By CNCS Staff
National Service News Week in Review
As the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots have shown us, teamwork is at the core of any kind of success.
Read on to learn more about how service scored for communities this week.
Thank you and have a fun-filled Super Bowl weekend!
Ted Miller
Chief of External Affairs
Corporation for National and Community Service
P.S. – The theme of this year’s White House Student Film Festival is “The Impact of Giving Back.” Let’s show them how we give back by flooding them with entries. Don’t forget to submit your entries before the Feb. 2 deadline.
Building the Talent Pipeline: This week, Virginia became the first state in the nation to become an Employer of National Service. As part of this new initiative, employers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors are recognizing the skills that AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni bring to the workplace. Virginia joins more than 150 #ServiceEmployers that recognize the invaluable skills these alumni hone during their service terms.
Advancing Mentorship: This week’s National Mentoring Summit in Washington, DC, brought together practitioners, researchers, corporate partners, and government and civic leaders who work on advancing mentoring partnerships and programs throughout the country.
During the summit, AmeriCorps Director Bill Basl presented the Corporate Mentoring Challenge Innovation Award in Quality Youth Mentoring to AT&T. And AmeriCorps VISTA Director Paul Monteiro announced the launch of the Aspire Mentoring Corps, a new partnership with AT&T and MENTOR, through which AmeriCorps VISTA members will help strengthen nearly 150 mentoring programs across the nation.
Investing in Innovation: For five years, the Social Innovation Fund has invested in youth programs, increased economic opportunity, and promoted healthy living. To celebrate its accomplishments, Social Innovation Fund Week will kick off on Feb. 9. During the week, SIF grantees and funders will attend Pay for Success and Council on Foundations Donor convenings in Washington, DC.
Also, the 2015 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) from the Social Innovation Fund is live. Visit our website for more information.
Celebrating with Service: While the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks settle their score in Arizona Sunday night, there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition in the service arena. Because at CNCS, we know whenever service is part of the game, everyone wins. Visit our blog to learn more about national service initiatives in Boston and Seattle.
National Service in the News
AmeriCorps
Virginia is first state in nation to become Employer of National Service
The Augusta Free Press (VA), January 28, 2015
Governor McAuliffe and First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe announced that the Commonwealth of Virginia is the first state in the nation to become an Employer of National Service, encouraging AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni to put their skills and experience to work for Virginia state government.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Volunteers aid homeless to honor King Legacy
The Bolivar Commercial, January 20, 2015
AmeriCorps VISTA on Monday led 20 Delta residents in sorting donations for the National Point-in-Time Count of the Homeless to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. AmeriCorps VISTA members and staff at the Center for Community and Economic Development at Delta State University were joined by hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country on this national day of service.
A life encompassed by volunteer work
The Oregonian, January 18, 2015
A recent graduate from Portland State University, 22-year-old Lama is currently doing outreach for Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon as an AmeriCorps VISTA member to increase access to federal nutrition programs.
AmeriCorps NCCC
Ormond Beach resident pledges 10 months to AmeriCorps
The Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL), January 29, 2015
Dylan Keeler of Ormond Beach is one of 96 men and women pledging to perform 10 months of national service as part of the Atlantic Region’s 21st Class of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.
Senior Corps
Skylands RSVP Center in Rockaway adds ‘Friendship at Heart’ program
NJ.com (NJ), January 15, 2015
Skylands RSVP Volunteer Resource Center in Rockaway has added a new program to its list of available services. This community outreach program, titled “Friendship at Heart,” is comprised of two free services - Telephone Reassurance and Friendly Visitor. Both of these programs are designed to provide peace of mind for homebound Morris County residents and their families.
Social Innovation Fund
Conference on Pay for Success Models
My Social Good News, January 23, 2015
On January 21, the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation hosted its third and final regional summit on Pay for Success. The regional summits sought to highlight and advance regional activity underway across the country, build the longer term Pay for Success infrastructure to catalyze future projects and facilitate an open, transparent dialogue among public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders.
National Service Blog
Melissa & Joey & AmeriCorps
NationalService.Tumblr.com, January 29, 2015
Around these parts, we all know about how great it is to be a part of AmeriCorps. Now even more people are learning about national service from the comfort of their living room couch – or tablet or mobile device, we don’t judge – through a story line on ABC Family’s “Melissa & Joey.”