National Service in the News for Thursday, April 6, 2017 through Friday, April 7, 2017.
Mayor
Miro Weinberger recognizes Burlington AmeriCorps members
The VTDigger (VT), April 6, 2017
Mayor Weinberger joined more than 4,000 mayors and county officials across the
country on Tuesday, April 4 in a nationwide, bipartisan initiative to highlight
the impact of national service programs like AmeriCorps in tackling local
challenges. “National service shows the best of the American spirit: people
turning toward problems instead of away and working together to find community
solutions,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “In Burlington, dedicated AmeriCorps
members are working to clean up Lake Champlain, help support our efforts to
address homelessness, and provide opportunities for youth of color to connect
with higher education and job opportunities. Today we are not just thanking AmeriCorps
members for their service, we are rededicating ourselves to advocating for the
importance of the AmeriCorps program.”
City, county honor local
AmeriCorps volunteers
The Times Independent (UT), April 6, 2017
National service volunteers working throughout the Moab community were honored
April 4 with “National Service Recognition Day.” Elected officials in both Moab
city and Grand County proclaimed the special holiday, acknowledging that the
many volunteers serving locally — all associated with the federal AmeriCorps
program — meet direct needs in the community. From teams working on trail
building and habitat restoration to individuals committed to capacity-building
at local organizations, Moab’s volunteers gathered at the city council chambers
on March 28. “I just want to say thank you very much for your service,”
Moab Mayor Dave Sakrison told the volunteers. “It means a lot to us in this
community and I think we all appreciate it.” During his official proclamation
March 28, Sakrison called service to others “a hallmark for the American
character,” saying that the work “is central to how we meet our challenges.”
Retired Senior Volunteer Program provides free tax preparation services for low income, disabled or elderly residents in Altus, Jackson County
The Altus Times (OK), April 6, 2017
For some, retirement is a chance to take it easy, but for the volunteers at the Retired Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP, retirement is another chance to help the community and learn something new. Volunteers are using years of experience to help fellow citizens with tax preparation and filing, a sometimes daunting task. Those with an annual income of $54,000 or less who cannot afford tax preparations services are welcome to sit with an a representative to go over records and prepare federal and state taxes. This year, RSVP volunteers have helped more than 280 people in the community, saving an estimated $200 to $500 in tax preparation fees.
Senior volunteerism celebrated
The Courier News (AR), April 6, 2017
A celebration of senior volunteerism for the Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Companion Program was conducted Tuesday at the Pope County Senior Activity Center in Russellville. The program, which covers 11 counties, provides free services to seniors and aims to keep the seniors living in their own homes instead of nursing home facilities. Within Pope County alone, the program’s largest county, in 2016 there were 36 volunteers who service 100 clients. Amongst the 11 counties, for 2016, there were 108 volunteers who serviced 300 clients totaling over 100,000 volunteer hours worked.
Mayor
Brede takes part in Mayor's Day of Recognition for Service
KTTC (MN), April 5, 2017
Wednesday was the Fifth Annual Mayor's Day of Recognition for Annual Service,
and Rochester's very own Ardell Brede took part in the movement. What better
way to celebrate a day for recognition of service than by doing a community
service project? There is no better way, and that's just what Rochester Mayor
Ardell Brede did Wednesday early evening at Community Food Response at Bethel
Lutheran Church. Mayor Brede presented the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
(or RSVP) with a proclamation, recognizing the group's service and efforts in
giving back to the community. About 200 RSVP volunteers serve the Rochester
area, tackling issues such as adult literacy, affordable housing, and hunger. Hunger
is the issue being fought at Community Food Response, which serves roughly 225
people every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Woodbine
Recognizes Senior Volunteers
Cape May County Herald (NJ), April 5, 2017
Mayor William Pikolycky will present a Proclamation at the April 4 Borough
Council meeting in observation of Woodbine’s fifth annual Mayors Day of
Recognition for National Service honoring Woodbine’s senior volunteers. The
Borough of Woodbine has nine area residents who are Retired Senior Volunteer
Program (RSVP) volunteers. Serving on the RSVP Cape May County Advisory
Council, Borough employee Gloria Blakey and Christine Hawkins, serving at the
Community Center are Evelyn Coleman, Pete Gilson, Paula Harris, Sharon O’Neil,
and Aida Soto. Also serving: American Red Cross: Elsie Swartz and
the S.W.I.M Program: Brenda Rickley.
Foster
grandparents recognized Tuesday
The News Journal (KY), April 6, 2017
Several Whitley County officials gathered at Williamsburg City Hall Tuesday
afternoon to commemorate Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service.
Among those recognized were several Save the Children volunteers, who are part
of the Senior Corps Foster Grandparent Program. So far through the 2016-2017
school year, 73 senior citizens have served as volunteer grandparent tutors at
24 schools in seven counties, including Whitley County. Also, 83 percent of the
children (562 students), who were assigned to grandparent tutors, as part of
the Save the Children literacy program, significantly improved their reading
skills.
Berea Mayor
proclaims April 4 as National Service Recognition Day
Berea Online (KY), April 6, 2017
Mayor Steve Connelly signed a proclamation designating April 4, 2017 as
National Service Recognition Day. Representatives of AmeriCorps and Senior
Corps were on hand for the signing of the measure, which encourages residents
to recognize the positive impact of national service in Madison County, and
further urges citizens to thank those who give back to their communities.
AmeriCorps VISTA grant bringing volunteers to the city
The News Reporter (SC), April 6, 2017
Chester City Councilwoman Angela Douglas says some help is on the way for local agencies. Douglas said that Cynthia Curtis, the city’s grants and community development coordinator, recently came to her about bringing AmeriCorps VISTA to the city. The program was founded by President John F. Kennedy to help alleviate poverty, with VISTA standing for “Volunteers in Service to America.” “It’s kind of like a Peace Corps for America,” Douglas said. Douglas said she had some previous experience with the organization dating back to her time as a professor at UNC-Wilmington. She said the city administration “decided to pass on it” so she pursued it herself, partnering with Ben Boyles from Clemson Extension. Clemson University will be the sponsoring agency and Boyles will oversee the grant.
Headwaters Charitable Trust Brings AmeriCorps VISTA to the PA Wilds
The Gant News (PA), April 6, 2017
In 2015, Headwaters Charitable Trust (HWCT) was awarded a team of AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers to create and implement the Living Greener Program. This program creates opportunities that meet the needs of individuals within the context of supporting a green economy. It is a holistically-centered approach to developing skills that enable the most vulnerable populations to be successful in life, not only the workplace. It provides increased opportunities for participants to gain insight and appreciation into the region’s careers and major industries while promoting awareness of the area’s abundant natural resources. In 2017, the VISTA team can be found in local jails offering inmates facing imminent release the opportunity to take a comprehensive Life Skills curriculum that prepares them for success personally and professionally, and places them in direct contact with local CareerLink offices where they can take advantage of numerous programs aimed toward job placement in meaningful careers.
AmeriCorps
NCCC team begins stint in Bend
KTVZ (OR), April 6, 2017
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Team Blue 3 will be
stationed in Bend, working at The Environmental Center from March 30 to May 16.
The team is composed of 12 members from around the United States. At the
Environmental Center, Blue 3 is helping Central Oregon residents conserve
energy through The Energy Challenge program. The team will be assisting with
residential energy efficiency upgrades through the installation of LED light
bulbs and water-saving fixtures including shower heads and faucet aerators. Maxwell
Neimeier, Corps member, is excited to work with the Free LED Program. “Installing
efficient technology is great for the Bend community and for the environment,”
Neimeier stated. “We are making a huge difference by saving energy!” The
Environmental Center’s mission is to embed sustainability into daily life in
Central Oregon. The organization has a variety of programs that range from
youth education, a learning gardening, zero waste initiatives and more.
Announcing Zócalo’s Sixth Annual Poetry Prize Winner
Zocalo Public Square (CA), April 7, 2017
Zócalo Public Square’s daily ideas journalism and free public events aim to shed light on critical issues that explore our shared human condition and ask questions about how we navigate the world we’ve made. We publish a new poem each Friday in the same spirit, and for the last six years, it’s why we’ve awarded a prize to the poem that best evokes a connection to place. This year, 417 poets submitted a total of 979 poems, transporting us to the San Gabriel Valley, the Blue Ridge, and the Salton Sea to granite mountain ranges near Yosemite, Mexican deserts, and unnamed cities of the mind. Ultimately, Zócalo poetry editor Colette LaBouff and the editorial staff chose to honor a poem that takes us on a journey, mediated by memory and technology, to an Ohio urban winter-scape from which events ripple out to touch people living many miles away. We’re thrilled to award the $500 Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize to Matt Sumpter, a native Ohioan who now makes his home in New York City with his wife and young daughter.
Democrats
hoping to bring balance to Findlay Council
The Courier (OH), April 7, 2017
The four Democrats seeking their party’s nomination for three at-large seats on
Findlay City Council in November are set on bringing better balance to city
politics. The candidates agreed to participate in an election forum on Thursday
at the University of Findlay, which was hosted by the Findlay Publishing Co.
and the university. Candidates include Timothy J. Davis, 382 Carlee Lane; Mary
E. Harshfield, 2126 Stonecliff Drive; Barbara Lockard, 424 Fairway Road; and
Heidi Mercer, 133 Hillcrest Ave. Moderating the event were Doug Jenkins, WFIN
news director, and Steve Dillon, editorial page editor of The Courier. Each
candidate was asked to give opening statements and respond to a series of
questions.
Understanding
the pros and cons of student loan forgiveness
Michigan State University (MI), April 6, 2017
The Federal government provides debt relief programs for many college graduates
who owe on federal student loans. They can either erase government loans
or award grants or stipends in exchange for public service. Before you decide
to utilize these programs be sure to understand the guidelines of the programs. Here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind: First and foremost, if you drop
out of the program, you could lose the benefits. TEACH grant awards
up to $4,000 per year for individuals willing to work four years in a
high-risk, high-need teaching position. The catch is that if you don’t complete
your service, the grant will convert to an unsubsidized federal direct
loan or Stafford loan. Some organizations offer grants after service
is completed. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and Teach for America are
such organizations. Your federal loans go into forbearance during your service,
which means your interest on the loans will continue to add up.
Gary
historical tours planned for May, June and July
The Chicago Tribune (IL), April 6, 2017
Gary city officials are working out the details for a series of
"Preservation Tours" to be held in coming months that are meant to
show off structures that reflect the city's history. The Common Council on
Tuesday voted 9-0 in favor of an ordinance that sets a budget of just over
$16,000 for the events. Money was raised from private donations coming from 83
groups or individuals who are current or former Gary residents, with another
$7,500 coming from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. The
Gary Redevelopment Commission will coordinate the events, with help from the
AmeriCorps VISTA group, which provided the city with two interns who have
helped to plan the events. As of now, officials want to have two walking tours
and a daylong open house. Dates of May 27, June 17 and July 15 are tentative,
although Redevelopment Executive Director Joseph Van Dyk said it has not been
decided which date will be used for which event.
City
of Shelton joins conservation district
The Kitsap Sun (WA), April 6, 2017
City of Shelton residents can now enlist the help of the Mason Conservation
District in landscaping and backyard habitat projects, thanks to the city’s
decision to rejoin the district. New leadership at the city of Shelton,
including City Manager Ryan Wheaton and Public Works Director Craig Gregory,
questioned why the city wasn’t already in the district during meetings with the
conservation district last year. Both entities began the process in February to
incorporate. and the Washington State Conservation Commission approved the new
arrangement in March. “The work that the conservation district does is
impressive and they have expertise that will benefit the city on some of our
own projects,” Wheaton said. “We’re excited not only for our staff to work with
them, but also for residents who have questions about their property.”
Schools
in need of reading, math tutors
CCX News (MN), April 6, 2017
Learning how to succeed in life often begins with learning how to read. Once a
student can master how to read, they can read to learn almost any subject or
topic. "We say through the end of third grade, children are learning how
to read, after that they are reading to learn," says Lizzie Morris,
program manager of Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math
Corps at Crestview Elementary in Brooklyn Park. "We really know that
reading is the foundation of every other subject." Literacy tutors with
Minnesota Reading Corp help students all over the state. Hilary Roe has been
tutoring students for the past four years. "It’s probably the most
rewarding things I’ve done because I feel like I’m saving lives because if
these kids didn’t learn how to read, then they aren’t going to learn the rest
and that’s a bleak outlook," says Hilary Roe.
EAST
WINDSOR: Annual stream cleanup scheduled at Etra Park
Central Jersey (NJ), April 6, 2017
East Windsor Township and the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association are
sponsoring, in cooperation with the Americorps Watershed Ambassador Program, a
stream cleanup on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 9 to 11 a.m., at
Etra Lake Park. The township is looking for volunteers to participate in the
community cleanup effort at Etra Lake Park as a way to celebrate Earth Day and
preserve natural resources. "The purpose of this cleanup is to remove
litter from our local watershed streams, helping to keep our water sources
clean. This cleanup provides for an excellent opportunity to improve the look
of this area and provide for a cleaner and more environmentally healthy stream,"
said East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov. Participants should wear boots, long
sleeve shirts and bring work gloves if you have them, and will be provided with
gloves and trash bags. T-shirts and refreshments will be provided. Adults must
accompany minors.
Sandusky
County Habitat for Humanity to break ground on new home
The News Messenger (OH), April 6, 2017
The public is invited to attend a groundbreaking at 10 a.m. April 15 for the
newest home to be built with the future homeowner and volunteers of Sandusky
County Habitat for Humanity, according to Sandi Foster, board president. The
home will be at 151 N. Buchanan St., Fremont. The future homeowner will be
purchasing the home and working numerous hours of “sweat equity” alongside
volunteers. Plans for the build were discussed at the recent board meeting by
the build chairman, Dave Fleming. Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship
and Training will once again provide the pre-construction groundwork for
the home and garage shortly after Easter.
Springfield
Community Gardens a Unifying Service, Officials Say
KSMU-TV (MO) April 6, 2017
Springfield Community Gardens continues to expand with plans for a new plot in
the city’s Zone 1 region. These gardens help bring the community together while
producing food for local entities. The beds of plants that make up the Market
Garden. Alexa Poindexter, who manages the Market Garden, takes me through the
rows of vegetables that it currently has to offer. The garden is one of nearly
two dozen that Springfield Community Gardens has throughout Springfield. She
says these plots often serve as points of contact with passersby. “So the bus
stop is right over here, and everyday I’m getting people passing by that are
like hey what are you doing over there? What are you growing, how’s it going,
and I just wouldn’t have that kind of contact if I didn’t live and work here in
an urban setting.”
Conservation
program grows youth passion for nature
The Wisconsin Gazette (WI), April 6, 2017
Several hundred young Milwaukeeans could get a job working in county parks this
summer — and more. They could find themselves in “a crash course in living
life.” That’s how Quentien Tyra describes his experience during four summers in
a program focused on grooming natural areas and educating young adults. Tyra,
19, says he got more than he ever planned on when he signed up to work on a
conservation crew. He told WiG he can’t imagine what he would be doing if not
for participating in the program. Tyra, who is African-American, was raised by
a widowed father in the Avenues West neighborhood. He’s a merit scholarship
freshman in soil and land management at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,
one of the top such programs in the country. He previously had no idea that
such a field existed or that he would become “passionate about pursuing a
career in environmental science.”
We Should Nurture, Not Ax, U.S. Programs For Older Volunteers
Reuters, April 6, 2017
What to say about a federal program that helps enable 245,000 U.S. seniors to tutor kids, renovate homes and teach English to immigrants? How about this: “We can’t spend money on programs just because they sound good.” That is White House budget director Mick Mulvaney last month, explaining why the Trump administration’s budget blueprint proposes cutting dozens of federal programs. Mulvaney was not specifically referring to Senior Corps, which allows all those seniors to find ways to volunteer. He was trying to justify a much longer list of cuts that are, well, deplorable – everything from legal services for the poor to public television and environmental protection. The plan would eliminate a long list of federal agencies – among them the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers Senior Corps and AmeriCorps, the community service program aimed at young people.
RSVP
faces ax Popular program will disappear if federal budget adopted as proposed
The Gaylord Herald Times (MI), April 6, 2017
Name a program in the county that does in-home repairs for aging people who
want to live at home? Or a program that assists patients with cancer by driving
them to appointments around the state? Or a program that helps the American Red
Cross with volunteers for disaster, food pantry and blood services? The answer
is the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Otsego County, where 359
local volunteers are registered to help others in the county. Keith Moore,
executive director of Otsego County United Way, which runs the local RSVP
program, said should the 2018 federal budget cuts go through as proposed, it
would mean an end for the difference-making volunteer program. “We’re highly
impactful. As a matter of fact, last year we were the recipient of the Governor’s
Service Award for volunteers,” Moore said. “The impact is great — there’s
hardly a niche or a crook or a cranny where you don’t see where we’re touching
somebody in our community.”
Seniors
have activity options every day of the week
The Isanti-Chisago County Star (MN), April 7, 2017
Exercise on Monday, lunch at senior dining on Tuesday, education classes on
Wednesdays and special events on Thursdays – seniors in Isanti County can
choose healthy activities most every day of the week. And with spring coming,
it’ll be easier to get out and about. This may be a good season to add and
enjoy a new, healthy activity. Many research articles verify these key
components keep seniors healthy: staying physically active and exercising
regularly, eating nutritious meals and maintaining a good weight, staying
socially connected and having strong relationships with friends and family,
continuing to learn new things, helping family and volunteering in the
community, managing stress well, being part of a faith community. All of these
options are easily available in Isanti County.
Spring
semester 2017 classes open for University Express
Niagara Frontier Publications (OK), April 6, 2017
The Erie County Department of Senior Services' Retired & Senior Volunteer
Program ("RSVP") has announced the spring University Express lifelong
learning program is now accepting registrations from seniors interested in
taking one or more of the classes being offered. The University Express program
is a collaboration of the Erie County Department of Senior Services, Wegmans,
Excelsior Orthopedics and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York. It offers
free, one-hour classes on over 65 different topics, including current events,
health, science, the arts and history. "Lifelong learning is an important
part of healthy aging, and the University Express program offers seniors a
chance to not only learn more about topics that are of interest to them, but
also to take part in further discussions on them," said Erie County
Commissioner of Senior Services Timothy Hogues. "This popular program has
been enjoyed by over 2,000 seniors over the past years and continues to offer
thought-provoking, educational, and helpful presentations in accessible
settings to older residents and their peers. There is no homework, no tests,
and no cost, but the benefits of taking a class are enormous."
Benefits
show why seniors should volunteer
The Daily Post-Athenian (TN), April 5, 2017
National Volunteer Week is April 23-29. Here at the Senior Center, we could not
function without our volunteers. We have 17 wonderful people that volunteer
their time to deliver the meals-on-wheels. We have many of our members who
volunteer their time doing everyday necessary things and during our special
events. This week is set aside to show appreciation to volunteers that help
make our world a better place. In 1974, President Richard Nixon established
National Volunteer Week with an executive order as a way to recognize and
celebrate the efforts of volunteers. This week has become a way to urge people
to get out and volunteer in their communities.
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