AmeriCorps Mississippi Members Pledge to “Get Things Done”
On October 4, AmeriCorps Director Bill Basl from the Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS) will administer the oath of service to this year’s AmeriCorps Mississippi program members, charging them to “get things done” for America and Mississippi. 668 men and women have pledged a year of service to Mississippi schools, communities and underserved populations through AmeriCorps State programs administered by the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (MCVS). Other esteemed guests will include MCVS Executive Director Emerita Marsha Meeks Kelly, “Matriarch of National Service,” and AmeriCorps alumni and 2012 Paralympian Ryan Estep, of Florence.
“It is an honor to be in Mississippi to welcome even more individuals into the service family,” said Basl, who, in addition to speaking at the induction ceremony, will tour service sites and meet with AmeriCorps members along the Gulf Coast and in Hattiesburg. “Mississippi continues to demonstrate that service, especially in trying times, unites all of us. We are proud to continue our work with local and state leaders in helping communities and families rebuild and recover in the face of natural disasters and other challenges. These new AmeriCorps members will build on this inspiring tradition as they work with local groups to tutor and mentor youth, improve health services, create businesses, and help bring people out of poverty.”
MCVS Executive Director W. David Mallery says, “AmeriCorps represents a critical element that defines humanity’s highest quality—the selfless giving of one’s time to aid another. Many of these AmeriCorps members will become tomorrow’s civic leaders, teachers and corporate entrepreneurs. By dedicating an entire year in service to others, this opportunity creates the greatest hope for a compassionately engaged citizenry.”
AmeriCorps programs offer individuals a unique opportunity to improve communities through service. MCVS awards AmeriCorps State grants to organizations throughout the state addressing Mississippi’s greatest needs. AmeriCorps members devote a year of their lives to make a difference; they’re in classrooms, community centers, agencies and nonprofits throughout Mississippi. They are empowering individuals with disabilities to take back their independence, and fostering an attitude of hard work and play for Mississippi's youth. Members create lasting change by recruiting and training local leaders and volunteers to enact change in their own neighborhoods.
The AmeriCorps Mississippi program portfolio is funded through MCVS in partnership with CNCS, and support from local community partners.
FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge
Funding Available to Increase Local Resiliency through Whole Community Approach
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the application period is open for a new funding opportunity to build local resilience, through a Whole Community approach, in communities across America: the Community Resilience Innovation Challenge.
Though National Preparedness Month comes to a close at the end of September, FEMA and its partners know that preparedness must continue in communities year-round. This new monetary opportunity is designed to continue to move community preparedness forward and assist local areas in building and revitalizing community-based partnerships to advance the nation’s resilience to disasters. Submissions will be accepted through October 26.
"The best resiliency ideas originate in our states and communities–not from Washington, DC," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "The goal of this program is to empower communities to collaborate and develop innovative ways to effectively respond to disasters."
Read more: FEMA Announces 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge
City of Oxford and Ole Miss: Volunteering Together
Memorandum of Understanding Public Signed Between City Officials and the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones and City of Oxford Mayor Pat Patterson signed a Memorandum of Understanding recently to create an official partnership between Volunteer Oxford/City of Oxford and the University of Mississippi. Officials were on hand from local, state and University campus organizations – the McLean Institute, Office of the Dean of Students/Volunteer Services, North Mississippi VISTA Project, Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service – to signify their collaborative work and formally show their commitment to a untied effort for bettering the Lafayette-Oxford-University community through volunteer service and community engagement.
Volunteer Oxford, part of the Mississippi Volunteer Center Network, serves the Lafayette-Oxford-University community volunteer center, matching volunteers to satisfying service opportunities.
Pictured left to right: University of Mississippi Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones, Volunteer Oxford Director Kelly Shannon, and City of Oxford Mayor Pat Patterson.
Mississippians Band Together in Hurricane Isaac Response
I Want to VolunteerAs federal, state and local officials are working with residents to assess damages and determine specific needs for each area, MCVS, in coordination with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), is assessing volunteer needs and opportunities to support recovery in Mississippi. MCVS and its valued partners are currently registering volunteers and managing financial and goods donations for disaster relief throughout the state.
Read more: Mississippians Band Together in Hurricane Isaac Response
Wendy Spencer Visits Oxford, Ole Miss Campus
On a tour of southern AmeriCorps program sites, Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), attended the University of Mississippi Service Roundtable. Oxford and Ole Miss are no strangers to civic engagement and volunteering. Spencer said. "There is a great partnership here with volunteerism and national service, and that is something very special. It comes from the heart of this community and that’s why this is such a wonderful town and wonderful community." Continuing, Spencer noted, "What I love about seeing young people in service is that it’s going to create a culture of service activities as they grow with their families, colleagues and friends. You are also fostering future alums who will be involved in the community for decades to come."
September is Preparedness Month
Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. Visit Ready.gov to prepare your family and community for the next challenge. Text PREPARE to 43362 (4FEMA) to receive monthly preparedness tips. (msg/data rates apply)
Shelter Team Training for DeSoto County Churches
Volunteer Northwest Mississippi is partnering with the Midsouth Red Cross and DeSoto County Emergency Services to train volunteers on how to be a SHELTER TEAM!
This one-day training event is scheduled for Saturday, September 8, at a location yet to be determined. All teams will be trained to assist in sheltering people during times of disaster. This training does not commit your church to becoming a shelter location, but rather teaches a team how to assist in staffing an active shelter.
YouthBuild "Dream Team" Efforts Allow Displaced Homeowner to Return Home After Seven Years
In July, 32 Gulf Coast YouthBuild AmeriCorps members worked long hours to complete a significant housing rehabilitation project for an elderly man with disabilities who had not been able to return to his home since Hurricane Katrina. Program Manager Neisha McElveen said, "They sought no personal incentive; but came together as a dedicated team and completed the project, so that the homeowner and his sister could return to the residence."
Inaugural AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Team Leaders Arrive in Vicksburg
The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Southern Region is making history as the first campus to receive and induct the nation’s first AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps. Twenty-one AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Team Leaders have been training in Vicksburg and Wiggins since mid-July, and the remaining 219 Corps members will be inducted September 13. The Southern Region campus is maximizing its capacity–400 members annually–by rotating NCCC and FEMA Corps member classes.
Read more: Inaugural AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Team Leaders Arrive in Vicksburg