Volunteer for a day and get a free pass to Disneyland in the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program. Photo courtesy of Disney.com

By Laura Lollar Wolfe

In researching the Disneyland “Free Entrance on your Birthday” promotion for my son, I found it has expired. However, there is a new 2010 promotion, “Give A Day, Get A Day.” You have probably seen the ads on TV where Kermit and Miss Piggy are working for Habit for Humanity and earning a free day in Disneyland. This promo is actually better for families than the free birthday, because anyone age 6 or older can qualify for a free day at Disney by volunteering a day for a local organization. There is no limit to the number per family.

Disney had pledged 1,000,000 tickets to Disneyland or Disney World to be used between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15, 2010. As of Feb. 15, more than 600,000 free tickets had been earned. Koral Hancharick, Executive Director of the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, said she has seen a dramatic increase in the number of volunteers due to this program and encouraged me to move quickly.

To sign up, go to the Disney Parks website and access the search form on the front page. By typing in your ZIP code, you can find a number of volunteer opportunities in Bakersfield and miles beyond. So far, 116 Bakersfield nonprofits are registered on the site, which is run by the HandsOn Network.

Our family is planning to work at the Buena Vista Museum. Other opportunities include writing a 10-minute eco-drama for a mental health organization in Frazier Park, and volunteering for such organizations as FACT at CSUB, all the major local hospitals, Houchin Blood Bank, MOVE, Community Action Partnership, Ronald McDonald House, Garden Pathways, Youth for Christ, YMCA, and, of course, our local Habitat for Humanity.

Another feature is to create your own opportunity: One is “Dessert Etiquette,” where you provide dessert, proper plates and silverware, nice napkins, etc. and host a group of students to learn about the proper way to eat and interact. Another idea is to organize your family for a community clean up day. Putting on something as an individual is allowed, you just have to find a sponsoring organization through the online search process. Click this link for the particulars.

Although 116 Bakersfield nonprofits are registered, many are not, and may not know of the opportunity. To become eligible, the organization needs to register with the HandsOn Network.

HandsOn Network is the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute and is the largest volunteer network in the nation. There are more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers that reach more than 83 percent of the nation’s population. The closest one to us is Hands On Central California, which was formerly the Volunteer Center of Fresno. According to the website, “These affiliates act as community hubs — places where people can get connected, get involved and make change happen in their communities. They focus on helping people plug into volunteer opportunities in their local community, helping nonprofit organizations manage volunteer resources, and developing the leadership capacity of volunteers.”

The steps to collaborate with HandsOn Network are pretty simple. According to the FAQ, the following organizations may be accepted as sources of eligible volunteer opportunities if they are approved by HandsOn Network:

• HandsOn Network Affiliates
• Organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code

The following are also acceptable with proper documentation:

• Subordinates or local chapters of large nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
• Schools
• Healthcare organizations
• Government park and recreation organizations
• Faith-based organizations
• Government-sponsored volunteer programs

Assuming your organization meets one of the criteria above, all that is needed is to complete the online application to become a HandsOn Network Volunteer Verification Partner. There are other rules, but the registration process will only take you a few minutes.

I look forward to checking back with the site and seeing many more Bakersfield nonprofits registered. Knowing Disney, they are tracking the demographics of those who take advantage of this program carefully. Let’s get the Kern County numbers up!