National Service News: Celebrating All Things AmeriCorps

We thank all of our members for getting things done! [] Having trouble viewing this email? [View it as a Web page](. [AmeriCorps members proudly show of the program logo on the "Day of the A."]( Celebrating All Things AmeriCorps Each March during the celebration of [AmeriCorps Week]( we see a burst of enthusiasm for AmeriCorps programs and initiatives across the nation. This year is no different. It's an almost impossible task to cover the many ways our AmeriCorps members serve, but we've collected a small sample of stories and social media posts from this week to give you an idea of the ways they "[get things done]( The stories below highlight some of AmeriCorps' best qualities — the variety of people who join national service and the many ways they serve to make an impact. There are approximately 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving this year to improve communities across the nation. And we thank each and every one of them for demonstrating the thousands of ways lives are #MadeInAmeriCorps. In service, Mike Cys Director, Office of External Affairs P.S. As our most elder [Senior Corps alumna Grandma Virginia celebrated her 110th birthday this week]( we encourage you to check out the story below about an RSVP volunteer who is still serving as he turns 100. (The WWII veteran started volunteering with Senior Corps at 89!) Service is truly the fountain of youth. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 [Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation AmeriCorps members learn to re-set monuments at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth in 2017. ]( [Duluth Organization Preserves Historic Craftsmanship through Youth Trade Program (AmeriCorps)]( Historic buildings, statues and monuments give the Northland its character and charm but these important structures have always been threatened by neglect, ambivalence and harsh Minnesota winters. Now another enemy is on the move: The skilled labor needed to care for older properties is slowly disappearing. ... The Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps in Duluth has made it a mission to teach young people important building trade techniques, provide hands-on training and seek out important regional field work. The organization, which grew out of a local youth conservation corps program, was founded in 2011 and is planning its first full six-month season of restoration projects this summer. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [World War II veteran Ray Bonomo became an RSVP volunteer at age 89. He celebrated his 100th birthday this week.]( [World War II Veteran Continues to Serve Others (Senior Corps)]( "Two walks - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. And then, whenever I can get out there and play some golf, I'll do that." That's how Ray Bonomo keeps himself fine-tuned for his active days. Ray is quite a character known around Milton for his giving spirit. It helps to know his humble beginnings to understand his compassion for others today. He remembers back to the crash of '29; "Well, just the rich people got messed up with that but, in the early 30's, then it hit us. Nobody could get a job and my father was an immigrant from Italy." [Read more and watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Fremont Family Coalition's Shayla Linn, left, and AmeriCorps member Beth Vogt, right, are organizing meetings to help locals struggling with poverty.]( [Fremont Nonprofit Seeks Community Input to Address Poverty (AmeriCorps)]( Beth Vogt knows what it's like to struggle with poverty. And now, she wants to help those who are still struggling. That's why Vogt recently took a position as an AmeriCorps member serving with the Fremont Family Coalition. She's been tasked with organizing a new set of monthly meetings, meant to allow community members struggling with poverty the opportunity to learn about local resources that can help — and to offer suggestions about how to address gaps. Vogt herself has utilized some of the services available in the community. She remembers taking the Getting Ahead class, which is offered by Lutheran Family Services. The program offers a curriculum that helps individuals going through poverty acquire the tools to better themselves, their families and their community. (Nebraska) [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Share It: 2019 AmeriCorps Week Highlights [Check out some of the top 2019 AmeriCorps Week posts on Twitter.]( or like our message on Twitter]( Each week, we provide a social media shareable to use on your networks. [AmeriCorps Week 2019]( is almost in the books, but we want to share some of our favorite posts in a new Twitter story. Take a few moments to look back at the week, and help us spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and followers. --------------------------------------------------------------- National Service in the News [Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Profile: Anna Noonan]( Habitat for Humanity Anna Noonan was excited to put her new college degree in global studies to work. The problem, she soon discovered, was finding a job that would use the skills and knowledge she had acquired. “I felt like I had a lot more to offer than what most of the posted entry-level jobs were asking for,” Noonan recalls. “My college experience had prepared me well to take on responsibility.” After coming across a listing for an AmeriCorps position at Habitat for Humanity International, Noonan felt that she finally had found an outlet where she could both contribute and grow in a meaningful way. The description of the position alone left her feeling confident that she “would be getting so much experience and responsibility and given so much creativity and freedom.” [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ['This is my dream job': YouthWork Makes Impact on Kids, Organizations in Northern Michigan (AmeriCorps)]( UpNorthLive.com, Michigan This week people are celebrating AmeriCorps Week, recognizing the programs that have impacted communities across the country. In northern Michigan, AmeriCorps has a big impact with its YouthWork program through child and family services. “This is my dream job,” said Zack Opdycke. Opdycke is in his first semester with YouthWork, where he spends about 20 hours a week getting experience working for non-profits and organizations around northern Michigan, such as the DNR. [Read more and watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [How America's Future is Being Made in AmeriCorps]( Medium.com (ICYMI, the following blog by AmeriCorps State and National Director Chester Spellman was published on the CNCS Medium blog on March 8.) Everybody has a story to tell, as the saying goes. Within that story there is often an event that influences the direction of a person's life. For the last 25 years, AmeriCorps has provided a setting for more than 1 million women and men to have experiences that changed lives and communities all across this nation. Each year during March, the Corporation for National and Community Service celebrates AmeriCorps Week to highlight the accomplishments of our members and alumni in the communities they serve. And the stories are as diverse as the members and the thousands of ways they volunteer to serve their nation. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Reading Corps AmeriCorps Members ‘Get Things Done’]( (The following article was shared from the Reading Corps blog.) Since 1993, the Corporation for National Community Service has inspired people across the country to give back as part of a national service movement. We’re incredibly proud to have 357 members from all over the country joining Reading Partners for a year of service. Our team of talented AmeriCorps members are committed to narrowing the opportunity gap for students through early childhood literacy. For this year’s AmeriCorps Week, we celebrate the work that AmeriCorps members accomplish with Reading Partners. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Volunteering That Makes People 55+ Healthier (Senior Corps)]( Forbes.com As Dr. Ann Hwang of the health care advocacy nonprofit Community Catalyst has written on Next Avenue, research studies show that older adults who volunteer are less likely to have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. They face a lower risk of cognitive impairment, too. But there’s now evidence that low-income people age 55 and older who volunteer in the federal Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs report better health, decreased depression and less social isolation. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [I Help My Students Reach Their Potential -- and They Help Me Reach Mine]( The Seattle Times, Washington I know my students are powerful, smart, creative and have everything they need in them to be successful. I also know that school can be tough. I knew I had made it when, at age 22, I became a Pickle Bob. The Pickle Bobs are a close-knit group of fifth-graders who attend Graham Hill Elementary, and their teacher and I were inducted last year. But let me back up, so you get the full picture. I am a City Year AmeriCorps member serving at Graham Hill. I am here to help close the opportunity gap in Seattle Public Schools. This is important as stark disparities exist between educational opportunities for students across the city, where many children of color and those from low-income families fall behind their peers. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [True Tales of Lives and Futures that were #MadeInAmeriCorps]( National Service Blog At the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), we are passionate about the work we do and the mission that drives it. As part of AmeriCorps Week – our annual celebration of AmeriCorps members, alumni, and programs – we are sharing the many ways lives and futures are being #MadeInAmeriCorps. The following vignettes come from a sample of CNCS staff members who served in AmeriCorps and were transformed by the experience and lasting impact of service. Come back on Thursday for another set of profiles. (This is a two-part blog post, and [you can read Part 2 here]( [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Honorees Proof that 'Volunteerism is Alive and Well' (Senior Corps)]( The Times, Indiana One advocates for tobacco and gun safety awareness. Another walks for cancer awareness. One is a longtime historian and 4-H leader. Another teaches troubled youth. These people and others improve and strengthen their communities. In earning the 2019 Spirit Awards, they “validate that volunteerism is alive and well in our community,” said Randy Zromkoski, 2018 United Way of Porter County campaign co-chairman. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Homer Brink Elementary Hosts STEAM Day (AmeriCorps)]( WBNG-TV, New York Students at Homer Brink Elementary School put on their thinking caps for STEAM Day. STEAM is an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. ... In a kindergarten class, students learned about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. They learned how crops grow, on what part of the plant they grow on, and even tried several vegetables. “I think it’s important to learn about agriculture and nutrition at a young age, this is the time in your life when you’re learning eating habits,” said Maggie Caroompas, a farm-to-school AmeriCorps member. [Read more and watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Make a Difference in Your Backyard, Like Peggy Decker is in Cannon Falls (AmeriCorps)]( Red Wing Republican Eagle, Minnesota (The following column was written by Tim Penny, President and CEO of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.) When asked what I love about southern Minnesota, one thing that always rises to the top is the drive that people have to help their neighbors. This was especially evident during the recent blizzard. Volunteers helped dig out vehicles, rescue stranded travelers and open their doors to provide shelter. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation we work to help our neighbors in many ways, including by placing people in service roles across our 20-county region through the national AmeriCorps program. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Building Service: A Look Back at the 2017 CNCS Evidence-based Intervention Planning Grants (Part 3)]( National Service Blog Earlier this year, the CNCS Office of Research & Evaluation (ORE) introduced recipients of the 2017 AmeriCorps State and National Evidence-based Intervention Planning Grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). At the start of the summer, we checked in with the grantees to get the latest scoop on their program planning and see what lessons they learned along the way. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Tackling the Crook County Opioid Crisis (AmeriCorps)]( The Central Oregonian, Oregon State and federal lawmakers have not been shy about declaring an opioid crisis in Oregon and throughout the U.S. Lawmakers have pushed to pass new laws in the past couple years to curb abuse of opiates, which medical professionals agree are highly addictive and can cause health problems with prolonged use as well as dangerous overdoses. Meanwhile, local efforts have emerged of late to get in front of the problem and find ways to not only prevent abuse, but to seek alternatives to opiate prescriptions and manage pain other ways whenever possible. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Volunteer Florida Celebrates AmeriCorps Week]( FosterFollyNews.com, Florida This week, Volunteer Florida is participating in AmeriCorps Week, the nationwide celebration of AmeriCorps members who pledge to “get things done” for the betterment of their local communities, respective states and America. “AmeriCorps members dedicate at least a year of their lives to help fulfill Florida’s most critical needs – from educational support to disaster recovery,” said Clay Ingram, CEO of Volunteer Florida. “During AmeriCorps Week, we will recognize them for their service and the transformational impact that they have had on our state.” [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Foster Grandparent Program Honors 20-Year Volunteer (Senior Corps)]( KSWO-TV, Oklahoma A Lawton woman, who’s dedicated the past 20 years of her life to helping at-risk children, was recognized Wednesday for her service. Dorothy Cousins is a foster grandparent at Crossroads Head Start. She's been there since 1999. Co-workers say Dorothy does everything from helping children with their homework and special projects to teaching them to tie their shoes. And she does it all with love and a smile. [Read more and watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Students in Texas Teach for America Classrooms Gain in 8 out of 9 Subjects, New Research Finds (AmeriCorps)]( The74million.org Students taught by Teach for America (TFA) teachers in five Texas regions match or outpace their peers in eight of nine academic subjects — an advantage that is strongest for black and Latino students, children learning English, and traditional district-run schools, according to new research. Pupils taught by veteran teachers who started as TFA corps members get the biggest boost. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [AmeriCorps Volunteers Celebrate with Service at the Salvation Army]( WLBT-TV, Mississippi Thousands of Americans across the country celebrate and serve during AmeriCorps Week. Over 100 AmeriCorps volunteers from around the nation are rolling up their sleeves to serve in the Magnolia state. Some of these service members are volunteering right here in the Jackson community at the Salvation Army. They are apart of the LISC AmeriCorps national leadership program. Their mission is to transform lives, one community at a time. [Read more and watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- News You Can Use [Find your national service state profile report at nationalservice.gov]( [National Service State Profile Reports Available]( AmeriCorps and Senior Corps national service programs can be found in every U.S. state and territory. Each year, we comb through reams of data to summarize the impact our programs make, and we have new reports and graphics we can use to share that information with the communities we serve. Visit the link below to find updated impact graphics for your state or more detailed information about national service where you live. [Find your state report]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [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](