Today Volunteer Odyssey unveils first-of-its-kind mural to increase volunteer participation rates across Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee – April 17, 2018 – Volunteer Odyssey, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers to service opportunities, is publicly debuting #TheHeartofMemphis, a new interactive mural located at 60 S. Main St. in Downtown Memphis. The mural aims to increase volunteer participation rates across the city by matching mural visitors to volunteer opportunities that meet their unique interests and schedules, then sending meaningful volunteer opportunities directly to visitors’ phones.
“Figuring out how to start volunteering can be intimidating, so we wanted to create an easy, no-pressure starting point for Memphians to discover opportunities that best suit their scheduling needs and personal interests,” said Dr. Sarah Petschonek, Founder and CEO of Volunteer Odyssey. “Not only is the mural a vibrant piece of art, it will also spark conversations about volunteering and hopefully encourage others to begin serving. Community service is the heart of Memphis, and our nonprofits rely on volunteers to help meet the vast needs of our city.”
Passersby can begin to explore volunteer opportunities by “touching the hearts” on the mural’s interactive touchscreen. From there, the mural guides users to volunteer opportunities based on causes they’re passionate about, and sends details about their volunteer opportunity matches directly to their phone. Users can then sign up for those opportunities from their phone in real time. Visitors are also encouraged to take photos of their interactions with the mural and post them on social media with the hashtag #TheHeartofMemphis.
The mural, including the touchscreen interactivity, was designed and executed by a multidisciplinary team at brand communications agency Archer Malmo. Signs & Designs helped bring the team’s ideas to life by producing the vinyl portion of the mural and leading its installation on the outside of the Washburn building. The Plough Foundation provided major funding for the project. The mural is powered by Volunteer Odyssey’s software platform VolunteerCompass.
“We’re honored to help create this important mural for Volunteer Odyssey, and ultimately for the city of Memphis,” said Russ Williams, CEO of Archer Malmo. “Memphis has very low volunteer participation rates compared to other cities in the U.S., and our agency is continually seeking ways to help make our city better, stronger and more vibrant. By helping engage the community in service, we can help ensure a brighter future for our city.”
The mural will be active 24 hours per day for one year. Its unveiling coincides with National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, and is part of Volunteer Odyssey’s larger campaign, The Year to Volunteer. The Year to Volunteer is the organization’s response to the National Civil Rights Museum’s call to action in honor of MLK50, “Where do we go from here?” In partnership with the City of Memphis, Volunteer Odyssey’s goal is to engage 10,000 volunteers in 85,000 hours of community service, generating an economic impact of $2 million during this timeframe. The Year to Volunteer finale is tied to the City of Memphis bicentennial celebration in May 2019.
