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Writer's pictureHALO Award

Catching Up with Cohort 11

It’s hard to believe Cohort 11 is already over halfway through their program year! Let’s take a moment to reflect on their most recent activities.


Capacity Building Teams of HALO Cohort 11


The capacity building teams from Child Development Institute, MOSTe, Neighborhood Legal Services, The PLUS ME Project, PUENTE Learning Center, and Union Station Homeless Services started their program in February 2022. The entire cohort meets regularly for Zoom Peer Learning Sessions, during which they are cross-collaborating and discussing broader volunteer management strategies and solutions. Additionally, each organization is working with Blue Garnet to address specific issues impacting their volunteer program. Finally, each team is developing a comprehensive, multi-year volunteer management plan for their organization. The plan outlines immediate and long-term goals and actions that support growing, strengthening, and sustaining the volunteer program.


In Cohort 11’s most recent Peer Learning Session, Julia Murakami, Volunteer Program Manager at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and HALO Award alum from Cohort 10, joined the cohort to share how her team is applying strategies learned during the HALO Award program year. Specifically, she explained how JANM staff is making a case to internal and external audiences on how investments in the volunteer program support advancing organizational priorities. To date, this collective buy-in and effort streamlined the volunteer program and contributed to its expansion nationally.


The peer relationships developed during the HALO Award year are ones that participants can reflect on and continue to benefit from after program completion. Our hope, and what we have seen from HALO alumni, is that the HALO Award program continues to strengthen and propel volunteer efforts long after program completion.


Cohort 11 still has a lot of exciting work ahead, and we can’t wait to continue with this incredible group!

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