A Chance (Every Day) to Vote for ServeNext, Atlas Corps, and other Groups

ServeNext— the organization whose mission is to expand opportunities in voluntary service as a way to address social ills and strengthen democracy— is participating in this month’s Pepsi Refresh Project.

So is Atlas Corps, the international service corps with the online contest Midas Touch.

And you can vote for them both every day in February.

While online contests to benefit nonprofits have been questioned recently (especially the recent Chase Giving contest, which my organization Idealist took part in and won money from), the Pepsi contest is ostensibly trying to do something

Blue Engine Launches this Week — a New Corps for NYC Schools

This week a new national service corps launches its website and application process. Blue Engine, based in New York City, aims to recruit a corps of about a dozen fellows to facilitate daily, specialized, small-group instruction for high school freshmen.

Nick Ehrmann—Blue Engine’s engine and a Teach For America alum—says that we know how to get high-needs kids into college, or getting them “college eligible” — nonprofits and schools have been targeting and tackling hurdles like high school completion, college admissions, and financial assistance.

But, while the high school drop-out problem is far from solved, groups are paying far less attention to college completion rates for high-needs kids, or “college readiness.”

Blue Engine aims to close the gap between college eligibility and college readiness. Watch the video that explains:

A startling statistic: for every 100 kids from low-income families who make it into college, only 15 end up graduating

Global Volunteering Fairs Hit the East Coast this Week

Maybe you’ve been thinking about volunteering abroad, but aren’t sure how to go about it. Where should you go? How long can you afford to stay? What is volunteering abroad really like? How can you be sure you’ll contribute to a meaningful and positive impact?

If you live in New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC, join us next week at one of our 2010 Global Volunteering Fairs where you can chat with representatives from international volunteerism organizations with volunteer projects in communities around the globe.

Here are the details for each city. Click the links to learn more and to register for these free events:

• New York: Monday, February 1 at Barnard College, 6-9pm
• Philadelphia: Wednesday, February 3 at the University of Pennsylvania, 5-8pm
• Washington, DC: Thursday, February 4 at Google, 6-9 pm

This is a great opportunity to learn more about your options for volunteering in another country as well as get answers to some of those lingering questions you’ve had about volunteering abroad. In addition, you can attend free workshops on topics like the basics of international service and strategies for making volunteering abroad more affordable.

Not in New York, Philadelphia, or Washington*? No problem. You can check out Idealist’s free, comprehensive International Volunteerism Resource Center for information, tools, and strategies for exploring, researching, and preparing for international service (plus some resources for those who have recently returned from volunteering abroad.)

* Note: if you’re in Chicago or Los Angeles, you’re in luck; we’re hosting Global Volunteering Fairs in your cities on February 22nd and 25th, respectively. See you then!

Volunteering Continues to Creep Skyward in the United States

Volunteering up again, slightly, in 2009.

This week the Corporation for National and Community Service announced that a new Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows that 1.5 million more people in the U.S. volunteered in 2009 than in 2008.

The number of people volunteering through organizations rose from 61.8 million to 63.4 million between September 2008 and 2009.

The survey — conducted with the help of the Corporation — asked 60,000 households about their volunteerism habits through a supplement to the September 2009 Current Population Survey (CPS). The Corporation will use this week’s BLS findings to produce the annual Volunteering in America report. (See my write up about the 2009 report from this past July).

Between September 2007 and September 2008, the number of volunteers increased by one million. In the fall of 2008 the U.S. economy started its dramatic nosedive which definitely increased the need for volunteers at social service organizations throughout the country.

Interestingly, though, it doesn’t look as though unemployed people are the ones who swelled the ranks of volunteers.

The Long Road to Recovery – and How You Can Help

From Flickr user simminch via Creative Commons

Originally posted on Idealist.org’s homepage blog.

When a major disaster happens in the world, it’s common, and frankly humanity-affirming, for global citizens to want to help. However, when the disaster in question is as devastating as last week’s earthquake in Haiti, it is often the case that the primary way folks are encouraged to get involved is to raise funds, raise voices, and raise awareness. And while fundraising, advocacy, and public awareness are critically important activities to participate in, they can sometimes be frustrating substitutes for those who are seeking to lend a hand in a more direct and tangible way by volunteering.

Yet for those seeking to contribute their skills, time, and energy on the ground in a disaster response situation, the advice

Skip the Gym Membership and Get Fit for Free

Who has a couple of New Years’ resolutions in mind for 2010?

I know I do.

In the spirit of healthiness, many Americans want to become more health conscious.  And health conscious resolutions usually involve a gym membership, diet, and “dream weight” on the scale.

However, as many of us start this New Year, we will have a tighter clutch on our wallets.  Save money by bypassing the gym membership and creating your own exercise at home or searching for free and low-cost fitness classes in your neighborhood. Break a sweat without breaking your bank and save money for better food shopping and your savings.

Gym Math:

Membership Fee: approx. $75

+ Monthly Fee: approx. $30

= Roughly $435 Per Year.

I am not bashing gyms.  I have a gym membership and regularly attend my gym but also replicate similar workouts in my

Vote for Idealist — and Help this Blog Continue

Dear readers,

This week Action Without Borders/Idealist.org (my organization) is competing in the Chase Community Giving Contest on Facebook.

Through this contest, any Facebook user can vote for an organization to win a million dollars — organizations that end up in the top six earn $100,000.

Idealist has made it to the second round, and only 100 finalists are left.

This would be huge for us, and so I am asking you to use one of your five votes on us.

If you are on Facebook, it only takes a minute. Please click on this link for some more details, and then you can vote from there:

http://bit.ly/64lEo9

Atlas Corps, an international service corps, is also in the top 100 and could use another of your five votes!

Sincerely,

Amy and our entire Idealist.org staff!!

Points of Light’s Michelle Nunn: MLK Day, Haiti Relief Efforts, and Getting Hands On in Your Community

Today’s guest on The New Service podcast is Michelle Nunn, CEO of the Points of Light Institute and Co-Founder of the HandsOn Network.

Points of Light Institute inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. In 2007, the Points of Light Institute grew out of the merger between the Points of Light Foundation and the Hands On Network, creating the largest volunteer management and civic engagement organization in the nation. HandsOn Network includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers around the United States and ten other countries.

Idealist’s Amy Potthast chats with Michelle Nunn the Friday before MLK Day about the first-ever national MLK Day Virtual Town Hall Meeting, how people throughout the United States can take action in their own communities through Hands On Action Centers, how people can respond to the Haiti earthquake of January 12th, and the upcoming National Conference on Volunteering and Service to take place in New York this summer.

Direct download: Points_of_Lights_Michelle_Nunn.mp3

MLK Day Virtual Town Hall

All day today the Hands On Network is organizing town halls in major cities around the country, and you can connect online, upload photos of your service project today, chat with leaders who are participating, and share your story.

Tomorrow I hope to post a podcast show from this past Friday where I interviewed Points of Light Institute CEO Michelle Nunn (co-founder of the Hands On Network, now part of POL). But for now, here is Michelle Nunn’s announcement about today’s Virtual Town Hall:

On Monday, Jan. 18, Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network will bring the nation together in service, dialogue and reflection during a MLK Day Virtual Town Hall as we honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Congressman John Lewis has eloquently captured the meaning of our goal – bringing families and communities together with one vision in mind: “actualizing King’s dream of a beloved community, a nation and a world at peace with itself.”

Join us on Jan. 18 in a MLK Day Virtual Town Hall – an online, interactive dialogue that bridges social, economic and cultural diversity by exploring innovative ideas for how service and dialogue can bring us closer to Dr. King’s dream. During the town hall, citizens from across the nation will be able to have live chats, post pictures and videos and share their experiences about how the volunteer movement has impacted them and their communities.

The call, “A Day On, Not A Day Off. Remember. Celebrate. Act.” will be simulcast from seven major markets across the U.S. (Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New York, Phoenix, Sacramento and St. Louis).  An exciting announcement – to be disclosed Monday – will be revealed during our Chicago simulcast.

Key leaders participating in the MLK Day Virtual Town Hall and service projects and dialogues across the country include MLK Jr. Day of Service Ambassador and Rep. John Lewis, Congresswoman Doris Matsui from California, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Birmingham acting Mayor Roderick Royal, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service Nicola Goren, York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser and many more.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of people who will volunteer on Monday will add to their engagement by making contributions to the relief efforts in Haiti. Derreck Kayongo, Senior Field Coordinator for the CARE Action Network will join our Town Hall on Monday to talk about what we can do as a nation to help Haitians rebuild and recover.

The MLK Day Virtual Town Hall will begin at approximately 8:00 a.m. EST and will feature HandsOn Network Action Centers and nonprofit organizations’ service events and dialogues nationwide. Tune in all day for exciting highlights and to join the dialogues.  All times are eastern standard.

• 8:00 a.m. Welcome Remarks by Congressman John Lewis and Michelle Nunn
• 8:30 a.m. Hands On Atlanta, Annual King Summit Freedom Rally
• 10:00 a.m. Greater DC Cares, Powell Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
• 11:00 a.m. Youth HandsOn Network, PS 57 James W. Johnson School in Harlem
• 12:00 p.m. Hands On Sacramento at Quinn Cottages
• 1:00 p.m.  HandsOn Greater Phoenix at South Mountain Park
• 2:00 p.m.  Special Live Announcement
• 3:00 p.m. United Way of Greater St. Louis at St. John United Church
• 4:00 p.m. Closing and Call to Service in 2010

There are multiple ways people can serve, celebrate and engage in the various projects across the U.S. To find out more information and how you can volunteer, please visit www.HandsOnNetwork.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @HandsOnNetwork.

Join the dialogue on Monday at www.handsonnetwork.org to partner with us as we advance Dr. King’s dream of a beloved community in a new and innovative way!

My MLK Service Project: Disaster Preparedness on my Street

I really wanted to do something for MLK Day that ties to the earthquake in Haiti — it’s just where my heart is right now.

So my family and I have decided to share disaster and earthquake preparedness information with our neighbors here in Portland, Oregon (an earthquake-vulnerable region), as our service project for today. I thought I’d also share the information with you and with my social network.

If you like this idea, I highly encourage you to download the documents linked below and consider sharing them with your family and friends, sharing this blog post on your Facebook profile and other social networks, and spreading the word about disaster preparation.

Howdy Neighbors, and Happy MLK Day 2010!

This past week my family and I have been gripped by the news coming out of Haiti.

In addition to finding ways to help out in the aftermath of that disaster, we’re taking time this weekend to pull out our own disaster supplies kit and update anything in it that needs refreshing (bottled water, packaged food, batteries), and make sure the kit’s complete.

In honor of today’s national day of service, we wanted to pass along the checklists enclosed [and linked below] from the American Red Cross so your family can refer to them easily to update, or put together, your own kits.

Also you can learn more at www.redcross.org and at www.cruzrojaamericana.org.

• Be Red Cross Ready: Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed. (PDF)
• Be Red Cross Ready – Earthquake Safety Checklist (PDF)
• Find checklists for other types of disasters that may occur in your region.
  
• Prepare your workplace and staff.
• Prepare your school and students.
  

Sincerely,

Amy and family

Can AmeriCorps Members Raise Funds for Haiti?

AmeriCorps State and National members are typically limited in the amount of fund raising they are allowed to do during hours they count towards their 1700 hours.(AmeriCorps VISTA members are not restricted and often hold grant writing and other development positions.)

Today, Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, issued a statement indicating that national service members may be permitted to take part in fundraising for the Haiti earthquake relief effort “within certain limits” and “as supplemental to the core program activity:”

We have been asked whether it is permissible for national service programs to participate in fundraising and other community outreach efforts in support of Haiti earthquake relief.  Within certain limits to be discussed with Corporation program officers, it is generally permissible for national service participants to support this activity as supplemental to the core program activity.  We are putting together more detailed answers to frequently-asked questions for programs considering ways to contribute to the relief effort, to be posted and updated as needed.  Please forward any questions you have to your program officer so that we can provide specific guidance.

I’ll update this post when more details are available.

Are you a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Hoping to Help Out in Haiti?

UPDATE 1/19/10: Peace Corps Response needs Returned Peace Corps Volunteers [only] who are Kreyol speakers to leave for Haiti within 24-48 hours. Contact pcresponse [at] peacecorps.gov.

Peace Corps has created a questionnaire (not an application) to gauge the current level of interest among Returned Peace Corps Volunteers [only] to assist Haiti via Peace Corps Response (formerly Crisis Corps).

If you are a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer willing and able to volunteer in Haiti, please copy and paste these questions, and fill out your responses, in an email to: pcresponse [at] peacecorps.gov.

Peace Corps Response is the agency’s program that mobilizes former Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in short-term, high-impact volunteer roles. Follow more news about Peace Corps and the Haiti Earthquake on Peace Corps Polyglot, the blog of the National Peace Corps Association, and on the Haiti Disaster Response discussion group for RPCVs.

Peace Corps Response — Haiti Response Questionnaire

Thank you for your interest in assisting Haiti during this time of emergency. To help us gauge the current level of interest among former Peace Corps Volunteers, please fill out this questionnaire. This is NOT an application. Please keep your answers brief (no more than 3 sentences). Please email your completed questionnaire to pcresponse@peacecorps.gov. [NOTE: please only use this form if you are a former Peace Corps Volunteer.]

Name: ______________________________

Country of Service (when you were a Peace Corps Volunteer): ________________________

Telephone: ____________________ Email Address: _______________

1. How soon would you be available to depart on a response assignment?

2. How long would you be able to serve?

3. What languages do you speak and with what proficiency?

4. What technical skills do you possess that would be beneficial in a disaster situation?

5. What prior experience have you had with disaster relief or emergency situations?

6. Peace Corps Response will most likely be sending Volunteers in the next month or so. Given this, are you open to being referred to another government agency or nongovernmental organization for an immediate assignment in Haiti?

Helping Haiti: Things to Consider – Donations and Volunteering

Flag image via Victor Chapa on Flickr

This post has three sections: Donations; Volunteering Locally to Support Efforts in Haiti; and Volunteering in Haiti. Idealist staff Jeremy MacKechnie, Amy Potthast, Erin Barnhart, Eric Fichtl, Scott Stadum, and Julia Smith contributed. Originally posted on Idealist.org.

The outpouring of support for the victims of Tuesday’s natural disaster in Haiti has been overwhelming. As we look for ways to help, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Donations

From news reports and our organizational contacts, it seems the logistics of sending aid and support to Haiti is compromised by electrical outages, gas shortages, and destroyed roads. Most organizations have sent small teams of staff and are assessing needs on-the-ground at this point. Supplies that have made it to the ports and airport are having a hard time getting in to affected areas due to the impassability of roads.

As our Director of Volunteer Initiatives, Erin Barnhart, wrote on YP Nation yesterday: While many are willing and able to volunteer today—ready to hop on a plane to Port-au-Prince and lend a hand however they are needed—the reality is there may not yet be appropriate ways for most people to pitch in, especially in the days immediately following a disaster of this magnitude.

Thus, the fastest and most efficient way to assist disaster victims at this time is to donate money to a reputable charity that is responding to the disaster. Many charities like the Red Cross/Red Crescent, Mercy Corps, and Oxfam specialize in providing relief in acute disaster areas, yet they face significant financial barriers to getting their staff, equipment, and supplies to the affected regions. Other organizations like Partners in Health, UNICEF, and the Grameen Foundation have a long history in Haiti and are positioned to make a huge impact in the aftermath of this week’s disaster. Find other organizations supporting Haiti relief efforts on CNN.com or at Network for Good. On a White House call today, participants were encouraged to donate to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Your donation, no matter how small, helps put experienced disaster responders on the ground, and gives them the tools they need to help victims recover. Be sure that you are taking precautions to donate to a reputable organization. You may want to review this article on internet scams that have arisen surrounding the tragedy in Haiti.

Note that organizations are asking for financial donations—not supplies—because they prefer to purchase exactly what they need from secure supply chains, using delivery means that can ensure the safety of the shipment. Where possible, purchasing materials available locally is also a boon to the local economy in the wake of a natural disaster. Read more about why cash donations are preferred.

Some organizations have organized text messaging donation drives: you can text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross; text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele; or text “HAITI” to 25383 to donate $5 to the International Rescue Committee. Organizations should send you a text to confirm that you want to donate, and if you accept, the amount will appear on your next cell phone bill – which you can use as your receipt for tax purposes. These have been very popular and successful; however, it is worth considering that the money may take up to 90 days to reach the people and efforts on the ground, as there are processed through the cell phone company and possibly other parties. Read more here.

ReCellular is accepting old cell phone donations to send to emergency response teams in Haiti.

Volunteering Locally to Support Efforts in Haiti

If you are not in a financial position to donate, you can still help the relief effort in a variety of ways, often right in your own community. Most organizations don’t want to receive supplies such as clothing, but you can post a donation banner for an organization you support on your blog or website, volunteer at the local office of a charity that has sent staff to the affected area, or organize initiatives in your community that raise awareness about, and funding for, the relief effort.

Such efforts shouldn’t be downplayed: raising money, spreading awareness, or lobbying community leaders to support the relief effort can all generate tangible results for disaster victims. Check out our section on DIY volunteering for tips on how to create your own volunteer project, or visit Idealist in NYC for a list of drives and events being organized in New York City.

Also check out Britt Bravo’s post on five ways to volunteer for Haiti from within the States.

Volunteering in Haiti

If you are mainly interested in volunteering on the ground in Haiti right now:

• Please be patient. Volunteer managers are likely overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill and may be unprepared to receive the numbers of people stepping forward to help out. It will take a long time for Haiti to dig out from this disaster, and the long-term volunteering needs will become more apparent as the months (and years) pass. We recommend that you continue to check Idealist.org over the coming weeks and months for these kinds of opportunities. You can search for volunteer opportunities on the site by clicking on Find Volunteer Opportunities.
• International Medical Corps Worldwide is accepting applications from doctors and nurses.
• The American Medical Association is accepting applications from doctors who are willing to volunteer in Haiti.
• [UPDATE] As far as we know, Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders are faced with long waiting lists of physicians who want to travel to Haiti. They ask that you please consider a monetary donation for now instead. PIH is apparently specifically looking for trauma doctors and orthopedic surgeons. If you fit the bill, email PIH at volunteer [at] pih.org.
• Volunteers with “needed skills” can also register for possible volunteer positions at the Center for International Disaster Information’s registration page. You can also let the CIDI know about bulk emergency supplies you or your organization have for donation.
• Hands On Disaster Response is taking information about potential volunteers, with the aim of mobilizing throughout the coming months to fill in the gaps left by local government and NGO responders.
• If you are an Returned Peace Corps Volunteer willing to volunteer in Haiti, please copy and paste this questionnaire (not an application) into an email to pcresponse [at] peacecorps.gov. Looks like Peace Corps Response is in need of folks who speak Haitian Creole.
• Check out the website Haiti Volunteer to see organizations that are requesting volunteers, to search for volunteers, or to post your skills.
• Apparently, the Red Cross is looking for Haitian Creole speakers to staff a phone bank. Call Mr. Wilfrid at
  305-776-6900.
• If you’re a breastfeeding mom, consider donating breastmilk to medically fragile, separated and orphaned infants in Haiti.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Launch Haiti Relief Discussion Group

Today, the National Peace Corps Association established a discussion group on its social networking site Connected Peace Corps for the Peace Corps Community to ask questions and learn more about disaster relief efforts in the wake of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake near Port au Prince, Haiti.

Peace Corps Volunteers have been stationed in Haiti over the years, but none are currently serving there according to Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams. (Read more about Peace Corps’s history in Haiti — the program seems to have been suspended in 2005.)

The number of members on the Haiti Disaster Relief discussion group has climbed throughout the day and contributors to the chat are sharing endorsements of organizations to support and clearing up rumors circulating on other social media sites. Others are sharing memories of their own experiences in Haiti, or its neighbor the Dominican Republic, or are sharing insights based on natural disasters they’ve been survivors of.

Currently Peace Corps Response (formerly Crisis Corps), the agency’s program that mobilizes former Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in short-term, high-impact volunteer roles, doesn’t show any listings for Haiti – but it’s still early. This Facebook group has been started to get feedback and ideas to Peace Corps and encourage Peace Corps Response to get a group together to serve in Port au Prince.

Incidentally, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Mark Marek works for the Red Cross of Haiti. Here he is on PBS’s Newshour and on NPR.

Street Poet Heads to Durban, S. Africa as a Global Xchange Participant

Last week I blogged about Global Xchange’s first-ever multi-lateral volunteer project, including five U.S. volunteers. Starting today, and continuing through the end of winter, Andres Rivera — one of the L.A.-based U.S. volunteers taking part in the Global Xchange project — will be writing about his experiences in Durban, South Africa, and later on in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Hi everyone!

My name is Andres Rivera. I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California.

With the National Conference for Community and Justice, at the age of 16 years old I began my journey into the working world of social justice. I dedicated myself to social activism and youth development so that generations after me could live with less oppression.

I am a poet and recording/performing artist under the nom de plume of RHIPS (restin’ humbly in poetry and song, a story for another time). Something inside me, like a new born, cried out to be acknowledged, and loved by the world. I started writing as a way to get to know myself better, and the world around me. I began performing as a way to give voice to my words, my upbringing, and my stories of trials and tribulations and triumph.

I began working with Street Poets, Inc. a non-profit poetry-based peace-making organization dedicated to the creative process

Reinvigorating Peace Corps

Sprin 2009 cover

The Winter 2009/2010 WorldView Magazine — a quarterly publication of the National Peace Corps Association — came in the mail recently, and explores questions of how to reinvigorate Peace Corps to fulfill its potential.

The issue features results of a survey of 4,500+ Peace Corps community members: applicants, current Volunteers, and Returned Volunteers; how Peace Corps might focus on “strategic” countries and partner with other organizations; how Peace Corps might strengthen the Peace Corps Fellows USA program (in which partner universities offer funding, field experiences, and special consideration for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers); how Peace Corps can better fulfill its third goal of educating people in the United States about the wider world.

A couple articles to highlight:

• An interview with Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams:

Erica Burman, National Peace Corps Association’s communications director, interviewed new Peace Corps Director, and

Where will you Volunteer on MLK Day, Jan. 18th?

A group of City Year Young Heroes during their 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service project at Emery Elementary School in Washington, DC

January 18th is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day — a national day of service. Where will you volunteer your energy and time?

For 15 years, MLK Day has been a national day of service, mobilizing projects that strive to transform Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve social problems — strengthening communities, bridging barriers, and empowering individuals.

The day of service, which is known as a “day on, not a day off,” typically enjoys a great deal of support and participation among national service corps—who volunteer for and often organize service projects.

This year organizers are launching a special initiative to connect schools in need with technology support. If you serve in a school that could use tech support — anything from a website facelift to blogging support for student clubs — you can post a volunteer opportunity on AllForGood.org:

When you create your volunteer opportunity, be sure to:

1. Use a descriptive title and make sure to include the “MLKTech” keyword – the keyword is necessary for search.
2. Set the date as January 18, 2010

Web professionals can search for opportunities on Serve.gov.

Learn more and find opportunities to serve on the Serve.gov and  MLKDay.gov sites. Also check out yesterday’s Change/Wire post from Service Nation, chock full of MLK Day resources.

Check out Hands On Network’s MLK Day page, including the virtual Town Hall Meeting it will hold on January 18th.

Already planning a project? Be sure to register it so that people in your community will find out how to support it!

Last year, inspired by Barack Obama’s call to service, MLK Day enjoyed the largest turnout in its history. On January 19, 2009, service projects numbered about 13,000 (compared to 5,000 in 2008), and the Corporation for National and Community Service estimated the total number of volunteers at a million.

Check out this video with more information about MLK Day:

The UK’s Global Xchange Service Corps Announces its First U.S. Volunteers

The United Kingdom-based Global Xchange recently announced the selection of its first-ever U.S. participants for a volunteer project.

Global Xchange is an innovative, intercultural service exchange opportunity for young people to work together with people of other countries and to develop shared experiences, skill sets, and values.

A partnership between the British Council and the Volunteer Service Organisation (VSO), Global Xchange teams up groups of 18 young people, ages 18-25, usually from the United Kingdom and a partner country — and volunteers split their time during the service term between the United Kingdom and the partner country.

The U.S. participants will be part of the first multilateral group of volunters, with participants from the United Kingdom,

January is National Mentoring Month

It’s January! And though we’re in the midst of a nasty, dreadful winter, it feels a lot like spring…well, if you don’t consider the weather.  January, like March, is a time of rebirth and new beginnings. In the spring, nature beckons and we follow her lead.  In the winter, we don’t have the benefit of nature leading the way so we have to be self-motivated.

Fittingly, January, the first month of the year, is when we make commitments, mostly to ourselves, to be better, improve, to do or not to do.  Ultimately, we “resolve” to be our best selves and our resolutions, when implemented, lead the way. And, if we’re committed, come spring, we’re in full bloom.

January is also National Mentoring Month.  It’s the time of year when Harvard, Mentor and the Corporation for National and Community Service join forces to shine a spotlight on the need for mentors in the lives of America’s youth.

In this new era of service, when Americans are being asked to give of themselves to help make America better, resolving to

A Year of Celebrations: the 45th Anniversary of VISTA

Voices of VISTA was a series of radio ads featuring celebrities, and interviews with VISTAs. Listen to the radio spots on the VISTA Campus (free login required).

Happy New Year!

2010 is the 45th anniversary that Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) first fanned out across the country, spending a year organizing communities in poverty, developing local infrastructures, and connecting people with the rights and the social service resources in their regions.

In honor of the 45th anniversary, the Corporation for National and Community Service — the agency that runs VISTA today, as AmeriCorps VISTA — is planning several celebrations throughout 2010, across the country and online.

For example, special events like an exhibit of VISTA photos from the late 60s by then-VISTA Frederico Santi may appear in a few places around the United States, presented during AmeriCorps Week (May 8-15)  and during other times.

Also a focus on poverty issues and a celebration of VISTA’s contributions are in the works for this summer’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service in New York City, among the oldest host cities for VISTAs.

I hope to focus more attention on VISTAs past and present on this blog during the coming year, including writings of VISTAs who have served in the Pacific Northwest and contributed writings to the Northwest National Service Symposium.

To all VISTAs — thanks for your service, and I am excited to help kick off this exciting year!