Letter from the President

Issue #5 - January 15, 2007 - Connections

"Mentoring Month Challenge"

In January of 2005, First Gentleman Dan Mulhern challenged Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) to recruit 1,500 new mentors from higher education institutions over 3 years. Results of surveys of MCC member campuses conducted in fall 2005 and 2006 show that nearly 5,000 students, staff and faculty mentored during these past two academic years, serving at least 7,586 Michigan residents. To date, we estimate that Michigan colleges and universities have recruited and placed more than 3,000 of these mentors, in a response that has doubled Mulhern’s challenge. We also recognize that this initiative would not have been as successful without the infrastructure created by community organizations and volunteer centers to accommodate college mentors and other volunteers. 

The ConnectMichigan Alliance is proud to support National Mentoring Month and the Mentor Michigan initiative. Great mentors are supported by great organizations, and we are working to build and support a system to engage every Michigan citizen in volunteerism. To become a mentor, please utilize the Mentor Michigan Directory. For more information on the 05-06 MCC mentoring challenge, please click here.

In Service,

Kyle Caldwell
President and CEO
ConnectMichigan Alliance

Guest Column

Volunteer PLUS Drives Volunteerism at GM
By Vivian Pickard, Director of Corporate Relations, General Motors Corporation

At GM, we create great cars and trucks – products that enhance the lives of our customers by getting them where they want to go. Great products come from great people, people who are capable, people who care.

By investing personal time and talent through generous, extraordinary gifts of service, GM people are making a world of difference. As a leader in corporate philanthropy, GM recognizes gifts of employee time through GM Volunteer PLUS, a program that enables eligible employees to designate a grant from the GM Foundation to eligible charitable organizations where employees invest their time through volunteerism.

When GM employees contribute their time to a charity, Volunteer PLUS increases the impact of their generosity by donating $250 to the nonprofit organization.

GM launched Volunteer PLUS in the United States in 1999 and expanded the program to Colombia in 2001 and Canada in 2002. In the years since, the program has expanded to several GM business units around the globe. Volunteer PLUS International has donated to hundreds of nonprofit organizations -- from Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Make a Wish Foundation to the American Red Cross and Gleaners Food Bank.

“Volunteer PLUS International promotes volunteerism, improves the quality of life in GM communities, and recognizes and enhances our employees’ generous service to charitable causes,” said Rod Gillum, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, and Chairman of the GM Foundation, which funds Volunteer PLUS International.

GM also continues to support Youth Service America (YSA), a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally. Founded in 1986, YSA’s mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments.

One way that the GM Foundation and Youth Service America has expanded to meet the volunteering needs and skills of GM employees and young volunteers is through YouthMove Michigan, (www.youthmove.org), which was created to provide all the tools and resources that Michigan’s young people need to make a difference in their communities. Those resources include articles on planning service projects, tips on getting local news outlets to cover events, applications for scholarships and grants, and message boards, photo galleries and event calendars. Young people can also search their area, via a community page, for local volunteer opportunities.

Serve Michigan

A New Year, a New Legislature, and Renewed Priorities
By Tiffany Aurora, Policy Associate, Michigan Nonprofit Association

The new faces in Congress and the Michigan House and Senate will bring an altered feel to the landscape and priorities of both legislatures. Shifts in power between political parties, changes in legislative leadership, and new goals determined by the new legislatures are bound to present fresh opportunities and challenges for the volunteerism and national service sectors.

Since our inception, Serve Michigan has focused on maintaining and increasing funding for national service and volunteer programs, as well as increasing awareness of the sector with our elected officials. Our 2007 Public Policy Agenda continues this great tradition while digging a little deeper, addressing the need for specific legislative action on the issue of affordable and comprehensive background checks. Click here to view the full report.

Key committee chairmanships in Congress are changing hands. Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) will be taking over the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee responsible for many of the bills related to national service and volunteering. Representative David Obey (D-WI) is the new House Appropriations Chairman. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) will chair the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) is the new Chair of Senate Appropriations.

In the Michigan Senate, the appropriations process will be guided by a familiar face. Senator Ron Jelinek, the past Chair of multiple Senate Appropriations Subcommittees, will now chair the full Senate Appropriations Committee. *

Serve Michigan will continue to provide you with updates on relative committee chairmanships, as well as on appropriations and policy as they relate to the fields of service and volunteering. If you are not currently receiving those updates, sign up here.

*At the time of publication, Appropriations Committee Chair had not yet been announced.

Serve Michigan is the public policy program of the ConnectMichigan Alliance. Serve Michigan works in collaboration with the Michigan Nonprofit Association’s Public Policy Committee.

Michigan Campus Compact

MLK Day of Service
By Christina Kassab, Student, Wayne State University

Why do I volunteer? Because one person can make a difference. Why do I volunteer on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday? Because I owe honor to the one man who made such a difference in the world I live in.

Dr. King once said, "Make a career of humanity - and you will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in." The late and great Dr. King understood that in order to make a career of humanity, one must respect the dignity of every human life and in respectful humility, serve one's neighbor in the ideals of brotherhood and sisterhood.

To make a career of humanity is not a simple task, and I respect Dr. King for taking on this role. I truly admire Dr. King because he was a living witness to this mission, and as a living witness, he became an example to millions. These millions of people who came before me embraced humanity as Dr. King did through their service as they strengthened human ties and bridged communities together.

My generation looks to their witness and continues to build bridges realizing that our children will cross these bridges and then be given the task to create their own. I volunteer because I have seen the difference it makes by looking at Dr. King and other advocates of social justice that have come before me. I volunteer because like Dr. King, I want to create a career of humanity. I volunteer because I want to become a living witness.

Volunteer Centers of Michigan

Connecting the Upper Peninsula
By Brandon Seng, Communications Manager, ConnectMichigan Alliance

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to a developing partnership that could potentially create thousands of volunteer opportunities.  The United Way Volunteer Center of Chippewa County recently opened a satellite volunteer center on nearby Lake Superior State University’s campus. This partnership provides powerful connection, impacting both LSSU and the surrounding community.  Students will benefit through service-learning opportunities created by the center, and a link will be established between the campus and those they serve.

Sara Dombrowski, a former LSSU student is taking the lead to create volunteer opportunities for the students on campus.  Sara knows how to get the students excited, and looks forward to continued service in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Over the last two months, Sara has been working to forge relationships with the LSSU community and develop a database in which she can match students with volunteer opportunities.

“There is already a great tradition of volunteering on campus,” she said, “my goal is to create opportunities to touch every student on campus who wants to make a difference.”

In 2004, the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network launched a three-year initiative to engage 75 VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members per year to serve in Volunteer Centers across the country. Sara is currently serving as one of 30 VISTAs hosted in 16 of Michigan’s local volunteer centers.  VISTAs are responsible for recruiting volunteers and developing organizational capacity for new or existing programs to meet community needs.

"This is something we've had as a goal for at least five years but never really tackled it because we didn't have the capacity or the resources," said Kristina Beamish, Director of the Volunteer Center.  "Through the Points of Light Foundation's VISTA opportunities, we now have the capacity to take those first steps with the college.”

The partnership of LSSU and the United Way Volunteer Center of Chippewa County brings together two organizations dedicated to serving their community.

“Without this VISTA position we would not be able to have a Volunteer Center on campus,” said Michelle Thalacker, Director of Student Activities for LSSU.  “The VISTA opportunity allows us to create and develop service and service-learning on campus." 

The ConnectMichigan Alliance is excited about the opportunities presented by this unique partnership.  Look for stories regarding the development of this initiative in future editions of Connections and other CMA publications.

Michigan's Promise

SCOOP TV

The SCOOP program of Detroit is a 2006 red wagon award recipient.  In an ongoing effort, SCOOP provides an after school and summer program to teach students in the Detroit area about the creation and management of television programming.  SCOOP empowers the youth of Detroit, leading them to create original ideas for television programs, and then put those ideas into action.

A program of the Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), SCOOP was started in 1993 as a summer only program. It has since expanded to produce 174 graduates. A 2004 survey shows that 80% of those graduates also graduated high school, while 49% went on to college.  SCOOP is responsible for the production of over 100 television programs, of which more than 50 have won awards.

PBC uses this innovative program to engage students in a hands-on environment where learning becomes exciting.  SCOOP TV strives to teach students life skills through television production, explained PBC director Latitia McCree.

“We are able to watch students transform,” said McCree.  “SCOOP teaches team building and time management.  Through SCOOP students learn how to set up meetings, make telephone calls and work with others.  What the production process really teaches is how to be a team, and valuable life skills.”

Through their nearly 15-year history, SCOOP has produced countless success stories.  SCOOP graduate Khary Matthews now produces the television program America’s Most Wanted, while former SCOOP member Daniel Wallace is employed with the Ford Communications Network in Dearborn. 

All SCOOP graduates will not go on to careers in production, explained McCree, but the lessons gained through their experience span across all fields.  The program creates students who are more inspired learners.  SCOOP is currently fundraising to continue and broaden their existing program.  More information about SCOOP can be found online at www.pbcdetroit.org.

Mentor Michigan

Lansing Mentors 'Stuff the Bus'

School is closed for MLK Day, but the Youth Development Corporation in Lansing is hoping to ‘Stuff the Bus’ anyway.  Inspired by the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Stuff the Bus is an annual event that challenges Lansing residents to donate school supplies that will benefit the Spartan Friends Mentoring Program, run through Lansing’s Youth Development Corporation.

Volunteers will assemble outside local Meijer stores on Saginaw and Lake Lansing roads.  Here, they will encourage shoppers to purchase items from a list of approved school supplies as they enter the store.  These supplies will be carried out and loaded into a school bus that has been donated by EATRAN of Eaton County.  Last year a bus was filled with over $5,000 in school supplies from one store.  This year, working with two stores, the program hopes to generate double that amount.

“Our mentoring program is tutor based,” explained Odelia Sagredo-Page, a Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps member who runs Spartan Friends.  “By providing each student with a backpack full of school supplies, we are helping them to stay organized and participate in their classes.”

Last year the MLK day event was supported through the help of more than 60 volunteers.  This year, event facilitators expect around 120 volunteers will join in to assist the mentoring program.  Spartan Friends is well known throughout the Lansing and college community.  Matching college students and community volunteers with middle school students in the Lansing school district, Spartan Friends has done much in the area of serving Lansing’s young people.    

“We have supported this program in the past,” said Mike Borek, director of the Saginaw Road Meijer store.  “When the opportunity came up to host this event we were happy to do so.”  Borek was present for last year’s event, and expressed that he was impressed by the work of the volunteers. 

Volunteers will be in charge of signage, communication and promotion with customers.  If their efforts are similar to past years, the event is sure to do much in the way of helping Lansing’s youngsters.  Stuff the Bus provides the Lansing community with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate MLK day, serving in a day on, rather than taking a day off.

The LEAGUE

Learning to Give and The LEAGUE –A Powerful Approach to Engage Youth in Philanthropy
By Kari Pardoe, Director of the Michigan LEAGUE

In the mid 1990’s there was a real call to action in Michigan for a resource that would educate young people in the classroom about philanthropy.  After looking nationwide, a search committee, convened by the Council of Michigan Foundations (with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation), could find no resource to promote philanthropy education.  The committee decided then there was only one thing to do-create it!  What they didn’t know then was that what would be created would change the landscape of philanthropy education forever.  

Since 1997, Learning to Give has created more than 1000 resources for educators, youth workers, religious instructors, and parents to use not only in the classroom but at home and in weekend/after school facilities.  These standard-based high quality lessons and materials are being accessed every day by users from all over the country and world.  In fact, more than 220,000 users a month download, view, and use Learning to Give content.  In 2006 alone, Learning to Give developed more than 300 new lesson plans for the classroom, produced over 20 new resources for parents and community leaders on youth philanthropy, and collaborated with more than 20 organizations nationwide to develop new and innovative content.

In the summer of 2005, Learning to Give entered into a partnership with an innovative organization called The LEAGUE.  The LEAGUE is a fun and exciting system for schools and students to engage in a series of service events in the community and receive recognition for their impact through local/national media and online.  Through this partnership, The LEAGUE provided Learning to Give educational resources for educators to teach the concepts of giving, service-learning, and the community related to these events. 

Since 2005, more than 100 schools have participated in LEAGUE programming with Learning to Give curriculum.  The result was overwhelming-students in LEAGUE schools contributed more than $1.4 million in volunteer time and cash contributions to their local communities.  Through the Learning to Give curriculum in The LEAGUE program, students were not just active change agents in their community, but they understood the broader concepts of philanthropy and action for the common good. 

Due to the overwhelming success of the partnership, Learning to Give and The LEAGUE officially merged in the Spring of 2006 to broaden their impact, educate more youth on the importance of philanthropy, and develop cutting edge resources on philanthropy, service-learning, character, and leadership.  What remains a staple in the new organization is the Learning to Give curriculum and website.  The website will remain a free resource for users and will offer new content monthly to assist teachers, parents, youth workers, and religious instructors in their efforts to educate youth about philanthropy.  To find out more information about The LEAGUE, please visit www.leagueworldwide.org. 

The ConnectMichigan Alliance has brought The LEAGUE to Michigan!  To support its mission, the ConnectMichigan Alliance has entered into a partnership with The LEAGUE Powered by Learning to Give to develop and implement a state model for the provision of universal access for all Michigan public schools and communities to participate in the LEAGUE model. 

Currently, there are 42 schools in the state of Michigan participating in the LEAGUE. These schools are encompassed within four school districts, including Jackson, Romulus, Shelby and Carson City  

For more information on The LEAGUE in Michigan or to sign up your school, please contact Kari Pardoe, The LEAGUE Michigan State Director, at 313-309-1668 or kpardoe@connectmichiganalliance.org.

Editor:
Brandon Seng, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Contributors:
Ashurina Chamoun, Olivet College
Christina Kassab, Wayne State University
Kari Pardoe, Michigan LEAGUE
Kristina Beamish, United Way Volunteer Center of Chippewa County Kyle Caldwell, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Latitia McCree, Public Benefit Corporation
Odelia Sagredo-Page, Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps Member
Tiffany Aurora, Michigan Nonprofit Association
Vivian Pickard, General Motors Corporation

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