National Service News: Let's Hear It for National Service!

Hooray for our AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members! [] [National Service News]( Service Recognition Day is coming on April 2, 2019!]( Let's Hear It for National Service! A few years ago, we held our first Mayors' Day of Recognition for National Service to give communities an opportunity to highlight the thousands of communities touched by [AmeriCorps]( and [Senior Corps]( programs. Hundreds of leaders signed up for the first event in April 2013, and more than 5,200 leaders joined in last year to celebrate national service. During the past six years, mayors and city leaders, county officials, and tribal leaders across the country have supported [National Service Recognition Day]( to highlight how national service programs are making an impact in their communities. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps are partners with schools, faith-based groups, non-profits, and local agencies, using their ingenuity and training to make a tangible, lasting impact. Whether they are responding to natural disasters, tackling the opioid epidemic, educating students for the 21st-century workforce, or supporting veterans and military families, national service members and volunteers are vital resources wherever they serve. There are approximately 300,000 AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers serving in 50,000 locations around the nation, and we thank them for demonstrating the thousands of ways #NationalServiceWorks for America. 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 [CNCS CEO Barbara Stewart (right) speaks before a Nationals Commission on Military, National, and Public Service meeting in College Station, Texas.]( [National Commission on Military, National and Public Service Makes Stop in College Station]( The National Commission on Military, National and Public Service had a hearing in College Station on Thursday as it works to develop recommendations concerning the need for a military draft and other means to foster an ethos of service among American youth and young adults. The 11-person commission’s two-day stop at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University was one of several nationwide it will make through June to gather testimony in preparation for its March 2020 report to the president and Congress. The commission will make recommendations about whether to more strongly encourage — or require — military or some other form of public service. [CNCS CEO Barbara Stewart addressed the commission during this meeting, and [you can read her remarks here]( [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Watch this story about a Maine widow who remains active by serving as a Senior Companion in her community.]( [Maine Program Pairs Senior Citizens with Visitors to Help Curb Loneliness (Senior Corps)]( “Can't go out with summer shoes." It's off to work she goes. Kitty Gee just turned 88. She drives - admits she has a little bit of a lead foot. There is no keeping her down. She admits she was lonely after her husband died five years ago. She remembers those first few months without him. "I said what am I going to do with myself. I got to so do something, get a job." She heard about the "Senior Companion program and said, “Where do I sign up?” Gee works with the Senior Companion program, where the goal is to address the loneliness and isolation senior citizens feel on a regular basis. [Watch video]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Share It: National Service Recognition Day [Join us for National Service Recognition Day on April 2, 2019]( the message on Facebook]( or like]( Each week, we provide a social media shareable for your networks. Since [National Service Recognition Day]( is just around the corner, we want as many people as possible to know about this celebration of our AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs. Our national service participants number nearly 300,000 strong and provide vital service to 50,000 communities around the nation. You can [learn more at our Recognition Day portal](. Help us spread the word by sharing how #NationalServiceWorks in your community through your social media networks. --------------------------------------------------------------- National Service in the News [Seniors Volunteer for Foster Grandparent Program in Newport News (Senior Corps)]( WAVY-TV, Virginia When it comes time to retire, it can be hard to accept your days will be lighter and there may be less people around you on a day-to-day basis. For many seniors, this can lead to depression and loss of a healthy lifestyle. However, a recent study shows volunteering with the youth in your community can help you live longer and avoid those feelings. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) found Senior Corps volunteers reported much higher self-rated health scores, compared to older adults in similar circumstances who do not volunteer. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Other Speakers Discuss Volunteerism at Annenberg Center Event (CNCS)]( The Eagle, Texas The first lady of Texas and a three-person panel of state leaders in volunteerism and philanthropy reflected Tuesday on aspects of community engagement inside the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. The Bank of America Program on Volunteerism — moderated by William Brown, director of the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Bush School — featured conversation among panelists and a keynote reflection from Cecilia Abbott. Abbott coined the phrase “Texanthropy” and has made promoting volunteerism in the state one of her primary initiatives since her husband, Gov. Greg Abbott, took office in 2015. “As we see during floods, fires and hurricanes — or even in the challenges of daily life — no matter where we come from, we really are all part of the American family. I applaud your commitment to serve that American family,” Abbott said at the close of her remarks. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [MSU Teams with State and Federal Efforts to Combat Opioid Abuse (AmeriCorps)]( MSU Today, Michigan As opioids increasingly impact the health and welfare of local communities, Michigan State University is joining state and federal efforts to combat the growing national epidemic. The Opioid Prevention and Education Network, or OPEN-MSU, funded by the National Corporation for Public Service and coordinated by MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement, will serve as a conduit that builds partnerships and increases support for local organizations addressing opioid abuse, addiction and overdose. After identifying the sites, the program will place AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers in them to build capacity and develop strategies to support opioid abuse prevention. These full-time volunteers receive training, professional development and financial benefits for one year of intensive civic engagement experience. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Wildlife Images Gets a Helping Hand from AmeriCorps]( KOBI-TV/KOTI-TV, Oregon Wildlife Images is getting a helping hand to update their facilities. AmeriCorps volunteers from across the country are lending their talents to the rehab and education center. Team Blue Seven is just the second group of AmeriCorps members to help out wildlife images. Almost 40 years ago, Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center opened to care for the sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. “Wildlife Images are always struggling to make enough to keep this place in operation, so volunteerism and donations and all that is what makes this place work,” Executive Director, Dave Siddon said. That’s why they’re grateful to have help from the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps – Team Blue Seven. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Chickasaw Nation AmeriCorps Prepares Oklahomans for Disasters]( The Chickasaw Nation established an AmeriCorps program to provide life-saving disaster preparedness training to students, elders, veterans, and families inside the Chickasaw Nation service area. The Chickasaw Nation AmeriCorps program, made possible by a federal grant, focuses on disaster services. “The overall goal of this program is to teach citizens of all ages how to be better prepared for disasters and emergencies,” said Rebecca Rhynes, AmeriCorps program coordinator for the Chickasaw Nation. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [From the Archives: Wofford National Service Papers (CNCS)]( News at IUPUI, Indiana Harris Wofford's legacy can be found in many of the United States' most prominent philanthropic initiatives. The former United States senator co-founded the Peace Corps. He served as chief executive officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which runs AmeriCorps and other volunteer domestic programs. He attained these posts and accomplishments after serving as an advisor to President John F. Kennedy and marching alongside Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama. [Read more]( [NationalService.gov]( | [Manage Preferences]( [facebook]( We sent this email to {EMAIL} on behalf of the Corporation for National and Community Service. [Corporation for National and Community Service] [View as a webpage / Share]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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](