VISTA IN SPOTLIGHT:
NEW BOOK, PHOTO GALLERY ON VISTA AT 40

More than 400 VISTA alums, friends, and supporters came together on May 23-24 for a celebration of the program’s extraordinary accomplishments fighting poverty for the past 40 years. Reps. John Lewis and Gwen Moore (a former VISTA) joined War on Poverty architects Harris Wofford and Frank Mankiewicz and alums from as far away as Alaska for the events, which looked back at VISTA’s proud history and forward to the challenges ahead. To mark the occasion and to help recruit the next generation of anti-poverty entrepreneurs, the Corporation released a new book “VISTA… In Service to America,” a gripping compilation of 21 member stories from the past four decades. The book and a new gallery of VISTA photos are at www.americorps.gov/vista.

AWARD WINNING SERVICE:
NCCC SALUTED FOR DISASTER WORK

AmeriCorps*NCCC’s longstanding leadership in disaster relief was recognized with a prestigious Award for Excellence from the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) at their annual meeting in North Carolina on May 11. The group gave NCCC its long term recovery partnership award, stating “The award was for outstanding work as a VOAD partner over the past year and for its persistent efforts in disaster relief and recovery over the past decade” NCCC’s largest disaster response is ongoing: 1,600 members have given more than 515,000 hours of service responding to the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERS ENRICHING AMERICA

The MetLife Foundation and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging recently presented several Senior Corps volunteers with “2006 Older Volunteers Enrich America” Awards. Foster Grandparent Ora Rakestraw of Sacramento received a Gold Honoree Mentor Award in recognition of her 27 years of service. As a mentor to third-graders, she works with those who are reading at the lowest levels. Her students’ reading scores increased 10 percentile points in 2004. For more winners, please click here.

SERVICE HEROES:
SERVICE-LEARNING DIRECTOR LINDA FOOTE

For the past three years, undergraduate students at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., have been guiding middle school students in nearby Lawrence in math and science projects and experiments, under the direction of immunologist Dr. Linda Foote, a professor at the college. Foote prepares the curriculum, recruiting undergraduate students to assist her so that they can get a taste of that task. She also recruits as many as 60 undergrads to lead the weekly sessions with the middle schoolers, and another 30 to track and analyze the program’s results. Many of the original middle school students are still with the program, allowing Foote and the participating undergrads the opportunity to track their progress. Most of the middle schoolers are children of immigrants; Merrimack’s program offers them their first experience on a college campus. The undergrads lead them in weekly experiments, help them record data, and encourage their growing interest in attending college themselves. During a year-end program, the students make posters of their favorite experiments and invite their parents to visit the Merrimack campus.

PROMISING PROGRAMS:
SPOKANE AMERICORPS SERVICE TEAM

The Program: Because of the high rate of poverty in Spokane, Wash., the area is in a housing crisis. Many low-income residents typically spend between 38 and 50 percent of their incomes on rent. The Spokane AmeriCorps Service Team responds to that situation by building affordable housing for local residents. The number of team members fluctuates from year to year; this year, 14 crew members are led by three crew leaders. Working with a number of partners, the team renovates homes that the partners have acquired, often through drug seizures, tax default or abandonment. Currently, the team is working on a house that will house five adults with developmental disabilities, and a 24-hour staff. In addition to houses, the team also works on capital improvement projects for nonprofits. The crew members just finished renovating a community center that serves several hundred people a day. They also converted a former funeral home into a police department in Cheney, one of the towns in Spokane County.

The Results: In the 2004-05 program year, team members built and rehabilitated 44 houses, providing homes for an estimated 221 people. In addition, numerous team members have gone on to careers in construction; last year, six were accepted as apprentices by local companies. Further, the team members complete their service with a vision of homeownership in their future.

Why It Works: Program director Anne Millane credits the staff with the program’s success. They undertake numerous projects requiring physically demanding, mentally challenging work—and each program year, they do so with a crop of green recruits. Other factors that have been important are good planning, between 18 months and five years out, and a diverse funding base. The team’s network of partners helps make that possible.

Lessons: Millane suggests that by focusing on member development as the crucial component of national service, a program can achieve the goals of getting things done and strengthening communities. For more information, contact Anne Millane, (509) 456-7660, or amillane@esd101.net.