(Sparks, Nev.) - More and more Indian communities have learned the value of using national service as a strategy to tackle tough social problems, and the Corporation for National and Community Service is eager to build on this momentum and expand the reach and impact of tribal service programs, its CEO David Eisner announced today.

Eisner thanked tribal leaders who have launched national service programs and highlighted new steps the agency is taking to support them in closing remarks today at the7th National Conference on Service in Indian Communities taking place in Sparks, Nevada. The conference brought together 350 leaders, program directors, and participants in American Indian and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian national service programs for four days of training, networking, and celebration.

“Service has always been central to Native American culture. You know that taking part in your community and taking care of one another are not merely nice things to do; they are absolutely necessary for the health and well-being of the community itself,” said Eisner. “Our work together is producing real results -- better schools, more jobs, improved health – but we need to do more and find new ways to unleash the full power of citizens to get things done to strengthen Indian communities.”

While national service has been a resource for Indian communities for more than 40 years, many have only recently discovered how it can be helpful in addressing community needs. The number of tribal programs has grown dramatically in the past seven years, and this year the Corporation is investing approximately $12.5 million through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC, and Learn and Serve America programs to support nearly 150 Tribal related projects in 33 states involving more than 37,000 participants.

A big focus of Indian community service programs is youth – tutoring children with low literacy skills, organizing substance-abuse and gang-prevention activities, matching youth with mentors, and engaging youth in service themselves. Another priority is caring for the elderly -- repairing and weatherizing homes, providing respite care, and helping elders to remain independent in their own homes. Other activities range from job training and cultural preservation to disaster preparedness and lands preservation.

Eisner noted how service is one of the most important tools to address problems of poverty, substance abuse, and violence that exist in communities everywhere. He shared recent Census data showing that 278,000 Native American and Native Alaskans contributed more than 30 million hours of service in 2006 – a value of more than $577 million in service provided. These numbers underestimate the total but give a sense of the scope and value of volunteering in Indian communities.

Speaking to the gathering last night, Chief Operating Officer Liz Seale unveiled a series of steps the Corporation is taking to expand outreach and support for Native communities. These include:

• Hiring of a Strategic Advisor for Native American Affairs, a high-level staff member who will be an advocate and advisor to help the agency strengthen its outreach and programs for Native American communities. The position is open for applications until December 7 and will be filled early next year.
      
• Launch of a new section on the Corporation’s website specifically designed for Indian communities that provides easy access to a wealth of information about Indian community programs, resources, funding opportunities, key partners, a photo gallery, and other information.
      
• Publishing of a new fact sheet on National Service in Indian Communities that describes how the Corporation is supporting tribal programs and a new issue brief National Service: Addressing Key Native American Issues that describes the way tribal communities are using national service resources to tackle local problems.

“We are grateful to our tribal and federal partners for working with us to dramatically increase the number of programs serving in Indian communities,” said Seale. “We’ve listened closely to your ideas and are thrilled to deliver on new resources to strengthen our connection with tribal communities and bring service to more Indian communities.”

Seale also thanked Quanah Stamps, Commissioner of the Administration on Native Americans (ANA) within the Department of Health and Human Services, for collaborating with the Corporation on two demonstration programs that Stamps unveiled at the conference today. The first is Grandparents Serving Grandchildren, a $40,000 initiative to support Foster Grandparent programs operated by the Pueblo Tribe of Zuni in New Mexico and the Great Lakes Intertribal Council in Wisconsin to engage older volunteers in helping grandparents raise children. The second program, A Thousand Ways to Stop Abuse, will support the National Society for American Indian Elderly in distributing $1,000 mini-grants to groups and individuals working to prevent substance and domestic violence.

The annual conference had record attendance and special significance because it was the seventh year of a cycle. It featured more than 40 workshops on topics ranging from financial management to volunteer management and included a plenary session on strengthening government-to-government relationships. The conference occurred during National American Indian Heritage Month, which President Bush has proclaimed as “an opportunity to honor the many contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives and to recognize the strong and living traditions of the first people to call our land home.”

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Providing service opportunities for millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds, Corporation programs include Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov.

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