Historically February is the toughest month for nonprofits to recruit volunteers and volunteer leaders. However, throughout the past year, Americans have answered President Obama’s call to service like never before and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) there was a significant increase in the number of volunteers and the volunteer rate in 2009.
According to the BLS report, 1.5 million more Americans volunteered between September 2008 and September 2009 than did in the previous year. Approximately 63.4 million people, or 26.8 percent of the population, volunteered through or for an organization in 2009 compared to 61.8 million in 2008.
“In this time of economic distress, the need for service and volunteering is more critical today than ever before, and Americans are responding,” said Stephen Goldsmith, Board Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We’re seeing a compassion boom across this country, where communities are banding together and neighbors are reaching out in service to others. It is truly the generosity of the American spirit at its best. The need is great, the momentum is strong, and potential is unlimited for ushering in a new era of service in America.”
President Obama called on all Americans to make volunteering and community service part of their daily lives this past spring, and since then, support for the Corporation’s service programs has skyrocketed among the public – AmeriCorps applications have tripled and a record number of Americans joined together to serve on the first-ever annual 9-11 Day of Service and Remembrance and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in 2009. The agency leverages more than five million volunteers across the country, leads President Obama’s national service initiative, United We Serve, and oversees Serve.gov, a website that enables people to find local volunteer opportunities, share their story of service, and design and execute their own service projects.
The report is based on a survey of approximately 60,000 households collected by the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics in partnership with the Corporation. These data will be used to produce the annual Volunteering In America report in the summer that details volunteer trends nationally, in every state and for major metropolitan areas.
Below are the top-line results of the BLS “2009 Volunteering in the United States” report. Click here for the complete report.
o The volunteer rate of women increased from 29.4 percent in 2008 to 30.1 percent in 2009, while the volunteer rate for men, at 23.3 percent, was essentially unchanged. As in previous years, women volunteered at a higher rate than did men across all age groups, education levels, and other major demographic characteristics.
o From 2008 to 2009, those employed full time showed a large increase in their volunteer rate — from 27.8 percent to 28.7 percent. This was led by women employed full time, with an increase of 1.4 percentage points in their volunteer rate.
o The volunteer rate among unemployed men increased from 17 to 18.2 percent, while those unemployed showed no significant change overall.
o By age group, 35-44-year olds and 45-54-year olds were the most likely to volunteer. Their volunteer rates were 31.5 percent and 30.8 percent, respectively, in 2009.
So head to your local HandsOn Action Center and sign up for a volunteer opportunity this month… your soul will thank you!
Watch tonight! AmeriCorps Helps Mobilize Largest Volunteer Turnout in Extreme Makeover History
It all started with a text message to a friend. Kyle Kraus from David Homes sent Joshua Randle from Western New York AmeriCorps this: “Extreme Makeover Home Edition coming to do a house in Buffalo. You in?….can you bring volunteers?” Randle’s response, “Of course!……you want 10 or 10,000”
David Stapleton of David Homes had been selected to build a home for a deserving family on Massachusetts Avenue in the City of Buffalo, by the hit ABC show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” David was looking to expand the project beyond the one house and into the community, but they only had two and a half weeks to make a plan and build a team. WNY AmeriCorps agreed to come on board to manage volunteers and further develop the community projects, and what started with the idea to assist a handful of homeowners quickly grew into what would be coined “Extreme Makeover: Neighborhood Edition. “
“It was heartening to see David embrace a commitment to the community beyond the makeover house,” said WNY AmeriCorps CEO Mark Lazzara. “It really enabled WNY AmeriCorps to do the kind of service we do everyday, but with amazing resources at our finger tips. We didn’t have to say no to anyone in need.”
Led by WNY AmeriCorps COO Joshua Randle, community meetings began and the scope of the projects expanded, with the staff of WNY AmeriCorps taking an active role in identifying and addressing community need while also maintaining the required confidentiality of the chosen house. Along with community partners, the scope of the project had more than tripled.
Meanwhile, something special started to happen online. The outreach was working. Western New Yorkers had begun to sign up to volunteer; hundreds the first day, hundreds the next, adding up into thousands. Word went out to WNY AmeriCorps members, offering them the unique opportunity to lead volunteers in the kind of large scale community change possible under the spotlight of national attention with passionate local interest.
On November 7, the day the Powell family finally found out they had been selected to receive an Extreme Makeover, over 1,000 volunteers came out to march to their front door as part of what the show calls the “Braveheart March.” While volunteers were marching, WNY AmeriCorps was working to prepare for the next five days of projects.
Through the work of David Homes, Delores Powell’s family’s new house was going to be “green;” super efficient with a minimal environmental impact. On the first project day, the deconstruction of the old house began, with local non-profit, and WNY AmeriCorps partner, Buffalo ReUse leading WNY AmeriCorps members and alumni as the house came down piece by piece for recycling. Many materials taken from the house were used in the neighborhood projects, including using the stone foundation to create a retaining wall in the community garden and lumber to reinforce other community projects.
Throughout the week community members began to come forward with their stories, opening up to WNY AmeriCorps members and staff, admitting that they had been living without some of the most basic necessities for years. Some had no hot water while others had been living with no running water at all. Roofs had been leaking while porches deteriorated, with little or no resources to correct the issues. As WNY AmeriCorps members began leading the projects to replace railings and roofs, reinforce porch floors, rebuild steps, paint houses, and hang siding on houses, staff reached out to local retailers and contractors, working with David Homes to receive donations to help fix the most urgent problems of neighborhood residents. Complete roofs were donated and installed, new security lights dotted the neighborhood and increased the sense of safety, all while a certified emerald-green home was built in the center of the City of Buffalo with volunteers serving around the clock to complete it. In the end, Buffalo had the largest amount of volunteers in the history of the show, yielded 6,336 volunteers who served 53,544 hours in service to 422 individuals from 164 families.
In the course of five days, an opportunity to create tremendous community change from an impressive public-private partnership between David Homes and WNY AmeriCorps, creating confidence in the Massachusetts Avenue community and providing many low-income homeowners the encouragement, resources, and leadership they needed to move forward and build community. “I am proud that over 200 WNY AmeriCorps members and staff a significant role. We believe that service benefits both those who are being served, as well as those who are serving,” said Lazzara. “This was truly a transformational service project.”
The full statistics of the community projects are:
6,336 Volunteers Mobilized
4,053 Community Revitalization and Transformation Volunteers
1,428 Skills and Trades Volunteers
855 Food Drive Helping Hands Volunteers
53,544 Volunteer Hours Served
32,424 Community Revitalization and Transformation
14,280 Skills and Trades
6,840 Food Drive Helping Hands
$1,516,511 Value of In-kind Volunteer Service
$909,169 Community Revitalization and Transformation
$415,548 Skills and Trades
$191,794 Food Drive Helping Hands
14,360 Meals Donated and Served to Volunteers
109 Individual Community Revitalization and Transformation Projects
33 Homes Equipped with New Security Lights
7 Full or Major Paint Projects
17 Minor Paint Projects
3 Full Siding Projects
3 Roofs Installations
5 Porch Renovations
5 Gutter Installations
4 New Fence Installations
2 Community Garden Projects
30 Properties Landscaped
164 Unique Households Served
412 Community Residents Served
119 New Trees Planted
388 Units of Blood Collected
85.1 Tons of Food Collected
1,000 shoes donated to children in Jamaica
$255,300 Value of Food Collected
1,207 People Fed Every Day for an Entire 10 days
As the world reacts massively and quickly to the earthquake devastation in Haiti, you are probably wondering how YOU can do the most good in this first phase of relief. In the immediate phase, what’s needed are donations of money to experienced disaster relief organizations – click here for a great NYT article about why. In the future, skills and materials will be needed as well, and we will keep you updated about what will help the most as conditions change. 
AmeriCorps Alums knows our audience wants to give… but few of us have millions, or even hundreds, of dollars to donate right now. By pooling your resources and thinking creatively you can maximize your gift to the Haitian relief effort and connect with your friends and community at the same time! Here are just 5 things alums across the country are doing…
1. Have a garage/yard sale (invite all your friends of course) and donate the proceeds to your organization of choice.
2. Plan or attend a benefit dinner or night out. Partner with a restaurant or other business to give you a venue and discounts and donate all the cover charge to one of the recommended organizations on the ground in Haiti
3. Check out The Extraordinaries Haiti Earthquake Support Center… they are currently using your eyes and volunteer time to match pictures and find missing persons.
4. Got skills? Invite all your friends and family over and teach them something (for a small fee of course)!
5. Donate whatever funds you can spare to your organization of choice… every little bit counts! And keep an eye out for the second phase of relief. We’ll tell you when and where you can volunteer to help.
AmeriCorps Alums Portland, Maine wanted to hold a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event that would address the economic downturn by redistributing goods and would encourage people to volunteer and interact, said Caitlyn Horose, the chapter’s leader. Their efforts were captured in an article here by the Portland Press Herald.
“It’s a way to get people to engage in their communities and give back,” Horose said.
AmeriCorps Alums Southwest Pennsylvania spent MLK Day giving a make-over to Little Learning Lamp preschool in Westmont Borough. The Chapter’s activities were covered by The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown PA — read the article here.
“This is a great way to bring people together to make a difference, and we hope it will be the beginning of an ongoing commitment to serve throughout the year,” said Jessica Pulliam, chapter leader and Windber resident. Dr. King exemplified civil rights, civic responsibility and uniting people of all backgrounds to act on community concerns, so there is no better or more meaningful way to honor his legacy than by serving others.”
AmeriCorps Alums Atlanta used their MLK Day of Service grant to improve the facilities at Dobbs Elementary School in the city. You can view videos of their day at facebook.com/americorpsalums
AmeriCorps Alums Washington, DC held a community event where hundreds of youth and family volunteers were engaged in making over 200 care packages to distribute to local shelters. The group also raised over $1000 for the Haitian relief effort and shared their reflections about service and Martin Luther King Jr. View this chapter’s pictures here.
These are just a few of the amazing highlights from alums across the country! You can see what other alums did on MLK Day 2010 here… and if you haven’t yet, please share with us what YOU did to honor Dr. King on Monday!
MLK Day is a signature Day of Service for AmeriCorps Alums as the nation shines a spotlight on service and the important work alums are committed to 365 days a year. The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be celebrated on January, 18, 2010. AmeriCorps alums are encouraged to connect with their local chapter and see what’s going on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service 2010. Click here for your Chapter Leadership’s contact information.
No active chapter near you? Click here or here to find an MLK Day of Service Project (or hook up with your old program) and be sure to use our Be Extra application to show us what you did!
ON YOUR COMPUTER
1. Go to http://www.beextra.org/
2. Click Get Started
3. Find AmeriCorps Alums (Click ‘View All’ next to Custom) or just click here:http://app.beextra.org/activityfeed/show/orgid/1c324f0
4. Click on the Mission Help us highlight MLK Day of Service http://app.beextra.org/mission/show/missionid/534
5. Click Do this Mission… And then follow the steps!
ON YOUR iPhone
AmeriCorps Alums wants to thank you for your continued involvement with us and be sure that you’re the first to know…
THE GEAR IS HERE!
You asked and we answered. Through our amazing partner, Social Imprints, you now have access to sweet AmeriCorps Alums merch! From hoodies to goodies, we have a fab selection of good looking gear at great prices. It’s super easy to show your service pride and get your holiday shopping done all at once – just visit www.americorpsalumsstore.com.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
~ The AmeriCorps Alums Team
UPDATE: Congress today (Monday, 12/14) gave final approval to the Fiscal 2010 budget for the Corporation for National and Community Service, making a historic investment in the agency and its programs at a time of mounting social needs and renewed interest in citizen service.
The appropriations measure passed by the Senate today provides $1.149 billion for the Corporation, fully funding President Obama’s request. This funding level, the largest in the agency’s history, will support millions of Americans in addressing national priorities through service, from preventing high school dropouts and increasing energy efficiency to improving health care and supporting veterans.
“This budget is a strong vote of confidence in the value of national service as a critical tool for solving our nation’s toughest challenges,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “By fully funding the President’s request, this budget will enable us to strengthen and expand existing programs and invest in key initiatives authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.”
The national service budget was part of the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which now goes to the President for his signature. It contains a $260 million increase over last year, and is the first budget enacted after passage of the landmark Serve America Act, which passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed by President Obama last April.
Included in this figure is an increase in the number of AmeriCorps members to 85,000 (an increase of 10,000), $2 million for a new Summer of Service program under Learn and Serve, $50 million for the Social Innovation Fund (as well as funding for Senior Corps programs ($220.9 million), VISTA ($99.1 million) and NCCC ($29 million).
Further details, including bill text, manager’s statement, and an updated chart are on the CNCS budget page.
The bill now is on to the President for his signature.
Iris L. Dooling, a former AmeriCorps member whose service included terms with Teach for America and the Indiana Reading Corps, has been named the Eli Segal Fellow at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the national service agency that oversees AmeriCorps.
“Iris’s commitment to national service is admirable and the value of her work to empower America’s young people is immeasurable,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “The expertise she gained as an AmeriCorps member will be a tremendous asset for the Corporation as she continues to develop the leadership skills that Eli Segal valued so highly.”
Dooling will work in the Office of the CEO at the Corporation on projects to advance the mission of national service and the strategic goals of the agency. She was selected in a highly competitive process that produced applicants from all branches of AmeriCorps: State and National, VISTA and NCCC.
The Eli Segal Fellowship, named in honor of the first CEO of the Corporation, brings a stellar former AmeriCorps member to work in a different side of the service world. The Corporation’s Board of Directors established the fellowship after Segal’s death in February 2006.The competition was open to AmeriCorps alums who served full-time in the past three years. Candidates were sought who had strong leadership abilities, dedication to the ideals of national service, a social entrepreneurial spirit, and effective communication and analytical skills.
A native of Hobart, Indiana, Dooling, 26, started her AmeriCorps service with the Indiana Reading Corps-AmeriCorps at DePauw University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in English literature and French in 2006. While at DePauw, she founded the Putnam County Pride Project, an elementary student writing project designed to develop community pride and encourage improved community-college relations. Her Teach for America AmeriCorps service was at Crestworth Middle School in Baton Rouge, La., in 2006-07, where she led 92 low-performing students to master an average of 70% of the English curriculum and 80% of the grade-level writing skills. She also spent the summer of 2007 as a National Leadership Fellow with Breakthrough/Summerbridge New Orleans, where she trained and supported 30 student teachers to instruct and mentor at-risk, low-income middle school students. From 2007 until 2009, Dooling ran the Louisiana State AmeriCorps program for Habitat for Humanity.
“I’m honored to have been chosen for this fellowship,” Dooling said. “Serving in AmeriCorps set me on the path to a career in service. My goal as the Eli Segal Fellow is to continue the service I started with AmeriCorps and to make a difference in the lives of AmeriCorps members—and those they serve.”
Congratulations Iris!
AmeriCorps Alums is proud to announce the grantees for our 2010 MLK Day of Service Grants! Each chapter below will be receiving funding to assist in carrying out their service projects on MLK Day, January 18th 2010. Click on each city/region to view their chapter page on americorpsalums.org and for more information about their MLK Day 2010 projects!
