National Service in the News for Wednesday, March 29, 2017.
Spectrum
Generations’ veterans program receive national recognition
The Kennebec Journal (ME), March 28, 2017
Spectrum Generations’ Legacy Corps Program, which caters to the caregiving
needs of veterans and their families, recently received two national awards.
Bestowed by the University of Maryland, the awards are a direct reflection of
the efforts made to grow the program and enhance people’s lives through the
support it offers, according to a news release from Spectrum Generations. The
Eisenhower Award was presented to the organization as a symbol of its
leadership in modeling how to retain members. The Startup Award was presented
in recognition of demonstrated growth of the program through both volunteers
and families seeking services, year after year. The awards were two of four
presented, nationwide.
Trump
plan to cut AmeriCorps would hit South Sound nonprofits
The News Tribune (WA), March 28, 2017
AmeriCorps members in the South Sound tutor schoolchildren, fill backpacks with
food for hungry families, help veterans navigate college and build homes for
low-income families. Their supporters say those services would be lost or
drastically curtailed as a result of budget cuts proposed by the Trump
administration this month. As part of a $54 billion cut of non-defense
programs, the proposed budget eliminates the Corporation for National Community
Service, which provides $32 million to operate AmeriCorps in Washington. “The
impact would be huge,” said Debbie Schuffenhauer, the executive director of
Serve Washington, a state commission that manages AmeriCorps funds.
The Impact of
Affordable Housing
Ron Moelis Blog, March 28, 2017
As a developer of affordable housing, I see the positive impact of affordable
housing and its lasting effects on the communities within which we work;
affordable development has economic benefits that go beyond the scope of
housing, particularly in terms of employment. Earlier this year, the New York
State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) released a study on measuring
the impact of affordable housing in New York State. The report found that the
development of affordable housing has a positive impact not just on the
families who are able to live in affordable apartments, but on the local
economy as well. Between 2011 and 2015, affordable housing projects created
329,400 total jobs. This includes positions within construction, architecture,
engineering, as well as local businesses like restaurants and retail.
Land
bank gets $1.6M to battle blight
The Leader Herald (NY), March 28, 2017
The newly created Greater Mohawk Valley Land Bank has received $1.6 million in
funding, part of $20.9 million disbursed to 19 land banks across the state. The
money was awarded by the Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative
established in 2013 by the New York State Office of the Attorney General, with
funding from settlements with the big banks after the foreclosure crisis. Tolga
Morawski, the executive director of the Greater Mohawk Valley Land Bank, said a
company called Local Initiatives Services Corp. actually administers the $1.6
million in funding, which is then given to the land bank on a
project-to-project basis.
Farm
to School committee asks Board to grow the district
The Ashland Daily Press (WI), March 29, 2017
The Ashland School Board covered an assortment of topics during their monthly
Board of Education Meeting held on Monday evening at the Bad River Convention
Center in the Kakagon Room, including updates and views on the school's Farm to
School program. The board was welcomed with an opening Honor Song drumming
presentation and comments from Bad River Tribal Chairman Robert Blanchard. "As
a father, grandfather and great-grandfather," Blanchard said, "I feel
mainstream education is very important combined with the Ojibwe traditional
teachings and understanding of who we are as Anishinaabe people ... are key and
essential to help our children and our youth to become healthy successful
adults." Blanchard acknowledged and thanked the school board for their
tireless efforts to inspire and empower the district's students.
Letter:
How I will fight for justice through Teach For America
The Minnesota Daily (MN), March 28, 2017
If your Facebook feed is anything like mine these days, it’s filled with
endless political opinions and ominous infographics about the future of our
healthcare system. But underneath the chaos and clutter, I see my friends
grappling with the big question of our time: how will our generation create the
future we dream of? As a soon-to-be graduate, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking
about my personal role in shaping our nation’s future — thinking beyond logging
into social media or donating a few bucks to the causes that matter to me.
Because when I added up my day-to-day actions, I couldn’t kick the feeling that
it just wasn’t enough. And that lingering feeling brought me to Teach For
America. It isn’t always obvious how someone like me, a pre-medical student and
biology major, makes the decision to step into a classroom after graduation.
Volunteers
Worry Federal Budget Cuts Would Damage Tulsa Reading Partners
KOTV-TV (OK), March 28, 2017
President Donald Trump's budget proposal includes $54 billion in cuts to a wide
range of programs. Some worry those cuts could have a trickle-down effect,
impacting children in Tulsa who struggle with reading. Diane King is a volunteer
tutor with Tulsa's Reading Partners program; McClure elementary is one of about
two dozen Tulsa schools benefiting from the program. "They seem to do
better if they have someone that can work one on one with them, a couple times
a week," King said. Reading Partners works with what are considered
under-resourced schools.
Mountains
Foundation seeks AmeriCorps participants
The Big Bear Grizzly (CA), March 29, 2017
Those who join the Southern California Mountains Foundation Urban Conservation
AmeriCorps program use their energy, ideals and talents to help protect natural
resources. Plus, they earn money for education, learn to be a leader and gain
real job skills. The Southern California Mountains Foundation Urban
Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program is recruiting individuals ages 18 to 25
years old with a “I can do it attitude” who want to serve for six months on a
service crew to help restore and protect the San Bernardino National Forest.
AmeriCorps service crew members provides wildfire disaster mitigation services
that target some of the most hazardous areas on the San Bernardino National
Forest that are at the highest risk of wildfires due to drought conditions in
California.
Alcona
administrators working to fill positions
The Alpena News (MI), March 29, 2017
With the recent retirement of Alcona Community Schools Superintendent Shawn
Thornton there are several staffing positions that need to be filled with the
district. Superintendent Dan O’Connor, the former high school principal, took
over March 1 for Thornton after the school board decided to hire him for the
position. O’Conner said his former position, as well as a new guidance
counselor, are needed. That job, which has not been in the district for a
while, was posted after Thornton’s retirement. “We have about 20 applicants for
the guidance counselor position and we would like to have them start by the end
of the school year,” O’Connor said. “We’re hoping they can participate in the
creation of a master student schedule.”
Black
Alumni of SMU Celebrate 2017 History Makers, Scholarship Recipients
SMU Magazine (TX), March 28, 2017
It was a night of fun, food and fellowship as alumni, faculty, students and
members of the community celebrated achievement at the sixth annual Black
Excellence Ball on February 25. Black Alumni of SMU joined the Association of
Black Students (ABS) to present “Mustang Masquerade.” The program included
remarks by SMU President R. Gerald Turner and keynote speaker Clint Smith, 2014
National Poetry Slam champion and doctoral candidate in education at Harvard
University. The former high school English teacher is the recipient of a National
Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship with research interests that
include mass incarceration, the sociology of race and the history of U.S.
inequality.
Informational
meeting for disaster volunteers Thursday
The Decorah Newspapers (IA), March 28, 2017
Northeast Iowa RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program) is searching for
volunteers age 55 plus who are interested in helping to operate a Volunteer
Reception Center (VRC) during a local Winneshiek County disaster. VRC would be activated by Winneshiek County
Emergency Management under the direction of RSVP staff. The RSVP volunteers
would be responsible for registering spontaneous volunteers, provide safety
training and assign the volunteers to a team before being sent out to a
designated area to assist with the disaster. Volunteers will also be
responsible for answering a disaster hotline and may be asked to distribute
supplies.
Multi-district
alternative program thrives under Mineral Point’s Wing
The Wisconsin State Journal (WI), March 28, 2017
When financial concerns threatened to derail an alternative school that draws
students from several school districts in southwest Wisconsin, the Mineral
Point School District took the program under its own wing. It was a leap of
faith that some viewed as a risky move, said Joelle Doye, spokeswoman for the
district. But the program is now run by the school district, which receives
fees from other school districts that send students there. The Mineral Point
Alternative Program, formerly called the Renaissance School, was run for 10
years by Cooperative Educational Service Agency District 3, which received the
fees. The program was and continues to be housed at the old Mineral Point high
school building.
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