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Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
National
service is making a difference in every corner of the country.
CNCS
CEO Wendy Spencer visits programs across the nation and meets the dedicated
individuals who are tackling some of the most pressing challenges through
service.
This
week, the spotlight is on Oklahoma. Wendy has already made two big announcements in that
state, including ground-breaking grants for tribal nations. And she’s not done
yet—so check out @NationalService to get the scoop on how she is closing
out a great week in the Sooner State.
This
week, we are also highlighting more sensational service in Minnesota and
Missouri. And we are preparing to head to Louisiana
and Mississippi for the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Scroll
down to read more.
Thank
you and have a great weekend,
 Ted
Miller
Chief of External Affairs
Corporation for National and Community Service
P.S. In case you missed it, we joined with the
White House, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Cities of Service in
announcing the 10 cities that will launch Resilience AmeriCorps! (Hint: An Oklahoma community is on this list as well.)
Making History: CNCS is committed to supporting the culture of service that has existed in Native American communities for generations. This week, CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer visited Oklahoma to announce two first-of-a-kind tribal grants.
Wendy, the Chickasaw Nation, and Congressman Tom Cole announced the first-ever federal grant to support a new Senior Corps Foster Grandparent Program to improve school readiness and ensure academic success.
And, CNCS announced the first-ever tribal Operation AmeriCorps grant that will support 76 AmeriCorps members over the next two years to develop the Wah Zha Zhi Eco Park on the Osage Reservation, Pawhuska, and Osage County.
Supporting Youth: The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) invests in what works. This week, CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer and Congressman Keith Ellison announced a $3 million public-private partnership with Youthprise. The project, Opportunity Reboot, focuses on social-emotional skill building to strengthen education and career outcomes for Minnesota youth.
National Service Style: More than 6,500 people serve in more than 740 locations across Missouri. CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer recently met with Kansas City Mayor Sly James and showed him some national service style. Check out Mayor James' new bow-tie-ful gift!
Katrina 10: Next week marks the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. And
the national service family will honor the hard work, resilience, and
innovation that continues to support an even stronger and healthier Gulf Coast. Click here to see what we're doing as part of the Obama Administration's plan to commemorate #Katrina10.
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps making a difference to Boys & Girls Club
WEAU-TV (WI), August 14, 2015
Since 1994, AmeriCorps members have provided more than a billion hours of
community service to organizations across the U.S. Now you have the chance to
volunteer your time locally. "We wouldn't survive without our volunteers,”
explains Executive Director, Sara Antonson of Boys & Girls Club. For 11
years now, The Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley has
impacted the lives of children. Sara says, "I have been here 9 years and
when I first started we had 13 kids a day and now we're averaging well over 200
kids throughout all our sites."
AmeriCorps NCCC
Choosing Service
The Valley Advantage (PA), August 14, 2015
At his recent induction ceremony, Menedez was selected to speak. High school
graduates have a lot of options. Go to college (and pile up debt), get a job
(if you can) or just sit in your parents’ basement playing video games. One
option few consider: service to the nation. Larry Menendez of Dickson City is
taking the road less traveled. Recently he was one of 150 men and women
pledging to perform 10 months of national service as part of the Southern
Region’s 22nd Class of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), as a
member of FEMA Corps. Larry is 18 years old. He is a recent graduate of Mid
Valley High School. He is also an Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop No. 322. “I
first heard about AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps from my mother, after looking at
some military options that didn’t come through,” said Menendez. “I decided to
serve in another capacity.”
AmeriCorps VISTA
The 10 New Resilience AmeriCorps Cities Selected for Its Climate Resilience Pilot Program
The White House Blog (DC), August 20, 2015
Last month, the Administration announced Resilience AmeriCorps, a first of its kind effort to support local resilience-building efforts. Through the program, AmeriCorps VISTA members will provide much needed capacity for communities to do things like develop climate preparedness plans, build volunteer networks, and take advantage of the resilience tools available through our Climate Resilience Toolkit. Today, we are thrilled to share the announcement of the cities selected for the Resilience AmeriCorps pilot program: Anchorage, Alaska; Boulder, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; El Paso, Texas; Minot, North Dakota; New Orleans, Louisiana; Norfolk, Virginia; Phoenix, Arizona; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Senior Corps
Local volunteers honored for work with children
The
Logan Daily
(OH), August 13, 2015
Four generous volunteers were honored for their service on Friday during a
luncheon to celebrate those who have participated in the Foster Grandparent
program. This event was prestigious, marking the 50th anniversary of the
federal program. The Foster Grandparent program in Hocking, Athens, Muskingum,
Ross, Perry and Washington counties was originally established in 1972, and has
given local seniors a chance to connect with the youth in the area. The program
provides an opportunity for seniors, age 55 and up, to assist in schools, Head
Start, daycare, and the juvenile justice system to act as mentors to children
who may need some personal attention with their studies.
Social Innovation Fund
One-on-One: Gabriel Fialkoff, Mayor's Fund
New York Nonprofit Media (NY), August 12, 2015
Gabrielle Fialkoff, the Director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships for
Mayor Bill de Blasio, stopped by the NYN offices to talk about the Mayor Fund's
exciting announcement: A $30 Million public-private partnership to deliver
mental health services to low-income New Yorkers called Connections to Care.
Fialkoff explained the genesis of the program, as well as the RFP process as
the Mayor's Fund hopes to partner with a dozen community organizations to
deliver services.
National Service Blog
St. Bernard Project
NationalService.Tumblr.com, August 13, 2015
When Rachel Schumacher was 16 years old, Hurricane Katrina tore a hole through
one of the most important places in her life. Her grandparents had retired to
Ocean Springs, Mississippi, decades before, where her family would visit every
year for Christmas and sometimes during the summer. “Many of my most
treasured memories are from Christmases in Mississippi, but back then I never
thought it would end,” said Schumacher. “I thought I would be taking my kids to
that house, but now all I would be taking them to is a slab of concrete.”
Schumacher’s grandmother had become ill and was admitted to a hospital days
before Katrina hit.
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