National Service News: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together

AmeriCorps sent this bulletin at 04/11/2017 05:09 PM EDT

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Sacramento, CA, Mayor Darrell Steinberg gives a high-five to an AmeriCorps member during the 2017 Mayors Day celebration in that city.


If You Want to Go Far, Go Together

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Search for this quote online, and you will often find this saying attributed to an old African proverb, which is a little lazy because Africa is a continent and you should strive to be more specific with your sources. (Sorry, college flashback.)

Still, we like the sentiment contained in that saying. Working together through partnerships helps people achieve greater things than they could alone. 

One week ago, we celebrated the fifth-annual Mayor, County, and Tribal Recognition Day for National Service. By all accounts, it was a tremendous success and the day showed the many ways national service helps communities accomplish their goals through our AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs.

More than 4,520 leaders from around the nation representing more than 194 million Americans showed their support for the national service programs that are making an impact in their communities. We collected a solid sampling of social media posts in our 2017 Recognition Day for National Service Storify. You should check it out.

We want to thank every Mayor, County, and Tribal leader who stepped forward to recognize our national service programs. We are proud to be your partners in making communities better -- and seeing how far we can go, together.

In service, 

CNCS Office of External Affairs

The Impact of National Service

Learn more about the ways national service programs benefit America on our Impact page.

New Materials Added to National Service Impact Page  

The Mayor, County, and Tribal Recognition Day for National Service highlighted the variety of ways national service programs serve communities across the nation. Now that the event is over, we want you to continue telling our story. Our Impact Page hosts shareable infographics and new fact sheets that can help you answer questions about our AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Social Innovation Fund programs. Check it out.

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Little store making big impact (RSVP)

While shopping abounds in Barton County, there are a handful of shops that do more than simply make a profit. These stores give back to the community, and in Hoisington, the RSVP. Thrift Store has been doing just that for the past 15 years. Selma Webb has been involved with the thrift store since its conception back in 2002. She and every other volunteer that has ever worked at the store never receives a paycheck, opting instead for the feeling that comes from giving of themselves.  Because of this, the store has been a quiet but powerful tool for promotion and support of a variety of volunteer efforts in the county, from the organization of Meal on Wheels to providing handyman services and medical transportation.

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 Selma Webb has been volunteering at Hoisington’s RSVP Thrift Store since it opened in 2002. (Photo by Veronica Coons/Tribune staff)

Opioid Prevention Pilot Project will assist people in Broome County (AmeriCorps) 

The Broome County Executive's Office and Opioid Abuse Council on Friday announced a newly funded initiative to better assist local individuals and families that suffer with substance abuse disorders. A $15,000 award from Care Compass Network will help aid the fight against the opioid crisis. The money will be used to fund an Opioid Prevention Pilot Project, specifically in rural areas. It involves AmeriCorps members, who will be providing non-clinical services.

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 The Broome County Executive's Office and Opioid Abuse Council on Friday announced a newly funded initiative to battle the epidemic in the community.