Mucking
homes ravaged by hurricanes and floods, feeding the hungry, reading to
children, cleaning riverbeds, and mentoring are just some of the ways that
volunteers prove they are the backbone of our nation’s ability to do good and
change lives. Throughout October, the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS) focused on how national service mobilizes volunteers
and connects them to opportunities to serve.
When I
moved to the boonies, which some people call Montana, I worried that I wouldn’t
find a group of friends like I’d had in college. I didn’t need best friends; I
just wanted a group of young women I could share my ups and downs with,
exchange stories with, and help me grow in my year of finding myself.
By Lois Nembhard, Acting Director, Social Innovation Fund
As
someone who has had the privilege of working in the Social Innovation Fund,
almost since the initiative was announced by First Lady Michelle Obama, its status as a six-year-old program has helped nearly 700,000 people. I am especially proud of two moments this past week.
They came from every borough in New York City and
beyond to dedicate themselves to serving for one year making a positive change
in communities throughout New York City.
Growing up in a
Guatemalan-American household taught me to take pride in my culture and to
always strive for excellence. After college, I knew that I needed to pursue a
career where I would be able to support my community by improving their
personal, social, and financial quality of life. Thanks to LIFT-Los
Angeles, whose mission is to empower families to break the cycle of
poverty, I am able to be a part of a team whose sole goal is to connect our
community members with quality resources and to support them with navigating
the complex social service system.
Garrett County, MD Photo courtesy of lightscapesphotography.wordpress.com
Since 1965, AmeriCorps VISTA members have served rural America, working with communities to build economic opportunity, increase access to healthcare services, and ensure the health and prosperity of families. One year after AmeriCorps VISTA launched its partnership to improve rural communities: Rural IMPACT, we have the opportunity to hear from Daphne Gooding, a Rural IMPACT
AmeriCorps VISTA member serving the Garrett County Community Action Committee
in Oakland, MD.
By: David Wilkinson, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, and Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service
When I look into the eyes
of the Latino students I serve, I see centuries of thriving cultures,
I hear the joyful strum of the guitar, I smell the sweet scent
of spices in the air, and I observe strength carrying stone atop
stone constructing the temples of their life. I look upon a spectrum of copper
skin and see the resilience required for the continuation of our
uniqueness and stand awe-struck. Before there is the student, there is a
person that feels, laughs, cries, thinks, eats, and expresses the inner
sensibilities of a young mind finding its place in the
world.
National service through AmeriCorps VISTA is a rewarding and transformational experience. It’s also a great opportunity to build skills and grow professionally. Federal employers have caught on and they’re leveraging the Noncompetitive Eligibility(NCE) benefit to bring talented and hard-working AmeriCorps VISTA alums on board. Read more from these alums who made the jump from AmeriCorps VISTA to federal service and then register for our career expo and get ready to use your NCE!
I serve because my parents taught me that education is an investment towards my future and my well-being. As an adult, I’ve learned that not all investments are financial ones. With City Year, I am given the opportunity to invest in the future of young people the same way my parents did for my brother, my sister, and for myself.
I emerge from stories of
migration, struggle, determination, and unconditional love. As the proud daughter
of a tenderhearted Ecuadorian and a tenacious Salvadorian, I am infused with an
unyielding pride in my vibrant roots and a passion for social justice.
For more
than 20 years, Methodist Healthcare
Ministries has been dedicated to creating access to health care for low-income
families and the uninsured in South Texas, including the predominantly rural
Hispanic communities in its service area. Through its public-private partnership
with the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Social Innovation
Fund, Methodist Healthcare
Ministries' Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas project is touching the lives of many
Hispanics by stimulating local solutions that improve both physical and
behavioral health together, such as diabetes and depression.
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