AmeriCorps programs throughout Virginia will participate in AmeriCorps Week, May 11-18. AmeriCorps members, alumni, project staff members, commission members, friends, and supporters will actively promote the national service program in an effort to bring more Americans into service, salute current and past members, and thank AmeriCorps' many partners.

Virginia Events

• The Carroll County Public Schools Reading for Life program is collecting gently used toys and books to furnish the new children's waiting room at a government subsidized counseling center.AmeriCorps members at four elementary schools are planning and conducting mini landscaping projects to improve their school grounds. AmeriCorps members will also landscape the school grounds of a Carroll County intermediate school.Members of the program have also sent a letter to the editor totwo local newspapers to run during AmeriCorps Week.
      
• The City of Richmond ACES program will be assisting Habitat for Humanity with Habitat Restore, a retail outlet selling building supplies at reduced prices. Additionally, ACES will be using StarNet, the City of Richmond Web site,to market AmeriCorps Week with a goal of registering 400 individuals (or 10% of the city workforce) as available volunteers in its new centralized data base.
       
• In Tidewater, Community Housing Partners' (CHP) Project RISE! will be promoting AmeriCorps at one of their Community Day events, May 17 in Yorktown. Members will staff an information table promoting AmeriCorps and the CHP's service efforts.
       
• Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps in Virginia is partnering with other Habitat National Service programs to build and rehab homes in Mississippi for the 2008 Carter Work Project, May 11-17. The project will serve families whose homes and lives were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
       
• The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia will be hosting a public relations effort to commemorate and observe 2008 AmeriCorps Week.
       
• Mountain Empire Community College's (MECC) AmeriCorps members at Norton Elementary are sponsoring a “caps for life support” drive that will culminate on May 16. A local dignitary has also committed to stop in during the week to serve with an AmeriCorps member at one of their school sites.
       
• The Virginia Commonwealth University AmeriCorps program is planning a "Carver Community Team Cleanup," in Richmond. Four teams will work to clean and beautify different areas of the neighborhood.
     
• Sarita Johnson, a member of the Warren County Council on Domestic Violence will be speak to the Front Royal community about their after school program and community with young students about AmeriCorps.

See a complete list of AmeriCorps Week events across the country.

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