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We dedicate this week's Friday message to AmeriCorps NCCC member Reid Huffman, his family, and members of the Sun 6 AmeriCorps NCCC team with which he served.
Dear Colleagues and Communicators,
Americans with a heart for service are the cornerstone of our communities. This week's updates highlight the unsung heroes who inspire us everyday.
While we celebrated their contributions, we also marked the tragic loss of an AmeriCorps NCCC member, Reid Huffman, whose memory will continue among those whose lives he touched.
~The External Affairs Team
P.S. -- More information about funding opportunities for the Social Innovation Fund and AmeriCorps Indian Tribes is available on our website.
 Joining the Hall of Fame: Students and staff know her as “Grandma Virginia.” And for the last 20 years, Senior Corps volunteer Virginia McLaurin has served as a Foster Grandparent in Washington, DC. Every day, she walks two blocks to the Sharpe Health School where she helps children with special needs.
This week, McLaurin celebrated her 105th birthday by being inducted into the DC Commission for Women’s Hall of Fame. CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer joined city officials to congratulate her on this milestone.
McLaurin is an inspiration to all of us. She is also a powerful example of what our research shows: volunteering can lead to a healthier and longer life.
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Supporting Healthy Futures: Each year, poor vision adversely affects tens of thousands of children in Alabama, leading to a substandard education, behavioral risks, and low self-esteem. AmeriCorps members serving with Impact Alabama are working to reverse this trend. Trained college students under their supervision provide free vision screenings to children enrolled in Head Start and low-income day care facilities. Over the last nine years, participating students have screened more than 200,000 children in all 67 counties across the state.
AmeriCorps Rebuilds Communities: AmeriCorps members serving with Rebuilding Together complete repairs and renovations for low-income homeowners across the country. Caroline Lehan said AmeriCorps' mission to transform lives inspired her to join the national service community: “They’re making such a difference in not just homes but the communities. How could I miss that opportunity?” Watch and share this story with your networks.
Remembering A National Service Member: This past Saturday night, an AmeriCorps NCCC member, Reid Huffman, died as a result of a hit-and-run accident near the NCCC campus in Denver, CO. During this week's public board meeting, CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer asked for a moment of silence in his memory.
Among many achievements, Reid and his fellow members completed trail restoration and environmental preservation work for the Mark Twain National Forest in Winona, MO. On Thursday, Reid's fellow AmeriCorps NCCC members honored his memory by wearing the AmeriCorps gray, planting a tree on the NCCC campus, and organizing a candlelight vigil that drew more than 100 people.
Senior Corps
Foster Grandparent program a perfect match for kids,
seniors
The Daily News (WA),
March 10, 2014
Instead, Gaut is part of the
federally funded Foster Grandparent Program, which provides grandparent-figure
for children enrolled in Lower Columbia College’s Head Start classrooms. The
program requires the foster grandparent to be at least 55 years old and live on
a limited income. Both men and women are encouraged to participate.
AmeriCorps
President Obama visits City Year headquarters
The Boston Globe (MA), March 9, 2014
Zetmara Lorenzo, a City Year Boston AmeriCorps member, presented the president
with a set of letters written by students from each of the organization’s 25
member-cities nationwide. In the notes, students focused on how participating
in City Year AmeriCorps had turned their grades, work ethic, and goals around
for the better.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Are You The Next AmeriCorps VISTA?
AARP The Magazine (DC), March 7, 2014
Established in 1964 by Lyndon Johnson and incorporated into the Corporation for National and Community Service by the Clinton administration in 1994, VISTA, or Volunteers in Service to America, was a major component on the war on poverty. Today, AmeriCorps VISTA carries on that legacy with over 7,000 members each year committing to one year of full-time service at an organization that addresses issues relating to the most pressing issues we face– housing, employment, education, nutrition, and veterans.
Social Innovation Fund
It's Time to Play Moneyball for Government
Government Executive (DC), March 7, 2014
Supporting outcome-focused grant reform, such as the use of three-tiered grants, where grantees receive more
funding when they “have proven evidence of how their proposed approach delivers
impact.” The budget triples funding for these programs from 2010 levels to $680
million. They include the Education Department’s Investing in Innovation (i3)
program, the Labor Department’s Workforce Innovation Fund, and the Corporation for
National and Community Service’s Social Innovation Fund
National Service Blog
Share Our Strength, AmeriCorps Member Show Why Cooking Matters
By Allison Forrer
NationalService.gov, March 13, 2014
Before the start of each Cooking Matters class, AmeriCorps member Veronica Palladino has to make sure she has all of her people and supplies prepped and ready to go. She is responsible for recruiting enough volunteers for each class, training the volunteers, and coordinating with the site to make sure they are ready for the course.
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