If you are interested in completing your service for the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program through a self-organized activity - where the work is completed in your home as opposed to a project organized by an agency - review the following instructions before purchasing supplies or beginning your service activities.

1. Finding a Partner Organization
To receive your free ticket for the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program, an organization must verify your volunteer activities. To find an organization to verify your service:

• Return to the project database at www.DisneyParks.com and search for opportunities by geography. Contact information for any organizations within 100 miles will be returned in the search. Click on the link for contact information of the organizations that have additional qualifying opportunities. This link can be found at the bottom of the search page.
  
  
• If no organizations appear in the search, you'll have the option of self-organizing a project by recruiting an organization from your own community. Before reaching out, consider the following:
  
  
  • What are the biggest needs in my community? What social issues do I want to address through my volunteer activity (i.e., youth, education, health, environment, etc.) If you have trouble deciding, use one of the following techniques to help work through the process.
    
    
    • Three wishes - Ask what people would wish for in their community given unlimited power/resources
      
      
    • Watch the local news - Keep an eye out for stories that highlight community challenges that can be addressed with volunteers
      
      
    • Utopian towns - What was your favorite community to visit? Why? How does your town differ?
      
      
  • What types of organizations support these needs?
    
    
  • How far am I willing to travel to complete my volunteer activity?
    
    

Some common nonprofit and other volunteer service organizations include:

Health departments or hospitals	Schools or after-school programs	Children's homes
Homeless shelters	Humane society or other animal shelters	Food banks/pantries
Affordable Housing Department	Career centers	Local VITA sites
YMCA, 4-H, Boys & Girls Club, or other youth-serving organization	Faith-based organizations, (e.g., church, synagogue, temple)	Nursing homes, assisted living or senior centers
Veterans hospitals or VFW halls	Colleges and universities	Neighborhood associations and civic groups

2. Recruiting a Partner Organization
Once you identify the organization you want to work with, give them the attached registration toolkit. The organization must register for the program through HandsOn Network (by going to http://VOP.HandsOnNetwork.org) before you can commit to a volunteer opportunity with them and register for the Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. program at www.DisneyParks.com. It could take up to one week for the registration process to be finalized.

Be sure to discuss the following factors and trade contact information.

• Project - Review the project descriptions on the right-hand side of the page for project ideas. What type of volunteer activity would you like to complete? Can the organization support the project? Can the organization accept donations for any of the projects that have a finished product? Agree upon a specific project and ensure the organization's standards are met.
  
  
• Support - Besides verifying your volunteer activity, are there any other aspects of the project with which you will need the organization's support?
  
  
• Communicate - Trade contact information. Be sure to include your e-mail information. When the organization registers, they will be able to enter your contact information so that HandsOn Network can contact you directly when the organization's registration process is complete.
  
  
• Timeline - How long will it take to complete the volunteer activity? Will the organization be available to verify your service at that time? Once you agree upon the timing, you are now ready to register your self-organized opportunity at www.DisneyParks.com
  
  

Stay in touch with the organization and let them know if you encounter any difficulties with the project. Communicate frequently so that you can begin your volunteer activities once the organization has been approved by HandsOn Network.

3. Register for "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day."
Once you are notified that the organization's registration process is complete, go back to www.DisneyParks.com and search for the organization by entering their zip code. Click on the link for that organization that says "If you have already contacted this organization, found a qualifying opportunity and confirmed a date and time to volunteer, click here to complete the sign-up process." Follow the instructions to register for the program. You will be prompted to enter the name and a brief description of your self-organized project, and the date and time you have agreed to complete the project. This completes your registration process

Now you are ready to complete your volunteer service and get your free ticket to Disney!

Self Organizing Project Ideas:

Together, you and a group of friends can create a Visual Alphabet to stimulate and inspire others through art and education.



Reusable canvas tote bags are a great way to reduce the use of paper and plastic grocery bags. Your family can decorate them with environmental messages and use them at the grocery store or donate them for others to use.



Many children go to school in the morning without breakfast and come home to an empty refrigerator. Your family can hold a neighborhood food drive and be part of the solution in your community!



To recognize and bring focus people of great civic works, civil pioneer portraits will truly let that person shine. It can be a great teaching tool for schools or community organizations that work with youth.



Clean Up, Spiff Up is a great opportunity for families to pitch in, roll up their sleeves and beautify their community. Adopt a park, beach, roadside area, or any public space that looks like it needs beautification.



Your family can visit a nursing home, assisted living facility or senior center and make the visit special by organizing Bingo Fun , an entertaining, enjoyable activity for all.