Atlanta's Strategic Service PlanTo view the Service Plan for the City of Atlanta, click on the following link : Hardest Hit FundOn April 1st, the Department of Community Affairs launched a foreclosure prevention program. Funding from this federal program comes from the US Treasury Department’s Hardest Hit Fund. Georgia is calling its program HomeSafe Georgia Commissioner Beatty has released a press release about Georgia’s Hardest Hit Fund. The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism encourages all to post the information at your service sites and use it as another means of possible assistance for your communities.
Press Release: Hardest Hit Fund Press Release For additional information, please visit the following link: http://www.dca.ga.gov/housing/homeownership/programs/hardesthitfund.asp .
2010/11 Joint AmeriCorps Kick-Off Event Seventy eight AmeriCorps members and staff from 5 GCSV AmeriCorps programs came together and participated in the 2010/11 program year Kick Off event on Saturday October 16, 2010 at Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs, GA. The event was coordinated by the following programs:
The event was filled with team building sessions, networking opportunities, meeting new faces, reciting the AmeriCorps pledge, and serving. The event included a can food drive, whereby the recipients were randomly selected from local service locations. One of the agencies chosen was St. Vincent de Parl Society food pantry in Chamblee, GA. All of the members present were so excited by this event that they were asking when would the next such event would be, even though the year had ‘only just begun’. Many members enjoyed the event, and expressed a desire for more interactions to learn what other members are doing, how they can exchange ideas, and join together to assist one another during their service year. The event also created a bonding experience for all teams.
At the end of the program, a general consensus was that such informal opportunities for bonding and team spirit such as this one, should be encouraged as programs continue to grow their own armies of volunteers in communities. Feedback from many AmeriCorps members was positive as the day did not feel forced or manufactured, and they were able to connect with other members currently serving in metro Atlanta and beyond. Many members left with ideas for joint service initiatives, which was one of the objectives of the day.
Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism GCSV Wins "Team of the Year" Award!!
From the desk of GCSV Executive Director, John Turner: The staff of the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism was the winner of the annual “Team of the Year” award for state agencies presented yesterday at the Georgia World Congress Center . The award recognized GCSV’s work during the first six months of this year to take over the Learn and Serve program in Georgia and also start a statewide VISTA project sponsored by our commission. I was honored to accept the award on behalf of the GCSV team from Gov. Sonny Perdue and Chief Operating Officer, Trey Childress.
The GCSV staff was one of ten finalists in the Team Excellence category of Team Georgia's Fourth Annual Governor’s Customer Service Awards. Agencies such as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Revenue, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Department of Veterans Services, and many others were included in the category. The award presenters stated that every one of the finalists deserved to win and so to be chosen as the “Team of the Year” is an outstanding accomplishment and a testament to the importance of what we do.
This award truly represents a team effort in every sense and we were honored by the support we received from Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty and the DCA leadership. Special thanks go out to Ruben Burney, Candice Gunn, Zaneta Ivery, and former GCSV team member, Kate Webb, for their dedication to our mission, their hard work and their long hours this past year. We are also grateful to have been joined this summer by new staff members Kiana Sullivan, training and communications, Ryan Coskrey , disability, Lori Bodine , Learn & Serve, Jamora Jackson , finance, Amieko Watson , AmeriCorps, and also Bonnie Roberts, VISTA Team Leader. They have already shown the same dedication and commitment to high standards and they are wonderful to work with. Together this team is now ready to do even greater things for Georgia!
The GCSV team was recognized for its work in creating a new Learn & Serve America K-12 program for Georgia that resulted in $525,000 in grants to 12 schools and other organizations. The award also recognized GCSV’s work to create a statewide VISTA project in partnership with Georgia ’s Regional Commissions to promote volunteerism and fight poverty.
Please join me in congratulating the GCSV staff for this honor!
John
Photo by Alana Joyner, Office of the Governor For the full press release, click here. Volunteer
Opportunity
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Photo
by Alana Joyner, Office of the Governor
National Volunteer Week
April 18-24, 2010
Download a free toolkit here. Complete with logos, templates, marketing ideas, and more!
National Volunteer Week, a signature event of Points of Light Institute, celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation.
Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the Volunteer Generation Fund, our theme -- Celebrating People in Action -- honors individuals who take action and solve significant problems in their communities.
National Volunteer Week Highlights:
- Advance the Get HandsOn! campaign goal of mobilizing 500,000 volunteer leaders by activating volunteers in service for Global Youth Service Day and the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
- LEAD - A Get HandsOn! Summit
HandsOn Network and the University of Phoenix are convening LEAD to join the most creative thinkers and explore how individuals are using social media tools and other innovative strategies to change the landscape of service. Social innovators will share interesting experiences such as locating disaster victims with cell phones, quickly gathering thousands of volunteers for one-day projects and organizing person-to-person service efforts through Web-based technologies and other tools.
Click here for more information on the summit.
- "Inspire… Serve… Solve. A Reception Celebrating National Volunteer Week and the Serve America Act." Co-convened by Points of Light Institute and ServiceNation, the reception will recognize and celebrate extraordinary people who exemplify service as a solution. The 2010 Extra Mile inductee will be announced, and the event will serve as a moment to celebrate the first anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.
- ServiceNation Leadership Luncheon. The Luncheon will bring sector leaders together for a discussion about the power of service to address record unemployment and crippling budget cuts, providing our citizens with critical skills and our communities with much-needed capacity at low cost and with no new bureaucracy.
- ServiceNation Solution Sessions These sessions will focus on specific areas of opportunities and challenges facing the service field over the next several months.
Lights, Camera, Action... film your own tribute to the one-year anniversary of the Senator Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act! Let us know how service has affected your life and your movie may make its big screen debut during National Volunteer Week this April in Washington D.C.
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For Immediate Release Contact: Courtney Bernardi, GCSV Public Relations
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 404-679-1738/courtney.bernardi@dca.ga.gov
Learn and Serve America K-12 Grants Now Administered by the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism
Connecting Classroom Lessons to Real-World Problems and Solutions through Service
Atlanta, GA - The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism will offer Learn & Serve America K-12 grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service to Georgia schools and other eligible organizations for the 2010-2011 school year.
The Learn & Serve America K-12 grants fund projects and programs that integrate service learning as a method for helping students learn academic subjects and skills by planning and participating in service activities.
Local school systems and other eligible organizations such as charter schools, private schools and some community groups will be able to apply for the Learn & Serve K-12 grants in time for the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
The Georgia State Board of Education voted February 11, 2010, to authorize Georgia State School Superintendent Kathy Cox to designate the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism as the state entity to receive and administer Learn & Serve America K-12 grants within the state.
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism, an office of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, administers other grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service such as AmeriCorps.
“We are excited to offer these grants to the educators and students of Georgia for the coming school year,” said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty.
“Service learning is a valuable way to connect classroom lessons to real-world problems and solutions for students through service to their communities,” Beatty said.
“We plan to build on the progress and achievements of previous Learn & Serve K-12 programs in Georgia but we will also seek new and innovative ways to use these grants to improve student learning and raise graduation rates.”
Details about the Learn & Serve K-12 grant application process and the availability of the grants will be published this spring, according to Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Executive Director John Turner.
“We do not expect the application process or selection criteria to change too much from previous years,” Turner said. “However, the Serve America Act signed by the president last year does create some new opportunities for the Learn & Serve grants and we want to take advantage of them to benefit Georgia students.”
Information about the Learn & Serve America programs can be found at the Corporation for National and Community Service website. For more information about the Georgia Learn & Serve K-12 grant programs, contact Kate Webb, Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism, 404-327-6860.
About Learn and Serve. Learn and Serve America has its roots in Serve America, a program created under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to distribute grants in support of service-learning in order to simultaneously enrich the education of young people, demonstrate the value of youth as assets to their communities, and stimulate service-learning as a strategy to meet unmet community needs. Learn and Serve America provides direct and indirect support to K-12 schools, community groups and higher education institutions to facilitate service-learning projects by: Providing grant support for school-community partnerships and higher education institutions; providing training and technical assistance resources to teachers, administrators, parents, schools and community groups; and collecting and disseminating research, effective practices, curricula, and program models. Learn and Serve America is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency created to connect Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back to their communities and their nation.
About AmeriCorps. In 1993, the National and Community Service Trust Act created AmeriCorps as a partnership between the federal government and state commissions to meet educational, environmental, public safety and health care needs, to reward service with expanded educational opportunity and to build the ethic of citizenship among participants and the people they serve. Each year, more than 65,000 AmeriCorps members serve with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations nationwide - from small community groups to nationally-known organizations. For more information on AmeriCorps in Georgia visit ww.americorpsga.org.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) was created
in 1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments. As outlined in its mission statement, DCA seeks opportunities that support "partnering with communities to help create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses." DCA operates a host of state and federal grant programs; serves as the state's lead agency in housing finance and development; promulgates building codes to be adopted by local governments; provides comprehensive planning, technical and research assistance to local governments; and serves as the lead agency for the state's solid waste reduction efforts. For more information about DCA, please visit www.dca.ga.gov.
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February 25, 2010
Disability Day at the Capitol 2010
Each winter the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) invites people with disabilities, family members, policy makers, business leaders, providers of services and other supporters to gather at the Capitol in celebration of community, advocacy, friendship, and achievement.
- Disability Day is the largest public gathering held each year during the official legislative session.
- Disability Day at the Capitol attracts a broad, diverse cross-section of Georgians of all ages and abilities.
- Disability affects 1 in every 5 Georgians.
In order to help make Disability Day at the Capitol 2010 a huge success, Georgia AmeriCorps members teamed up with AmeriCorps Alums to provide assistance to those participating in the day's events. Georgia Personal Assistance Corps (GA PAS) members, Outward Bound Atlanta members and AmeriCorps Alums braved the extremely cold Atlanta weather to help with registration, t-shirt and lunch distribution, share AmeriCorps information, assist individuals navigate to and from event locations and create colorful signs in several languages for participants to hold at the rally on the Capitol steps. Georgia AmeriCorps members and Alums spent the day smiling, laughing and sharing in the moments of this special day with people from across the state.
February 22, 2010
Cities of Service Announces Second Round of Grants
On February 11, 2010, Cities of Service announced the opening of the application period for the second round of Cities of Service Leadership Grants. Funded jointly by the Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the $2 million worth of grants will be awarded to ten cities, on a competitive basis, whose mayors have committed to increase the amount and impact of service in their communities. Each recipient city will receive $200,000 over a two-year period for the specific purpose of hiring a Chief Service Officer, an individual who will lead local efforts on behalf of their city's mayor to develop and implement a citywide plan to increase volunteerism.
The recipients of the first round of Cities of Service Leadership Grants were announced on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The cities selected to receive the grants were Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville-Davidson, TN; Newark, NJ; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Sacramento, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA. The first round of Cities of Service Leadership Grants was funded solely by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Founded in New York City on September 10, 2009 with 17 founding member cities, Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have answered the historic Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's call to action. All coalition members have signed a "Declaration of Service," committing to work together to lead a multi-year effort to expand community service and volunteerism.
To learn more please visit www.citiesofservice.org.
Georgia Commission For Service and Volunteerism
www.AmeriCorpsGa.org
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 10, 2010 Contact: Courtney Bernardi, GCSV Public Relations
404-679-1738/courtney.bernardi@dca.ga.gov
2010 AmeriCorps*State Formula Competition Re-Opened
An Increase in Funding Equals Another Opportunity to Apply
Atlanta, GA -The board of the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism has re-opened the competition for 2010 AmeriCorps*State Formula grants due to an increase in funding of the state’s allocation.
The board of the state service commission voted Tuesday to accept a new round of AmeriCorps applications for grants that will be awarded in June or July to support programs that will begin in the late summer or early fall of 2010.
“The action of our board approving the re-opening of the competition will allow more organizations to apply for AmeriCorps grants,” said John Turner, Executive Director of the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism.
“We are pleased to have this unique opportunity to seek new partners for AmeriCorps programming in Georgia. We are able to do this because Congress appropriated new funds for national service,” Turner said.
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism began the annual competition for AmeriCorps*State grants last fall. That first round of the competition resulted in 22 applications. In late January, the commission was notified by the Corporation for National and Community Service that Georgia’s allocation for AmeriCorps grants for 2010 has been increased by more than $1.1 million, Turner said.
The fall competition that is already underway will be combined with the new round of applications announced today, Turner said. The regulations and funding criteria governing the competition will not change, but new deadlines will be posted by the commission.
“Organizations that missed the opportunity to submit an application to our commission last fall will have the opportunity to do so in this relatively brief new round this winter,” Turner said. “An AmeriCorps application is a pretty big and rather complicated task, and organizations that are just beginning to explore the possibility of submitting one may want to wait until the 2011 competition begins next fall. But for an eligible organization that is prepared and ready to make the necessary investment of time and resources, this is a great opportunity.”
Information on the new round of competition, such as deadlines and submission requirements, is posted below, and commission staff members are available to answer questions and discuss rules and requirements of the grants.
Please Download Each Document in this Section Prior to Submitting an Application.
- Does AmeriCorps Fit My Organization?
- Intent to Apply Form
- Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity
- CNCS Application Instructions
- GCSV Grant Selection Criteria
- GCSV Subgrantee Requirements
- GCSV Budget Worksheet
- GCSV Performance Measure Toolkit
- Notice of Funding Opportunity Presentation
- DCA State Service Delivery Regions Map
- Submission Schedule
About AmeriCorps. In 1993, the National and Community Service Trust Act created AmeriCorps as a partnership between the federal government and state commissions to meet educational, environmental, public safety and health care needs, to reward service with expanded educational opportunity and to build the ethic of citizenship among participants and the people they serve. Each year, more than 65,000 AmeriCorps members serve with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations nationwide - from small community groups to nationally-known organizations.
AmeriCorps In Georgia. The Georgia AmeriCorps*State programs are administered and monitored by the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (GCSV), a part of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Currently, Georgia has approximately 500 members serving in AmeriCorps programs statewide. Through their community involvement, Georgia's AmeriCorps members seek to instill values of responsibility and a service ethic while preparing for the future by improving their job-readiness, communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Through December 2009, Georgia AmeriCorps members have provided nearly 472,000 hours of service tutoring and mentoring youth, responding to natural disasters, helping make our streets safer, building affordable housing, assisting underserved citizens, cleaning parks and streams, and recruiting, training and managing community volunteers. For more information on Georgia's AmeriCorps programs, please visit www.AmeriCorpsGA.org.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) was created in 1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments. As outlined in its mission statement, DCA seeks opportunities that support "partnering with communities to help create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses." DCA operates a host of state and federal grant programs; serves as the state's lead agency in housing finance and development; promulgates building codes to be adopted by local governments; provides comprehensive planning, technical and research assistance to local governments; and serves as the lead agency for the state's solid waste reduction efforts. For more information about DCA, please visit https://owa.dca.state.ga.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.dca.state.ga.us/.
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January 20, 2010
CITIES OF SERVICE AND ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AWARD FIRST-EVER "CITIES OF SERVICE LEADERSHIP GRANTS" TO TEN CITIES TO HIRE CHIEF SERVICE OFFICERS
Chief Service Officers will Lead Local Efforts to Develop and Implement a Citywide Plan to Increase Volunteerism
Mayors from Across the Country Launched Cities of Service Coalition to Meet President Obama's Call to Mobilize Millions more Americans in Volunteer Service.
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, founding members of the Cities of Service coalition, today joined Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Judith Rodin to announce the winners of the first-ever Cities of Service Leadership Grants. Ten cities were selected to receive $200,000 two-year grants, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, to hire a Chief Service Officer - a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a citywide plan to increase volunteerism and target volunteers to address their city's greatest needs. Due to the extraordinary response from cities to the first request for proposals - 50 cities applied to receive one of the ten grants - the mayors and Dr. Rodin announced that there will be a second competition in the coming months to award similar grants to an additional ten cities. The announcement was made on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national day of service, at the John Foster Dulles School of Excellence in Chicago, where more than 100 City Year Chicago high school students spent the day off painting hallways and murals, and re-organizing classrooms. Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of Mayors from across the country, representing more than 38 million Americans in 80 cities, dedicated to engaging more Americans in service and channeling volunteers towards each city's most pressing challenges.
The cities selected to receive leadership grants are Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville-Davidson, TN; Newark, NJ; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Sacramento, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA. Each of these cities displayed a strong commitment to service and outlined thoughtful, thorough and creative approaches to expanding local opportunities for volunteers to make an impact.
"I can think of no better way to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and this national day of service than to invest in the capacity of cities to mobilize their citizens in innovative ways to solve our common problems," said Mayor Bloomberg. "As we work to help our neighbors and communities through the greatest financial crisis we've seen in a long time, we believe citizen service is needed now more than ever. These grants, funded generously by the Rockefeller Foundation, will help us develop new strategies to tap volunteers as a serious strategy to solve local challenges."
"The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to continue its long tradition of supporting innovative solutions for urban communities by announcing the inaugural Cities of Service Leadership Grants," said Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Rodin. "In each of these ten unique and diverse cities, there will now be sustained opportunities to bring systematic change and greater impact to the way communities support each other. In these difficult economic times - reflected by the overwhelming response to this new effort - there is an urgent need in local communities for volunteers, and a great need for public-private partnerships that foster and support these efforts during such a critical time."
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. showed Americans the power of volunteerism. He also showed us that one person can make a difference," said Mayor Daley. "It is with this spirit that we accept the Cities of Service Leadership Grant. I am proud of the high level of volunteerism we already have in Chicago and this grant is going to help take our service to the next level. By focusing our initiative on our City's youth and those that need our help the most, we will help to secure a stronger Chicago for future generations. Volunteerism sends a powerful message - people helping people to make our cities better places to live, work and raise a family and that's the message Cities of Service carries around the nation. It is why the City of Chicago is pleased to be part of this great effort to bring new energy and new ideas to the service movement."
"I am honored that Detroit was one of the first recipients of the inaugural Cities of Service Leadership Grant," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. "This grant will allow us to bring together citizens and harness the can-do spirit of Detroiters in the name of volunteerism."
"I first learned of this funding opportunity when I joined Mayor Bloomberg in New York in September for the formation of Cities of Service," said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. "These are tight times for city budgets. This grant will allow us to have dedicated staff for developing service opportunities, something we wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. I look forward to engaging our citizens to in our cities greatest needs and priorities, especially education."
"The City of Newark is honored to be selected as one of the first recipients of the Cities of Service Leadership Grant," said Newark Mayor Cory Booker. "Critical to the achievement of our civic goals is the leadership, involvement and service of our citizens. This grant will better help us to focus, coordinate, and inspire the service of our residents enabling our city to more boldly achieve our highest aspirations. We are grateful."
"The Chief Service Officer will be a valuable asset to our community," said Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle. "Through the work of the Chief Service Officer, Omaha will experience a boost in new community volunteers, retention of current volunteers, an increase in service projects, and improved living conditions and quality of life among our citizens."
"As tens of thousands of Philadelphians are hard at work at project sites across the city to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this grant is one more thing to celebrate and is a great boost for service and volunteer efforts in Philadelphia," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "This funding allows us to implement a comprehensive civic engagement plan that will ensure volunteer efforts throughout Philadelphia are focused around our goals for a safer, greener, and better educated city. The grant is a tribute to what our city has already accomplished and we thank Cities of Service and the Rockefeller Foundation for this recognition and support."
"Today's announcement is a significant win," said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. "A Chief Service Officer will be a vehicle for Sacramento to further its volunteerism efforts, and continue to showcase our city as a national model for service in this country. Most importantly, this grant will allow Sacramento to take service to the next level to help solve some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing our city. We are thankful to the Cities of Service and Rockefeller Foundation for this generous grant."
The Cities of Service Leadership Grants will allow each city to hire a Chief Service Officer, a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a citywide plan to increase volunteerism and targeting volunteers to address their city's greatest needs. To develop their local plans, mayor's offices will convene strategic committees of service experts and stakeholders, conduct assessments of existing service levels, and identify collaborative partnerships to deepen the effects of local volunteerism. Each city will launch its comprehensive service plan by this fall.
As part of the application process, cities were asked to identify how they would conduct an assessment of existing service levels, produce a coordinated citywide plan to increase service, engage local universities, and appoint a Chief Service Officer who would report directly to the mayor or another high-ranking official in the administration. Applications were limited to members of theCities of Servicecoalition, to cities that have more than 100,000 residents, according to the 2000 census, and to cities that have at least one community college or four-year public or private university. In total, 50 cities applied for a leadership grant. A selection committee was established to review the applications and make the selections.
As part of each application, cities were asked to submit at least two high-priority issue areas they will target with increased service. Each winning city listed education as a high priority, and Cities of Service will develop best practices and resources to help cities target that area.
City |
Population |
Mayor |
Priority Areas |
Chicago |
2,853,114 |
Richard M. Daley |
|
Detroit |
912,062 |
Dave Bing |
|
Los Angeles |
3,833,995 |
Antonio R.Villaraigosa |
|
Nashville |
596,462 |
Karl Dean |
|
Newark |
278,980 |
Cory A. Booker |
|
Omaha |
438,646 |
Jim Suttle |
|
Philadelphia |
1,447,395 |
Michael A. Nutter |
|
Sacramento |
463,794 |
Kevin Johnson |
|
Savannah |
132,410 |
Otis S. Johnson |
|
Seattle |
598,541 |
Mike McGinn |
|
Due to the extraordinary response from cities to the first request for proposals, the Mayors and Dr. Rodin announced that there will be a second competition in the coming months to award similar grants to an additional ten cities. The second round of leadership grants will be funded jointly by the Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Information on how Cities of Service coalition members can apply for the second round of leadership grants will be made available at www.citiesofservice.org by the end of January 2010.
About Cities of Service
Founded in New York City on September 10, 2009 with 17 founding member cities, Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have answered the historic Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's call to action. Cities - often at the front lines of our nation's most pressing challenges - are perfectly positioned to work together to engage millions more volunteers in service and develop strategies to increase the amount and impact of local service efforts. All coalition members have signed a "Declaration of Service," committing to work together to lead a multi-year effort to expand community service and volunteerism by:
- Developing a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy focused on matching volunteers and established community partners to the areas of greatest local need;
- Working with other mayors and elected officials to advance strategies and best practices that accelerate the service movement and produce measurable results;
- Encouraging other mayors to join this national effort to engage our citizens; and
- Ensuring that the voice of cities is heard in federal legislative, policy and program discussions related to service, which will help the country achieve the ambitious goals of the Serve America Act.
The coalition has rapidly grown since its inception in September and now includes 80 Mayors representing more than 38 million Americans in 80 cities across the nation. The coalition includes seven of the 10 largest cities in the country and 28 of the top 50 largest cities.
The Cities of Service coalition includes the following cities: Akron, OH; Allentown, PA; Annapolis, MD; Arlington, TX; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Baton Rouge, LA; Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Bowling Green, KY; Brownsville, TX; Buffalo, NY; Catoosa, OK; Chandler, AZ; Charleston, SC; Chattanooga, TN; Chicago, IL; Chula Vista, CA; Cincinnati, OH; Corpus Christi, TX; Davis, CA; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Dublin, OH; Eugene, OR; Flint, MI; Fort Wayne, IN; Grand Rapids, MI; Harrisburg, PA; Hattiesburg, MS; Jackson, MS; Jacksonville, FL; Lancaster, CA; Lexington, KY; Los Angeles, CA; Meridian, MS; Mesa, AZ; Milwaukee, WI; Muskegon, MI; Nashville-Davidson, TN; New Bedford, MA; New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Oakland, CA; Omaha, NE; Palm Bay, FL; Panama City, FL; Pawtucket, RI; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Placerville, CA; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Reading, PA; Riverside, CA; Roseville, CA; Sacramento, CA; Saint Paul, MN; Salt Lake City, UT; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; San José, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; Santa Fe, NM; Santa Rosa, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA; St. Louis, MO; Stockton, CA; Trenton, NJ; Tucson, AZ; Utica, NY; Ventura, CA; Vicksburg, MS; Virginia Beach, VA; Washington, DC; West Palm Beach, FL.
More information about the coalition can be found at www.citiesofservice.org.
Contact:
Mayor Bloomberg's Press Office (Cities of Service)
(212) 788-2958
Teresa Wells (Rockefeller Foundation)
(347) 463-8314
January 19 , 2010
Dear Colleague:
As we begin this new year, the terrible tragedy in Haiti reminds us of how fragile our world is and how we must count on one another. The ASC staff extend our thoughts and prayers to the people of Haiti.
Ways to Help
The Embassy of Haiti and ServeDC are asking for volunteers to work telephone banks at the Haitian Embassy, 2311 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, www.haiti.org. If you have time to assist, please contact ServeDC at 202-727-7925. Additional information on support and volunteerism can obtained by contacting the Haitian Embassy - Greater Washington Haitian Relief Committee is 202-241-3593, www.gwhrc.org.
Here is a list of reputable organizations. It is strongly recommended to make financial donations, as a full assessment is being made of the most urgent needs. It will be easier to use those funds to buy whatever is necessary once the priorities will have been established.
a. Pan American Development Foundation www.panamericanrelief.org/(working in tandem with the Pan American Health Organization)
b.Partners in Health. Donate online at: www.pih.org/inforesources/news/Haiti_Earthquake.html or send your contribution to Partners In Health, P.O. Box 845578, Boston, MA 02284-5578
c.Doctors Without Borders. Donate online at www.doctorswithoutborders.org, or toll-free at 1-888-392-0392. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. USA Headquarters 333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001-5004.
d. Lambi Fund www.lambifund.org
Information from the White House:
For the most up to date information throughout the coming days please continue to monitor http://www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake
A top priority is accounting for the thousands of American citizens who are currently in Haiti. Families of Americans living in Haiti who are trying to find the status of their loved ones are encouraged to contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747. This line is experiencing a high volume of calls at this time, so we ask for your continued patience.
Cash donations are the most efficient and effective way to help the relief effort in Haiti right now. They allow humanitarian organizations to purchase (often within the affected region itself) the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis. Read about the advantages of monetary donations <http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/help/advantages.html> here. You can immediately donate to the Red Cross to assist the relief effort. Contribute online to the Red Cross <http://american.redcross.org/supporthaiti> , or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999." You can also find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information <http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/> , or through USAID’s interactive website <http://www.usaid.gov/> , which has a list of NGOs and instructions on how to help: http://www.usaid.gov.
Right now, the airport is being used to facilitate search and rescue efforts. This is a complex and difficult environment, and all of our efforts have to be focused on prioritizing and moving the right resources into Haiti that can save lives in the next 48 hours. That is why we are encouraging private citizens to focus their efforts on supporting established aid organizations that are deploying resources to Haiti, and to hold off on travelling there themselves.
Those looking to donate time, supplies or funds should contact the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) at 703-276-1914, or visit them online at http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/
Again, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti.
Sincerely,
Tom Branen
America’s Service Commissions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ashley Etienne
January 13, 2010 202.606.6944;aetienne@cns.gov
National Challenges Addressed on MLK Day
Fighting Poverty, Community Renewal, and Economic Empowerment Focus of Projects on National Day of Service
Washington, DC— In projects taking place across the nation on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Americans will further Dr. King’s work by addressing the challenges facing many American families, from hunger and homelessness to poverty and education inequality.
“This year, we’re seeing more projects focused on helping those suffering during these tough economic times,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency charged with leading the MLK Day of Service. “By serving on King Day, hundreds of thousands of Americans will make real and lasting impacts on the lives of people in need in their communities.”
The breadth and scope of the MLK Day projects are in keeping with Dr. King’s efforts to “outlaw poverty,” a task to which he increasingly focused on after the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act. Over the course of his life, Dr. King challenged and mobilized our nation toward his dream of a “Beloved Community,” a truly interracial democracy that afforded everyone the opportunity to achieve the American dream.
More than forty years after his death, America still confronts many of the same problems Dr. King faced in his time -- poverty, hunger, illiteracy, youth violence, and a dropout crisis. Organizations across the country are using the King Day of Service to engage volunteers in addressing these challenges, both on the holiday and as part of an ongoing commitment throughout the year.
Below are some of the projects taking place across the country. Thousands more can be found at www.Serve.gov/mlkday.
Renewing Our Communities
A job fair in Lexington, KY, will include helping participants develop on-line resumes and providing free business clothing to job seekers in need.
An outdoor soup kitchen, clothing distribution, and other social services will be offered at the Martin Luther King Library in Washington, DC.
Five hundred volunteers in Jersey City will assemble “first night kits” of toiletries and clothing for people in domestic violence shelters and transitional housing facilities.
Fighting Poverty
Hundreds of students are fighting hunger through projects sponsored by Campus Kitchens at more than a dozen colleges.
An anti-hunger serve-a-thon features projects at 30 soup kitchens and food pantries in New York City.
In Dallas, volunteers will revitalize a 15-story building that will provide housing for hundreds of chronically homeless people and low-income residents.
Educating America’s Children
In Seattle, the University of Washington is sponsoring dozens of projects for 1,500 students, faculty, and staff, including preparing educational supplies for youth.
In Des Moines, an MLK Jr. Day of Service Mentor Round Up will be held to recruit new mentors to help at-risk youth reach their potential.
Approximately 750 volunteers will revitalize the Van Nuys Middle School in Los Angeles by painting education-themed murals and hosting a variety of service-learning activities.
Promoting Environmental Sustainability
Denver residents will receive information on reducing energy use, free recycling services and energy audits from the Mile High Youth Corps.
In St. Louis, 2,000 volunteers will perform minor repairs and weatherization of homes, places of worship, schools and daycare facilities, and clean streets and alleys.
Students and conservationists in Charlotte, NC, will remove invasive plants from a streambed that is an important breeding ground for birds and native plants.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service:
In 1994, Congress passed legislation encouraging Americans to observe the King Holiday as a national day of service that brings people together from different backgrounds to meet needs in their community. The Corporation for National and Community Service was designated as the lead federal agency to execute the King Day of Service. Participation has grown every year since then its inception. The King Day of Service provides American the opportunity to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King through service to meet local and national needs. For more information, visit www.Serve.gov/MLKDay or http://www.mlkday.gov/.
The Corporation for National and Community Service: The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service each year through its core programs, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information about the Corporation, visit NationalService.gov.
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December 21, 2009
City Year Care Force Team Helps Beautify Atlanta
City Year Care Force partenerd with CSX, Alliance for Community Trees and Trees Atlanta for the CSX Tress for Tracks Atlanta event held on November 14, 2009.
Working together, the volunteers were trained in how to properly plant a tree by trained professionals from Trees Atlanta. After they learned how to plant, the volunteers moved the trees to their designated location on the median between the Hulsey/Atlanta Terminal and the Cotton Mill Lofts. They then dug the appropriate holes for the trees and planted them as demonstrated by the tree experts. Lastly the volunteers added mulch around the tree to provide sufficient water for healthy growth. The planted trees will act as a sound barrier for the residents of the Cotton Mill Lofts and also act as a much needed addition to the tree canopy of Greater Atlanta.
VOLUNTEER COMMENTS:
100% of respondents (42 out of 42) rated the opportunity to give back to the
community as best or good.
95%of respondents (40 out of 42) rated the opportunity to work with colleagues as best
or good.
95% of respondents (40 out of 42) rated the experience with City Year as best or good.
VOLUNTEER QUOTES:
“Great experience overall - beautiful day, beautiful people, beautiful trees, it was a well-organized endeavor - something I will definitely do again!”
“This was my first volunteer event with CSX. I will definitely be looking for more opportunities to volunteer. Event was very well organized.”
“Awesome Day! Were suppose to plant 65 but ended up planting 73 trees.”
City Year Care Force:
- Care Force® is a division of City Year, Inc., that engages our corporate partners and their employees in high-impact community service events that improve youth and family-focused educational, recreational and residential facilities.
- Care Force events will engage your workforce in community service events that heighten morale, foster team-building, and generate good will within the community.
- Experienced Care Force staff will partner with your company to meet specific organizational goals while addressing real needs within the community.
- Each Care Force service event is designed to transform the community and inspire participants to serve again.
Alliance for Community Trees and Trees Atlanta:
Alliance for Community Trees and Trees Atlanta are both non-profits that are committed to the planting of trees to help both the aesthetics and environment in their local communities. The trees serve as both sound barriers for the residents of the area they are planted and increase the overall tree canopy of a city.
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November 10, 2009
Mayor Willie Adams Jr., M.D., Mayor of the City of Albany, Joins the Cities of Service Coalition
A new bipartisan coalition of mayors from across the country has announced they will work together to promote volunteerism as a way to help cities combat their most pressing problems. Founded in New York City on September 10, the coalition and its member cities will respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.
The “Cities of Service” coalition will share strategies and best practices that accelerate the service movement and ensure that the voice of cities is heard in federal legislative, policy and program discussions related to service, which will help the country achieve the ambitious goals of the Serve America Act.
The Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies have agreed to fund grants to cities to hire “chief service officers” to help develop volunteer programs.
BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ALBANY
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS: America has a proud tradition of service and volunteerism that dates back to the colonial era and today can be found in communities across the fifty states; and
WHEREAS: The bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 12, 2009, builds on this tradition, encouraging all Americans to serve thier communities in new ways; and
WHEREAS: Cities, home to the nation's most persistent challenges, are positioned to bring new leadership, facilitation, and innovation to the service movement; and
WHEREAS: The current need for public-spirited residents to help address increased hardship resulting from the global financial and housing crisis is clear; and
WHEREAS: Service enriches the lives of Americans of all ages, and each new genreation of young Americans must be engaged to tackle emerging challenges; and
WHEREAS: Cities of Service colaition member's goal is to develop a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy focused on matching volunteers and established community partners to the areas of greatest need; NOW
THEREFORE: I, Willie Adams Jr., M.D., and Mayor of the City of Albany resolve to aid in developing a colaition of mayors from cities large and small to work together to harness and focus the energies of our citizens. I further encourage other mayors to join this national effort to engage citizens and ensure that the voice of cities is heard in federal, legislative, policy, and program discussions related to service, which will help the country achieve the ambitious goals of the Serve America Act. IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the City of Albany, Georgia.
Willie Adams, Jr. M.D.
Mayor
October 22, 2009
Georgia AmeriCorps and Georgia Recovery Corps Quarterly Report Data In:
A Huge Impact In Volunteer Recruitment
Thank you to all of our Georgia AmeriCorps and Georgia Recovery Corps program staff for submitting the third quarter Quarterly Report data during this very busy time for everyone. It is wonderful to see how big of an impact our AmeriCorps programs are having in the area of volunteer recruitment.
Here are the January through September, 2009, numbers from our Georgia AmeriCorps and Georgia Recovery Corps programs combined:
AmeriCorps Member Service Hours 271, 380
Number of Clients Served 46, 751
Number of New Volunteers 17, 772
Number of Volunteer Hours 52,104
From January 1 through September 30, 2009, 271, 380 hours of AmeriCorps service generated 52,104 hours of volunteer service hours, a ratio of 5 member hours to every 1 volunteer hour recorded.
Each quarter our Georgia AmeriCorps and Georgia Recovery Corps programs are bringing more and more individuals together to strengthen our communities. Congratulations to each one of our programs for a job well done!
October 19, 2009
"I Participate"
The Entertainment Industry Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service have teamed up to spread the word about the importance of volunteerism. Watch for exciting stories of service on your favorite network TV shows .
As the economic divide widens, state and local budget cuts soar and more Georgia families tighten their purse strings, volunteers are laboring in your community to close the gaps and help rebuild lives.
The tremendous value of service and volunteering on the nation’s future prosperity and addressing unmet needs in these tough economic times has captured the attention of newsrooms across America.
The four major networks – ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX – teamed up to spotlight the power of service and volunteering in their top-rated primetime television shows from October 19-26. The unprecedented initiative, “I Participate,” is led by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) in collaboration with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency whose mission is to promote service and volunteering.
More than 60 of television’s most popular shows – including 30 Rock, Desperate House Wives, CSI: New York, and Grey’s Anatomy – have agreed to infuse service and volunteer messages in their shows, and the list keeps growing.
Please help spread the word about this innovative initiative!
October 13, 2009
2009 Georgia AmeriCorps Fall Service Day: A day of service, learning and fellowship!
Georgia AmeriCorps and Georgia Recovery Corps members from all over the state met at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Saturday, October 10, 2009 to kick-off their 2009-2010 service year. Georgia AmeriCorps members were joined with AmeriCorps VISTA members and AmeriCorps Alums for a fun filled day of service, learning and fellowship. With approximately 450 participants, King Middle School was over flowing with individuals with a desire to serve.
Members and volunteers spent the day painting murals, creating literacy games and puzzles, beautifying the school on the inside and out and meeting fellow AmeriCorps members from around the state. The event was organized by the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism and members of the staff were overwhelmed by the passion and desire to serve felt throughout the entire day.
A HUGE thank you to King Middle School for hosting the event, what a wonderful place to serve!
Check out the photos below for a closer look at the day's activities!
STATE OF GEORGIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Sonny Perdue
GOVERNOR
For Immediate Release Contact: Office of Communications
Thursday, September 24, 2009 (404) 651-7774
Governor Calls Georgians to Serve During ‘Hands On Georgia Week’
Hands On Georgia Week Set for September 26 – October 3
ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue today challenged the citizens and businesses of Georgia to serve and enhance their communities during Hands On Georgia Week, which will take place from Saturday, September 26, through Saturday, October 3.
“As we’ve watched communities impacted by the storms come together during the past week, we’ve been reminded that nothing is as powerful as neighbors helping neighbors,” said Governor Perdue. “Next week, I challenge each Georgian to volunteer for a local community service project with your family, friends or co-workers during Hands On Georgia Week. Every Georgian can find something they are passionate about, whether it’s helping those affected by a natural disaster, working with children or senior citizens, cleaning up and preserving our state’s natural resources, or supporting fine arts programs.”
According to the Volunteering in America Report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Georgians volunteered for nearly 213.6 million hours of service from 2006 to 2008, worth an estimated $4.3 billion.
Hands On Georgia is the first statewide network in the nation that is dedicated to volunteer service and civic engagement, acting as a central organizing body for all of Georgia’s 159 counties to mobilize citizens to address community needs. Hands On Georgia Week is the organization’s signature event, which mobilized over 32,000 volunteers in 2008 with an economic impact of almost $1 million.
“It is truly amazing to see thousands of Georgians volunteer their time to support their local communities,” said Laurie Grant Nichols, Chief Executive Officer of Hands On Georgia. “It’s a great feeling to work alongside your friends and neighbors to promote seat belt safety or paint a senior center, to help landscape your town squares or pick up litter from our parks and roadways. But it is awe-inspiring to look back and see what your fellow Georgians were doing at the same time around the state, and the collective difference that we all have made. We are grateful to Georgia’s EMCs for sponsoring this year’s event and for leading service projects across the state.”
Hands On Georgia has 15 affiliates across the state that include the communities of Athens, Atlanta, Brunswick, Columbus, Covington, Dalton, Dooly County, Forsyth County, Harlem, Macon, Milledgeville, Savannah, Statesboro, Wayne County and Thomas County.
Citizens interested in participating in Hands On Georgia Week are encouraged to visit Hands On Georgia at www.handsongeorgia.org or e-mail Michelle Nelson Hawkins at mnelsonhawkins@handsongeorgia.org.
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September 23, 2009
Flood Victims Assistance
How to Get Help
To get help, please call: Disaster Services Individuals and families affected by natural and man-made disasters in the metro Atlanta area 1-866-RCHELPS (1-866-724-3577). The Red Cross opened five shelters in metro Atlanta and one shelter in Chattooga County on Monday evening. They will remain open until further notice. 313 people are currently being sheltered.
Cobb
Cobb County Civic Center
548 South Marietta Pkwy.
Marietta, GA 30060
Gwinnett
First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville
395 W. Crogan St.
Lawrenceville, GA 30046-6921
DeKalb
Clairmont Presbyterian Church
1994 Clairmont Rd.
Decatur, GA 30033
Cherokee
Cherokee Parks & Recreation Agency - South Annex
7545 Main St., Bldg. 200
Woodstock, GA 30188
Paulding
Paulding County High School
1297 Villa Rica Hwy.
Dallas, GA 30157-7095
Chattooga
Pentecostal Worship Center
116 Lake Wanda Rieta Rd.
Summerville, GA 30747
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Volunteer
Volunteers are needed in Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike, Paulding, Rockdale, Spalding and Upson counties. If you would like to speak with someone in Volunteer Services, call 404-575-3730, option 4; or to send an e-mail, volunteering@arcatl.org
September 21, 2009
2010 Notice of Funding Opportunity Announced
Please Download Each Document in this Section Prior to Submitting an Application.
- Does AmeriCorps Fit My Organization?
- Intent to Apply Form
- Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity
- CNCS Application Instructions
- GCSV Grant Selection Criteria
- GCSV Subgrantee Requirements
- GCSV Budget Worksheet
- GCSV Performance Measure Toolkit
- Notice of Funding Opportunity Presentation
- DCA State Service Delivery Regions Map
- Submission Schedule
September 11, 2009
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Participates in the first annual September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism partnered with the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library System to share the joy of reading, hear letters written by children to the children of service men and women, and to share the importance of volunteering.
Please see pictures of the meaningful event below.
August 11, 2009
The 2010 AmeriCorps*State Grant Competition For Georgia Is Just Around the Corner!
This latest word from the Corporation for National and Community Service is that the kick off for the 2010 AmeriCorps grant competition will be published this September. In anticipation of the official announcement, the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism plans to conduct a round of public meetings across the state to explain the application process. These Notice of Funding Opportunity meetings will take place the week of September 21st in Atlanta, Columbus, Macon, and Valdosta. We are also planning deadlines for the various application steps, such as submission of applications, peer reviews and feedback.
In the meantime, Congress is making progress on Fiscal Year 2010 appropriation legislation that contains funding for AmeriCorps and other national service programs. At this point, both the House and Senate appropriations committees have approved bills that substantially increase AmeriCorps*State & National program funding over the current level. If either version emerges from conference committee, is passed by Congress and signed by the President on schedule, GCSV will receive sufficient funding to add several new AmeriCorps programs to our Georgia portfolio in 2010.
To prepare for this exciting prospect, we have decided to modify the timeline of our AmeriCorps grant competition. We will conduct the competition for all new and continuing grants this fall rather than divide it into two stages. That means all applications must be submitted to GCSV this fall. This is a different timeline than GCSV has used previously and may be different from what you heard from us earlier this year.
Another important consideration for the 2010-2011 AmeriCorps grant competition is the 2009-2011 Georgia State Service Plan that we will create this fall. The plan will guide some of our funding decisions and help us set priorities for the next three years. Your input to us is important, as customers and as interested parties in national service and volunteerism in Georgia. You can help us by completing a combined Customer Service and State Service Plan Survey by CLICKING HERE.
Thank you for your interest in AmeriCorps programming. Please contact my office if you have questions or need further information. GCSV will use email newsletters to keep you abreast of developments and will also post announcements and other useful information about AmeriCorps and the grant process on our website at www.AmeriCorpsGA.org. If you do not wish to continue receiving information from GCSV, please contact us so we can remove your name from our distribution list.
August 6, 2009
Volunteering In America 2009 Report Released, Georgia AmeriCorps Programs Making Substantial Contributions to Volunteerism in our State
Georgia Improves to 41st in the Nation
Atlanta, GA – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) just released Volunteering in America 2009, the most comprehensive data on volunteering ever assembled, with detailed data for all states and nearly 200 cities. This research provides a wealth of information to national, state and local leaders to better understand volunteering trends and demographics and to develop strategies for engaging more citizens in service.
Despite the challenges of a tough economy, volunteerism in Georgia has increased. While the national rate has remained essentially flat since 2006, volunteerism in Georgia has increased by 3% in that period and Georgia is now closing the gap on the national average, which is 26.4%. Georgia’s rate has already surpassed the average rate for the South, which is 24.2%.
Georgia’s rank in the report improved to 41st in the nation, an increase of two places over 2007. One in four Georgia adults (25.1%) volunteered in their communities last year, contributing 216.8 million hours of their time.
“The numbers show Georgia’s continued progress and that Georgians are volunteering in even greater numbers than in years prior,” said Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty. “It is great to see that Georgians are serving their communities in the very important areas of education and helping people in need.”
Volunteerism is an important part of the mission of Georgia AmeriCorps programs and AmeriCorps programs have made substantial contributions to volunteerism in Georgia over the past ten years. Volunteers often serve side by side with Georgia AmeriCorps members, according to Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (GCSV) Executive Director, John Turner.
AmeriCorps members and volunteers assist with tutoring, providing personal assistance services and information and referrals services to persons with disabilities, neighborhood watch programs, food collection and distribution, home construction, community service restitution projects, community outreach programs and environmental service projects.
New data collected by the GCSV for the first six months of 2009 shows that for every Georgia AmeriCorps member serving in one of Georgia’s 15 programs, 25 volunteers were recruited to help.
And for every 4.8 hours of AmeriCorps service in Georgia, volunteers contributed an additional hour of service for the program.
The combined service of Georgia AmeriCorps members and the volunteers they recruited benefited 26,542 persons between January and June.
Here are the January through June 2009, numbers for the 15 Georgia AmeriCorps programs:
Service Item |
Q1 (Jan 1-Mar31) |
Q2 (Apr 1-Jun 30) |
Total |
AmeriCorps Member Service Hours |
100,213 |
94,882 |
195,095 |
Number of Clients Served |
16,452 |
10,090 |
26,542 |
Number of New Volunteers |
9,829 |
3,417 |
13,246 |
Number of Volunteer Hours |
21,789 |
18,111 |
39,900 |
Total |
148,283 |
126,500 |
279,637 |
Full-time AmeriCorps members commit to serving 1700 hours during their one year term of service; however, according Turner, it is not unusual for AmeriCorps members to serve far more than their committed hours.
Gloria Kilanko, an AmeriCorps member serving with Hands on Atlanta, served 282.5 hours over her 1700 committed service hours for a total of 1,982.5 and Patricia Banes, also a Hands on Atlanta AmeriCorps member, served 246 hours over the 1700 she committed to for a total of 1,946 hours.
“The numbers show the tremendous positive impact AmeriCorps programs have,” said Turner. “Every single AmeriCorps member serving in Georgia is not only directly serving people, but also encouraging volunteers to join them in serving Georgia’s communities. In just six months, Georgia AmeriCorps members and volunteers have served a combined total of 234,995 hours.”
Volunteering In America 2009. The release of the report will include the launch of a newly redesigned web site, www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov. This site is a rich source of information that allows nonprofit leaders and policy makers to view data and assemble customized reports with information on national service and volunteering trends and demographics. The site provides tools, tips and effective practices to help non-profits, communities, and civic leaders strengthen their volunteer recruitment efforts and deepen their volunteers’ commitment to service.
About AmeriCorps. In 1993, the National and Community Service Trust Act created AmeriCorps as a partnership between the federal government and state commissions to meet educational, environmental, public safety and health care needs, to reward service with expanded educational opportunity and to build the ethic of citizenship among participants and the people they serve. Each year, more than 65,000 AmeriCorps members serve with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations nationwide - from small community groups to nationally-known organizations.
AmeriCorps In Georgia. The Georgia AmeriCorps*State programs are administered and monitored by the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (GCSV), a part of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Currently, Georgia has approximately 450 members serving in AmeriCorps programs statewide. Through their community involvement, Georgia's AmeriCorps members seek to instill values of responsibility and a service ethic while preparing for the future by improving their job-readiness, communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Through May 2008, Georgia AmeriCorps members have provided nearly 268,300 hours of service tutoring and mentoring youth, responding to natural disasters, helping make our streets safer, building affordable housing, assisting underserved citizens, cleaning parks and streams, and recruiting, training and managing community volunteers. For more information on Georgia's AmeriCorps programs, please visit www.AmeriCorpsGA.org.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) was created in 1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments. As outlined in its mission statement, DCA seeks opportunities that support "partnering with communities to help create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses." DCA operates a host of state and federal grant programs; serves as the state's lead agency in housing finance and development; promulgates building codes to be adopted by local governments; provides comprehensive planning, technical and research assistance to local governments; and serves as the lead agency for the state's solid waste reduction efforts. For more information about DCA, please visit https://owa.dca.state.ga.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.dca.state.ga.us/.
June 30, 2009
My AmeriCorps Launches This Month: WBRS No Longer Active after July 15, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
My AmeriCorps is on schedule to launch at the end of July. Please read the important steps below and follow the instructions to help prepare you for the launch.
Online Registration
As we have mentioned in previous emails, we will be offering online webinars and tutorials to provide you the information and tools needed to understand the functions of My AmeriCorps. Online registration for the webinars is now available at the Resource Center. At this site you will find list of the webinars offered, a calendar of dates, and the link to register. Please be sure to register for the webinars specific to your program.
WBRS Transition
In preparation for the launch to My AmeriCorps, grantees need to complete all WBRS actions by July 15. A two-week gap between the end of WBRS and the launch of My AmeriCorps is necessary to ensure that the data from WBRS is properly transferred to My AmeriCorps.
Only those forms and requests (enrollments, exits, suspensions, reinstatements, transfers, slot corrections, etc.) that have been approved in WBRS will be transferred to My AmeriCorps. If on July 16th you have tasks that were initiated but not approved in WBRS, you will have to reinitiate the requests in My AmeriCorps after the launch. Please take the time prior to July 15th to ensure that all WBRS actions have been completed and approved using normal WBRS processes and procedures.
We expect grantees to put a plan in place to ensure compliance with 30-day requirements during the transition from WBRS to My AmeriCorps. We also recognize that this transition might make compliance with 30-day requirements very challenging for some grantees. If you are such a grantee, please be sure to explain in your next Grantee Progress Report the special circumstances that led to instances of non-compliance with the 30-day requirements during the WBRS to My AmeriCorps transition.
If you are currently using WBRS for member time tracking, progress reporting, and/or financial reporting, please ensure that alternative systems will be ready for use by the My AmeriCorps launch because My AmeriCorps will not support time tracking, progress reporting, and financial reporting functionality.
WBRS will be available in read-only status for a limited time after My AmeriCorps is launched.
We will provide more information in upcoming emails. In the meantime, if you have questions or feedback, please contact you Program Officer or feel free to send us feedback to myamericorpsfeedback@cns.gov.
Thank you for your continued patience throughout this process.
In Service,
Kristin McSwain
Chief of Program Operations
June 24, 2009
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Announces 2009-2010 Georgia AmeriCorps Formula Programs
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Board members voted to approve the following Georgia AmeriCorps Formula programs for continuation funding for 2009-2010:
City of Albany $130,000
City of Macon $191,372
Communities in Schools Georgia $201,169
Fannin County Family Connection $181,425
Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. $166,017
Hands on Georgia $173,715
Inner Harbour $189,829
JumpStart Georgia $289,206
Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless $191,551
Outward Bound Atlanta $121,268
Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta $129,403
Board of Regents of the University of Georgia $166,463
CLICK HERE for a description of the programs above.
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Board members voted to approve the following AmeriCorps Formula programs for new funding for 2009-2010:
Clayton State University $156,881
Jekyll Island State Park Authority/Georgia Sea Turtle Center $219,349
A brief description of each of the new programs above can be found below:
Clayton State University -- AmeriCorps members will serve as mentors and tutors to Morrow High School and Jonesboro High School 11th and 12th grade students. The members will tutors students in Math, Science, and Language Arts and also provide at least three sessions each semester to students about personal development and planning for the future (including topics such as preparing for the SAT, choosing a college and a degree program, career exploration, goal setting, time management, leadership, and professional development). The members will also organize community service projects for students and volunteers to engage in throughout the school year.
Jekyll Island State Park Authority/ GA Sea Turtle Center -- AmeriCorps members will serve in every aspect of the Center’s mission. Members will be dedicated to educating the center’s guests and school outreach program participants, participating in sea turtle rehabilitation and diamondback terrapin monitoring, conducting night time sea turtle saturation tagging and nest management, and coordinating volunteers. All members will also be training and available to the Glynn County Emergency Management Agency for community disaster response.
To find out more about each of the Georgia AmeriCorps Formula programs or to become a Georgia AmeriCorps member please contact the individual programs.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
President Obama Calls on Americans to Serve
Unveils ‘United We Serve' Initiative to Be Led by Corporation for National and Community Service
(Washington D.C) -- President Obama called on all Americans to help in our nation's recovery by volunteering in their communities this summer in a video message released today by the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The President's call to summer service launches United We Serve, a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in addressing tough challenges facing the nation. The United We Serve initiative kicks off on June 22, and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.
“This summer, I'm calling on all of you to make volunteerism and community service part of your daily life and the life of this nation,” said President Obama in the video. “And when I say “all,” I mean everyone – young and old, from every background, all across this country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort.”
To make it easy for Americans to get involved, the President is urging Americans to visit Serve.gov, a website managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Visitors to Serve.gov can type in their zip code to find local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families, and neighbors.
“The President has made a bold call to service at a time of great need and Americans are ready to respond,” said Nicola Goren, the Corporation's Acting CEO. “Through United We Serve and Serve.gov, we hope to engage millions of Americans in service this summer and beyond.”
The United We Serve initiative was conceived as a way to directly involve Americans in tackling problems in their communities. While any kind of volunteer service is encouraged, the effort focuses on four key areas education, health, energy and the environment, and community renewal.
“The challenges we face are unprecedented in their size and scope, and we cannot rely on quick fixes or easy answers to put us on the road to recovery,” said President Obama. “Economic recovery is as much about what you're doing in your communities as what we're doing in Washington – and it's going to take all of us, working together.”
The effort comes at a time of strong need and momentum for service, as the economic downturn puts more Americans at risk and increases the demand for social services. At the same time, many nonprofit groups are experiencing a ‘compassion boom' of increasing volunteers as Americans reach out to help their neighbors. United We Serve aims to tap this growing interest and focus it on addressing specific community needs.
The initiative builds on recent bipartisan efforts to expand service opportunities and invest in the civic infrastructure including the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed by President Obama on April 21. This landmark legislation reauthorizes and expands national service programs and strengthens social innovation and volunteer management in the nonprofit sector.
Recognizing that some organizations are stretched in their capacity to take on new volunteers, United We Serve also encourages individuals to organize their friends, families, and neighbors to develop their own service projects to meet pressing local needs. The Serve.gov website includes easy-to-use toolkits on projects such as organizing a book drive, creating a community garden, or conducting a home energy audit. The initiative will culminate on September 11 in a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This will mark the first time the nation has observed 9/11 as a national day of service, an effort started several years ago by 9/11 family members that was included in the Serve America Act. The day will be marked by volunteer service, remembrance activities, and pledges to make service an ongoing commitment throughout the year.
To encourage participation in service this summer and beyond, the Serve.gov website features a new All for Good volunteer matching platform that allows people to search for volunteer opportunities based on location and interests. The site allows users to sign in with their primary social network and includes social media applications to share volunteer opportunities with friends and see what activities they are participating in.
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For Immediate Release
June 3, 2009
National Service Agency Announces 23,000 New AmeriCorps Positions
As Demand Skyrockets, AmeriCorps Supports Largest Class Ever
Washington DC – The Corporation for National and Community Service announced the results of its 2009 funding competition today, selecting 259 national and local nonprofits that will engage 23,000 new AmeriCorps members in improving lives and strengthening communities from coast to coast.
AmeriCorps members will tutor and mentor at-risk youth, build homes, prevent high school dropouts and expand college access, conserve parks and public lands, support food banks and shelters, help communities recover from disasters, and recruit and mobilize volunteers.
The grants total $131 million and are going to a wide range of national and local organizations, state service commissions, faith-based groups, educational institutions, and Indian Tribes. Competition was stiff, with organizations requesting nearly twice as many member positions as were available and three times more state competitive funding than was available. Collectively, these members are projected to earn over $53.5 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to help pay for college or to pay back student loans.
A complete list of grantees, amounts approved, and the numbers of AmeriCorps members supported is available by clicking here.
“AmeriCorps members give a tremendous boost to organizations that are serving our most vulnerable citizens and communities– especially during tough economic times,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “As the economy drives up the demand for social services, AmeriCorps members and the volunteers they mobilize are a vital resource to meet immediate community needs and bring about lasting change.”
Today’s grant announcement includes organizations that competed successfully to develop new AmeriCorps programs or to begin a new three year grant cycle, as well as grants for groups that are completing their second or third year. Later this summer, governor-appointed state commissions will announce AmeriCorps formula grants.
Together with other positions in AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, and NCCC, today’s announcement puts AmeriCorps on track to support nearly 75,000 members through regular fiscal 2009 funding. An additional 13,000 one-time positions were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allowing AmeriCorps to support the largest class in its 16-year existence.
The extra positions come as AmeriCorps is experiencing a rapid increase in interest and applications, fueled by a “compassion boom” of Americans wanting to help their neighbors in tough times, increased interest in public service by millennials and boomers, the economic downturn which is making more Americans take a closer look at service positions, and an “Obama effect” of people responding to the President's call to service. Last month, AmeriCorps received 35,922 online applications, nearly double the previous month and more than triple the 11,262 online applications received in May of 2008. Between November 2008 and May 2009, AmeriCorps received 112,326 online applications, up 226% from the same seven month period a year ago.
The grants also come as the Corporation for National and Community Service is working on its plan to implement the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed by President Obama on April 21. Among other provisions, the Act will set AmeriCorps on a path to grow from 75,000 to 250,000 annual positions by the year 2017. The agency is holding a cross-country Listening Tour and launched a website to get public input on implementing the Act.
Many of the new grants support increasing school success and high school graduation rates by focusing on improving academic performance of disadvantaged students. For example, Jumpstart will engage 1,040 AmeriCorps members to work one-on-one with low-income, preschool children in Head Start and other community learning centers. In Philadelphia, PA, Chester, PA and Trenton, NJ school districts, 221 Education Works AmeriCorps members will serve as teacher assistants, mentors, and on safety teams. In Austin, Texas, 120 members serving through Charles A. Dana Center will provide intensive, bilingual early literacy tutoring and family literacy support to students and their families.
The grants also support programs to help individuals improve their economic and social conditions. The Homeless & Housing Coalition of Kentucky will engage 40 members in serving homeless families and building and renovating homes for low-income families throughout Kentucky. The national grant to Habitat for Humanity will support 262 members to build homes and recruit, train, and manage volunteers.
Organizations that promote conservation and environmental protection were also funded. The Corps Network and its affiliated programs will engage 3,011 members in 25 states to carry out activities such as planting trees and vegetable gardens, removing invasive plants, constructing and maintaining trails, installing playgrounds, removing debris from flood channels, restoring wetlands, weatherizing homes, expanding recycling programs and participating in disaster recovery in flood and fire plagued states.
The grants will continue AmeriCorps support of entrepreneurial organizations that bring innovative business-based approaches to citizen problem-solving. They will also continue AmeriCorps emphasis on expanding capacity by recruiting and managing other volunteers. Last year, AmeriCorps programs mobilized and managed 2.2 million volunteers for the organizations they serve with.
“We have funded organizations that will best leverage the resources of AmeriCorps members to bring energy and hope to tackling some of the nation’s most difficult problems,” said Kristin McSwain, Chief of Program Operations. “We are pleased to support the innovative models that have emerged to complement existing programs that make progress in communities every day.”
AmeriCorps members serve with more than 4,100 nonprofit, faith-based, and community groups each year, helping them expand their reach and better meet their mission. Most of the positions announced today will be available starting in the fall. Interested individuals can learn about available opportunities and submit an online application by visiting AmeriCorps.gov.
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May 27, 2009
AmeriCorps Week 2009 -- Georgia All-Corps Service Day a Success!
May 9-16, 2009 was AmeriCorps Week across the nation. AmeriCorps Week is a recruitment and recognition event designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible. Governor Sonny Perdue officially proclaimed May 9-16, 2009 as AmeriCorps Week in Georgia.
This year several of Georgia’s AmeriCorps programs participated in AmeriCorps Week activities in their communities throughout the week.
- The Georgia Personal Assistance Services Corps set out to beautify the Cator Woolford Gardens at the Frazer Center in Atlanta by clearing existing walking paths/trails and planting flowers and shrubs. The event was honored to have Mr. Eric Tanenblatt, board member for the Corporation for National and Community Service and Volunteerism, present at the event.
- Hands on Atlanta AmeriCorps members spent their entire week using their after school enrichment programs in 27 out of 35 partnering schools as a miniature career day. The members talked with the students about National Service and the importance of giving back to communities.
- Inner Harbour Georgia AmeriCorps members spent a day cleaning, restoring and rebuilding a neglected set of cabins on Inner Harbour’s property.
- Jumpstart Georgia AmeriCorps members at Georgia Tech partnered with Northwest Youth Power, Inc. to host a carnival and awards ceremony for the children they serve in the Bankhead Community in Atlanta. Throughout the day Jumpstart members provided a safe place for children to play, provided a donated book to each child and gave families information on activities they can do with their children at home.
- Macon Police Cadets AmeriCorps assisted in cleaning Linwood Historical Cemetery located in one of the programs targeted neighborhoods, Macon Pleasant Hill.
- Outward Bound Atlanta AmeriCorps members worked to build a greenhouse at Parkside Elementary School as an additional learning tool for their environmental education activities at the school.
- Service to Families in Fannin County AmeriCorps members spent the week cleaning the campus of the local Fannin County High School campus to help the school prepare for graduation festivities.
- Task Force for the Homeless hosted a dinner for the community, AmeriCorps Alums, current AmeriCorps members and future AmeriCorps members. They were joined by new AmeriCorps VISTA members from across the southeast as well. Task Force members also participated in two speaking engagements helping to encourage individuals to become involved with the AmeriCorps program, as well as, joining the community to create a roof top garden at the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless.
GCSV celebrated the end of AmeriCorps Week 2009 with a Georgia All-Corps Service Day at Chastain Park on Saturday, May 16, 2009. AmeriCorps members from across the State of Georgia joined together for a day of service and fellowship. Members from metro-Atlanta, Macon, Albany, Savannah, and Fannin County spent a wonderful day beautifying Chastain Park. Georgia AmeriCorps members were joined by Georgia AmeriCorps Alums and AmeriCorps VISTA members from Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. GCSV partnered with the Chastain Park Conservancy who hosted and helped organize the event. There were 233 Georgia AmeriCorps members and 30 non-members present, plus 13 Chastain Park Conservancy staff and volunteers.
For Immeadiate Release
May 1, 2009
First Lady Packs Food Bags for Hungry Kids
Calls National Service One of Her “Greatest Passions” and Highlights Serve America Act
Washington DC – Acting on her passion for service, First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday joined Dr. Jill Biden and a bipartisan group of 150 Congressional spouses to assemble bags of food for DC area students. The First Lady visited the Capital Area Food Bank to lead volunteers in packaging 2,000 food bags for the "Food for Kids" program. Each bag contained enough food for five meals, or a weekend of food for a child who receives free lunch at school but is at risk of going hungry on the weekend.
“You know, my background, I've built a career on volunteerism and community service. It is something that I am passionate about, and I wanted to bring that to the work of the First Lady, into the administration,” the First Lady said in remarks before she and other volunteers started packing food. “And this is just one very important, very visible example of how a group of people can come together and feed thousands of kids, which is what we're doing here today.” The First Lady chose the food bank for the Congressional spouses service project out of concern about the growing national problem of hunger. Last month the Department of Agriculture announced that participation in the SNAP program, formerly known as Food Stamps, has reached the highest levels ever. Nearly 32 million Americans received food stamps in December 2008, up 700,000 over the previous month and almost 5 million more than the year before. Food banks are also experiencing a surge in demand.
The Congressional spouses came from both parties, and many brought their children along. "I just think it's important for America to see you all here doing this and for us doing it together, not as Republicans or Democrats or independents," Obama said. "There is no ideology; these are just all of us people who care about our country and want to make service a core part of the work that we do.” The food bank project was the latest in a series of events by the First Lady promoting the importance of service. In the first 100 days, Obama assembled care packages for the troops on the King Day of Service organized by the Corporation for National and Community Service, served lunch to homeless men and women at Miriam's Kitchen, and joined YouthBuild AmeriCorps members in building a green home. She announced that community service will be made part of the annual Congressional Picnic which will be held at the White House on June 25th.
The First Lady rejoined the Congressional spouses at a luncheon today, where she reflected further on the importance of service at a time of economic crisis and called national and community service “one of her greatest passions.” “As a nation we're facing unprecedented challenges. There are few times in our nation's history when the phrase "We're all in it together" really means something. And now is one of those times. We're all in this together. But embedded in our nation's core values is a spirit of community, generosity and entrepreneurship… articipating in national and community service is not just an escape for the wealthy or for kids who can afford to serve; it's an integral part of empowering everyone to make our communities stronger.” The First Lady, who founded the Chicago chapter of the AmeriCorps Public Allies program, spoke about the new service opportunities offered through the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which passed Congress with strong bipartisan support and President Obama signed into law last week. The Act reauthorizes the Corporation for National and Community Service and its programs, expands opportunities for Americans to serve, and strengthens the nonprofit sector through investing in social innovation and volunteer generation. (For more information, read the news article from 4/21 below.)
“The Serve America Act will allow more young people to help themselves pay for college by serving their communities, and will create more opportunities for older Americans to apply their years and decades of experience and wisdom to serve this country, as well,’ Obama said. “AmeriCorps will expand under the act from 75,000 slots to 250,000 slots in less than a decade. And we're going to focus this service towards solving today's most pressing challenges: clean energy and health care, education and economic opportunity, the needs of veterans and families throughout this country.” The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation engages four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.
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April 30, 2009
AmeriCorps Week 2009 Events
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism will host an All-Corps Service Day on Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 8:30a until 3pm at Chastain Park in Atlanta. AmeriCorps members from across the state will join together for a fun filled day of service and fellowship.
The Task Force for the Homeless is hosting a dinner event open to the community to honor the National Service of current and former AmeriCorps members on Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 6-8pm. If you would like to attend the event or receive more information please contact Jeremy Wisham at 404-230-5000 ext. 126.
For more information on the All-Corps Service Day event or to have your AmeriCorps Week event posted, please contact COURTNEY BERNARDI.
April 29, 2009
CNCS Awards ARRA Formula Grants
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism and seven Georgia AmeriCorps programs are planning a unique, one-year-only program of national service designed to use funds from the economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress in February to assist Georgians and Georgia communities.
The Georgia Recovery Corps will deploy AmeriCorps members in service programs focused on improving employment conditions, assisting persons facing home foreclosure or rehabilitating housing.
Late last week, the Corporation for National and Community Service awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment formula grants totaling $1,037,456 to support AmeriCorps members this summer. The projected start date of the Georgia Recovery Corps is June 15, 2009.
The AmeriCorps programs chosen to participate in the formula Georgia Recovery Corps are Hands On Georgia, Albany Police Cadets, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Service of Atlanta, Georgia State University, Macon Police Cadets, Cobb Housing, Inc., and Inner Harbour.
April 22, 2009
Georgia Recovery Corps Plans Taking Shape
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism and eight Georgia AmeriCorps programs are planning a unique, one-year-only program of national service designed to use funds from the economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress in February to assist Georgians and Georgia communities.
The Georgia Recovery Corps will deploy AmeriCorps members in service programs focused on improving employment conditions, assisting persons facing home foreclosure or rehabilitating housing. If fully funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, and approved by the Georgia Office of Planning and Budget, eight AmeriCorps programs will be awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment grants totaling $1,147,686 to support 110 AmeriCorps members.
The AmeriCorps programs chosen to participate in the Georgia Recovery Corps are Hands On Georgia, Albany Police Cadets, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Service of Atlanta, Georgia State University, Macon Police Cadets, Cobb Housing, Inc., Hands On Atlanta and Inner Harbour.
Details of the specific Recovery Act grants and the activities of the Georgia Recovery Corps will be released as soon as final grant decisions and approvals are made. The projected start date of the Georgia Recovery Corps is June 15, 2009.
For Immeadate Release
April 21, 2009
President Obama Signs Landmark National Service Legislation
Act Launches New Era of Service at Time of Great Need; National Service CEO Named
Washington D.C. – President Obama delivered an early victory for a central cause of his Administration by signing into law a sweeping expansion of national service that will engage millions of Americans in addressing local needs through volunteer service.
The President signed the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act today at a Washington DC elementary school, joined by Vice President Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr, Jill Biden, Members of Congress, former President Clinton, former First Lady Rosalyn Carter, and an audience of nonprofit leaders and national service volunteers. The President was introduced by the bill’s namesake and longtime service champion Senator Kennedy, who co-authored the legislation with Senator Orrin Hatch.
After signing the bill, the President, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, and former President Bill Clinton will plant trees and restore habitat in an environmental service project with AmeriCorps members and high school students at a local park.
The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency created in 1993. The Corporation engages four million Americans in result-driven service each year, including 75,000 AmeriCorps members, 492,000 Senior Corps volunteers, 1.1 million Learn and Serve America students, and 2.2 million additional community volunteers mobilized and managed through the agency’s programs.
This bill had a fast bipartisan sprint through Congress. The President called on Congress to send him the Kennedy-Hatch national service legislation in his joint address on February 25. The bill was introduced on March 8 and passed the House on a 321 to 105 vote on March 18. The Senate followed suit one week later with a 79-19 vote, with final passage in the House on March 31, just 22 days after it was introduced.
“The broad bipartisan support for this legislation, and its remarkably swift journey through Congress, reflect the growing national consensus that service is a powerful response to the economic and social challenges facing America today,” said Corporation Board Chair Alan Solomont. “Across the country, people are looking for ways to help their neighbors and their communities. This bill will help us channel more of that energy into meeting local and national needs.”
Earlier today, President Obama announced his intention to nominate Maria Eitel to be CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Eitel is the President of the Nike Foundation and a Vice President of NIKE, Inc. As president of the Nike Foundation, she has led the Foundation’s work to increase opportunities for the world’s most disadvantaged girls. Prior to becoming the Foundation’s first president, Ms. Eitel served as Nike Inc.’s first vice president for corporate responsibility, leading the development and implementation of the company’s first corporate responsibility agenda.
President Obama said, “Maria brings a unique blend of skills and management experience that will help her successfully lead the Corporation during our Administration’s bold expansion of national service programs. Maria is genuinely passionate about the role of national and community service as a vehicle for engaging and mobilizing citizens in social change, and will bring new, creative thinking to the growth and mission of the Corporation.”
The legislation comes at a time of growing social need caused by the economic downturn and a corresponding “compassion surge” of Americans wanting to help those left vulnerable by its impact. The Corporation reported today that AmeriCorps received 17,038 online applications in March, nearly triple the 6,770 received in March of 2008. In the past five months, the agency received 48,520 online applications, up 234% over the 14,532 applications it received during the same five month period a year ago. Many volunteer centers and nonprofits groups are also reporting a recent increase in volunteers.
“The President’s call to service at a time of great need is striking a responsive chord with the American public, especially millennials and baby boomers,” said Acting CEO Nicola Goren. “In this economic downturn, we need service and volunteering more than ever, and this legislation expresses the country’s support for service when it’s needed most.”
The Serve America Act, which goes into effect on October 1, would increase and enhance opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve by increasing AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 positions over the next eight years, while increasing opportunities for students and older Americans to serve. It will strengthen America’s civic infrastructure through social innovation, volunteer mobilization, and building nonprofit capacity. The new law is also designed to strengthen the management, cost-effectiveness and accountability of national service programs by increasing flexibility, consolidating funding streams, and introducing more competition. For a bill summary, click here.
“This bill will help unleash a powerful new wave of service and civic action to help tackle our nation’s toughest challenges," said Solomont. “We are grateful to Representatives George Miller, Bud McKeon, Carolyn McCarthy, and Todd Platts and to Senator Kennedy, Senator Hatch, Senator Mikulski, and Senator Enzi and all those who worked on this historic bipartisan step for national service. We look forward to working with Congress and the White House to fund and implement this Act.”
The bill follows quickly on the heels of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided $200 million to support up to 13,000 AmeriCorps members serving in distressed communities. Acting CEO Goren will swear in the first 200 Recovery Act AmeriCorps members at a VISTA training this Friday in Albuquerque, putting “boots on the ground” to help citizens affected by the economic downturn.
The President signed the bill before an audience that included current participants in AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America, Members of Congress who worked on the Act, and leaders of national service and nonprofit organizations.
April 1, 2009
CNCS Board Member Addresses the Georgia Commission
Atlanta civic leader Eric Tanenblatt told the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Board that national service and volunteerism are more critical than ever to help meet America's challenges.
Speaking at the board's quarterly meeting Nov. 19 at the Department of Community Affairs, Tanenblatt, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the Corporation for National and Community Serve Board this summer, said "the future of service and volunteerism is critical to meet today's challenges. Volunteers can play a vital role in solving some of our pressing needs without being dependent on government to solve every problem."
Tanenblatt serves on the Corporation's board transition committee to assist President-elect Barrack Obama's transition team. The committee consists of two Republican board members and two Democrat board members. He noted that the Obama transition officials were starting their work at the Corporation office the same day he spoke to the Georgia Commission board in Atlanta.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to play a role in the service and volunteerism movement," Tanenblatt said. "I sense there is movement in this country right now toward engagement in service."
Tanenblatt said that legislation introduced in the Senate in September could dramatically expand national service and volunteerism programs in our country. "The Serve America Act is a very exciting piece of bipartisan legislation," he said. "There will likely be some changes to the legislation when it is reintroduced in the new Congress," he said, as "the new Administration may seek to add additional elements to the bill."
"There may be some financial considerations given to the current economic situation but many service programs can help some of the critical challenges we all face," Tanenblatt told the board.
Specifically, the proposed legislation would greatly expand the AmeriCorps program, which would have a direct impact on the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism and national service in Georgia.
Tanenblatt told the board that Georgia is a significant state in the volunteerism movement. He highlighted the creation of Hands On Georgia almost five years ago as an initiative of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, Tanenblatt and Points of Light Institute CEO Michelle Nunn.
Tanenblatt, who served as Gov. Perdue's chief of staff during his first term, said Hands On Georgia has grown from five to fourteen affiliate organizations around the state and Hands On Georgia Week has grown into a major volunteer effort that this past October engaged over 64,000 Georgians.
National rankings of volunteer participation still place Georgia in the bottom ten among states, he said. "Our ranking is shocking," Tanenblatt said. Even though Georgia rose three places in the most recent ranking, "the numbers really say to us that we still have a great deal of work to do in our state engaging citizens in volunteer service."
Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Begins a “Help Fill the Bucket” Volunteer Recognition Campaign
During the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism board meeting Nov. 19, Executive Director John Turner unveiled a new volunteer recognition campaign that will collect examples of great volunteering throughout the state and combine them with data on national service from the state's AmeriCorps programs.
A new Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism website will feature a "volunteer bucket" and Georgians will be asked to help fill it with stories about their volunteer efforts, Turner told the board. The Georgia Commission will issue quarterly reports on volunteerism that will put names and faces together with the numbers to draw a more complete picture of service and volunteerism in our state, Turner said. Board members, state and local elected officials and others will be enlisted to help recognize organizations and individuals who have volunteered to help improve lives and communities throughout Georgia, he said.
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism welcomed five new board members at the Nov. 19 meeting. Appointed to serve three-year terms on the board by Gov. Perdue were Anthony Reeves, Elaine Oakes, Telesa Walton, Cassidy Moody and Angela Stephens.
The Georgia Commission funds 15 AmeriCorps programs in Georgia and also assists Hands On Georgia in administering the Georgia State Challenge Grant program to support local volunteer efforts.
The Georgia Commission held the final of five public meetings Nov. 19 to explain the application process for 2009-2012 AmeriCorps grants.
Quarterly Report Data Is In...
In January 2009, the GCSV launched a volunteer recognition campaign to capture and highlight service provided in the state.
One interesting way to look at these numbers is to note how AmeriCorps service leverages volunteerism, thereby increasing the impact of the benefit to Georgia communities. For these first three months of 2009, 109,280 hours of AmeriCorps service generated 20,889 hours of volunteer service, a ratio of 5.23 member hours to every 1 volunteer hour recorded. Another quantitative impact of Georgia AmeriCorps programming during this period is the ratio of volunteers to AmeriCorps members – around 530 members leveraged 9,572 volunteers, a whopping 1 to 18 ratio of AmeriCorps members to volunteers.
These numbers establish the link between AmeriCorps national service and volunteerism in Georgia that many of us have long known has been one of the great quiet strengths of our programming. Through volunteer recruitment, and well managed inclusion of volunteers in our AmeriCorps service activities, we multiply several times over the impact of the federal and nonfederal dollars that support our programs. But, equally important, we also honor the commitment of the AmeriCorps pledge to “bring Americans together to strengthen our
communities.” I encourage our programs, our board, and all supporters of national service to use the information in this first ever Quarterly Report to help us make the case that AmeriCorps programming is a valuable asset to the Georgia communities that are fortunate enough to have them.
Quarter 1
AmeriCorps Member Service Hours |
109,280 |
Number of Clients Served |
16,276 |
Number of New Volunteers |
9,572 |
Number of Volunteer Hours |
20,889 |
Fall 2008 - Fall 2009
| Albany Police Cadets | 229-430-5304 |
| Metro Atlanta YouthBuild AmeriCorps | 770-429-4400 |
| Communities in Schools | 404-888-5784 |
| DeKalb Juvenile JusticeCorps | 404-294-2709 |
| Georgia Personal Assistance Services Corps | 706-542-6086 |
| Hands on Atlanta | 404-979-2800 |
| Hands on Georgia | 404-979-2915 |
| Inner Harbour | 770-942-2391 |
| Jumpstart Georgia | 404-225-4804 |
| Macon Police Cadets AmeriCorps | 478-803-2708 |
| Outward Bound Atlanta AmeriCorps | 404-658-7605 |
| Refugee Resettlement Services And Immigration Services of Atlanta | 404-622-2235 |
| Service to Families in Fannin County | 706-632-6063 |
| Task Force for the Homeless | 404-230-5000 |
| TEAM (Technology, Environment, And Mathematics Program) | 404-413-8071 |
CLICK HERE for a printable list of the Georgia AmeriCorps programs.
| copyright © 2010 The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Site by MURCON |