Serve Indiana like a bundle of twigs

By Aleeah Livengood

Member, Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism


Coming from a Native American background, storytelling was a very important part of our family. Many of these stories made us laugh, but others served to remind us of past family members or historical events that stressed the essential qualities of compassion and humility, the difference between right and wrong, and the importance of family and community. One such story was told by my father concerning the Shawnee War Chief Tecumseh.

After the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, people began moving onto land that was historically known as tribal hunting land. These territories comprised the present-day areas of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, eastern Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Instead of sharing the land as had been done for generations, the tribes were forcibly removed, and the settlers put up fences.

By 1805, the tribes in this region were confined to a small strip of land in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana; they could no longer hunt to feed their families. Tecumseh became alarmed at the growing encroachment. Already recognized as an inspirational leader and orator, he attended multiple council meetings with government representatives contesting land sales and land seizures, all in the hope to avert a war. As his words fell upon deaf ears, he could foresee all tribes were in danger of losing their lands and culture. So in an effort to unite the tribes of North America, Tecumseh sprang into action by campaigning from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico to create an Indian Confederacy.

He used the argument that the land was held in common by all Indians, that no one tribe could give away land without the consent of all tribes, and that it was in all their best interest to defend it. To illustrate his argument he would show them a bundle of twigs,

“A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong.”

This metaphor is as powerful today as it was then, especially when applied to service and volunteerism. One organization is limited in the services it can provide. However, if collaborative partnerships are developed with other community and faith-based organizations, not only would the range of impact be greatly increased, it could also enhance a program’s survival. So let’s join forces –share people, resources, programs, expertise, operating models, and ambition to Serve Indiana!

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For ways to serve Indiana somewhere near you (or anywhere else of your choosing), especially in the wake of recent flooding, see the OFBCI volunteer website at http://www.in.gov/ofbci/volunteer/ or contact the Indiana OFBCI at 317-233-4273.

AmeriCorps*VISTA reflects on service, conference success

By Cassandra Tice

I moved to Indianapolis for one sole purpose- to volunteer. As a recent college graduate, I decided I wanted to do something worthwhile. I wanted to make a difference. At the same time, I wanted to use my Professional Writing and Creative Writing degrees. I researched several wonderful programs and finally found the perfect one for me, AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service To America). 

As a VISTA you commit to one year of service, 40 hours a week, to building the capacity of a nonprofit agency. To some this may seem overwhelming. How can you volunteer full-time for an entire year? Trust me, it was a challenge. However, AmeriCorps provides each VISTA a modest living stipend and enables student loan deferment. Plus, what I learned in life experience makes up for the low income.  

From July 2011 to July 2012, I served as the Fund Development VISTA for the Indiana Youth Institute. The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) promotes the healthy development of Indiana children and youth by serving the people, institutions, and communities that impact their well-being. 

That first day of my service year, I knew very little about the nonprofit industry, how IYI served its mission, or how to fundraise. Fortunately for me, IYI is staffed with experts on youth development, programming, nonprofit management, education, fundraising, and so much more. Within the first month, I had a solid fundraising plan that included grant-writing and promoting the Indiana Mentoring Partnership specialty license plate.

IYI gave me the opportunity to attend trainings and seminars on topics such as fund development, poverty, and nonprofit management. By the time I ended my year of service I had accomplished two things: raising more than $70,000 for IYI and deciding to pursue a career as a fundraising professional for a nonprofit agency. Today, I am the Development Manager at Jameson Camp, a year-round youth serving agency working to enrich the lives of Indiana youth by inspiring them to develop their strengths. This is a position I would not have been qualified for or would have considered prior to my year of service with VISTA and IYI.

For youth-workers, December doesn’t just mark the month of Christmas, it marks the month of IYI’s Because Kids Count Conference. This conference is an incredible professional development opportunity for anyone who works or volunteers with youth. Last year, I worked the conference with the IYI staff. Working in fund development, I had little interaction with the people we served until this two-day conference took place half way through my year of service.

For the first time, I spoke face-to-face with teachers, program managers, development directors, volunteer mentors, and board members about the impact IYI’s services and the Because Kids Count Conference had on their professional development and the development of their organizations. It was rewarding to hear that my volunteer work and the work of the IYI staff was making it possible for youth-workers to follow best practices and build the capacity of their organizations, which in turn impacted youth all around the state of Indiana. 

This year, I received a scholarship to attend the Because Kids Count Conference and my experience was completely different than the previous year. Instead of serving youth-workers, I was being served. I attended workshops on engaging “millennials” as volunteers and donors, writing successful proposals, and board development. I networked with other nonprofit professionals and exchanged ideas and tips. I listened, I learned, and I connected. Now I’m working on transferring what I heard from the speakers and my fellow youth-workers into action steps for my fundraising and marketing plans.

Over the past year and half my eyes have been opened to the importance of after-school programs, mentoring services, summer camps, and other youth development programs. The sad truth is there are kids going hungry, being bullied, dropping out of school, and facing a variety of obstacles every day, and youth programs are stepping up and taking action to improve the lives of these children. These programs need the support of people of like you.

I understand you may not be able to volunteer a year of service to AmeriCorps, but there are various volunteer opportunities with organizations around Indianapolis. Become a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, tutor homeless children at School on Wheels, teach creative writing at Second Story. Want a one-time volunteer opportunity? Participate in a Day of Impact with IndyHub or help with registration at next year’s Because Kids Count Conference.

Do you have a specialized skill like graphic design or electrical engineering? At Jameson Camp we could always use volunteers for grounds maintenance, marketing, committees, clerical work, as well as with our youth programming. Volunteering for a youth development program doesn’t have to involve working directly with children. Find an organization with a mission you believe in and ask them how you can help.

My year of volunteer experience was very rewarding, and set my life in a new direction revolving around helping youth. You may not be at the point in your life to be a VISTA, but I encourage you to search for ways to make a difference outside of your important work. One small action can have a huge impact. You can change lives, and as I discovered, one life that might be changed could be your own.

When service comes from personal experience

By Aleeah Livengood


I first met Michael Prickett when he was a quiet 12 year old with tousled auburn hair, a few scattered freckles, and a pair of somber brown eyes. Not a lot has changed, though his hairline has receded a little and his somber brown eyes are now filled with passion for helping at-risk youth.

“I tell the kids they’re lucky because they’re on probation. They’ve got someone to show them the right way, and they’ve got someone to advocate for them. This is their wake up call…something is wrong but it can be fixed.”

At the time, Mike was working for the Tippecanoe Juvenile Alternatives Program (JAMS) as a Program Case Manager to advocate and facilitate for high-risk juveniles; helping them to improve their decision making and coping skills, and to learn to take responsibility for their actions.

“I didn’t have a lot of people in my life fighting for me but they do,” he says. Mike’s concern for these kids goes beyond professional responsibility because it wasn’t that long ago he was almost one of them. Mike’s parents were divorced and absent, leaving him to fend for himself.

“I’d be dead right now if it wasn’t for my friend’s family who took me in,” he reveals.

Despite this, he was still angry with his family’s detachment; so he frequently ran away from home, showed rebelliousness against authority, and abused drugs and alcohol. As a result, he was expelled during his senior year of high school, taking away his opportunity for graduation. Describing that period of his life Mike explains, “I had a lot of anger and a lot of hate, it was directed in the wrong way but I directed it in the only way I knew how.”

His adopted family challenged him to take an honest look at his life; once he did he realized it was going nowhere. He believes their support changed the course of his life.

“It was just having those caring people around that supporting me, even when I screwed up.….I didn’t have that before.”

Afterward, Mike hit the ground running; he got his GED, got married, had a family, and enrolled in college. This new perspective inspired him to give back, resulting in an internship at the Adult Drug Corps. His commitment remained strong even after the internship ended, continuing to volunteer, he eventually received a recommendation for his present position. Mike has worked tirelessly to create asset-based programs, and to solicit community support for inexpensive extracurricular activity options to help keep teens out of trouble.

“One of the biggest gaps has been in after school programming. There are all kinds of sports programs, until you hit age 13, but those kids who don’t meet those qualifications are kids who are interested in the arts and civic education: there’s nothing for these kids to do and no money to pay for it.”

In order to fill the gap, Mike beat the streets looking for civic support to create community garden projects, art classes, and book clubs; he even introduced Project Citizen to give them community service credit.

“When we send them out to do meaningless community service they’re not gaining anything. It turns them more against the system that’s in place to help them. There is no tie to their community.”

What’s supposed to be interpreted as service becomes punishment. So as to change this perception, the youth create community service projects based on their interests, and with his guidance they personally coordinate the project. For example, several of the youth have adopted parks, landscaping them with community donations. It wasn’t long before the magic began to unfold.

“They no longer feel as outsiders but a part of something bigger. In turn, the community is invested in them.”

All of this is pretty amazing when you actually take the time to consider that it started with one person’s steadfast desire to share a couple of life’s greatest lessons: the importance of gratitude and taking responsibility for yourself and those around you. These youth are learning that service and volunteerism is a powerful tool that brings communities together. What they have yet to realize is just how it is shaping and changing their own lives.

Aleeah Livengood chairs the of the Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism (ICCSV), which is the governing board for the Indiana Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI). Through Indiana's AmeriCorps*State and many other programs, the ICCSV and OFBCI CONNECTs organizations and communities to grants, services, and each other; PROMOTEs volunteerism and service to improve the lives of Hoosiers; ENCOURAGEs public and private resources to seed and sustain innovative and high quality community and faith-based initiatives; and, HIGHLIGHTs the good works of individuals and their communities with best practices and innovative models.

How Do We Welcome the Strangers to Our City?

How Do We Welcome the Strangers to Our City?
A piece by the Immigrant and Refugee Service Corps (An AmeriCorps*State program)

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 12, 2012) – Last year, 694,193 people became naturalized citizens. Immigrant Welcome Center volunteer Laurence Saw, originally from Burma, was one of them in Indianapolis.

After suffering “terrible religious persecution” in his home country, Saw is now enjoying his rights as a U.S. citizen, and looking forward to exercising his right to vote in November. Saw knows, from his own experience and as Manager of Client Services for Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement Program, that many immigrants to Indianapolis need assistance in order to begin their new lives in a new country. 

Beginning this month, the estimated 71,000 foreign-born in Marion County will turn to the new Immigrant and Refugee Service Corps (IRSC) to help them access the services they need to thrive.

The 10-member IRSC, one of 18 AmeriCorps programs in the state, was created by a coalition of immigrant service providers to mobilize community support for immigrants needs, build capacity and strengthen the network of service providers for central Indiana’s immigrant and refugee population. 

“Our community faces a huge challenge that calls for a thoughtful and caring response: How do we welcome the strangers among us?,” said Charlie Wiles, director of the Center for Interfaith Cooperation, which created and secured funding for the specialized AmeriCorps program.

“Having 10 talented and passionate IRSC AmeriCorps serving at resettlement agencies, academic institutions, and at a public arts program will help us to build relationship, ignites creativity, and brings people together to share the amazing stories of the newest Americans in our midst.” From September 2012-13, each AmericCorps member will provide 1,700 hours of service.

Refugee families currently receive six months of services from the U.S. State Department with the expectation that, by the end of that time, families will be self-sustaining. According to the Exodus Refugee Center, more than 75 percent of the families fail to gain self-sufficiency within the six-month service period.

The IRSC’s primary goals are to extend refugee services beyond the six-month window of services provided through federal programs and augment existing services for all immigrants with new counseling, youth mentoring and family health partnerships. To achieve these goals, IRSC AmeriCorps members, ranging in age from 22 to 40, will work within nine organizations that already serve a diverse mix of immigrants and refugees.

The IRSC also will expand service capacity and further educate the community at-large about the contributions of immigrants to arts and the economy through these agencies:

1.      Big Car Service Center for Contemporary Culture and Community

2.      Butler University’s Center for Citizenship and Community

3.      Center for Interfaith Cooperation

4.      Immigrant Welcome Center (2)

5.      Franklin College

6.      Christian Theological Seminary

7.      Muslim Alliance of Indiana

8.      Catholic Charities of Indianapolis

9.      Exodus Refugee Resettlement

“The IRSC program is designed to reach out in a caring way to help lift immigrant families out of poverty, which creates a positive impact for everyone in our society,” White said. It costs American taxpayers approximately $37,000 for every year that a child lives in poverty. And too often people in poverty live in isolation away from a caring community that can help to lift them out of a survivor mentality.

Access to caring, knowledgeable mentors can make a crucial difference in the educational success of immigrant children, which also impacts the family’s long-term sustainability. IRSC members will connect students with multilingual mentors, through a partnership with Butler University and Franklin College, to overcome any language and cultural barriers.

“In addition to enhancing each family’s educational opportunities, providing better access to quality healthcare services and employment opportunities, and helping to establish healthy lifestyle habits that assist in long-term sustainability, IRSC members will bolster awareness of Indianapolis’ multiculturalism and spur dialogue about the contributions of our newest residents” said Terri Morris Downs, executive director of the Immigrant Welcome Center, which will house two IRSC AmeriCorps.

In addition, IRSC members will train with local experts from several social service agencies to assess family needs and offer referrals as needed, including to marriage and family counselors on staff with the Counseling Center at Christian Theological Seminary, a service currently not being provided through existing programs.

Immigrants, particularly refugee families, often have experienced unthinkable trauma; being uprooted from their home with no promise of a secure future. The stress of adjustment in a new society only adds to this ordeal. The IRSC program is one more way Indianapolis can acknowledge the difficult transition to life in the United States for newcomers and respond to the opportunities and challenges – economic, social and culturally – of Indianapolis’ growing immigrant population.

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For more information about the IRSC AmeriCorps program:

 

Immigrant and Refugee Service Corps

Center for Interfaith Cooperation                   Phone (317) 318-5304
1100 West 42^nd St Ste 125                              www.centerforinterfaithcooperation.org
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Program Director: Charlie Wiles                  charlie@centerforinterfaithcooperation.org
Program Coordinator: Alfan Abdulahad    alfan_ghanim2000@yahoo.com

Scott County AmeriCorps

The Scott County AmeriCorps Program recruits AmeriCorps members during the months of July and August.  Members are recruited from the participating communities,  local colleges, and from the national AmeriCorps recruiting website.  As an AmeriCorps member, you will gain valuable experience in an area that interests you that can translate directly into job experience in your chosen field. You will learn teamwork, communication, responsibility, and many other essential skills that will help you for the rest of your life while gaining the personal satisfaction of taking on a challenge and seeing results while serving your community.

             

Scott County AmeriCorps members perform many duties within the community that address the educational and crisis intervention needs of adults and children.  Members may serve at the Community Clearinghouse and through CASA, at after school programs, through adult education services, Head Start program, or the Circles Campaign.  Service project activities occur at various sites throughout the community with partner agencies throughout the course of the year.

Scott County Partnership          
Phone (812)-752-6365                   
P.O. Box 214, 1092 West Community Way               
Scottsburg, IN  47170    
www.scottcountypartnership.org/americorps.html      

Program Supervisor/Support: Jene Bridgewater     
eddirector@scottcountypartnership.org

 Program Director: Michelle Shelton
americorps@scottcountypartnership.org                                     

Member Locations:  Scott County

Member Positions: Full Time, Half Time, Reduced Half Time, Quarter Time, Minimum Time

National Volunteer Week 2012

Coming Up in Two Weeks!

April 15 - 21, 2012 is National Volunteer Week (NVW) across the country.  Right here in Indiana there are volunteers and AmeriCorps members across the state that are getting things done for our country.  Let's celebrate this week by inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities.

From the National Volunteer Week website:

"For more than two decades, Points of Light Institute has equipped nonprofit organizations to celebrate National Volunteer Week, providing visibility, thematic focus and resources to enable them to commemorate this signature week of volunteer recognition."

Here's a link to the NVW Resource Guide so you can see what this week is all about and how you can take part.  If you are taking part in an event for National Volunteer Week remember to tell us all about it on Facebook and or Twitter  Connect with us using @INOFBCI and #IndianaNVW

For more information:

Indiana AmeriCorps

Hands On Network

AmeriCorps Week 2012

What did you do for AmeriCorps Week?

AmeriCorps Week 2012 was March 10 - 17 and AmeriCorps members got out in the community to celebrate!  AmeriCorps Alums, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps State members from around Indianapolis got together to spend time with kids at the Laurelwood Community Center.  They talked about community and their heroes; rounding out the day with writing cards and letters to our service men and women over seas.

Members at the Robinson Community Learning Center AmeriCorps program created this bulletin board to kick off their celebration of AmeriCorps Week!

Finally, the AmeriCorps Program USI ACT got together with YouthBuild, and the Culver Learning Center to build some accessible garden beds.  They were able to provide a way for students with and without disabilities to learn and grow through serving together. Take a look at this video from Channel 14 in Evansville, IN.  

 

Indiana AmeriCorps In Action!

12 AmeriCorps Members

54 Hours of Service

$15,342.31 raised together in donations. 

2,091 Pounds of food collected.  

In partnership with Notre Dame-Holy Cross and Hannah & Friends, the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC) helped to engage the community to raise support during the Notre Dame-Holy Cross Harvest Food Drive 2012.  LeaderCorps member, Lauren Kross, is serving her AmeriCorps year with RCLC and was able to assist in mobilizing her fellow members to help out with this event.  

The Indiana AmeriCorps members involved served the ND Holy Cross Food Drive by preparing hearts for the display, preparing info sheets for the hockey games, and helping promote the food drive at the Notre Dame Lefty Fest Hockey games on February 3, 4, and 10. AmeriCorps members at Hannah & Friends also donated to the Robinson Community Learning Center’s food drive initiative. At the hockey games, AmeriCorps members assisted in fundraising over $150 in donations and three full barrels of food.

 

Lauren states:

 I really enjoyed being a part of this special project. Many food drives tend to be around the holidays, but after the holiday seasons are done many initiatives do not take place and many people go hungry during this lull. Helping neighbors in need is such a satisfying feeling and I am sure many of the donors of this drive felt the same way. 

 

 This project was able to engage the various communities that make up the University of Notre Dame.   It also provided the opportunity for members to engage the community of the Northeast neighborhood with the food drive initiative on campus.