Need for Outstanding Food-Related Volunteering and $50 grant: Fellowship of Freethought Dallas
7.    Best Service Article or Video and $50 grant: Valley Skeptics in the Park
8.    Best Photograph of Humanism at Work and $50 grant: Valley Skeptics in the Park

Light the Night Team Awards:

1.    Shining Star Award for Outstanding Light The Night Team: Triangle Freethought Society

Special thanks to all of the 2012 VBB LTN teams: Harvard Humanists, HCCO, FoF Dallas, Valley Skeptics, Triangle Freethought Society, Cleveland Freethinkers, SSA U of Chicago, Minnesota Atheists, SSA U Michigan, Humanists of Rhode Island, New Orleans Secular Humanist Association, CSRA Non-Theists

2.    Additional awards were provided by Stiefel Freethought Foundation. VBB team Harvard Humanists won the first place student team and home office award and received $2,000 in grants.

Individual Award winners:

Our 2012 Most Valuable Volunteer and recipient of a $100 grant is Josh Nankivel of Siouxland Freethinkers. Josh has donated blood, school supplies, and toys, and helped with highway cleanup and kids’ science events. He raised $12,000 for Autism Speaks and was the top individual fundraiser in South Dakota in 2012!

The Humanist Visionary Award goes to Greg Epstein for his groundbreaking contributions to the development of humanist community nationwide through his writing, speaking, and work with the Humanist Community Project at Harvard University.

The Humanist Innovator Award goes to Carmen Zepp for the creation of Human Beans Together, a program that grew out of the simple desire to share food with those who are hungry in the Raleigh area. Since January 2012, Human Beans has operated a weekly open-air “soup kitchen” in the center of the city, feeding hundreds of people each week. Carmen is a member of the Triangle Freethought Society.

Finally, the Heart of Humanism Award goes to Todd Stiefel, founding executive director of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation and Team Captain of FBB’s Light The Night Team. He and his family matched Light The Night donations dollar for dollar, contributing more than $200,000 in 2012. SFF also provided thousands of dollars for Light The Night incentives to top fundraising teams.

But as game-changing as Todd’s financial support has been, his time and leadership have made at least as great an impact. He works tirelessly to support the humanist movement, from volunteering for Camp Quest, to speaking at conferences, to organizing humanist programs and leading our LTN International Team.

Please join us in congratulating all of our 2012 Heart of Humanism award winners on Facebook! Go to our page and leave them some love.

If your group would like to make charity a larger part of your identity, consider joining Beyond Belief Network. We welcome any groups with a public secular humanist or atheist identity, with all levels of experience. We provide our teams with how-to guides, tips, and assistance planning and promoting events. Additionally, we award our top teams with recognition, t-shirts, and the opportunity to apply for grants for service projects. To be eligible for the 2013 awards, you must report at least eight events prior to December 31, 2013. Teams may submit backdated reports for all of their 2013 events.

By Andrew Geary

The holidays provide some time to reconnect with friends and family, reflect on the year behind, set plans for the year ahead, and for our Volunteers Beyond Belief teams to find creative ways to give back to their community.

One of our newest teams, the Siouxland Freethinkers, served up some help for two local nonprofits. Fifteen members helped a local nonprofit dedicated to providing children and families in need with the help that they deserve. The group raised money for Project Joy while gift-wrapping and sharing the humanist cheer with all who came their way. In addition, the group hosted a toy drive benefitting the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota, which serves more than 2,000 children each year, primarily ages 4 to 13. The majority of these children are victims of severe abuse or neglect. The Siouxland Freethinkers collected seven bags of new toys, clothes, and books.

The University of Michigan’s Secular Student Alliance held a book drive for the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Store, which gives money to the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Volunteers from the group dropped off and sorted through the books, donating nearly 100 books to the thrift store.

The Humanists of Houston dedicated their holiday cheer to the Houston Area Women’s Center Holiday Store. For two weeks every holiday, the Center transforms their offices into a store where the women and families they serve can shop for holiday gifts. Read more about it our blog, where it was a featured story.

Two of our groups pitched in to help the stretch of highway they have adopted stay clean and free of any holiday clutter—the Fayette Freethought Society and Fellowship of Freethought in Dallas. In addition, the Fellowship of Freethought Dallas held a gift drive for Jonathan’s Place, a local organization that provides safe, loving homes and specialized services for children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected.

The Minnesota Atheists’ “War on Christmas” brought together 20 volunteers from the group. Each group member brought gifts as requested by the children’s hospital. After enjoying a festive feast, they wrapped the gifts, put a nice bow on each one, and dropped off the gifts at the hospital. In total, the group donated $600 worth of gifts.

The Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry volunteered at the Lowcountry Food Bank, an organization that helps ensure that affordable food gets to those who need it. The group helped sort and box hundreds of pounds of donations from retailers. Additionally, through the months of November and December they raised $1,092 for Begin with Books. This will help provide books for more than 30 kids.

Some of our other groups kept busy with their regularly scheduled events, including the Humanists of Rhode Island’s monthly efforts with Habitat for Humanity and the Humanist Community of Central Ohio’s blood drive, Bleed & Feed.

All of our VBB teams’ efforts during the holidays are just a snapshot of the great work they do all year long. To learn more about this program and to check out the application to join, click here.

Superstorm Sandy left hundreds of thousands without power, permanently altered long-standing communities, and left a pressing, urgent feeling in the air of the terrible impact of this major weather event. The Freethought Society (FS)—a Volunteers Beyond Belief team—did not hesitate for a moment to begin thinking of ways to help those affected rebuild their lives.

Margaret Downey, president of the Freethought Society, made an impression at the 2011 Texas Freethought Convention when she delivered a presentation on altruism. This prompted the Texas Freethought Convention to contact Margaret after the storm and explore a possible partnership to help those in need. This started a groundswell of ideas that soon led to the inclusion of VBB and the United Coalition of Reason. These four would form the core of the Hurricane Sandy Emergency Relief Fund Committee. All of the members of this committee work as volunteers to help get financial assistance to victims as quickly as possible.

To help reach those in need, VBB created a nomination form. The personal stories here tell the real impact of this deadly storm. One nomination tells the tragic story of a daughter who lost her father and sister when a wave leveled their home in Staten Island. Her mother is in critical condition. The support of the nontheists community and the tireless efforts of this committee, led by Margaret and the Freethought Society, will go a small but important way to help this family – and others – rebuild their lives.

This committee’s action was recognized by the Washington Post and highlighted on numerous websites and press releases, including one from the Secular Coalition for America. To date, the efforts have raised more than $5,000 from 85 donors. Even a candidate for Congress in Louisiana, Randall Lord, contacted the committee to send future campaign donations to this relief fund.

As the nontheist community comes together around this international tragedy, efforts of our VBB teams do not go unnoticed. The stated goals of the Freethought Society are to raise awareness and acceptance of the nontheists. This effort will no doubt continue to contribute to their mission. To learn more about these efforts and offer your own financial support, please visit the Freethought Society.

Our international Light the Night team is a third of the way to our $1 million goal (including matching donations courtesy of team captain Todd Stiefel and his family) with a little less than two months to go in 2012. Many teams have started sending us pictures of their walks.

CFI Michigan raised almost $2,000 from individual donations, a kickoff event at McFadden’s restaurant, and a partnership with their local Culver’s restaurants. They walked on October 6 in Grand Rapids, MI.
 

The Chicago-Area Secular Student Alliance Group, consisting of affiliates from Loyola, DePaul, Northwestern, and the University of Chicago raised $1,255 and walked on October 20 in Chicago. 

Walking with the Chicago-Area SSA teams on October 20 was the Chicago-Area team, which raised $3,332.

Camp Quest and Humanist Community of Central Ohio raised nearly $1,200 from individual donations and walked on October 27 in Columbus, OH.

Secular Student Alliance National Staff raised more than $700 from individual donations and walked on October 27 in Columbus, OH.

Minnesota Atheists raised $700 and walked on September 23 in Minneapolis, MN.

CLU SSA & The Humanist Community Thousand Oaks raised more than $700 and walked on October 27 in Woodland Hills, CA.

Birmingham Temple beat their $2,000 goal by another $200 when they walked in Troy, MI, on September 22.

Secular Student Alliance at the University of Michigan raised $700 from a Send-an-Atheist-to-Church fundraiser and individual donations. They walked in Ann Arbor, MI, on September 29.

The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island raised $2,500, beating their goal by 25% from team and individual donations. They walked on October 12 in East Meadow, NY.

Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation raised more than $1,600 from individual donations and walked on October 21 in Glenview, IL.

It’s not too late to donate! Don’t forget, donations are being matched up to $500,000 by the Stiefel family and support the incredibly good work being done by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Current FBB Human Rights beneficiary the It Gets Better Project is on a mission to give LGBTQ teens hope that their future will be brighter than the pain that many endure during their young adult years. We can all pitch in to help it get better, so here are some ways that you (yes, you!) can take action to support the LGBTQ community.  

The It Gets Better Project is still looking for volunteers to hand out promotional materials and take pictures at Pride Parades in St. Louis, Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco on Sunday, June 24. You can find the volunteer form here; please also email us so that we can let It Gets Better know you are with VBB.

Some VBB teams have committed to organizing volunteers for local Pride events in their area. To join the San Diego Coalition of Reason at their local Pride event on Saturday July 21, contact them by email. Volunteers Beyond Belief team Humanists of Houston is handing out materials and marching in the Houston Pride Parade this Saturday, June 23, with the Houston Freethought Alliance; they can be reached by email. 

Several of our local teams have already engaged in efforts supporting LGBTQ rights. On Saturday, June 16, the Humanists of Rhode Island had more than a dozen volunteers represent them in downtown Providence at a day-long festival. They marched that evening in the country’s only illuminated nighttime Pride parade, tailed by a Mustang convertible from which HRI member Kelly Reid tossed candy to spectators. Also on June 16, the Humanist Community of Central Ohio walked in their local pride parade. Twelve members participated in the parade and passed out bookmarks in support of the LGBTQ community in Columbus. 

Minnesota Atheists also proudly marched in the 28th annual MayDay parade in Minneapolis, during which many of their members made a point of championing marriage equality with signs and t-shirts. Triangle Freethought Society volunteered at phone banks to inform voters about NC Amendment One earlier this year. This event was featured on our blog a few weeks ago. 

This coming month, related LGBTQ charity The Trevor Project is hosting a variety of Pride events, including those in West Hollywood, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Washington, DC. If you’re in one of these areas, you can find more details about the events and what you can do here. 

If you’re not in one of those locations but still want to help, you can also check out other volunteer opportunities with The Trevor Project, including lifeline counseling, writing blog contributions, or even just helping the project with mailings and data entry. You can also check out VolunteerMatch and search your city with keyword “LGBTQ” for a list of local opportunities, or visit GLAAD, an organization focused on LGBTQ in the media. They have virtual volunteer opportunities for those who prefer to help out behind the scenes. The It Gets Better Project itself also has a useful summary of things you can do to advance their mission, such as sharing your story by video or text.

We’re so proud of our teams who have already been making an effort in this important issue of our time. We hope to see many more of you following in their footsteps! If you do, don’t forget to share it with us on our Volunteers Beyond Belief Facebook page, or tweet it to us at @VolunteersBB.

This June, as the Volunteers Beyond Belief program approaches one year since its inception, we are excited to announce another expansion of our program. Our roster of teams now features four new additions, bringing us to a total of 18 communities peppered across the United States. These teams will bring along about 500 new volunteers, bringing our nationwide total to more than 2,000!  Although the program is still young, we have already seen significant progress and growth. We can’t wait to see what these new partnerships will bring to the table as we work together to promote compassionate humanism in our own communities.  Get acquainted with our newest groups below.

The Michigan Secular Student Alliance was founded in 2006 as a place where nonreligious students could gather to express ideas and find community. Our group has grown considerably since then and has become the largest group for atheist, agnostic, and freethinking students on the University of Michigan campus. Their goals as an organization are to promote critical thinking and secularism, while providing a fun, welcoming community to secular students and giving back to the larger community through monthly service projects.  

Humanists of Rhode Island was formed in April 2011 with the intention of demonstrating the humanist values of reason, compassion, optimism, and action without the trappings of superstition and religion. Since that time the group has swelled from seven to more than 130 members, and they have engaged in dozens of service projects and have engaged directly in the political arena on such issues as church/state separation, marriage equality, and women’s reproductive freedoms. They are always looking for more to do, and are eager to engage with their community.

Humanists of Houston (HOH) has been the premier humanist group in Houston for more than 30 years. HOH exists to provide the opportunity for likeminded humanists, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and freethinkers to socialize and enjoy thought-provoking discussions about the issues of the day. As a humanist group, they do not merely hold a naturalistic worldview based on reason, but are also concerned with living ethical, meaningful lives with concern for their fellow human being. As a result, their members are looking forward to participating with Volunteers Beyond Belief in a variety of activities designed to advance humanist causes and values in the Houston area.

The Freethought Society (FS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization advocating the separation of religion and government. As freethinkers, their minds are not constrained by superstitions or prescribed dogmas that tell us what we may or may not think.  FS supporters are atheists, agnostics, humanists, skeptics, rationalists, humanists, secularists, and freethinkers. The goals of the Freethought Society are to raise awareness and acceptance of the nontheists. Events and volunteer opportunities provide a strong community tie for like-minded individuals. FS serves as a local forum in which freethinkers can learn, socialize, and exchange ideas. Committees include the following: Anti-Discrimination Support Network, Helping Hands, Diversity Outreach, Women Against Religious Subjugation, Tree of Knowledge, Secular Celebration, Mentor Connection, and Thomas Paine Memorial Committee.

To learn more about Volunteers Beyond Belief, click here. 

This post is part of our Humanist Perspectives series. In this series, we invite guest contributors to explore active humanism and what it means to be a thoughtful, engaged member of society. This article by James Croft originally appeared on his blog, Temple of the Future. You can read more by James at HarvardHumanist.org.

See also Good (Without God): Service is a Humanist Priority.

In the first article in this series, Good (Without God), I outlined the moral necessity and benefits to the Humanist movement of focusing more of our energy on service work. Here, I outline ten ideas for service projects which are easy to organize, some of which can be integrated into the regular programming of your Humanist group. These ideas are designed to showcase and promote Humanist values, with special consideration given to service opportunities which highlight values which separate Humanist communities from many religious communities. In this way, we can demonstrate the distinctive value of Humanism.

The Ideas:

By Tommaso Boggia, Foundation Beyond Belief Environment Blogger

Getting people interested in the climate crisis can be tough. For some reason, when you start talking about political corruption and scientific data, most people tune out, fall asleep, stop caring, or start acting like contrarians for the hell of it, but I know the climate crisis discussion can be much more exciting than that!

What is more exciting than windmills slowly spinning their blades in the American heartland?

What is more inspiring than recently laid-off factory workers heading back to work building new batteries for electric cars?

What is more beautiful than 15,000 young Ethiopians marching in the streets of Addis Ababa to preserve a future with plentiful crops, accessible drinking water, and sustainable development?

Sure, puppies and polar bears are cute and draw people’s attention, but I won’t be talking about those here (check out the animal protection section for your cute-animal fix). The climate crisis is a human problem, and human stories will demonstrate the exciting opportunities and potential threats that lie ahead.