Posts tagged Points of Light

Service in Spotlight as National Commission Releases Report

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Bipartisan Leaders Call National Service ‘America’s Best-Kept Secret’

By Sandy Scott, CNCS Senior Advisor

National service was in the house and on the agenda Wednesday as the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service released findings from its interim report to an audience of nearly 200 leaders from the national service, military, and public sectors.

Launched in 2018, the bipartisan Commission was tasked to holistically and comprehensively review the Selective Service System and recommend policies to strengthen the ethic of service and increase service opportunities in America. 

During the last year, the Commissioners visited 24 cities in 15 states, and met with more than 300 organizations to listen and learn about ways to encourage and inspire more Americans to serve. 

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5 Super Service Connections to Super Sunday

By Greg Tucker

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Sure, you probably will be watching The Big Game this weekend, but before you lose yourself into spectacle surrounding America’s most-popular unofficial holiday, consider these Super Sunday connections to service. (Warning: GIF party ahead.)

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Inspiration and Impact: ServiceWorks in Action

By Ted Miller, Chief of External Affairs image

Last Friday, I joined colleagues from my agency and other partner organizations at The Door, a nonprofit organization in New York.

We saw firsthand examples of how national service is creating opportunities for young people and individuals serving in AmeriCorps.

Take Christopher and Johannie, for example. They are student scholars in their junior year at the Broome Street Academy, a school operated by The Door.

Christopher is from Yonkers; Johannie is from Staten Island. These scholars wake up daily around 6 a.m. to make the 90-minute trek to Broome Street, where their passion for what they are learning and contributing to the program often keeps them at the school well past 6 or 7 p.m.

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I Wanted to Make a Difference

By Carolina Linares

Carolina Linares, an AmeriCorps VISTA member, and Tamika Mallard, join HandsOn Broward, which provides financial coaching to their local community through a partnership with Points of Light, Bank of America and AmeriCorps VISTA

Someone asked me once (or twice) why I was doing a year of service with AmeriCorps VISTA, a national service organization that focuses on Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 resolution to eradicate poverty in our community. It seemed ludicrous for them to think that someone would want to dedicate a year of their life doing something that wasn’t directly advancing their career. That doesn’t make them callous, it just makes them practical.

For me, it was so much more than just a rest stop from my career in journalism and photography; it was about doing something that would make me proud, and above all, something that would allow me to contribute to my community. I wanted to make a difference - as simple as that.

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Introducing ServiceWorks

ServiceWorks – powered by the Citi Foundation, AmeriCorps and Points of Light – is a groundbreaking, national program that uses volunteer service as a strategy to help 25,000 low-income youth and young adults in 10 cities develop the skills they need to prepare for college and careers.  Funded by the Citi Foundation, the program will deploy 225 AmeriCorps members over the next three years, making it the largest corporate-sponsored AmeriCorps VISTA program in the country. ServiceWorks will provide underserved young adults training in critical 21st century leadership and project management skills, the chance to build their networks and connections to community, and the opportunity to use their new skills by participating in and leading volunteer service projects. We are excited to join with the Citi Foundation and Points of Light to announce the 10 host sites chosen to execute the program. Read more about the host sites, and watch this new video explaining ServiceWorks!  

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