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In the News
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Detroit Launches Cities of Service Plan
 | | Several Michigan's AmeriCorps members assist in Detroit's tree planting project. |
This past year, Detroit's Mayor Dave Bing signed on to Cities of Service, a bi-partisan coalition of mayors of large and small cities from across the country. These cities are responding to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's call to action by working together to find new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteerism to solve our cities most pressing challenges.
Detroit took their commitment to service one step further and applied for and received a Cities of Service Leadership Grant, which allowed them to hire a Chief Service Officer. This individual is a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a citywide service plan. In Detroit, that role is filled by Barbara Jean Patton.
Barbara Jean and her team announced Detroit's Service Plan at a public event on September 29. Major Bing was on hand to share his vision of the power and potential of Community Engagement and the Cities of Service initiatives. Key initiatives the city will focus on as a result of the Plan include Public Safety, Neighborhood Restoration, and Education. To read Detroit's Service Plan, click here.
Following the Cities of Service launch, participants joined Mayor Bing in planting 20 trees at the Butzel Family Center. Several Michigan's AmeriCorps members from programs throughout Southeast Michigan joined this effort.
For more information on Cities of Service, visit www.citiesofservice.org.
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Federal Funding Comes to Michigan to Engage and Retain Volunteers
The Michigan Community Service Commission was awarded $486,913 in Volunteer Generation Funds to build volunteer infrastructure and capacity across the state.
The funds are courtesy of the Corporation for National and Community Service's Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF). The Corporation received $4 million in federal funds to distribute to state service commissions across the country to better recruit, manage, and retain volunteers to address pressing social challenges - as well as to enhance the volunteer infrastructure and capacity of nonprofit organizations. The MCSC received the largest grant of any state service commission in the U.S.
The MCSC is redistributing the VGF funds as part of its new Volunteer Michigan program, an effort to increase the number of volunteers addressing health and public safety issues in local communities and statewide. Funds will be used to support defined volunteer generation, focused community collaboration, and tracking efforts. Seven volunteer connectors will receive funding to connect individuals with volunteer opportunities; such as Volunteer Centers and Retired and Senior Volunteer Programs.
Stay tuned for an official announcement from the Michigan Community Service Commission introducing you to the seven Volunteer Michigan grantees!
For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
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Grant Awarded to Michigan to Increase Student Achievement
The Kent Intermediate School District has received $880,905 from the Corporation for National and Community Service's Youth Engagement Zone grants program to improve their students' academic and civic engagement.
Kent ISD will engage three high-need schools in service-learning activities to stop urban decay and expand the support of green infrastructure. They will partner with the Wittenbach Wege Agriscience and Environmental Education Center and Grand Rapids Community College to develop youth-led service-learning projects.
The Kent Intermediate School District is also a current grantee of the Michigan Community Service Commission's Learn and Serve - Michigan initiative; which funds and assists in the development of high quality service-learning programs in K-12 schools and in community-based organizations.
For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
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Growing MLK Day in Michigan - How Will You Get Involved?
 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." To honor his words of inspiration and encouragement, the Michigan Community Service Commission asks you to mark January 17, 2011 on your calendar for the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
The MLK Day of Service was initiated by Congress in 1994 and has been developed beyond a federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service. In honor of this special day, thousands of service projects will be planned across the country grounded in Dr. King's teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The efforts of 2011 also commemorate the 25th Anniversary of this Day of Service.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in the MLK Day of Service and all types of service are accepted. The Martin Luther King Day of Service Toolkit, available online at www.mlkday.gov, can help plan 2011 projects.
Statewide efforts in Michigan are lead by the Michigan Community Service Commission and their partners: the Michigan Department of Human Services, Volunteer Centers of Michigan, Michigan Campus Compact, the LEAGUE Michigan, the Corporation for National and Community Service - Michigan Office, and the Michigan Association of United Ways. Be on the look out for information and resources provided by these organizations.
For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
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New AmeriCorps*VISTAs Join Michigan Community Service Commission
Three new AmeriCorps*VISTAs have joined the Michigan Community Service Commission, starting their service in November. Please read on to learn more about these new additions.
Kathleen Egan, our Cross-Stream/Inclusion AmeriCorps*VISTA will  help build infrastructure and capacity to sustain and grow Michigan's national service efforts. She will focus on improving communication, collaboration, and sustainability of national service programs by maintaining the Michigan National Service Directory and providing support to the Cross-Stream Advisory Team. Kathleen will also help equip and empower national service programs to make service a part of the lives of individuals with disabilities. Kathleen comes to us from Northville, Michigan and holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Interpersonal Communications and Theater from Albion College.
Ellen King is the new Learn and Serve AmeriCorps*VISTA. She is from Ann Arbor, and received her Bachelor of the Arts in Sociology from The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. She will assist on several projects in the Learn and Serve program, including but not limited to: identifying and engaging high poverty communities in Michigan who are in need of receiving service learning grants, supporting the Service-Learning Youth Council (SLYC), and compiling resources and research on service-learning. She is excited to not only serve with the members of the youth council, but the Michigan Learn and Serve grantees.
Chelsea Martin is the new Volunteer Michigan AmeriCorps*VISTA. Her  service will be focused on: facilitating volunteerism associated with National Day of Service programs, assisting with the implementation of a full lifecycle volunteer management and tracking platform (this platform will enable volunteer connector organizations to more effectively promote, track, and report on volunteerism in their communities), and promoting and supporting volunteer initiatives related to public safety or health in partnership with several volunteer connector organizations and their community stakeholders. Chelsea is originally from the Lansing area and studied Political Science and Public Relations at Eastern Michigan University.
For information on how to contact these VISTAs, visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
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Kalamazoo's Senior Services "Tackles Hunger" for Those In Need
 As you may remember, the Michigan Community Service Commission encouraged volunteer organizations to "Tackle Hunger" this fall in an effort to support the second-annual September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Organizations were asked to get involved by collecting food and/or monetary donations at a local event or gathering a group of individuals to volunteer at a local Food Bank. September also was Hunger Action Month.
Senior Services, Inc., a Kalamazoo County agency that's been providing services to the elderly and their families for more than 45 years, took it one step further and took a whole month to "Tackle Hunger" through their Senior Corps volunteer programs.
Karen Betley, Director of the Kalamazoo County Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs at Senior Services, Inc., says uniting all of the organization's Senior Corps volunteers together to address an issue affecting the community was a great use of their time and resources.
"[Our volunteers] get really excited about bringing donated stuff in," she explained. "All of the volunteers in our program are low-income; so many benefit from food services themselves. Other volunteers really enjoyed being able to help the community at large - and occasionally some of their own peers."
Starting on September 11, the Senior Corps volunteers set to work; seeking out donations from various locations throughout the area. Canned goods and non-perishable food items were collected for the local Loaves and Fishes shelter, as well as pet food items to be given to Senior Services, Inc.'s Meals on Wheels program and the local Humane Society.
"Many elderly individuals can find it difficult to be able to provide for their pets," said Karen. "Thanks to our collection of more than 3,500 pounds of pet food, many will be able to feed their pets without worry!"
With collection occurring until the annual Make A Difference Day on October 23, the volunteers were also able to collect more than 600 pounds of human food. All donations will go to help those in need in Kalamazoo County.
Senior Services, Inc. intends to make their "Tackle Hunger" efforts an annual affair. To learn more about their programs, visit www.seniorservices1.org/index.htm.
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AWARDS
President's Volunteer Service Awards
The MCSC is seeking nominations on an on-going basis for volunteer recognition. Nominees meeting established criteria will be presented The President's Volunteer Service Award. This award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard - measured by the number of service hours over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime. To nominate someone, click here.
2011 Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Awards
Mentor Michigan is currently accepting applications for the 2011 Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Awards. The Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Awards are given to five individual youth mentees in Michigan who best exemplify the benefits of a mentoring relationship. Exhibited benefits may include improved attitude, attendance, grades, pro-social behaviors, and family and peer relationships. Youth must be currently enrolled in high school and part of a formal mentoring match. Click here for the complete nomination form.
Governor's Service Awards
The Michigan Community Service Commission will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in the fall of 2011. The annual Governor's Service Awards will be part of that celebration. Please look for the 2011 Governor's Service Awards nomination form in March 2011 on our website, www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
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SOCIAL MEDIA/NETWORKING
Find Us on Facebook & Twitter!The
Michigan Community Service Commission has spread its efforts to the social
networking site, Facebook. Keep up to
date on the latest news, events, and stories by searching for "Michigan Community Service Commission," "Michigan's
AmeriCorps," "Mentor Michigan," and "Learn and Serve - Michigan." We're also on Twitter - follow us at
@MCSConline, @miamericorps, @MentorMI, and @learnandservemi. Michigan's AmeriCorps LeaderCorps Blog
Join members of the Michigan's AmeriCorps LeaderCorps as they "Get Things Done!" through one year of service. Each week a different participant of the LeaderCorps will share a story about their service. To read more, visit http://miacleadercorps.blogspot.com/. Learn and Serve - Michigan's Resources Blog
Check out Learn and Serve - Michigan's connection to resources and information relevant to the service-learning community through their Resources Blog! Postings are new weekly and often feature guest authors. To read more, visit http://learnandservemi.blogspot.com.
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January 2011 - SAVE THE DATE
Michigan Mentoring Month - Statewide
This annual opportunity raises awareness about the value and importance of mentoring. Mentoring programs from across the state will plan activities in their communities related to raising awareness, recruiting volunteers, and celebrating accomplishments. Mark your calendars now and discover ways you can get involved by visiting www.mentormichigan.org.
January 17, 2011
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service - Nationwide & Statewide
The MLK Day of Service was initiated by Congress in 1994 and has been developed beyond a federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service. In honor of this special day, thousands of service projects will be planned across the country grounded in Dr. King's teachings of nonviolence and social justice. For more information, visit www.mlkday.gov.
January 19, 2011
Michigan Community Service Commission Board Meeting - Lansing, MI
Members of the Michigan Community Service Commission will gather together for a quarterly meeting to discuss business of the state's lead agency on service and volunteerism. All MCSC Board Meetings are open to the public. For more information, call (517) 335-4295.
January 22, 2011
"Mentoring Night at the Palace" - Auburn Hills, Michigan
On Saturday, January 22, the Detroit Pistons and the Palace at Auburn Hills will celebrate mentoring and they want you to join them! Come participate in the first-ever "Mentoring Night at the Palace" and watch the Pistons take on the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. Through out the evening a special emphasis will be placed on mentoring. Tickets are currently available for purchase at a discounted rate. For every ticket sold through this website Mentor Michigan will receive $5. The money raised will be distributed through a statewide funding opportunity at a later date in the form of Detroit Pistons mini-grants. When purchasing tickets, please use the keyword "mentor."
January 25, 2011
Thank Your Mentor Day - Nationwide & Statewide
A special day of recognition held in conjunction with the annual Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day aims to recognize and thank the countless number of volunteers who give their time as mentors to young people. For more information, visit www.mentormichigan.org.
February 9 & 10, 2011
Learn and Serve - Michigan Sustainability Symposium - Bellaire, Michigan
The Symposium offers Learn and Serve - Michigan teams the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking dialogue and strategic planning around the critical issue of sustainability. Registration information will be available soon.
April 10 - 16, 2011
National Volunteer Week - Nationwide & Statewide
National Volunteer Week, always held in the third week of April, has been celebrated annually since the 1970s. This opportunity is sponsored by Points of Light Institute. The 2011 theme is "Celebrating People In Action" and millions of Americans will volunteer this week and demonstrate the positive community impact that engaged individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create year-round. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.
April 15 - 17, 2011
Global Youth Service Day - Nationwide & Statewide
The Michigan Community Service Commission and Learn and Serve - Michigan are excited to mobilize youth across the state through volunteerism this April as part of the 2011 Global Youth Service Day. This annual opportunity, held on April 15, 16, and 17, encourages children and youth to address the world's most critical issues by partnering with families, schools, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and government. For more information, visit www.gysd.org.
June 6 - 8, 2011 SAVE-THE-DATE
National Conference on Volunteering and Service - New Orleans, LA
Sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Points of Light Institute, HandsOn Network, and Target - make plans now to attend the world's largest gathering of volunteer leaders as service takes center stage. For more information, or to register click here.
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About the MCSC The Michigan Community
Service Commissionbuilds a culture of service
by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through
volunteerism. In 2010-2011, the MCSC is granting nearly $9 million in federal
funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities. The MCSC is
funding 26 AmeriCorps programs, 25 Learn and Serve programs, and seven
Volunteer Michigan grantees. The Governor's Service Awards and Mentor Michigan
are also premier programs of the MCSC.
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