National Service News: Senior Companions Support America’s Family Caregivers

National service is looking out for our fellow citizens [] Having trouble viewing this email? [View it as a Web page](. [Senior Corps' Senior Companion program has been helping family caregivers for 44 years.]( Senior Companions Support America’s Family Caregivers As we age, the presence of family becomes more and more important. The knowledge that you have someone to look out for your well-being is reassuring and comforting. November is [National Family Caregivers Month]( and we join the President in recognizing the contributions caregivers make as spouses become home healthcare workers, children take on new roles in support of their parents, or grandparents step up to help their grandchildren. Many of us know this transition is not an easy one from personal experiences or know someone facing this challenge. Additional caretaking duties become even more stressful when combined with the responsibilities of daily life. Some seniors find themselves under duress when family help is not located nearby or they feel they could stay in their own homes longer if they only had a little assistance. Since 1974, our [Senior Companions]( have been offering assistance and friendship to adults and their family caregivers to help them complete daily living tasks such as driving to doctors appointments, shopping for groceries, or paying their bills. These [Senior Corps]( volunteers also provide crucial respite services for caregivers, to give them time to recharge or take care of any household responsibilities they may have as well. (You can [watch a short video about the program here]( The impact these volunteers make on the communities they serve is extraordinary. Our CNCS Research and Evaluation team has studied the [health benefits Senior Companion service has on caregivers]( -- here are a few of the findings: - Nearly 76% of caregivers in the critical-needs group reported Senior Companion respite services helped them “a lot” with both “personal time” and “household management.” - Approximately 60% of caregivers with critical needs reported that Senior Companion services helped them ”a lot” or a ”great deal” and allowed them to be more involved in social activities and enjoy time with their friends or relatives. - Most caregivers (92% critical needs, 86% with essential needs, and 93% with moderate needs) reported they were satisfied with the respite services received from the Senior Companion program. - Approximately 40% of caregivers who rated their health as fair or poor before respite support, now rate their health as good. Not only do caregivers benefit but our research has found that nearly half of Senior Corps volunteers in Senior Companions, RSVP, and Foster Grandparents report improved health and well-being after just one year of service. Demographic shifts in the U.S. population will raise the importance of caregiver support and resources as more Baby Boomers reach retirement age during the next decade. We believe Senior Companions can be a crucial component to address this challenge, just as they have been for the last 44 years. In service, Mike Cys Director, Office of External Affairs --------------------------------------------------------------- Editor's note: By clicking the links below, you may be connecting to websites created by parties other than the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The CNCS Office of External Affairs provides links to these stories because they contain information that may be useful or interesting to the national service and volunteering community. These links are for reference only, and CNCS does not endorse the individuals or organizations associated with these links, and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information provided by websites outside of our control. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Impact of National Service [Foster Grandparent Cassandra Reid helps second-grader Eric Hill with his classwork at a Washington, D.C., school. (Washington Post photo)]( [‘A Big Balloon of Joy’: D.C. Grandparents Give Students Mentors and Themselves a Purpose (Senior Corps)]( Cynthia Brown-Thomas’s job requires her to rise before the sun. It pays a meager stipend of $2.65 an hour. An exhausting display of patience is a must. She credits the job with saving her life. The 64-year-old retiree, who has survived two heart surgeries, is one of more than 200 D.C. seniors from low-income households working as classroom grandparents in the city’s schools. The job is an unexpected turn in her empty-nester life. Brown-Thomas assumed she was too old to work and only learned of the opportunity when she bumped into two women in her subsidized senior apartment building along the H Street NE corridor. “They said they were going to work, and I said, ‘Nah, you’re too old to go to work,’ ” Brown-Thomas recalled. “Then I thought, this is something that I could do that could keep me alive.” [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Carolina Panthers' Julius Peppers meets homeowner Helen Hayes while her home was being mucked and gutted by AmeriCorps and United Way volunteers.]( [Carolina Panthers’ Julius Peppers Makes Big Impact with Another Trip for Hurricane Relief (AmeriCorps)]( Some of the work had started before Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers arrived. Peppers spent Tuesday, his day off from football, in Marlboro County, two hours east of Charlotte, helping United Way and AmeriCorps volunteers muck and gut houses damaged by Hurricane Florence. The storm made landfall near Wrightsville Beach on Sept. 14, then lingered for days, dumping rain that caused widespread North Carolina and South Carolina flooding. It was Peppers’ second trip to an affected area since beginning his relief fund last month in response to the storm, and donating an initial $100,000. [Read more and watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Jefferson County, Mo., Tri-County Drug Task Force Collected over 304 pounds of medications during National Drug Take Back Day.]( [White Hall Residents Take Part in Drug Take Back Day (Senior Corps)]( Jefferson County, Arkansas, did its part Saturday in helping the Drug Enforcement Administration reach their goal of collecting 10 million pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications during the National Drug Take Back Day. Lt. Yohance Brunson of the Tri-County Drug Task Force said agents collected 304.2 pounds of drugs that were dropped off at a collection center located at Super One Foods on Hazel Street. In addition to task force agents, Brooke Williams and Joseph Perdue, who are probation and parole officers with the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, were joined by Gail Massey and Jeanette Lightfoot, both of whom are from White Hall and are a part of the Retired Senior Volunteer program. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [AmeriCorps members participated in a Make a Difference Day service project along the Millicoma Marsh Trail in Coos Bay. ]( [Volunteers Celebrate ‘Make a Difference Day’ by Revamping Millicoma Marsh Trail (AmeriCorps)]( With hammers, roofing panels and nails on hand, dozens of volunteers gathered Saturday at the Millicoma Marsh Trail to help rebuild its aging trail shelters. As part of the United Communities AmeriCorps “Make a Difference Day,” community members and volunteers from the Coos Watershed Association, AmeriCorps and the Millicoma Marsh Stewardship group joined one another in tackling the enhancement project. Program Director Jordan Jungwirth, of the United Communities AmeriCorps, said the organization selected the project based on evaluating its needs within the community and how engaged it would keep its volunteers. About twice a year, the group will gather its members from each of its host sites to work together on one big, collective project. [Read more]( Share: NCCC Application Deadline Extended [The AmeriCorps NCCC application deadline for positions starting in February 2019 has been extended to November 18, 2018.]( ]( Each week, we provide a social media shareable to use on your networks. If you or someone you know is interested in joining AmeriCorps NCCC, we have some good news. [The application deadline has been extended for Winter 2019 positions that start in February.]( AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, team-based program for young adults, age 18-24. Members develop leadership skills and strengthen communities by completing service projects and gaining life experience. Winter 2019 member slots are available in both NCCC Traditional Corps and FEMA Corps classes. Help us spread the word by sharing this news with friends on your social media networks. --------------------------------------------------------------- National Service in the News [How National Service Can Fuel Social-Emotional Development]( Education Week (The following is a Q&A with CNCS CEO Barbara Stewart.) An often overlooked aspect of the American education infrastructure is national service, such as AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. These programs, which include organizations such as City Year, Teach for America, Jumpstart, and many others, connect students with Americans who want to make a difference. We spoke with Barbara Stewart, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, about the agency's work and how national service can support the social, emotional, and academic development of students and adults alike. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Forum Held to Address Growing Population of Veterans with Alzheimer's (AmeriCorps)]( KULR-TV, Montana Alzheimer's Association Montana is looking to expand their services to veterans in Yellowstone County. "1 in 10 people in Montana are veterans and then estimates say as much as ten percent of that population has Alzheimer's or some type of dementia so this is a huge problem for Montana and we really need to hear from people what we can be doing better in order to serve that important population," says Jacob Guinan from the Alzheimer's Association and AmeriCorps VISTA. The meeting addressed the lack of communication and knowledge of services available between veterans with Alzheimer's and health organizations that serve them like the VA. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Helping Seniors Find a New Balance (Senior Corps)]( Times Publishing Group, California For many individuals walking through the neighborhood, taking out the garbage, or driving to the grocery store are simple and unremarkable tasks. But, for some in the community, these activities are overwhelming due to the rigors of aging, declining health, and limited mobility. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. RSVP is a national service program for Americans 55 years and older where volunteers commit their time to address critical community needs. Each year Senior Corps programs like RSVP engage more than 220,000 older adults in providing community service across the country. Fortunately, in the Monterey Bay area local senior programs and volunteer groups have teamed up to address this pervasive issue through the launch of “A Matter of Balance” a national program developed by the Administration on Aging. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Fortuna CCC Crew Heads Out to Help Florida After Hurricane Michael (AmeriCorps)]( North Coast Journal, California The Corporation for National and Community Service has deployed members of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team and FEMA Corps to Hurricane Michael-impacted communities in Florida and Georgia. More than 175 AmeriCorps members from California, Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Washington crews will arrive in Florida in the coming days. Experienced in disaster response, they’ll immediately begin work, conducting damage assessments, making temporary roof repairs, removing debris and hazardous trees, leading muck-and-gut operations, and coordinating volunteers. AmeriCorps members serving with FEMA Corps are supporting the agency directly with operations and survivor assistance registration. To date, more than 500 members have responded to Hurricanes Florence and Michael. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [With No End in Sight, Lake Zurich Resident Expands Book Drive to Help West Virginia Region in Poverty (AmeriCorps)]( Chicago Tribune, Illinois Once Lake Zurich resident Shari Gullo started donating, there was no stopping. The books just kept coming and coming. In June 2016, Gullo led a massive collection drive that sent 10,703 books to Big Ugly, a small coal-mining region in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia that has been grappling with poverty and limited access to information for years. After Gullo’s initial delivery more than two years ago, residents in Lake Zurich and surrounding communities helped maintain her cause, donating more and more books, she said recently. Since the collection drive began, the Gullos roughly have collected 34,000 books, with almost 11,000 books currently awaiting shipment. By early next year, the Lake Zurich couple hopes to have delivered more than 50,000 donated books. In the past, members with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps have helped sort and inventory many of the donated books sent to Big Ugly. They have offered to do the same when Gullo’s latest haul of donations is scheduled to be shipped next year. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Everyday Hero: Foster Grandparent Bernice Ward (Senior Corps)]( KVFS-TV, Missouri If one word describes Roberta Olson of Sauk Centre, it is “busy.” Grandma Roberta, as she is known in the Sauk Centre Public Schools where she is serving her seventh year as a Foster Grandparent, jokes that she has “retired four times.” First from her 12-year position as co-owner and editor of the Osakis Review. Then from retirement two years later to become the editor at the Melrose Beacon. Then from the Beacon back to part-time reporting Osakis news for the Review. That job continues, as she still reports on the Osakis School Board. “I keep busy,” Olson said. “I like a structured schedule, and as long as I am in good health and mind I like to keep busy.” Now at 78, Olson has no plans to retire from writing feature stories for the Dairyland Peach, School Board reporting, or Foster Grandparents. [Watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Students Can Hop on a Walking School Bus (AmeriCorps)]( Central Oregonian, Oregon Do school buses walk and roll? In Crook County, they sure do. Starting this month, Crooked River Elementary students will be able to "hop on" a Walking School Bus and not only get some fresh air and exercise but be able to socialize on the way to school. The Walking School Bus program is a group of students walking to and from school on a planned route two days per week with one or more adult leader. "While the program teaches students pedestrian safety and offers physical activity to be active, it can also reduce traffic congestion at the school," explained Adam Hostetter, an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Crook County Health Department, who is taking on this project. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Senior Volunteer Finds Her Niche at Huntley Meadows Park (Senior Corps)]( Greater Alexandria Patch, Virginia RSVP Northern Virginia helped Celia Boertlein find her niche. Celia, honored in October as Volunteer Alexandria's RSVP Volunteer of the Year, says she found out about RSVP while volunteering with New Hope Housing. "I got involved with RSVP through New Hope Housing initially and found that RSVP had volunteer positions open at Huntley Meadows, which has always been one of my absolute favorite parks," Celia says. Celia primarily works with the children's programs at Huntley Meadows, a sprawling 1,500 acre park run by the Fairfax County Park Authority in the Hybla Valley section of Fairfax County. "I just love working with the kids in particular and getting their appreciation for nature, conservation and things like that," she says. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [A “Home” for Future Volunteers (AmeriCorps)]( Eastern Arizona Courier, Arizona An open house last weekend unveiled a newly renovated bunkhouse for volunteers coming to work in the Gila Valley. The building, named the Cactus Bunkhouse, was remodeled through the efforts of a local collaborative and a team of volunteers, and with grants from United Way and Arizona Complete Health. Saturday’s open house and Graham County Chamber of Commerce mixer offered guests guided tours of Cactus Bunkhouse, which was dedicated with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting. The bunkhouse, a small two bedroom house and the 3.5 acres they stand on were gifted to Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry in 2017. Shortly afterward, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Director Bill Brandau brought three local nonprofits - ONF&P, the Gila Watershed Partnership and SEACAB - together to discuss applying for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) crews to help with their volunteer needs. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ['Back home' at Michigan City High; Former Student Now Teaching at his Alma Mater (AmeriCorps)]( The Michigan City News-Dispatch, Indiana Every morning, Alex Uryga enters Michigan City High School and walks down hallway “N” to Room 21 – only now, seven years later, he’s the teacher and not the student. Uryga, one of 49 new teachers in the Michigan City Area Schools, teaches AP (Advanced Placement) U.S. Government and Politics; AP Microeconomics; and U.S. History. The 2011 MCHS graduate came home to begin his teaching career. At Valparaiso University, Uryga graduated summa cum laude in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History, and was a Christ College Scholar. After receiving his bachelor’s, Uryga worked as communications coordinator at Sisters of the Holy Cross in Notre Dame, and was a member of the youth development team for an afterschool program with AmeriCorps. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Local Organization Helping Preserve Historic Armory Building with Window Restorations (AmeriCorps)]( WDIO-TV, Minnesota The Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps is fixing up the historic Armory building by helping restore some of the windows with help from the AmeriCorps crews. "We are taking them out, stripping them down, taking the old paint off, pulling any broken glass out, and re-glazing it with new windows,” Dylan Walker, a crew leader from the Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps, said. The week-long project had crew members restore almost 20 windows in the basement part of the building. Restoring windows in a building that's over 100 years old has proven to be a challenging task for them. "Window panes break, wood breaks, with an old building like this the electricity doesn't work so we have tool short outs, but we've made it work,” Walker said. [Watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Presidential Proclamation on National Family Caregivers Month]( The White House During National Family Caregivers Month, we pay tribute to the millions of Americans across our Nation who selflessly care for family members who are chronically ill, elderly, or who have a disability. We recognize the challenges of caregiving and celebrate the joys of bringing support and comfort to a loved one. We express our gratitude to them for the work they do daily to ensure their loved ones are able to live in their homes and communities. Family caregivers are the foundation of our country’s long term support system. Every year, nearly 44 million caregivers assist loved ones with a vast array of essential tasks, including eating, bathing, dressing, managing finances, childcare, administering medications, and arranging doctor visits and transportation. In performing these challenging duties with patience and compassion, family caregivers embody selfless service and sacrifice. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Crisis Clean Up Hotline Open Until November 2nd (AmeriCorps)]( WBTW-TV, South Carolina The crisis clean up hotline puts Hurricane Florence flood victims in touch with volunteers to help with clean up and debris removal, but the deadline to call for assistance will end in a couple of days. The crisis clean up hotline said recovery efforts are starting to wind down. They've helped coordinate with more than 100 relief organizations in South Carolina. A group from the Mennonite Disaster Relief are a part of the muck and gut crew. They have ripped everything out filled with mold. AmeriCorps will continue their recovery efforts until November 26th. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- News You Can Use [City Year Accepting Applications for 2019-2020 School Year (AmeriCorps)]( City Year AmeriCorps members serve as full-time tutors, mentors and role models, preparing students with the skills and mindsets to succeed in school and in life. Do you know a young adult who is up for the challenge of helping students achieve their potential while growing as a leader? Encourage them to learn more about this life-changing leadership opportunity and apply to serve with City Year. Their next application deadline is November 16, 2018. [Learn more]( [Volunteer Florida Re-Releases AmeriCorps Competitive Funding]( Foster Folly News.com, Florida Volunteer Florida has re-released the 2019-2020 AmeriCorps competitive funding request for proposals (RFP) to reflect new eGrants access instructions from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Please refer to the updated information posted on the [Grants page on Volunteer Florida’s website](. Proposals are due November 16, 2018. If you have any questions regarding AmeriCorps or the funding process, please contact americorpsrfp@volunteerflorida.org. [Read more]( [Clarkson University Offers $6,000 Matching Scholarhip to SCA Alumni]( Clarkson University's one-year Master of Arts in Teaching program is helping to meet the national teacher shortage with scholarships for Student Conservation Association (SCA) program participants. SCA students accepted to the Clarkson masters program will receive a $6,000 matching scholarship. You can reach a Clarkson admissions counselor at graduate@clarkson.edu or (518) 631-9831. [Learn more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [AmeriCorps]( | [Senior Corps]( | [Volunteer Generation Fund]( [NationalService.gov]( | [Manage Preferences]( [twitter link]( link]( link]( link]( link]( link]( link]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to {EMAIL} using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Corporation for National & Community Service · 250 E. Street SW · Washington, DC 20525 · (202) 606- 5000 · (800) 833-3722 [GovDelivery logo](