Area Nonprofits: Join Us for Networking and Collaboration!

The Heart of Illinois Volunteer Administrators (HOIVA) strengthens volunteer engagement throughout central Illinois by supporting local nonprofits through collaboration, networking, and education. Our goal is to provide a respected, energetic voice for volunteerism across the community, advancing the shared goal of making our area a better place to live and work. Managed by the Heart of Illinois United Way, HOIVA membership is free and open to nonprofit organizations throughout Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Stark, and Putnam counties. We also invite you to join the HOIVA Facebook Group for news, agency sharing, upcoming webinars, and more! Click here to join.

 

Upcoming Sessions

Tuesday, Sept. 1
11:30 am
Via Zoom



From Fires to Floods: Mobilizing Volunteers in Disaster

Join the Heart of Illinois Volunteer Administrators and local organizations in the emergency management field for a presentation by Denise Gonzalez, Volunteer Engagement Director at United Way Asheville and Buncombe County, and Kate Ekman, CVA, Director of Community Impact at L.A. Works. Denise and Kate will discuss their experiences mobilizing volunteers in disaster response and ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene in 2024 and the Los Angeles Fires of 2025.

We hope you'll join us for this opportunity to kick off National Preparedness Month this September.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Real examples of the volunteer mobilization process in an active disaster and ongoing recovery 
  • Common challenges exist when organizing volunteers in a disaster 
  • How networks are essential to the process 
  • Ways that their experiences are informing preparedness for the future


Our Guest Speakers:

Kate A. Ekman, CVA, is the Director of Community Impact at L.A. Works in Los Angeles. A volunteer engagement professional since 2015, Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) since 2017, and Volunteer Engagement Professional Association Leader (DOVIA-LA) since 2018, Kate specializes in mobilizing volunteers to address wide-ranging community needs. Kate has experience mobilizing volunteers in disaster response and recovery, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. She also serves on the Board of the Emergency Network of Los Angeles (ENLA) and is a licensed Amateur Radio Technician (KO6NRN)


Denise Gonzalez is the Director of Volunteer Engagement for Hands On Asheville‑Buncombe, the community volunteer center of United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. She leads countywide volunteer mobilization efforts and oversaw the center’s response during Hurricane Helene, coordinating thousands of volunteers throughout both the immediate and long‑term recovery phases. In the months following the storm, the center supported more than 7,000 volunteers, established a disaster‑response warehouse in partnership with Buncombe County, operated a Volunteer Reception Center, and hosted four AmeriCorps NCCC teams.



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We invite you to join the HOIVA Facebook Group for news, agency sharing, upcoming webinars, and more! Click here to join. 
 
By making a reservation for an upcoming meeting, we will add you to the membership/mailing list for HOIVA. We invite you to bookmark this page to keep up-to-date on new learning and networking opportunities provided throughout the year in addition to the monthly offerings listed above.

 

JOIN THE HOIVA MEMBERSHIP/MAILING LIST:
Are you or your team interested in joining HOIVA, but not ready to RSVP for an upcoming meeting? Click here to join the membership/mailing list and receive updates on upcoming meetings, events, trainings, and more.  



 

Membership Information

  • Membership is agency-based and open to any staff who wants to attend. Membership is automatically extended to our community engagement partners including HOIUW partner agencies and nonprofit organizations who are part of HOIUW’s online volunteer center. 
  • Monthly meetings focused on peer-based sharing and discussing topics relevant to volunteer management.
  • Tools and resources provided to help nonprofits manage volunteer programs such as access to educational webinars hosted by Heart of Illinois United Way and the national Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (AL!VE).


For more information about HOIVA contact:

Gina Edwards, CVA
VP Marketing and Community Engagement
Heart of Illinois United Way
gina.edwards@local.unitedway.org