Time is Running Out to Nominate Someone for the Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Awards

January 31 is the deadline to nominate someone for the 2008 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Awards. The awards highlight the efforts of outstanding Virginians who seek to enhance the lives of others in their communities. Honors are given each year to groups, individuals and families whose volunteer and community service efforts exemplify extraordinary volunteer service. Winners will be announced at the 2008 Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service. Submit a nomination online, download a nomination packet, or learn more.

2008 Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service

The 2008 Virginia Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service will be held at the Virginia Beach Wyndham Hotel, April 23-25. The conference is the largest and most comprehensive event of the year for individuals and organizations working to strengthen their communities through service. Attendees represent nonprofit and faith-based organizations, public and private schools, colleges and universities, large and small businesses, and national service programs, including AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Learn and Serve America. The theme for this year is "The Faces of Service." Winners of the annual Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award will also be honored at a ceremony on April 24. If your organization has ideas for workshops and events, contact Kimberly Brown at (804) 726-7069 or e-mail kimberly.brown@dss.virginia.gov.  Get full details on the conference at VAservice.org.

Events and Service Projects Planned for MLK Day

Nonprofits and community service organizations are planning several community service projects and events as part of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Jan. 21. The federal holiday has been mandated by the federal government as not just a day off from work set aside to honor Dr. King, but a national day of volunteer service. In Virginia, service projects and special events are planned in virtually every part of the state and include projects concerning education, the environment, children's issues, mentoring, financial advice and more.  View a complete list of MLK Day events in Virginia.

Get to Know Sarah Walsh

Virginia Governor's Commission on Community and National Service

Sarah Walsh has had an interest in community service since she was a young girl. Growing up in Nottingham, England, Walsh and her family would volunteer on a regular basis. She found particularly rewarding the work her family would do each Christmas Day with the local Salvation Army -- serving food and sharing goodwill to the homeless and lonely. Before coming to the U.S. in 2003, Walsh developed and managed several successful volunteer programs at a nonprofit hospice in England, and OXFAM International. She also effectively recruited, trained and managed volunteers for a wide variety of fundraising, campaign and trading projects. Soon after she moved to Fredericksburg to be with her husband, she became Coordinator of Volunteer and Information Services at Rappahannock United Way. She believes in the value of her work saying, "Volunteer Centers throughout the state, and the country as a whole, have a vital role to play in connecting those who want to volunteer with those nonprofits that need them." Walsh continues to volunteer in her spare time -- through her church, as an active member of the Senior Visitor program, and on boards and committees. Whether formally volunteering for a nonprofit or informally helping out a neighbor in need, Sarah Walsh believes that we all have a role to play in serving our communities to make them a better place to live. Find out more about Virginia's Volunteer Centers.

Governor Kaine Celebrates Fire House 15 Grand Opening

Governor Kaine joined community members for the grand opening of the Fire House 15 Shops and Restaurant renovation project in Highland Park neighborhood of Richmond, Dec. 18. The renovation project was coordinated by Boaz and Ruth, a faith-based organization and AmeriCorps program. The renovation of the historic fire house took place over 18 months with the help of more than 30 formerly incarcerated men as part of a reentry community service program. The program assists ex-offenders in achieving emotional stability, life and job skills, and in assuming family, community, and civic responsibility while at the same time giving back to the community. Find out more about this project and Boaz and Ruth.

Making a Difference: Nicholas Curwen

AmeriCorps Member Nicholas Curwen will never forget his first months with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia. As ESL teachers, Curwen and fellow AmeriCorps members rose to new challenges in meeting the educational needs of their students. "You could really tell that the students had a desire to learn English and they made such huge strides in such a short time," he says. One student who made an impact on Curwen was an Egyptian woman who had suffered a brain injury and was learning English with the added difficulty of a speech impairment. "She became one of my best students and, although she was shy, she helped her classmates immensely." He was also deeply affected by another student who was learning English at age 94. Curwen says his experience with a wide range of people and abilities has made his AmeriCorps experience life changing. He sums it up by saying, "At the end of the day, by giving back to the community, I'm continually inspired and look forward to every class."

January is Mentoring Month

National Mentoring Month is an event spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. It is part of an outreach campaign which focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us can work together to increase the number of mentors and assure brighter futures for our young people. In celebration of Mentoring Month, the Virginia Mentoring Partnership is coordinating with various media and corporate partners to raise awareness for mentoring through commercial spots and public service announcements airing on WWBT-12, ads on GRTC buses, an appearance on Comcast Newsmakers, a phone-a-thon with the Maryland Mentoring Partnership, and various other promotional efforts. Learn more about the Virginia Mentoring Partnership.

Report Details Legal Changes Affecting Faith-Based Groups

The Roundtable on Religious and Social Welfare Policy's co-directors of legal research, Ira C. Lupu and Robert W. Tuttle, recently released the results of their study, "The State of the Law 2007: Legal Developments Affecting Government Partnerships with Faith-Based Organizations." The report details legal developments and describes the outpouring of Initiative-related lawsuits filed, and judicial opinions rendered, in the past year. See the full report.

Board for People with Disabilities Seeks Grant Proposals

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities is currently seeking proposals for a grant to implement a public awareness campaign planned for this spring. This grant represents the second step in a campaign to promote the development and expansion of community-based services for people with developmental disabilities in Virginia. A maximum award of $300,000 will be granted for this initiative, however, recipients will be required to provide matching funds of no less than 25 percent of the total project cost. Eligible applicants include state or local public agencies, institutions of higher education, private non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, and for-profit companies. Learn more about this funding opportunity.

Emergency Response Training Opportunities

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program prepares citizens and communities to take a more active role in emergency preparedness. CERT participants are trained and maintained as part of a neighborhood or workplace response team giving the basic skills needed immediately following a major disaster, when emergency services may not be available and when residents may have to rely on each other for life-saving and life-sustaining needs. The Virginia Citizen Corps is offering a CERT "Train the Trainer" course April 23-24, in Bristol. Participants must have completed the Basic CERT classroom course or the online version of IS 317 Introduction to CERT and must submit a letter of recommendation by their local emergency coordinator. Teens and young adults have new opportunities to be CERT trained through Teen CERT and Campus CERT courses. Both courses are similar to the general adult version, but Teen CERT caters specifically to a younger audience and Campus CERT is designed to meet the unique context of a campus community environment. Visit the Virginia Citizen Corps Web site for more CERT information.

Teen Community Service Toolkit Now Available

Through a grant from Learn and Serve America, Campfire USA has created an exciting new toolkit to support teen community preparedness service-learning experiences. The new kit entitled "Prepare today - Lead Tomorrow," provides background information on community preparedness and service-learning and takes teens through the entire process of designing a service-learning project, assessment and reflection. It also includes more than a dozen worksheets and several project ideas. Learn more and find out how to get your toolkit.

Federal Guidelines Regarding Political Activities

Due to the upcoming 2008 Presidential election, the IRS has re-released guidance regarding the permissible and prohibited political activities of tax-exempt organizations. Organizations exempt from tax by Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for federal, state or local public office. Revenue Ruling 2007-41 provides 21 examples which illustrate when a tax-exempt organization has participated or intervened in a political campaign. These rulings include non-partisan voter activities, candidate appearances, issue advocacy, and more. Read the ruling now.