AmeriCorps Members Kick Off a New Program Year

An energized group of AmeriCorps members will gather to pledge their commitment to a year of service at launch events at Southwest 4-H Educational Center in Abingdon, Oct. 9, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Oct. 16. The ceremonies are held each fall to introduce new AmeriCorps members embarking on a year of service to the Commonwealth. The winner of the third annual Robert E. Wone Award for Exemplary Service will be announced at both ceremonies. Established in memory of Robert Wone, a member of the Governor's Commission on Community and National Service from 2002-2006, the award recognizes an AmeriCorps member who has exhibited exemplary civic engagement and community service. View photos from last year's launch events.

Is Your Organization Right for AmeriCorps?

Time is running out to register for the statewide community forums offering information on 2010-2011 AmeriCorps funding opportunities. The forums provide practical information on the AmeriCorps grant application process and guidance as to whether AmeriCorps*State or AmeriCorps*VISTA is the right opportunity for your organization. Organizations interested in applying for AmeriCorps funds are encouraged to attend. This is also your opportunity to offer input on the Virginia State Service Plan and strategies to promote volunteerism. Unable to attend a forum? View the AmeriCorps funding frequently asked questions and presentations on the grant process. You may provide input about the State Service Plan by taking our brief survey by Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Make a Difference Day in Virginia

Make A Difference Day, created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, is an annual celebration of neighbors helping neighbors in which anyone can participate. This year's event is Oct. 24 (fourth Thursday of October each year). Projects may be as large or as small as you wish! Look around your community and see what needs to be done. For ideas and inspiration, Make a Difference Day's Idea Generator can help you find a project to help your community. Find out more.

New National Service Initiative:  I Participate

The Corporation for National and Community Service has joined with the Entertainment Industry Foundation on the launch of "I Participate" an initiative that will bring service messages to tens of millions of Americans by way of the nation's top-rated television programs. During the week of October 19-25, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX will infuse their prime-time programs with inspirational stories of service and the value of volunteering. More than 60 shows have agreed to participate so far. We encourage you to contact local media outlets and broadcast affiliates to arrange interviews and profile "every-day" service heroes. To help you get started, a tool kit has been designed to maximize this opportunity in the media. Watch a currently airing, "I Participate" service message at tv.vaservice.org.

Awards to Recognize Youth Volunteers

Sponsored by Prudential Financial, Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor outstanding community service by young people in grades 5-12 at the local, state, and national level. Ten honorees in grades 5-12 will be given a cash award of $5,000 plus a grant in the same amount to the nonprofit charitable organization of their choice for outstanding work in their communities. Applications are due November 2, 2009.

Get to Know Dr. Jarris L. Taylor, Jr.

 

Virginia Advisory Board on National and Community Service

A native of Baltimore, MD, Dr. Jarris Taylor recalls at an early age the importance of community service. "My parents were active in all phases of community service. They laid the foundation which has inspired me to continuously give back to my community." As a 20-year retiree of the U.S. Air Force he states, "Some of my fondest memories were the opportunities to participate in community projects and seeing individuals smile and say thank you. Today as I travel throughout the Commonwealth and visit AmeriCorps sites and interact with the volunteers who make things happen on a daily basis, there is still no greater feeling than to see a glowing smile of appreciation and hear the kind words thank you. The best way to actively engage in volunteerism is to get involved in something you like to do, establish a relationship with a mentor, and make a positive difference each day for the betterment of the organization and its people." Dr. Taylor subscribes to the philosophy of servant leadership and is actively involved in the Va. Dept. of Taxation Advisory Board, Obama Warner Veterans; Va.'s Collegiate Honors Council, and the Va. Association of Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is currently the associate director for the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute and The Honors College at Hampton University. His motto for life is from Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he will go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Nonprofit Resources

• Gear Up for Giving: Social Media Tutorials for Nonprofits: a month-long series of trainings designed to help nonprofits understand how to best leverage social media to create awareness for your cause, raise funds, and engage with new constituents.
• Positive Youth Development: a self-paced online course that will familiarize you with the internal and external influences that help young people thrive; how to build individual strengths in youth; and how to create positive places for young people.
• ALISON: a free global learning experience with the goal to enable anyone, anywhere, to educate themselves for free via interactive self-paced multimedia.
• H1N1 Flu: A Guide for Community & Faith-based Organizations: a new guide to help community and faith-based organizations prepare for and respond to the H1N1 Flu.
• Complete Guide to Service Learning: proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum, and social action (registration required)
• The Forgotten Fifth - Child Poverty in Rural America (PDF): report that strives to highlight child poverty in rural America which has been outshadowed in recent years by the plight of the "urban underclass".

In the News

• "National Service Agency and Nonprofits Launch Challenge, Urge Student Service in Schools and Communities" - Learn & Serve Challenge will engage thousands of youth to address pervasive community problems throughout the year - Corporation for National and Community Service
• "I AM AmeriCorps" - Virginia placed third in the national campaign, sponsored by AmeriCorps Alums, to raise awareness about AmeriCorps. The goal was to collect 500,000 portraits of people holding an "I AM AmeriCorps" sign to demonstrate the power of service - Facebook
• "Volunteers honored as festival grand marshals" - The Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation has named a Middlesex County couple as the grand marshals of the 52nd annual Urbanna Oyster Festival. The couple are charter members of the Upper Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (UMVFD) and Auxiliary - Southside Sentinel
• "Nonprofit Mergers: New Donor Quality Metric?" - Should the effectiveness of a nonprofit be measured in terms of whether or not it is merging or collaborating with other nonprofits? - Stanford Social Innovation Review
• October Is Virginia Disability History And Awareness Month