The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.Gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.

Great-grandmother is Tireless Volunteer
NBC Nightly News, May 28, 2012

Erma Klatt hasn't lost a step. Most days, you'll find her in the class room in Big Sky Elementary in Billings, Montana. At age 84, Erma is a full-time volunteer, what is known as a Foster Grandparents tending most mostly to second graders with special needs. Read More >>

Storm Victims See Firsthand the Benefits of AmeriCorps
Joplin Globe (MO), May 21, 2012

AmeriCorps volunteers are doing more for Warner and Jeanie George than rebuilding a home, Jeanie George said Monday. The workers, she said, “have lifted our spirits. ... They saved us; they knew what to do when we didn't know where to turn.” Read More >>

Older Volunteers: Making a Difference for Generations
Huffington Post, May 11, 2012

Across the country, individuals 55 and older are already having a powerful impact through volunteering. According to data from the Corporation for National and Community Service, one in four Americans age 55 and older volunteers. These individuals contributed, on average, more than 3 billion hours of service in their communities per year between 2008 and 2010 with a yearly economic benefit to the nation of more than $64 billion. Read More >>

Volunteerism: A Win-Win-Win Proposition
Human Resource Executive, June 7, 2012

A new trend in corporate volunteerism programs is leveraging specific skills of the workforce, such as financial, communication or legal skills, to aid the operations of nonprofit organizations. In creating such programs, however, HR leaders must make sure employees know their participation is voluntary. Read More >>

An Ongoing Commitment, a Bright Future
The White House Blog, May 22, 2012

With 54% of Joplin students affected by the tornado and many living in transitional housing, Darla works feverishly to match the needs of the students and their families with donations available to make life a little bit easier for the victims. To date, Darla Armstrong and her fellow Bright Futures AmeriCorps VISTAs have coordinated and distributed tens of thousands of dollars in donations of supplies, clothing, and other essential for Joplin students. Read More >>

A Gateway to a Career Through Volunteering
The New York Times, May 2, 2012

Public service work for organizations like AmeriCorps, Teach for America or the Peace Corps can be a gateway to a variety of careers, including those outside public service. Read More >>

Super Seniors Serving To 100 and Beyond
Huffington Post, May 11, 2012

Unlike most of us, Virginia McLaurin doesn't need an alarm clock to wake up every morning before she heads to work. The 103-year-old Washington, D.C., resident and Senior Corps volunteer looks forward each morning to her trip to Sharpe Health School to serve as a Foster Grandparent and mentor to special-needs students. While Virginia helps students with their reading and social skills, she says it's the students who keep her young at heart. "I just love kids," Virginia says, "working with them keeps me going." Read More >>

4 Programs That Want to Pay for Your College
Huffington Post, June 5, 2012

AmeriCorps volunteers work on education, health care, community building and environmental projects around the country, often serving in low-income areas. The program includes a number of different volunteer programs, including NCCC and VISTA, which was created in 1965 as the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Read More >>

Rebuilding Joplin a Year after Tornado
CNN, May 18, 2012

The city of Joplin estimates that almost 130,000 volunteers have logged hundreds of thousands of hours since the tornado, helping rebuild over the past year in what Joplinites have referred to as the "miracle of the human spirit." Americorps St. Louis, which matches needs with resources, has been responsible for coordinating their efforts.Read More >>

Volunteer, 92, Retires After 19,000 Hours
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram (WI), May 14, 2012

Harris, 92, began volunteering as a "foster grandparent" in 1982 and now, some 19,000 volunteer hours later, she is saying goodbye to the classroom. Read More >>

Worthwhile Gap Year Requires Well-thought-out Plan
Associated Press, May 19, 2012

Gap years don't have to empty your bank account, though. Some students volunteer while living at home. Those who take part in AmeriCorps — the domestic Peace Corps — get a living allowance. Rebecca Hamm Conard, now a rising junior at Rice University in Houston, worked full-time for a few months during her gap year to pay for a trip around Europe for the rest of the year. Read More >>

President Obama Hails Resilience of Joplin, Graduates Year After Tornado
ABC News, May 21, 2012

The president acknowledged the thousands of Americans who came to the aid of Joplin, including AmeriCorps volunteers, a state college football team, even Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who made a $500,000 donation to rebuilding effort. Read More >>