188. Let's Talk Volunteering with Weave: the Social Fabric Project

Nov 13, 2025

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In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson shares a webinar featuring Jennifer Bennett of Idealist and Travis Sternhagen, Volunteer Manager at Kinship Community Food Center. The episode delves into the transformative community-centric approach adopted by Kinship, emphasizing mutual aid, trust, and relationships over traditional transactional models of volunteerism.

Tobi and Jennifer discuss the challenges and strategies involved in fostering a sense of community among volunteers and service recipients alike, highlighting practical steps and profound insights shared by Travis. This episode offers invaluable guidance for anyone looking to reinvigorate volunteer engagement by making it deeply relational and community-oriented.

Full show notes: 188. Let's Talk Volunteering with Weave: the Social Fabric Project

Weave the Social Fabric Project - Episode Highlights

[02:58] - The Weave Project and Volunteerism
[06:54] - Tobi and Jennifer's Insights on Community Building
[08:27] - Travis’ Unique Approach to Volunteer Engagement
[15:10] - Kinship Community Food Center's Philosophy
[28:09] - Challenges and Solutions in Volunteer Management
[32:07] - Setting Boundaries in Healthy Communities
[32:47] - The Compost Metaphor for Community Building
[35:59] - Volunteer Influence Beyond the Organization
[38:43] - Engaging Volunteers for Long-Term Commitment
[42:11] - Audience Q&A: Building Community with Volunteers
[49:05] - The Importance of Rituals in Community Building
[50:50] - Managing Up and Embracing Community-Centric Approaches

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.