Virginia Announces RFP for 2008 AmeriCorps Programs

The Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Service is now accepting Request for Proposals for the 2008 AmeriCorps*State program year. Grants are available to public and nonprofit organizations that sponsor service programs throughout Virginia, including faith-based and community organizations, higher education institutions, and public agencies. These grants assist groups in recruiting, training and placing individuals, as AmeriCorps members, to meet critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment across the Commonwealth. The deadline for applications is 5pm, March 20. An optional pre-proposal conference will be held on Feb. 12, in Richmond. 2008 AmeriCorps*State application procedures and pre-proposal conference information.

MLK Day of Service a Huge Success Nationwide

Thousands of Americans chose to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a "day on, not off." As a nationwide day of service, more than 500,000 volunteers served in more than 5,200 projects in all 50 states. The number of groups organizing MLK Day service projects more than doubled, from 862 to 2,197 this year. Projects ranged from building homes and refurbishing schools to delivering meals. This historic turnout is the largest ever in the 13 years since Congress encouraged Americans to observe the King Holiday as a national day of service. Across the Commonwealth, service projects and events were held in virtually every part of the state. In Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University topped off a day-long celebration with a service project to clean up Richmond's Belvidere Street. In Wise, a dinner and commorative march was organized by Mountain Empire Community College. Virginia Habitat for Humanity conducted a build event in the Charlottesville area. See the complete list of 2008 MLK Day events.

Get to Know Mary E. Dean

Governor's Commission on Community and National Service

Mary Dean believes that a life spent serving is a life well lived. As a child growing up in Salisbury, MD, Ms. Dean helped her parents by assisting community and family members. "We volunteered at church, in the neighborhood or participated in school projects, she says. "As I became an adult, it became part of life for me and I also encouraged my children to participate in community service programs and projects." Working for the American Red Cross for 23 years, Ms. Dean served Virginians affected by disaster. She also spent three years serving the Blood Service Division and 20 years in the Community Service Department. In addition to serving as a Commissioner, she serves as Volunteer Chairperson for the Chesapeake Task Force on Aging and as Chairperson for the Virginia/DC Senior Corps. She volunteers for Portsmouth TRIAD, Portsmouth Task Force on Aging, and Hampton Roads Coalition on Aging. For the last ten years, Ms. Dean has worked as the Project Director for the Portsmouth Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. She encourages others to volunteer citing the personal gratification it has given her during her life. "Not only do I enjoy volunteering, it is a blessing for me to be able to serve in my community to help others move forward."

$19 Million in Drug Prevention Grants Available

The White House Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have announced the availability of $19 million in funds available to community drug prevention coalitions throughout the U.S. The Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program aims to award approximately 150 new grants this year. Grantees will receive up to $125,000 per year in federal matching funds over a five-year cycle. A free application workshop will be held in Washington, DC, Feb. 15. The deadline to submit applications is March 21. Learn more about the DFC Support Program and the upcoming grant application deadline.

IRS Tax Information for Persons with Disabilities

If your organization serves persons with disabilities across Virginia, there are a number of resources available to assist with tax preparation.

• IRS forms and publications in Braille and text formats
• List of tax benefits for businesses accommodating persons with disabilities
• Information pertaining to payments to veterans with disabilities ruled tax-free and which are due refunds

For more information contact the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.

High School Students Can Make a Difference in Youth Corps

The mission of Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Virginia State Parks Youth Corps is to engage youth in conservation and park projects on public lands while providing learning that fosters teamwork, self-esteem, social responsibility and respect for the environment. The program's Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) offers adolescents the opportunity to work outdoors, completing projects like trail and campground maintenance, campground construction, building fences, planting trees, and improving fish habitats. A team of 10-12 participants will be chosen from current high school students, ages 14-17, who have demonstrated an interest in protecting the natural environment of Virginia. Each individual will live on-site in a bunk house or cabin, have meals provided and receive a $500 stipend upon completion of the program. YCC is also looking for invididuals to serve as Crew Supervisors with similar benefits and stipends. For questions contact Gaston Rouse, Director of Volunteer and Alternative Resources, at (703) 583-5497 or e-mail VSPYCC@dcr.virginia.gov. Find out more about the Virginia State Parks Youth Corps.

Free HUD Workshops for Faith-based & Community Groups

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced two upcoming "Grantwriting and More" workshops for faith-based and community groups. These free, three-day workshops will include information on the organizational structure needed to compete for funding, what funding organizations are looking for, how to market your organization, E-Grant requirements, application and submission basics, and more. The workshops will be held at Hampton University, March 4-6, and in Culpeper in June. In order to register, contact Anne Davis at anne.davis@hud.gov or call (800) 842-2610, ext. 4802. Provide the following information for each person: workshop name and location, each individual's name, nonprofit or faith-based organization name, daytime telephone, mailing address, and e-mail address. For more information, visit http://www.hud.gov/offices/fbci/index.cfm.

ServiceVote is a Youth Hub for 2008 Election

Youth Service America, an organization working to expand the impact of the youth service movement, has launched a new, interactive Web site designed to engage young people in every aspect of the 2008 election. ServiceVote.org features up-to-date news and information on the various races, the presidential candidates and defining issues. There is also opportunity for peer interaction and dialogue through a discussion forum where you can post videos, images and audio files. Resources are available on the site for youth to take action through service and as part of the election process.

Learn How to Map Your Community and Use Census Data

One-day workshops will be held in Richmond, March 13 and 14, for basic instruction and mapping techniques using ArcGIS 9.2. "Mapping Virginia Communities Workshop: An Introduction to GIS and Community Analysis" is a beginner level training course which will teach participants how to create thematic maps of their own data and map addresses of clients, projects or social issues. Attendees will also learn to extract and map current census data such as poverty, race, language, population, transportation, education, and workforce characteristics. Intermediate Excel skills are required for this course. For more information and to register, visit http://www.urban-research.info/workshops/virginia-gis.htm.