2009 - A Reflection of Service

2009 is wrapping up: I encourage each of you to take a minute and relflect on what service has meant for you over the year. How have your views of citizenry, community development and non-profit/governmental organizations changed? Have your personal opinions and goals been changed, challenged or strengthened?

During 2010 each of you will be cycling out at different points. Never again will we be as wowed as we were, and refreshed, when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided much needed stimulus funding like it did in 2009. President Obama's election and dedication to service have provided powerful new examples of national dedication and improvement through citizenship and team efforts. The government, media and pop culture have gotten behind the cause.

This has been a ground breaking year. The PWC VISTA Project kicked it off with our MLK, Jr. Day of Service at South Lansing Community Development Association. In May, we saw the Summer of Service campaign - a push like none other for healthcare, poverty alleviation, education and the environment to name a few - thru service. This has coincided with massive governmental challenges and victory as we struggle to build a better infrastructure. 9/11 saw the culmination of service, and our VISTA group served as a team at Project Homeless Connect and built new trails in community gardens with the Garden Project.

We've gained and lost members, learned together at luncheons and had many opportunities to collaborate. As we move forward we will now be working with a new PWC Project: AmeriCorps State, with a focus on the environment's impact on health. 2010 is looking to be a year of new ideas, methods, improvements and networking with stronger support than ever.

I continue to enjoy working with each of you. Your contributions, personal and professional, the dedication with which you apply yourself, the choice to live at the poverty line and give of yourself in service to others is truly honorable. You are earning an education of different sort while lifting up your organization and those it serves. Thank you for making the choice to serve, thank you for enriching my personal and professional perspective as well. You are examples of real citizenship and the heart it takes to make the Capital Area better for the next generation.

FutureLab

What is your vision for the future? An online challenge for the non-profit community to chart a vibrant 2020, FutureLab is attempting to create and facilitate conversations that shape a more dynamic future for our communities. The goal is to strengthen the non-profit community rather than individual causes and missions by:

- Identifying and developing high-impact ideas and insights that have the potential to transform the charitable community in the next 10 years.

- Generate and share publicity on those insights and strategies that organizations can contribute to and draw on collective wisdom to inform their decision making.

- Build networks and strenghten partnerships by breaking down existing barriers and facilitating new connections around common goals.

Join or share your insight and draw from others' wisdom at: http://www.independentsector.org/future.html

Social Innovation Fund

A part of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) will work with grantmaking entities to fund promising nonprofits that have deomonstrated significant impacts and outcomes. Investing in the capacity and exceleration of non-profits to find community solutions to regional problems, the goal of the SIF is to create a national network of region specific yearly funding to grantmakers (that can provide a 1:1 match giving at least 85% total to non-profits). One to 10 million dollars over the next three to five years will be disseminated to the grantmakers funneled to non-profits focusing on child and youth development, education for economically disadvantaged youth, reductions in poverty, health, resource conservation and local environmental quality, energy efficiency, civic engagement and reductions in crime. The NOFA will become available during the winter of 2010. Please see nationalservice.gov for details and continued updates.

United We Serve Culmination - come join us!

As United We Serve "Summer of Service" wraps-up the Power of We Consortium VISTA Project, Garden Project, North Elementary, Haven House and Project Homeless Connect will be working to enrich the community through providing more access to fresh fruits and vegetables, building social capital and providing services to the Lansing area's vulnerable populations. This will be a break from VISTAs normal duties which include "indirect" services such as programming, volunteer recruitment and fundraising. Speical service projects such as these events and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service allow the VISTA members a hands-on opportunity to help the community.

On September 10th:
VISTA members will help provide one-day, one-stop shopping for vital services to the Lansing area's homeless populations in collaboration with the Greater Lansing Homeless Resolution Network and the City of Lansing. Services will include medical and dental screening, hygiene services, and food and clothing services. VISTA members will be greeters, intake/check-in volunteers, moblie hospitality volunteers, restaurant service, clothing monitors and set-up and break-down volunteers.

On September 11th:
VISTA members will turn and spread compost, gather new pallets, weed, water, and tend new plots at North Elementary School community garden. The garden has been in continous operation since 1987, and formerly known as Henry North Community Garden. The large allotment garden is open to any community member committed to raising their own vegetables. In addition, the school garden and orchard provide students at North School with the opportunity to learn about where food comes from while engaging in science and providing better access to fresh, healthy foods.

If you're interested in joining us - we'd love to have more help - please sign up at http://www.serve.gov/ by searching "Power of We Consortium VISTA Project"...or if you'd like more information, please contact Mary ZumBrunnen at (517) 887-4594.

ARRO Film website from NorthWest Initiative

Hi Everyone,

Please check out the new www.ARROfilm.blogspot.com where our VISTA member Jeana-Dee Allen has spent her time interviewing a woman who's brother has been in prison more than 20 years and the effects it's had on the family. As this project grows and the film is finalized there will be continual updates and clips on line. Please stay tuned and check it out.

Good News for Serve America!!

I just received an email from Alan Khazei this morning from Be the Change Inc. containing some great news!!!

"Yesterday, the Senate Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee reported out a funding package that includes $1.157 billion for the Corporation for Naitonal and Community Services for FY 2010.

This is huge, and it's thanks to you and all of your hard work. Not only is this a record amount of federal funding for service --- $267 million more than last year -- but it's $98 million more than the House appropriated last week, and even $8 million more than President Obama requested!

Please go to http://tools.bethechangeinc.org/appropsthx to thank Senators Harkin and Cochran, the Chair and Ranking Members of the Subcommittee, for their strong commitment to service.

Again - thank you. But our work is not yet done. Now that the House and Senate have spoken, the appropriations debate will go to a joint conference committee. The date hasn't been scheduled yet, but it will take place soon and we will be back in touch when more details are made available.

In the meantime, please take this time to thank Senators Harkin and Cochran. The dream of a fully-funded Serve America Act has never been close to reality."

Random Acts of Kindness

http://www.bethechangeinc.org/changewire/2009/07/27/random-acts-of-kindness/

PWC VISTA Project Highlights Report in:

Hello Everyone:

I'm very pleased to share our first annual report. Thanks to all of our members, the MI CNCS Office, The Power of We Consortium, Michigan State University Extension and our Ingham County Commissioners for making this possible!

View '08-'09 PWC VISTA Highlights

United We Serve Campaign Kick Off

United We Serve
Submitted by NationalService... on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 11:22
Stories From The Field

In a video message released on Wednesday, President Obama unveiled United We Serve - a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in addressing tough challenges facing the nation.

The initiative, which will be led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, officially kicks off on June 22, during the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.
To make it easy to get involved, the President is urging Americans to visit the Corporation's web site, http://www.Serve.gov - where visitors can search for local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families, and neighbors.

During this summer, the President is renewing his call to all Americans to identify needs in their communities, engage in meaningful service to create change - and stay engaged long after September. The President's call focuses on four key areas where everyone can make an impact in their community: energy and the environment, health care, education and community renewal.

With the knowledge that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when given the proper tools, President Obama is asking us to come together to help lay a new foundation for growth. This initiative aims to both expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work and encourage volunteers to develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects. "United We Serve" is an initial 81 days of service but will grow into a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to promote service as a way of life for all Americans.

What can you do?
* Create Your Own Project
* Register Your Project / Recruit Volunteers
* Find a Volunteer Opportunity
* Share Your Story

Visit http://www.Serve.gov

United We Serve | servicewire.org

United We Serve | servicewire.org

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Become a citizen co-sponsor of the Serve America Act

Help pass the Serve America Act by becoming a Citizen Co-Sponsor at http://www.bethechangeaction.org/servicenation/take_action/cosponsor. For more information about the Serve America Act and to hear Senator Hatch's thoughts, cut and paste http://www.bethechangeinc.org/changewire/2009/03/11/help/ into your browser for Service Nation's Changewire blog and YouTube update.

VISTA In-Service Training opportunity this March

Greetings! The PWC VISTA Project is happy to announce Continued Development In-Service Training for those VISTAs who began service in December 2008. If someone can suggest how to successfully hyperlink in these posts, I would be most obliged. In the meantime, click on over to our website for Continued Development (http://www.ingham.org/ce/CD/continued_development.htm) or PSO information ( http://www.ingham.org/ce/CD/pso.htm) for the training content and agenda. To summarize, workshops will include: building public awareness campaigns, community networking and poverty alleviation. Please call (517) 887-4594 with questions.

June PSO, come on board....

During the summer, the PWC VISTA Project has the opportunity to bring on six new VISTA members. We have the first opening for a VISTA at Gateway Community Services (see job description) begining in June. Please have application paperwork to me by the first week of May. Log onto the PWC VISTA homepage at http://www.ingham.org/ce/CD/home.htm and follow the links to other opportunities.

Yes We Did!

The PWC VISTAs helped usher in a new era on January 19th, MLK, Jr. Day, with a new President to follow, strengthened committment to service and fresh hope. As President Obama says, "Yes we can!" - and we did. The VISTAs and other volunteers served the day away at South Lansing Community Development Association (SLCDA) (http://www.slcda.org/) completing their goal of strengthening future farm markets with advertising equipment, but also washing and painting the church SLCDA's staff is housed in. In the Spring, VISTAs will embark on step two of this project's goal in linking local people with local food in one of Lansing's food deserts. When the weather warms, the Project will assemble this fresh equipment and assist with further set-up. Check out http://www.ingham.org/ce/CD/home.htm and http://www.slcda.org/ for further details in the coming weeks.

MLK Day: Healthy Environment Supporting Healthy Lifestyles

For the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (1/19/09) PWC VISTAs in partnership with the South Lansing Community Development Association, Grace United Methodist Church and the MI Department of Community Mental Health will be sewing and painting flags along with assembling and painting sandwich boards for local gardener and farm merchants to use at the Benjamin Davis Farm Market (Lansing, MI) in the Spring. This educational farm market event will help provide healthy food access in food deserts as part of the Environmental Change to Support Health initiative funded by Food Stamp Nutrition Education and the Michigan Nutrition Network. PWC AmeriCorps VISTAs will "Make it a Day On... Not a Day Off"!