CMA's e-Newsletter
Connections: Where We Live, Work and Learn
- Letter from the President
- Guest Column: Days of Service Offer Strategic Advantages
- Michigan Campus Compact
- Volunteer Centers of Michigan
- Michigan's Promise
- Mentor Michigan
- Serve Michigan: Advocating for National Service Funding
- Great Story Highlight:Campus Compact Members Receive National Recognition
- Save-the-Dates
- Additional Resources
Issue #4 - October 20, 2006 - Connections
"Fall Into Service - Wherever You Are "
Autumn is a season of change - the smell of leaves and bonfires and the time for back to school. Are you looking for something to spark some change in your life? Is there an organization or cause you have been interested in learning more about? When you look around your community or school, is there a need that isn't being met?
Fall is the perfect time to welcome a change in Michigan scenery as well as a change in our own daily habits. Volunteer opportunities are all around and it's time for us to take advantage! If you're ready to find a passion, explore a new issue, or meet new people, Michigan's volunteer community is ready to welcome you. Whether you choose to become involved with your families, friends or coworkers, we can connect you to the right fit. Through Connections you can take a tour and explore the variety of colors in volunteerism. The tour train is moving, welcome aboard! Come and explore what makes Michigan a great place to volunteer where we live, work and learn.
Sincerely,
Kyle Caldwell
President and CEO
ConnectMichigan Alliance
Guest Column: Comcast Cares Day
By Christine Ervin, Area Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Comcast
Thousands of Michigan Comcast employees, family members and friends rolled up their sleeves and gave back to their communities Oct. 7, during the company’s sixth annual national Comcast Cares Day.
“At Comcast, we have always believed that giving back to the community is important,” said Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Roberts. “We’re extremely proud of our employees, who generously give their time and talents to impact their neighborhoods on Comcast Cares Day and throughout the year.”
Roberts and his son, Tucker, joined about 130 other volunteers for Grand Rapids’ Comcast Cares Day this year, distributing food at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan to benefit hundreds of needy residents. Also lending a hand was U.S. Representative Vern Ehlers.
Comcast’s employee volunteers represent every sector of the Comcast family of companies, from the corporate headquarters in Philadelphia to divisional, regional and area cable offices. The event also includes representatives from the company 's content businesses, including Comcast SportsNet, E! Entertainment Television and The Golf Channel, as well as Comcast Spotlight, its advertising sales organization.
Comcast Cares Day is the one day each year where Comcast employees unite in community service,” said Larry Williamson, Comcast Western Michigan Area vice president and ConnectMichigan Alliance board member. “But the Comcast Cares philosophy also continues through the year, as employees may also use company time to volunteer.”
In the company’s Western Michigan Area, volunteers worked with Habitat for Humanity in Muskegon and Jackson, the Food Bank of South Central Michigan in Battle Creek and the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, where Congressman Mike Rogers saluted the team. Teams of volunteers were also very busy on the eastern side of the state, in Comcast service areas such as Detroit, Ann Arbor and Flint.
Grand Rapids volunteers helped pack and load 10,000 pounds of food at the Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank of West Michigan for distribution to the Hispanic Center. Each of the two Grand Rapids organizations received a $25,000 donation from Comcast.
In issuing a proclamation declaring Oct. 7 as Comcast Cares Day in Michigan, Governor Jennifer Granholm cited the company’s “corporate vision that supports volunteerism” and its dedication “to using its resources to meet critical needs in the community.”
Michigan Campus Compact: Faith in Action - The Civil Rights Movement and Vocation
By Brittney Stelpstra, 2006 Graduate, Calvin College
When I was presented with the opportunity to visit Alabama and partake in the conference on Faith in Action, I hesitated. Although I recognized the importance of the topic, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to travel in a crowded bus for 12 hours to have a discussion that happens around here all the time. The Service-Learning Center is a hotbed of conversations aimed at articulating the vocational implications of our Christianity. And quite frankly, there are times when I can get tired of it. Must I go to Alabama? Can’t I just reread the chapter on vocation in Plantinga’s Engaging God’s World?
Last minute, I decided to go. Reflecting on the experience 2 months later, I am incredibly thankful I did. Despite my initial hesitation about the trip, I was richly blessed. By the time the conference was over, the shrugging shoulders and low expectations that I had stepping onto the bus were converted to heartfelt gratitude. Not only did I learn a lot, but Alabama helped to reconnect me to the grace, beauty, and power of what it means to live a life of faith in action.
Calvin College received a Michigan Campus Compact Venture Grant to support Calvin students and local minority youth attending the national student conference on racism. The conference and resulting dialogue enriched all the involved students' understanding of the elements that did and continue to feed racism. The blend of college and local high school students created sometimes uncomfortable discussions, but I have never learned so much. The discussion contributed to the planning of Calving College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January 2007.
The purpose of the conference was to examine the relationship between faith and social movements, using the Civil Rights movement as an example. Alabama was the perfect venue! The experience that had the greatest impact on me was a visit to a little museum in Selma. Compared to other museums scheduled into the conference, the Voting Rights Museum in Selma seemed unprofessional at first glance – the pictures were faded, the brochures were hand-folded, and the paint was chipping away. But, as the tour began, it didn’t matter a bit. I remember the man who gave the tour; the excitement evident in his tone of voice gave a kind of sacred significance to each of the trinkets in that building, even in the absence of fancy protective cases. While the tour guide had inspired me to take my time and look through it all, I didn’t make it out of the front lobby.
Along the back wall, a sign hung: “The ‘I was there’ Wall.” At the center of the wall was a picture capturing a moment preceding the clash on Bloody Sunday. The photo displayed a large group of African Americans marching en route to Selma, soon to be met by a brigade of armed guards. Surrounding the picture were hundreds and hundreds of sticky notes, plastered on the wall from ceiling to floor. The small, square slips of paper had handwritten signatures on them, along with a few sentences of memory.
Undeniably, I have come to appreciate Plantinga’s articulation of faith and action throughout my time at Calvin. The words I read about vocation during my first weeks on campus have become more and more real as I have continued to grow. But no words have been imprinted on me like those handwritten notes. Somehow, although in a much different way, my visit to that little museum in Alabama allowed me to be a part of the story too. I was there with them as I remembered the struggle for voting rights in Selma. And I will be there with them as I seek to struggle for justice in the days and years to come.
Volunteer Centers of Michigan: Coming Together for Youth
By Jim Pearl, Director, Volunteer Center of Battle Creek
The Volunteer Center of Battle Creek has joined with South Hill Academy and The Advocates of St. Philip Parish to launch YouthAvail, a community-based service-learning program which will enable at-risk youth in Battle Creek to reap the benefits that come with volunteering and providing meaningful community service.
This program is funded by a two-year $300,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The funds will be used for staffing at the Volunteer Center, volunteer capacity building in partner organizations, transportation for the youth, program incentives for the youth, and continuation planning. Other funding partners include The Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation, who have provided the funding for two AmeriCorps*VISTA members who joined the staff at the Volunteer Center while participating in a year of national service.
This project will positively impact the lives of many young people in Battle Creek by introducing them to the concept of volunteerism and empowering them to select issues they would like to address through their community service projects.
The staffs at South Hill and The Advocates will support recruitment of participants for YouthAvail, with the program driven by the Volunteer Center of Battle Creek. We are recruiting mentors to work with the young people in issue action groups that will be formed around issues that the youth are passionate about.
Defining what makes a young person ‘at risk’ is as much an art as it is a science. There are certain known risk factors, such as being in a single-parent household or being part of a family living below the poverty line. Through this initiative, we will seek out ways to engage, involve, and strengthen the lives of young people – no matter what their risk factors. In addition, we will target the youth for whom volunteerism is a foreign if not unknown activity. Youth can feel isolated from people and places and we know that, through volunteering, what is learned in school can be connected to the world of productive employment, economic success and positive community change. The birth of YouthAvail came about from the recognition that the model of creating programs for youth needs to be replaced with a model of creating programs with youth.
YouthAvail will be staffed by both the Volunteer Center Youth Program Coordinator and AmeriCorps*VISTAs. The Center will also utilize volunteer mentors recruited from the community. The Volunteer Center of Battle Creek is a nonprofit organization connecting people with volunteer opportunities, information and services to build a strong, caring community. Other activities of the Volunteer Center include 211, VolunTeens, SummerServe, The Human Race, and the annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. For more information on the Volunteer Center of Battle Creek, visit www.volcenterbc.org.
Michigan's Promise: Reading Buddies Make the Grade
What difference can one hour make? Ask the Reading Buddies at the W.C. Cameron School in Gladstone and they will tell you that the difference goes beyond making the grade. The Reading Buddies program was a recipient of a 2006 Michigan’s Promise Red Wagon Award.
The Reading Buddies Program offers the opportunity for volunteers from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) to work and meet people from the community and mentor over 100 first graders each year. The volunteers get together for one hour every Wednesday beginning in the fall to provide positive reinforcement related to the child’s interest and ability to read. The “Buddies” come into the school and bring a sense of excitement with them. It has been a rewarding experience for the students and the ‘buddies.’ Karl H. Dollhopf, Principal at W.C. Cameron Elementary School, feels the program exemplifies the Gladstone Area Schools’ motto, “Together We Make a Difference.”
Sue Jamison, 1st Grade Teacher at W.C. Cameron Elementary, sees the results of the buddies. “This weekly Reading Buddy time contributes to the progress of each child. Mid-year and end-of-year reading scores reflect the growth of each child. The excitement can be seen on the faces of the children as their ‘Buddy” arrives each week. I believe in the importance of this program and have witnessed its positive affects each year.”
Ellanie Ferrari, another 1st grade teacher, says, “My class looks forward to every Wednesday when the buddies come. It is the best way to end a day for the first graders. I have seen many smiles when the kids are with their buddies and the one-on-one communication can not be underestimated! This program is an asset to the community and the first graders.” The Reading Buddies Program is just one more way in which Michigan’s Promise and caring adults score an A+ in the lives of children.
For more information on Michigan's Promise, contact Mary Estrada, Program Coordinator, at mestrada@connectmichiganalliance.org or (517) 492-2440.
Mentor Michigan: Miles for Mentoring
By Rachel Brink, Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps*VISTA serving at Ottawa County MSU Extension
Perhaps you have raced for the cure, or done the turkey trot, but what about running miles for mentoring? The Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative (OCMC) hosted the Miles for Mentoring 5K on September 9, taking place in Zeeland, beginning and ending at Lawrence Park. This year, 80 runners and walkers participated in the event and over $2,300 was raised to support mentoring in Ottawa County. Scholarships were provided to several youth from area mentoring programs, allowing them to take part in the event. Due to the success of the event, the Miles for Mentoring 5K will now be an annual fund and awareness-raising event for the Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative. Many members of the community volunteered at the event and over 50 businesses and organizations partnered with the OCMC to make the event possible. Organizers are confident that this event will grow in future years and gain greater community support. “This event was a great way to encourage healthy lifestyles in our community while promoting mentoring," commented Rachel Brink, Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps* VISTA and event organizer. "Mentors, mentees and program staff had the opportunity to be involved. We were very excited about the results.”
What goes better with a 5K than food? The event was coupled with a pasta dinner, which took place the evening before at the Salvation Army building in Grand Haven. The pasta dinner was organized by Laura Schleede, also a Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps* VISTA, and Cal Steele, a mentor with the Journey Program. The pasta dinner and 5K provided opportunities to increase awareness in the community about the need for mentors and raise funds to support mentoring programs. The Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative is grateful to the community for their support for mentoring and participation in both of these events. Lace up your shoes in preparation for next year’s 5K to benefit the Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative, where mentors regularly go the extra mile.
For more information on Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps and VISTA, contact Scott Craven at scraven@connectmichiganalliance.org or 517-492-2440.
Serve Michigan: National Service Hill Day
By: Tiffany Aurora, Policy Associate, Michigan Nonprofit Association
On September 14, over 135 representatives of the national service field participated in National Service Hill 
Day in Washington, D.C. A delegation of eight individuals from Michigan traveled to D.C. and met with six of our Congressional offices, communicating and reinforcing three key messages:
- We support the funding levels for national service programs as approved by the Senate - $383 million for AmeriCorps, $217 million for the Senior Corps, $34 million for Learn and Serve America; and $26 million for the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
- We support sustaining the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award at its statutory level, $4,725 per fulltime member; we are opposed to the House’s recommendation of cutting that award by $675.
- We ask Congress to reverse the three-year trend of declining funding for national service programs and to restore Fiscal Year 2004 funding levels for AmeriCorps ($441 million) and Learn and Serve America ($43 million) in Fiscal Year 2008.
The Michigan delegation also shared personal stories of how national service has been impacting the communities where we live, work and learn.
It is vital that representatives of the national service community continue to interact and develop relationships with their members of Congress. This gives us the opportunity to share great stories from the ground level, communicate the impact of national service on both those providing the service and those being served, and press on in the fight to maintain and increase the levels of national service funding.
Congress has not yet approved the final 2007 appropriations bill but will do so after they return to D.C. in mid-November. Serve Michigan will keep you updated on the status of national service funding through our email alerts.
For more information on Serve Michigan and its work on behalf of national service, visit www.servemichigan.org or contact Tiffany Aurora at taurora@mnaonline.org or 517-492-2400.
Campus Compact Members Receive National Recognition
By Allison Treppa, Director of Marketing, Outreach and Communications, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Michigan Campus Compact member institutions have been making headlines nationally as part of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and US News and World Report.
10 Michigan Campus Compact member institutions were honored on October 17 as part of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The honor roll responds to President Bush’s call to service by building on and supporting the civic engagement mission of our nation’s colleges and universities. Schools were honored for general community service and hurricane relief efforts. More information on the President’s Honor Roll can be found at http://www.learnandserve.gov/about/programs/higher_ed_honorroll.asp. Schools that were honored include: Albion College; Central Michigan University (received a Katrina Compassion Award); Eastern Michigan University; Jackson Community College; Kalamazoo College; Kirtland Community College; Michigan State University; Olivet College; University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Presidental Award Finalist); and Wayne State University. Quotes from awardees in attendance, and to view the awards presented with distinction, please visit http://www.micampuscompact.org/pdf/HonorRoll.pdf.
US News and World Report annually ranks America’s best colleges and gives distinction to top service-learning programs. In the 2007 book, three Michigan schools (and Michigan Campus Compact member institutions) were among the honored forty-two: Calvin College, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan. The rankings are listed under ”programs to look for” and are selected from all 3,500+ institutions of higher education in America. Selections were based on recognition from their peer institutions as a model institution for service-learning. Michigan campuses are thrilled to be among those being honored. Calvin College Service Learning Director Jeff Bouman says, "At Calvin College, service and learning are both central components of our mission. And our mission really drives programs and courses. We have been serious about connecting in partnership with the local community since the mid-1960s, and this ranking confirms something we already suspected - when colleges work in collaboration with established community partners in service to the city and its residents, all partners benefit."
“The Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement values the designation of Michigan State University by US News and World Report as one of the top institutions for Academic Service-Learning as this listing constitutes recognition by peers,” says Karen McKnight Casey, Director of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement at Michigan State University. “College presidents, chief academic officers, deans of students, and deans of admissions from over 1,300 institutions were asked to provide input. Their recognition of the long and vibrant history of support for and implementation of academic service-learning at Michigan State University on the part of the administration, faculty, staff and students is significant. This designation as a top institution in the field of academic service-learning speaks to the dedication of all involved at Michigan State.”
Jeff Howard, Associate Director of the Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning, remarked, “The University of Michigan is pleased to be considered a top-tiered service-learning program. This is possible because many of the schools and colleges that constitute the University of Michigan support infrastructure and faculty dedicated to involving students with under-resourced communities. By doing so, the University improves the quality of community life and, at the same time, strengthens student academic and civic learning. The Edward Ginsberg Center supports students, faculty, staff, and student organizations committed to making the world a better place. Service-learning is a "win-win" for the University 's educational responsibilities and for the communities seeking University support for their efforts.”
10/22 ~ 10/28 Kids Care Week
10/25 Mentor Michigan Conference (East Lansing)
10/28 Make A Difference Day
11/12 ~ 11/18 Geography Awareness Week
11/13 ~ 11/19 World Kindness Week
11/18 National Family Volunteer Day
1/15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/1 ~ 1/31 National Mentoring Month
MIchigan Community Service Commission
Michigan Nonprofit Association
Editor: Allison Treppa, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Contributors:
Tiffany Aurora, Michigan Nonprofit Association
Jeff Bouman, Calvin College
Rachel Brink, Ottawa County MSU Extension
Kyle Caldwell, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Scott Craven, ConnectMichigan Alliance/Mentor Michigan
Mary Estrada, ConnectMichigan Alliance/Michigan's Promise
Christine Ervin, Comcast
Jeff Howard, University of Michigan
Karen McKnight Casey, Michigan State University
Jim Pearl, Volunteer Center of Battle Creek
Brittney Stelpstra, Calvin College
What do you think of our e-newsletter? Send us your feedback at cma@connectmichiganalliance.org.
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