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FROM THE FRONT:
“Over the past two years students have learned to plan, plant, maintain, and harvest a vegetable garden, assisted by this grant from Learn and Serve America. Our students have increased their knowledge of gardening, and donated their harvest to the residents of the Easter Seals Group Home. As they have learned that their efforts will have an impact, they have become more confident students and laid the groundwork for a lifetime of engaged citizenship.”
R. Dale Evans of the Housing Authority of Joliet, Ill., which sponsors a Learn and Serve gardening project.
“You get that warm fuzzy feeling when you help someone.”
Christiansburg, Va., resident Bob Gribben, whose activities as an RSVP volunteer garnered the National Service Individual Award.
“We’re the secondary responders. We’re the care contingent, the ones who provide the shoulder to cry on the hot meal to eat, the dry place to stay.”
AmeriCorps member Brandon Ward, serving with the American Red Cross in Philadelphia, of his participation in responding to Hurricane Katrina. |
SENATE PASSES SPENDING BILL:
PACKAGE NOW MOVES TO CONFERENCE
By a 94-3 vote on Oct. 27, the Senate passed the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill, which contains a total of $935.2 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service. The total for FY05 was $927.01 million. Currently, the Corporation is operating under a continuing resolution until budgetary measures are enacted. The totals for programs include:
- AmeriCorps*VISTA: $96.4 million
- AmeriCorps*NCCC: $27 million
- AmeriCorps Grants: $280 million
- RSVP: $60.2 million
- Foster Grandparents: $112 million
- Senior Companions: $47.4 million
- Learn and Serve America: $42.6 million
- National Service Trust: $149 million
- Partnership Grants: $15 million
- State Commission Administrative Grants: $12.6 million
- Innovation and Demonstration: $15.9 million
- Evaluation: $4 million
- Program Administration Salaries and Expenses: $66.7 million
- Office of Inspector General: $6 million
Under this bill, several programs, including AmeriCorps Grants, AmeriCorps*NCCC, and Learn and Serve America, are slated to receive more than President Bush’s request. Senators approved an amendment proposed by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-CO, calling for a report on Corporation programs that are based in rural areas. The spending plan now moves to a House-Senate conference committee.
HURRICANE RECOVERY:
NATIONAL SERVICE EFFORT CONTINUES
Volunteers from Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America continue to respond the disasters created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and now Hurricane Wilma. Thus far, more than 12,000 national service participants have responded to the disaster in the Gulf and across the nation. Recent deployments include 140 California Conservation Corps members who served in Fort Polk, La., where local government officials said the AmeriCorps members completed two years of work in two weeks, including removing nearly 15,000 cubic yards of debris. AmeriCorps members serving with the emergency response team of the West Seneca Youth Bureau from New York have arrived in Slidell, La., for a month’s deployment, while the Washington Conservation Corps deployed four crews to Mississippi and Alabama. Today Corporation CEO David Eisner and HUD Secretary will announce an initiative to expand the involvement of college and university students in helping communities recover and rebuild. For the latest disaster news and a photo gallery, visit www.nationalservice.gov/katrina.
READY FOR WINTER:
NATIONAL SERVICE PITCHES IN
Armed with shrink-wrap kits to cover windows, foam pipe insulation, weather stripping, caulk, and energy efficient light bulbs, AmeriCorps members are combating energy worries as winter looms. Winterizing is an annual task that is particularly important because of rising energy prices. The Montana Conservation Corps is weatherizing 500 homes statewide through the recently established Warm Homes Montana program. In Milwaukee, WI, AmeriCorps members serving with the YMCA are taking on the task through the Y Warmer Winters program. And the Maine Volunteer Service Commission is recruiting 2,000 volunteers to participate in the second season of Keep ME Warm, with participation from Foster Grandparents, RSVP volunteers, and AmeriCorps members.
15 YEARS AND COUNTING:
LEARN AND SERVE ANNIVERSARY
In the 15 years since Learn and Serve America was established, the presence of service-learning in schools, colleges and communities across the country has grown like wildfire. Communities have benefited from programs focusing on issues ranging from wetland preservation to automotive safety, while students have developed their academic and lifelong civic skills through hands-on participation in addressing local challenges. Members of the service-learning community will share their stories and plan for the future during the Learn and Serve America’s 15th Anniversary Symposium and Celebration, funded by State Farm Companies Foundation, Dec. 1 at the Wyndham City Center in Washington, D.C. All those who have participated in Learn and Serve are invited to join by registering online at www.regonline.com/84856.
INCLUSION CONFERENCE:
REVIEWING 10 YEARS OF SERVICE
"What I gave came back tenfold... I was finally able to give back some of the love and nurturing that I got as a child." That quote from a national service participant who has a disability offers a glimpse into how important service can be for people with disabilities, who are sometimes viewed solely as being recipients of service rather than providers. The upcoming National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service offers an opportunity to reflect on successes in including people with disabilities in service, as well as a chance to plan for the future. The conference is scheduled for Dec. 8 through 10 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, VA. Speakers will include Corporation CEO David Eisner; Anthony Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities; and Dr. Patricia A. Morrissey, commission of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, numerous past and current members and volunteers with disabilities, representing Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, will address the gathering. To register online, visit www.regonline.com/27105. For more information on inclusion, visit http://www.serviceandinclusion.org. |
