Letter to the Editor: AmeriCorps Week

I remember first hearing about AmeriCorps in a speech given by President Clinton to Congress. I thought that was a great idea, a way to have people give back to the nation and earn money for college. It harkened back to President Kennedy’s Inaugural speech where he challenged Americans to ask not what the nation could do for them, but what they could do for the nation. President George W. Bush re-affirmed this commitment to volunteerism when he urged all American to commit to public service. Little did I know that I would someday end up in the Corps myself.

I needed a job, and AmeriCorps had a position working with the American Red Cross of Ventura County. The pay was low but there was something about the organization that appealed to my idealism. Red Cross is truly a necessary and valuable organization and the good works they do are almost legendary. When I met some of the people I was taken by their selflessness and dedication. Most were volunteers who gave of themselves out of a love of their fellow man. After the many jobs I have had over the years, it was refreshing. So I joined up, got the patch and took the oath.

AmeriCorps sent me on an extensive training mission to San Jose. I met more admirable people and others, like myself, motivated to give back something to the community. They were a mixed bag, old people like myself who remembered the Hippie Movement and its idealism, young outdoors people comfortable in hiking boots and blue jeans, and urban groups from all races and economic backgrounds. I had pre-supposed the Corps would be made up of the poor, seeking a way to round out their education, and a few could be classified in this way, but most were there not for the education stipend but out of a need to serve. I was impressed by there youthful optimism and pleased to discover not all young people were troubled, angst-filled, video-gamers. The training was intense and gave us the tools we needed to fulfill our mission.

Upon my return I was stationed in Camarillo where I got to meet more Red Cross staff and set to work on a variety of projects. The hours are long, but the work is worthy and needed. I am saddened that when the contract ends I will be forced to move on. Still, I believe that, like many in the Corps I will be back as a volunteer, helping out in the challenging work of Red Cross.

AmeriCorps doesn’t get the headlines and it almost operates under the public radar screen that’s why May 11th to 18th has been selected to let people know what this worth-while organization is all about. In 2007 alone AmeiCorps mobilized and managed an estimated 1.7 million volunteers. Since its inception in 1994 AmeriCorps has recruited 542,000 members and given out $1.43 Billion dollars in earned education grants. It’s about tapping into the wealth of good feeling that resides in the American heart. For me AmeriCorps is all about being part of the solution. Yes, we live in an imperfect world and a single glance at any newspaper is enough to measure our national problems. It’s easy to sink into a pool of despair, but I believe that organizations like Red Cross and AmeriCorps offered a light in the darkness and hope that this sorry world can solve her problems and reach the promises made by our founding fathers so long ago. AmeriCorps is one way citizens can help make America a better place

Richard Senate, AmeriCorps member, American Red Cross of Ventura County.

Earth Day Service

On Sunday April 20, 2008, I made my way to Alum Rock to join VO-CAL (Volunteers For Outdoor California) in their trail restoration project. The task at hand for our group- to close off an old unsafe section of trail and create a detour. This meant a series of steps. Firstly, we had to pound, dig up, and loosen the dirt along the closed section to allow for new growth to counter erosion. Next, we simultaneously collected old dried out branches and other forest refuse to cover the old trail while clearing the new trail. Lastly, the new trail had to be properly leveled out, dirt was transported to fill in sections that were uneven, and beams were laid down as steps. What a great workout!

It was an educational experience as we learned about different kinds of tools used to complete certain tasks. The best thing of all was learning about Tech-nu (a scrub that breaks down the oils from poison oak) after we had been romping around and removing poison oak for a few hours!! I must’ve applied and reapplied the stuff every hour.

During the course of the day, I developed a new found appreciation for trail architecture, clearing, maintenance, and construction. It’s hard work! As a hiker, I’ve enjoyed trails in various parks, but was not aware of the work involved in trail development. It is extremely labor intensive, but a worthy labor of love.

By: Cynthia Hsu

What is AmeriCorps Week?

AmeriCorps Week is an annual event designed to:

• Bring more Americans into service
• Salute AmeriCorps members and alums
• Thank community partners

The first-ever AmeriCorps Week, in 2007, was a huge success, with more than 200 events taking place in all 50 states, including an Oval Office event with President Bush (click here for other 2007 highlights). We’re aiming to make the 2008 AmeriCorps Week—which is taking place May 11-18—even bigger and better, and that can happen only if as many AmeriCorps projects, members, and friends participate as possible.

What Can I Do for AmeriCorps Week?
Whether you’re a project director, member, alumnus, partner, or friend, we encourage you to take part in AmeriCorps Week 2008.

Last year, members and alumni made presentations to student and community groups during AmeriCorps Week. Grantees staged open houses, service projects, volunteer fairs, and recruitment blitzes. And local officials and elected leaders served as AmeriCorps members for a day.

In other words, there is no prescription for marking the event, and we strongly encourage you to use your creativity to devise new and different ways to demonstrate the powerful impact that AmeriCorps is making in your community.

http://www.americorps.gov/about/americorpsweek/index.asp

AmeriCorps Week 2008 Idea Sharing Calls

AmeriCorps Week is coming May 11-18. To help you plan and promote your AmeriCorps Week event or presentation, we are setting up a series of conference calls where you can learn more about what’s going on and share ideas with headquarters and your peers from across the county. The schedule of topics is below, and you can join them all or choose what’s most interesting to you. These calls are a chance to get the latest updates, ask questions, learn about resources and materials, and best of all brainstorm with your peers about ways to make your AmeriCorps Week event a big success. Whether you are an AmeriCorps member, alum, project director, commission staff, friend, or supporter – whether you are state, national, VISTA or NCCC – we hope you are planning to mark AmeriCorps Week and we invite you to these calls. Please note that all calls will take place on Wednesdays starting at 1 P.M. EST and lasting until 2 P.M.

The dial-in number and passcode will be the same for all of the AmeriCorps Week 2008 Idea Sharing Calls.
Dial-In Number: 1-800-857-2166
Passcode: 9247010
Call Leader: Ms. Susan Rice

Schedule will be forwarded to all members.

Time to Ride!

From June 1-7, 2008, Kate (Santa Monica Safe Corps Member) will be bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.

This ride will be a very difficult challenge, but it is for a great cause. Please take a look at her homepage and read about her journey, and help support her as she strives to reach her goal.

www.aidslifecycle.org/6156

Southern California Cesar Chavez Day

Habitat for Humanity was our choice of projects to help the community and even though they were not building any homes at the moment they welcomed our help. At first they wanted us to paint a trailer they use out in the field but, when they went to their paint section they found that the entire collection of paint was all mixed up. So a new task was presented to us. To go to their Oxnard store and re-arrange their paints by brand, type and color. A simple sounding plan but, when presented with the many cans and the way they were set all over the store it proved almost Herculean. The team got to work at once pulling the cans both large and small down from the shelves, arranging them and setting them up. As we were working away customers were coming in and several had comments like “now I can find things I need” and, “I will come her again.” The people in the Habitat for Humanity Store were grateful for our work and when it was done, the paint section now resembled something one might find in a hardware store. The more things they sell, the more homes they can build.
By: Richard Senate

Bay Area Cesar Chavez Day

On Monday, March 31, 2008, Luis Hinojosa, Michelle Roman, Kim Mai Nguyen, Adriana Garcia, and Cynthia Hsu spent the day packaging, preparing, and serving food!! What better way to spend a day- working with food! We started the day at Second Harvest Food Bank where we packaged two huge bottomless bins of carrots. While packaging bags of carrots to be distributed to individuals and various soup kitchens and organizations, we laughed over stories of Adriana and Cynthia as childhood bullies and befriended our fellow carrot packers. The time passed quickly and the next thing we knew it was time to head over to Loaves and Fishes, a soup kitchen operated out of St. Patrick’s School in San Jose.

When we arrived the kitchen was full of staff and volunteers busily preparing the meals to be served to the 200+ eager diners who would arrive later in the afternoon. A couple of us were assigned to fruit salad preparation while others were responsible for setting up the dining hall. Many of the volunteers were regulars and were eager to get to know us newcomers. Shortly before 4:00pm, we saw the crowds outside just waiting for meal service. There was an interesting and colorful mix of diners that afternoon- singles, couples, and families of all different backgrounds. The diners seemed to be more than satisfied with their meals and many of them came back for seconds and even thirds- especially for the cookies!! While serving meals, the aroma from the food, particularly the chicken noodle soup, stimulated our appetites, and after cleaning up, we decided to grab dinner together at the vegetarian restaurant across the way- a perfect way to end the day!

By: Cynthia Hsu

April's Motivation Quote

To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children, to earn the approbation of honest critics; to appreciate beauty; to give of one's self, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived--that is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson