[VIDEO] A Day of Energy, Idealism, and Hope

Last week, 900 AmeriCorps members, from 30 different programs, came together in Albany, for the New York State Commission on National & Community Service Kickoff Event. The day was filled with energy, idealism, determination and hope. The inspirational program started with some of City Year’s signature PT moves before we heard from the event speakers.

First up was Mark Walter, Executive Director State Commission on National & Community Service, who used one of City Year’s Founding Stories, The Starfish Story, to share his vision of the incredible impact that all 7,800 AmeriCorps members serving across New York State will make this year. Next we heard form the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Education, Dr. John B. King. Dr. King a Brooklyn native, shared perspective about the challenges that many of us will face, working in some of our states most high-need schools and communities. After seeing the dedication of the many people in the room, he was optimistic about the future of education in New York.

“The transformative impact that you will have this year will provide hope in communities where there is often despair… You have the opportunity to be the difference for somebody.” -Dr. John B King

As alway, the part of the program that got the most cheers, was when current AmeriCorps members shared their personal testimonials from their service. We were lucky to have our own Jordan Halane speak and to get a copy of the video, posted above.

Other highlights included a volunteer fair that highlighted employment opportunities throughout NY, this year’s corps taking their AmeriCorps Oath of Service, and a moving musical performance by Giovanina Bucci, from AmeriCorps for the Adirondacks.

Voices From Voices: 2011

Today’s guest blog is written by Maris Goodstein, our Chief of Staff and City Year New York alumna (’06-07) who participated in the Voices for National Service Congressional Hill Day, an annual gathering of the diverse coalition of national service programs, state commissions, and champions committed to expanding opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve and volunteer.

I consider myself lucky to work at City Year New York – daily I get to interact with our amazing staff and passionate Corps Members. But it is rare that I get to spend a full day with like-minded organizations, advocating for the work that we get to do and for the communities that we get to serve. Last Thursday, I was privileged to spend the day on the Hill in DC with Voices for National Service, fighting for critical funding that keeps so many amazing programs alive.

There are incredible non-profits in New York that are leveraging federal dollars through AmeriCorps members to meet critical needs. Kathy, from the Rockland County AmeriCorps, is fighting to get back funding she lost in the cuts last year, and is working to ensure that her Environmental, Educational and Civic Engagement Corps can meet the needs of the community. Or Monthina, who works with Habitat NYC and is tasked with building 100 units, over the next few years. She relies heavily on AmeriCorps members to get the job done – in fact, they make up half of her full time work force. Or Lucian, who works with Green City Force to ensure that the unemployment rates that plague our city aren’t a reality forever, and even better, trains AmeriCorps members in green jobs that result in 80% job or college placement after Green City Force. Or, Catherine from NYRP, which has the hefty task of planting a million trees in ten years. But with the help of a 14 year old AmeriCorps program, NYRP is set to plant their 500,000 tree ahead of schedule. Or, Mary from Reserve Inc who is giving people 55 and older the opportunity to serve organizations like schools and libraries. It’s remarkable to me that my colleagues across the state and across the country both continue to do more with less, but also hold out hope that eventually we will see the realization of the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act – that eventually, we will all be able to grow.

With unemployment rates nearing 20%, for 17-25 year olds, programs like ours are critical. And it was refreshing to get to meet with elected officials on the Hill that not only believe in our work, but are willing to stand up and speak out in support of CNCS despite a difficult budget season ahead. A huge thank you to Senator Gillibrand, Congressmen Serrano, Engel, Rangel and Congresswoman Lowey, Velazquez, and Maloney for taking the time to hear about our work, and for agreeing to continue to support us in the upcoming budget battle. Your support means that we can continue to provide critical services to combat the high school drop-out crisis, environmental challenges, housing shortages, and unemployment.

There is a hard year ahead. While applications for AmeriCorps have increased 67% since 2008, opportunities to serve have been cut.  We are a generation answering the call to service, and I hope that for years to come, there will be places for us to do just that. I was lucky enough to serve with City Year New York six years ago, at a middle school in the South Bronx. Our Corps Members still serve in that school, and I hope that if they ever leave that schools, it is because they are no longer needed, not because our program was cut.

Click here to see our post from last year’s Hill Day.

For more information about Voices for National Service, please visit www.saveservice.com.

We Need Your Help

By November 23^rd, a 12-member bipartisan Congressional committee will need to identify at least 1.5 trillion dollars in debt savings and programs like the Corporation for National and Community Service could be targeted.

Tomorrow we need you to take a few minutes out of your day, pick up the phone, and tell Congress why they need to invest in National Service and City Year. When I made visits on District Day, every office told me that nothing get their attention more than their phones ringing off the hook for a specific cause. These calls are very important to the future of City Year and other AmeriCorps programs and it only takes a few minutes.

All you need to do is call 1-855-US-SERVE (1-855-87-73783) and you will be connected with your representative.

For more information please visit www.saveservice.org

Disclaimer: This is a message for all current City Year corps members: As AmeriCorps member you are not able to participate in political debate or political activities while serving and that includes tomorrow’s Call Day. If you have any questions contact the CYNY Communications Department.

The Innovators of Tomorrow (and Yesterday)

Where will we find tomorrow’s innovators?

A post on GOVERNING, by Jim Balfanz, President of City Year, Inc. and Jim Emerman, Executive Vice President of Civic Ventures, helps answer this question, sharing their thoughts that the path to future innovation starts with national service. Whether its mobilizing recent HS and College grads with City Year, or with Civic Ventures, who are putting the the talents and expertise of the growing number of retiring baby boomers to work in our communities, we “need all the help and new ideas we can get to tackle today’s challenges.”

They identified 4 strategies to help make this happen:

Find the right people: Diversity is keys when finding new ideas to solving old problems.

Identify the right work: Provide the best volunteer experience possible when working with professionals with specifics skills. Volunteers need to be adding value to organizations, and organizations need to provide flexible work environments for professional transitioning into retirement.

Develop the right capacities: Volunteers can’t just give back, they need to “become a significant force in solving problems.” Organizations need to be mission driven and set volunteers up to have an impact on the problems facing our communities.

Create the right culture: Change the perception of taking time off for service. Volunteering needs to be viewed as a rite of passage, for both our younger and older generations. Volunteering will better prepare the youth for future careers and education, and give our newly retired “a stepping stone to highly meaningful work.”

Read the whole story “The Innovators of Tomorrow (and Yesterday)”