Posts Tagged ‘National Service’

How AmeriCorps Worked for Me

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

Today’s blog post was written by Luci Miller, an AmeriCorps National Direct member at Points of Light. Luci has served at Points of Light since October, 2011 and her last day of service is this Friday, August 31.

When I graduated from Georgia Southern University in May of 2011, I did not have a clue about what to do after graduation. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, which left my job options wide open, making things a little difficult. I had dreams of landing an internship at a Psychology clinic, while taking some time off before graduate school. After spending a couple months job searching, my idea seemed more like a faraway dream, as I found myself moving back in with my parents in Atlanta, Georgia.

My best friend had started an AmeriCorps term of service at Points of Light, and she mentioned that I may find an opportunity there. I had never considered a career in the nonprofit sector, so I was a bit skeptical of this opportunity, initially. Despite my apprehensions, I applied to an AmeriCorps position at Points of Light where I would work with their Digital Strategy team.

After a grueling interview process, I landed the position! I spent my first week of service at week-long National Service retreat with the rest of the HandsOn Corps National Direct Team. I met so many amazing young people who were so willing to give themselves to their communities to make a difference, while developing professionally.

After returning from this retreat, I was ready to serve! Through my position, I became the manager of the HandsOn Network social media platforms and a writing contributor to the HandsOn blog content. Through the use of online tools, I was able to make volunteering easier. I had no experience with volunteer resources prior to my term of service. I am now extremely knowledgeable in the field of volunteer work, and I can tell you anything you need to know about starting a project. I gained experience with creative professional writing through writing daily volunteer resources on the blog.

At the end of my term, I was able to put my skills into action, while planning the Points of Light staff volunteer project at the Atlanta Tool Bank. I engaged over 25 volunteers successfully. It was amazing to see the skills I have been developing all year come to life!

From spending time in an office cave to hanging out with a blow up penguin, I can truly say that choosing to do AmeriCorps was a great decision. I feel more prepared to tackle the next path life throws at me, than I did at this time last year. I finally have goals that I am trying to obtain thanks to the skills and personal development I have gone through this year. I am excited about what the future holds for me and I know AmeriCorps has made a lot of contributions to my future success.

Kevin’s Story: Music is his Motivation

Monday, March 19th, 2012

Today’s blog post comes from MusicianCorps, a nonprofit organization sector of The Center for Music National Service. MusicianCorps trains and places musicians to serve full-time as teachers and mentors in low-performing public schools, youth centers, and other high-need community settings. MusicianCorps uses music to reengage youth in their academic and civic lives, and provide them skills to succeed in the 21st century economy.

“I play guitar in Mr. H’s class. He teaches me a lot of things about music—how to listen to it, how to make the music sound good—he’s helped me out a lot. Mr. H corrects us if we’re doing something wrong or if we’re off track. He’s an awesome teacher. Music is like my safe haven – if I’m mad or feeling bad about anything, I just go straight to my guitar and start playing. It makes me feel better.”

— Kevin, MusicianCorps student

As a freshman at June Jordan School for Equity in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, Kevin was having trouble fitting into his new surroundings. Kevin struggled with core academic subjects and was becoming discouraged by his poor grades.But no matter how frustrated Kevin would get with his math or English, he loved to play guitar. Realizing this, the school guidance counselor placed him in class twice a week with MusicianCorps Mentor Hernando Buitrago, or as Kevin liked to call him, “Mr. H.” MusicianCorps quickly became a big part of Kevin’s in-school and afterschool experience – he even became a regular fixture during lunch period drop-in jam sessions.

For weeks, Kevin and other students were preparing a performance for an upcoming school assembly. However, due to his poor grades in other classes, Kevin was not allowed to perform with the group. While he was disappointed, Kevin knew he would have to work harder so that he would never miss another opportunity to perform. Mr. H worked with him throughout the week to make sure he was getting his work done and keeping the right priorities.

In time, Kevin’s grades began to improve. Recognizing his commitment, Mr. H invited Kevin and other students to perform for Veteran’s Day at the Palo Alto VA center. Kevin seized the opportunity. On a day off from school when most of his classmates were still sleeping, Kevin was awake at 7:30am with his guitar in hand ready to be picked up for the performance. “It was cool to play for the Veterans,” Kevin said. “They seemed to enjoy it and some of them came up and played with us.”

With music as his motivation, Kevin continued to work hard and improve his grades. “MusicianCorps is the reason I want to keep coming back to school,” Kevin said. “I need music. It makes me feel a lot better about myself. It makes me feel like I have something to do.”

For Kevin, music provides motivation to succeed in school.

March is Music in Our Schools Month. Check out MusicianCorps and find out how you can promote the importance of music in our children’s schools today!

Lessons from AmeriCorps

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Today’s post comes from Carrisa Pawell, Interactive Strategy AmeriCorps Member with Points of Light. She is currently serving as an AmeriCorps member.

I started my year of service with AmeriCorps with not much of an idea what AmeriCorps did. I had heard them called the “domestic PeaceCorps”, and that is the description I still use with my friends and family! However, I may yet adopt the AmeriCorps week slogan, AmeriCorps Works! as it encompasses the breadth of the wide variety of service AmeriCorps members provide.

Approximately halfway through my term of service at Points of Light, my definition of volunteerism has expanded in ways I never expected. As a support member on the Interactive Strategy team, I volunteer mainly through the computer! In my past service experiences, I have volunteered in retirement communities, libraries, children’s day camps, and food kitchens. Although I use it for the majority of my entertainment and education, I never dreamed that the Internet would be the next frontier for service.

I’d like to share with you a few things I’ve learned over my term so far.

Volunteer online! You don’t have to be a Twitter expert to volunteer online. Did you know that you can play online games for free that donate to charities on your behalf? One example is Charitii – a charity-donating crossword Web site that raises money to provide clean water, food for the malnourished, and protection of the rainforest worldwide.

Be open to opportunities outside of your expectations Why limit yourself? My AmeriCorps term of service has taken me in so many directions I couldn’t have predicted a year ago, including a big move from California to Georgia! Service can take you in a variety of directions. I know the option of voluntourism is next on my list! Consider combining your travel and service experiences with a voluntourism vacation.

Microvolunteer Not all acts of service have to be year long commitments! Sparked provides a place where nonprofits can post small, digitally-based volunteer opportunities that can be done in a small amount of time. These opportunities aren’t just computer-based; many of the opportunities can be done on a smart phone, so time spent waiting in line at the grocery store can turn into time helping to improve a user’s experience with a nonprofit’s website.

Embrace your “Aha!” Moments As my AmeriCorps predecessor, Ken Tran, wrote in his Turning Point post for Points of Light, AmeriCorps members experience many “aha!” moments during our service years. Those situations are when the imaginary light bulb finally lights up and we realize that what we’re doing has purpose and direction. That our actions are positively impacting those around us and that the effects of our service will be felt long after we have left. During “AmeriCorps Works” week, I invite you to think back and remember your own “aha!” moment. What is your purpose and direction in the service field? How do you feed the need to impact others in a positive way? Take some time to refocus on that moment and the resulting actions; it can only increase your commitment to service!

Are you an AmeriCorps alum? If so, how will you be celebrating this week?  Be sure to register as an AmeriCorps Alum and register or join an AmeriCorps Week event.

Join the AmeriCorps Book Club

Monday, January 30th, 2012

Today’s post originally appeared on the AmeriCorps Alums blog site January 23, 2012. The post was written by Ken Tran the External Relations Coordinator at AmeriCorps Alums.

January is Book Blitz Month – an opportunity for authors to promote with media to get their books into the best sellers list and into the hands of readers like us! As an AmeriCorps Alum, I’d like to see some of our next New York Times Bestselling Authors to be ones that are passionate about National Service and care about  Millennials leading in that movement.

After a great twitter conversation with (Arizona’s CNCS State Director) and (Seattle AmeriCorps Alums Chapter Leader) about starting an , I put together a list of recommended books that would be great to read as we all continue our Lifetime of Service. All the books on this list feature stories of AmeriCorps or National Service; helping us understand where Service has been and where it is going, especially as we continue to advocate to Save Service and why it is essential to fostering a stronger future for America.

See what we’ll be reading on our AmeriCorps Book Club Reading List:

The Time of Our Lives – Tom Brokaw

Why you should read it: Brokaw, former anchor of NBC’s Nightly News, looks at some of the prevalent issues affecting our Millennial generation and offers insight into how we can revitalize the American Dream through civic engagement and community. Weaving stories from his family’s upbringing in South Dakota and reflections from Americans who are change agents in their communities, he provides a hopeful vision of what our country can be, even in these hard times.

The Bill – Steven Waldman

Why you should read it: In recent years, many cuts to National Service and AmeriCorps have been debated in Congress. To understand the public policies and legislative processes at work, we’ll need to take a trip down memory lane and look at how the National Service Bill was initially passed under the Clinton administration. For those of us who aren’t as knowledgeable in the workings at the Hill, this will be a great read to help us understand what’s in motion and at stake as we continuing to Save Service.

A Call to Civic Service – Charles Moskos

Why you should read it: Moskos calls for all young Americans, between the ages of 18 – 23, to serve in some capacity in National Service to their country. Whether it be serving in day care, correctional facilities, with the poor in health, etc or in the All-Volunteer Military Force, he believes that young Americans should be giving back to strengthen their country. Sounds like something we all can relate too…

Of Kennedys and Kings – Harris Wofford

Why you should read it: Wofford, one of the founders of Peace Corps and former CEO of the Corporation of National and Community Service, recounts what can be accomplished with leaders, like the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, JR, who committed to public service and being responsible with their political powers. As the 2012 elections are coming up, we as alumni of National Service, we want to make sure that we elect a leader that will reflect, support, and implement our values.

This is just a short list and I’m positive there are other books you’d love to see on this growing list. What books would you recommend to be added in the AmeriCorps Book Club?

 

My Experience in the Beloved Community

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Today’s post comes from Luci Miller, an AmeriCorps member on the Digital Engagement team  for Points of Light. 

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

January 16 marked the national celebration of Martin Luther King Day of Service. As a passionate proponent of social justice Dr. King has always been an important public figure to me. I have always admired his amazing public speaking skills, love for all of humanity, and emphasis on nonviolent social change.

Although, I am a big Martin Luther King fan, I never truly understood the importance of the national day of service aspect, until recently. Due to the fact that I am a recent college graduate, this day just meant a day out of school for me. Since becoming an AmeriCorps member for Points of Light, this day became so much more to me.

As an AmeriCorps member, I was asked to host a Sunday Supper as part of my commitment to service. A Sunday Supper is a means of sparking conversation between neighbors about important issues that may affect the community on a day-to-day basis. I decided to host my Sunday Supper with my family members so that we could move away from eating dinner in front of the television and actually speak to each other. This dinner became so much more than that. I wanted to understand their viewpoints on certain issues that I see in our community on a daily basis, so we discussed the issue of poverty.

My parents brought up excellent points about how the issue of poverty should not be an issue that we just become immune to, but rather a very visible issue.

The discussion actually bonded my family and we even discussed the idea of trying to do something about our community’s poverty rate by volunteering as a family at a local shelter.

We would have never had this discussion without the Sunday Supper. The issue of poverty and homelessness has become a very present topic of discussion in my household. It is great to see how one discussion can spark action, making Dr. King’s idea of nonviolent social change even more of a reality.

In honor of Dr. King I also decided to serve at a local elementary school with other AmeriCorps members. We were assigned the task of painting certain rooms in the school building.

 

I was a bit apprehensive about the service because it required me to use artistic skills that I unfortunately do not possess and it started early in the morning (I am not a fan of waking up early). My feelings immediately changed when I saw the turn out at the project. Over 90 volunteers showed up to serve at the school on Martin Luther King Day. Every volunteer was eager to help out his or her local school. The thing that touched me the most during this experience was the enthusiasm for volunteering that the children had. Children who were much younger than me could not wait to get inside and begin painting. They kept talking about how excited they were and how much volunteering meant to them.

It was so amazing to see the impact that a child can make on his or her community. It truly made me understand that Dr. King was correct when he said, “Anybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

 

I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to fully understand Dr. King’s day of service. He was correct in his idea of the beloved community and the idea of nonviolent social change. One small act of kindness can really make a huge difference in your
neighbor’s daily life.

Live out Dr. King’s belief in the beloved community and make a habit of serving your fellow neighbors on daily basis. Who knows what your community will look like with a touch of your goodwill?

Did you serve your community on Martin Luther King Day? We would love to hear about it in the comment section!

Organizing an MLK Day Event

Monday, January 9th, 2012

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Next Monday January 16 is the Martin Luther King Day of National Service. What will you do to keep King’s dream alive in your community?

Dr. King imagined a community full of neighbors who were willing to help each other no matter the circumstances. He believed in the power of brothers and sisters rather than strangers who just live by each other.

Anyone can serve, no matter his or her age or physical ability. How? All it takes is some planning and decision making on your part to make this event, “a day on not a day off.” Follow these five steps to make your service planning a breeze, so that you can keep the memory of Dr. King alive, not only on this day, but also in the future!

  1. Organize:
  • Form a group of friends, neighbors, teammates, etc. to participate in the project.
  • Decide how many times your group needs to meet during the duration of the project.
  • Choose a responsible adult to head the project if your team is primarily composed of younger members.
  • Try to recruit community partners to help with the planning and project.

2. Select or create your project:

  • State your goals and desired outcomes.
  • Discuss your ideas and choose what project will work for you
  • Develop a way to connect your project to the meaning of Martin Luther King Day.

3. Plan your service event:

  • Timeline: Set timelines to ensure your project is completed in time.
  • Select event location: How much space do you need? Is there a business or community center willing to donate space for the project?
  • Obtain permission: Discuss whom you need to get permission from to obtain a space.
  • Assign jobs: Who will be the leader? Who will pay tribute to Dr. King’s legacy during the day? Who will participate in what project?
  • Get the word out: Get the word out publically through fliers, community publications, etc. Decide who will be in charge of getting the word out and who needs to be contacted.
  • Organize materials: Discuss what supplies will be needed. Who will donate these supplies?
  • Create a budget: How much money will you need? How will you raise the money? Who can you ask for donations? Put someone in charge of coming up with the budget.
  • Engage community partners: Make sure to keep the public informed.
  • Register your MLK Day project.

4. Run your service project:

  • Make sure all aspects of the event are covered the day of
  • Manage your project group to make sure everyone is doing their part
  • Hang any posters, banners, etc.
  • Conduct a sign in for volunteers when they arrive
  • Recognize all volunteers, sponsors, and donors.
  • Make sure you discuss Dr. King’s legacy and relate it to the service project.
  • Take pictures of the project.

5. Follow up and reflect:

  • Reflect about your experience with the group. Discuss what went well and what could be approved upon.
  • Thank volunteers on the day of the event. Send handwritten thank you notes as well.

Sounds a little easier to get involved in service this MLK Day? Good, now you can get out there and volunteer! It is important to keep the legacy of Dr. King involved all year, and this day of service is the perfect way to start the process!

Are you planning a service project for MLK day? Tell us about it we’d love to hear!


Help Support National Service on Your Lunch Break

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Today, supporters of national service programs across the country are coming together to bring awareness of the importance of national service programs like AmeriCorpsSenior Corps and RSVP, VISTA and others to their elected representatives.

Save Service District Days give supporters of national service programs an opportunity to come together to let their representatives know that service is important to them as individuals and to their communities. If you’re interested in joining a District Day event, you can find one near you here.

If you’re not able to participate in a District Day event, please take the time to write or call your member of Congress and let them know why national service is important to you. You can find your representatives’ contact information here and your senators’ contact information here.

If you’re looking for more information to share with your members of Congress, you can find more resources here, where you can find fact sheets on the impact of national service programs in your state.

National service enables people to make meaningful contributions to their communities, build organizational capacity, generate community-based social capital and leverage more than 1.4 million additional adult volunteers to tackle some of America’s toughest social, environmental, educational and economic challenges.

Without the thousands of Americans that serve every year, emergency response programs, education programs, environmental protection and restoration programs, and programs that help support our communities would not be able to provide the level of support that they do thanks to our national service members.

AmeriCorps members were at the heart of disaster response in Joplin, Missouri. They were on the ground setting up an infrastructure to manage the volunteer response within hours of the tornado touching down. They were on the ground in New Orleans, in Mississippi, in Alabama, and in Iowa. They are in our schools, helping to support the programs and students that need the most help. They are in our communities every day working to support volunteer programs, preparing citizens for emergencies, and working to get things done for America.

Please join us today in letting your members of Congress know that national service programs are a vital part of our communities.

 


Coming Together To Save Service

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute and co-founder of the HandsOn Network.

Last week, the president signed into law the Budget Control Act of 2011. The compromise calls for $917 billion in cuts over the next 10 years, and another $1.5 trillion in cuts could be identified through a 12-member bipartisan committee.

It is now apparent that many federal programs will be threatened with either significant spending reductions or elimination.

The Corporation for National and Community Service and the programs it administers – AmeriCorps, the Volunteer Generation Fund, Senior Corps and RSVP, VISTA and others – will be vulnerable in this environment.

Now is the time to act.

On Wednesday, Aug. 10, supporters of national service programs are once again visiting their elected representatives’ home offices to let them know the importance of national service in their communities and across the nation.

You can find and join a District Day event at the office of your member of Congress on the Save Service website. Along with District Day events near you, you’ll find information that you can share with your member of Congress about the impact of national service programs in your state.

If you’re not able to participate in a District Day event, please take the time to write or call your member of Congress and let them know why national service is important to you. You can find your representatives’ contact information here and your senators’ contact information here.

National service enables people to make meaningful contributions to their communities, build organizational capacity, generate community-based social capital and leverage more than 1.4 million additional adult volunteers to tackle some of America’s toughest social, environmental, educational and economic challenges.

Please join me in highlighting the importance of national service programs on August 10 by visiting, calling or writing your representatives.

 

In Service,

 

 

Michelle Nunn

CEO, Points of Light Institute

Co-founder, HandsOn Network

Building a Playground and a Lifetime of Service

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Michael Nealis, Interactive Strategy Coordinator for Points of Light Institute. He served as an AmeriCorps member for two years with Volunteer Maryland.

I still remember the first day of my AmeriCorps service. I walked into a room full of people that I didn’t know and who seemed infinitely more qualified to be leading volunteer programs than I was.

At that time in my life, I had only studied volunteerism. I didn’t volunteer anywhere, and I never had.

I felt like what I was being asked to do wasn’t possible. How could I start a volunteer program and make it successful if I didn’t know the first thing about actually volunteering?

I was scared that I would fail, and I was even more scared that I would disappoint the people I was serving with.

Two weeks later, I set foot on my service site with a two-inch binder full of program ideas and best practices, a few ideas in my head, and a healthy dose of worry.

I was walking into a government agency that didn’t have any formal volunteer program and was being asked to build a volunteer program around something I didn’t know much about.

I spent the first month just trying to learn about volunteer programs, the issues I would be working with, and trying to meet everyone I would be working with (and remember their names).

It took me three months to get the program off of the ground, and another four months to get to a place where I felt like I was running a successful program.

That’s when I took a week off and walked away from my program to build a playground.

A community playground in the neighborhood I lived in had been burnt down by an arsonist, and the community came together to raise funds to rebuild it. An AmeriCorps member that I served with was working with an organization that was involved with the rebuild and asked our class to come out and help with the build.

I thought it would be a great test of my program’s ability to run on it’s own without a lot of maintenance if I was out of the office, so I signed up to help.

I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into.

The playground was about five thousand square feet, and over a thousand people came to work on the playground over the course of the week-long build. I got to meet everyone who walked onto the construction site because I was working in the tool shed, handing out tools to the volunteers.

I met people from the community, AmeriCorps members from across the state, and people that came from hundreds of miles away because they had worked on the first playground and wanted to help to rebuild it.

Working on the playground taught me more about what it means to live in a community than I ever learned in school.

I got to see the power of people working together, not only to build a playground, but sharing their lives with each other.

I went back to my service site with a renewed sense of purpose. I had a better understanding of the work that volunteers were doing, not just on the project I was working on specifically, but with every organization in every community.

I signed up for a second year with my AmeriCorps program and helped a fresh class of AmeriCorps members understand the importance of volunteerism in their communities.

My term of service changed my life for the better. I’m forever grateful for the people I served with, the people who led my program and mentored me to become the man I am today, and the people that I met who worked to improve their communities.

I am AmeriCorps, and I always will be.

Don’t forget to celebrate AmeriCorps week this week! If you see someone sporting their AmeriCorps gear, throw them a high-five and thank them for their service!

AmeriCorps Week Showcases the Impact of National Service

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

This year’s National AmeriCorps Week, May 14 – 21, is a particularly important opportunity to elevate the value and importance of AmeriCorps and national service. In light of recent budget debates in Congress and the threatened elimination of funds for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in 2012, AmeriCorps Week showcases the extraordinary impact of national service members every day across our nation.

AmeriCorps Week shines a light on the more than 80,000 members currently serving in communities across the country – individuals who are effectively serving and meeting critical needs in our country’s communities. We see this impact front and center in our HandsOn Network where, over the last 12 months, HandsOn Networks’ AmeriCorps members have recruited and mobilized more than 53,900 volunteers in more than 1,200 service projects impacting more than 70,000 citizens.

In addition to 80,000 current members, more than 600,000 have joined AmeriCorps Alums, a division of Points of Light Institute, and have given more than 860 million hours in service since 1994.

We believe in the leadership potential of these individuals and have supported them both as an organization and a strategy to continue to create change. We have 26 chapters of AmeriCorps Alums throughout the country actively engaging thousands during AmeriCorps Week in service projects, networking events and thought leadership with elected officials.

The value of AmeriCorps service has been felt in communities both large and small – at Points of Light Institute affiliates, managing volunteers in disaster relief efforts and at the countless organizations that we partner with.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has said he believes the future of his city depends on citizens rolling up their sleeves and working together to tackle complicated challenges – and AmeriCorps Alums have played a major role.

“AmeriCorps Alums working in city government and nonprofit organizations throughout Philadelphia bring a level of experience and commitment to service that directly impacts our collective capacity to engage every day citizens in solving problems and strengthening their communities,” said Mayor Nutter.

The National League of Cities highlighted the impact of AmeriCorps volunteers in an editorial by AmeriCorps Alums Executive Director Ben Duda this week. The article reaches 30,000 mayors, city council members, city managers, police and fire chiefs, public works directors and others who make decisions about local operations. It is important that these individuals understand the valuable impact of service and how they can engage both current AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Alums to address local challenges and create change.

To share best practices, AmeriCorps Alums has convened a national training and professional development webinar called “How to Translate Your AmeriCorps Experience into Future Leadership Opportunities” on May 18 at 12 p.m. EST. This session will showcase the transformational force of service and how it can make an impact in solving our country’s challenging issues.

To register for the webinar or get engaged with your local AmeriCorps Alums, please visit www.AmeriCorpsAlums.org.

National service has a critical role to play in our country as we face tough challenges and restricted funds. At Points of Light Institute, we look forward to celebrating AmeriCorps Week with our service partners and colleagues and lifting up currently serving members and the hundreds of thousands of Alums – they are at the forefront of possibility for community change.

Yours in Service,

CEO, Points of Light Institute
Co-Founder, HandsOn Network