Corporation Honored:
Volunteer Center Award

The Volunteer Center National Network presented its 2005 Award of Excellence to the Corporation for National and Community Service for its demonstrated commitment to the volunteer community and its growing partnership with Volunteer Centers across the country. “I can’t think of a recognition that means more to us,” Corporation CEO David Eisner said in accepting the award, which was presented August 4 during the Volunteer Center luncheon at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington, D.C. New research shows that in 2004 and 2005, the Corporation provided $8.2 million in support to Volunteer Centers – largely in the form of AmeriCorps*VISTA members, service-learning programs, King Day of Service grants, and disability grants – and more than $92 million overall to volunteer connector organizations. For more conference news, visit http://www.volunteeringandservice.org. And, make sure to save the dates for next year's National Conference – June 18-20, in Seattle.

Resource Tip:
Staff Screening Toolkit

Is your program doing enough to protect the children you serve? For helpful information about staff background checks and other practices to ensure the protection of children and other vulnerable populations, go to: http://www.nationalservice.gov/screeningtoolkit.

‘Building a Wigwam’:
Service-Learning on Film

Filming activities is one way to help people learn about and maintain their culture; service-learning is another. Supported by a grant from Learn and Serve America, the Hannahville Indian Community of Wilson, Mich., used both methods. The result, Earl’s Wigwam, in which Earl Otchingwanigan, an elder of the Ojibwe Tribe, schooled service-learning students in the art of building a traditional shelter, was shown at the National Museum of the American Indian in July. From harvesting bark to construction, the film captures the learning and building process. Future films are planned on other aspects of Ojibwe culture. Otchingwanigan’s work was the subject of an earlier film for the Smithsonian Institution, Earl’s Canoe.

Service Hero:
AmeriCorps*NCCC Member Melinda Tran

More than half way through her year as an AmeriCorps*NCCC member, Melinda Tran has a decision to make. Should she start grad school in the fall, as her parents would prefer, or devote another year to service, this time as a team leader? Tran, who serves at the Perry Point campus, got a taste of being a team leader when she handled many typical team leader duties during a disaster relief assignment in Florida. She calls that time a turning point in her AmeriCorps experience because by the end, she had high hopes of using that temporary assignment as a stepping stone to an additional year of service in a leadership role. A biology major in college, Tran’s ultimate goal is to become a clinical pharmacist, which is a hospital-based position that requires working closely with the medical team. In the meantime, she finds AmeriCorps*NCCC a “fantastic” program because it allows her to explore different niches in community service instead of focusing on one project and because it allows her to serve as part of a team. After completing her time with AmeriCorps*NCCC, she plans to remain active in service, possibly through working in developing countries after completing grad school.

Promising Programs:
Wise Senior Services Telemarketing Victim Call Center

The Program: On Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., 25 RSVP volunteers can be found at the Telemarketing Victim Call Center in Los Angeles, sponsored by WISE Senior Services. Modeled on a “boiler room” where criminals gather to prey on victims through telephone solicitations, the call center reverses the criminal process. Using lists of victims’ names that have been found in telemarketing fraud investigations, the volunteers call potential victims who have been identified as targets of boiler room operations. They follow a one-page script that is designed to engage and educate victims. Potential victims are warned regarding the risks associated with sending money or giving personal or financial information to anyone they do not know personally. They also are advised of fraud warnings signs, such as being pressured to wire money, or of offers to have a courier pick up a check or money order. Volunteers offer to mail a fraud prevention kit. Potential victims are given fraud prevention resources including the telephone numbers of the National Fraud Information Center and the local telephone number of the nearest FBI office.

The Results: Records show that the RSVP volunteers at the center make an average of 530 calls a day, with more than 160,000 calls placed since the center opened in 1998. Besides providing resources and peer counseling to the elderly victims of telemarketing fraud, the volunteers also gather information for law enforcement. The volunteers ask about current solicitations and enter pertinent information on suspicious activity forms. The FBI enters this information into a database and reports that on average, the TVCC identifies between 100 and 125 previously unknown operations each year.

Why It Works: As the volunteers’ confidence and skills have increased, they have taken on more sophisticated interventions. Messages have been tested for effectiveness at influencing victims’ to be more alert regarding telephone solicitations that may be scams. A grant from the U.S. Department of Justice funded the research, which revealed that using peer mentors to deliver prevention messaging was an effective strategy in reducing victimization for older consumers.

Lessons Learned: The operation of the TVCC confirms the significant role that volunteers can play in crime prevention. Research shows that personal contact of at-risk audiences can influence them to change their behavior.  For further information, contact Melodye Kleinman, (310) 394-9871 or email mkleinman@wiseseniors.org.