WhiteHouse.gov Blog Feed: Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

A Look Back at Joplin: United We Succeed

Cecilia Muñoz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:05:09 +0000

Eight months ago, one of the deadliest tornados in U.S. history touched down in Joplin, Missouri, and took the lives of more than 160 residents and destroyed thousands of homes. The federal response began immediately. Within hours, Federal Emergency Management Agency teams were on the ground to work hand in hand with state and local officials to assist in response and recovery. AmeriCorps members also raced to the scene as well. Members from AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team and the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) arrived in Joplin, and immediately began working with local authorities to assist in search and rescue.

Yesterday, the Missouri House of Representative passed a bipartisan resolution honoring the more than 300 AmeriCorps members from across the country who have played an indispensable role in helping the cities of Joplin and Duquesne recover. They provided homeowner assistance and casework, helped clear debris, and provided support to the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Joplin Police Department with missing person inquiries.

But these AmeriCorps members were certainly not alone. More than 60,000 volunteers ranging from average citizens who wanted to help to active duty military to faith-based groups from across the country have been an indispensable source of support for the people of Joplin. Managed and supported by AmeriCorps members, these volunteers have provided more than 579,000 hours of service and contributed to $17.7 million of donated resources to more than 2,000 households.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through Service

Cecilia Muñoz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:40:22 +0000

Monuments are built to those who change the course of history. It is right and fitting that a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. now stands in the heart of our nation’s Capital. Even as we renew our understanding of Dr. King’s legacy by visiting this beautiful monument; we can honor the legacy of Dr. King by following his example, by serving and volunteering in our communities.

Dr. King called service the “new definition of greatness.” He believed that the work we undertake on behalf of others is the most important work of all. He devoted his life to this notion – advancing equality, social justice and economic opportunity for all Americans. Dr. King challenged all of us to do our part to build a more perfect union.

That is why, for nearly two decades, the nation has marked the life of Dr. King with a national Day of Service. Today, Americans from every state will deliver meals, refurbish schools and community centers, collect food and clothing, sign up mentors, support veterans and military families, and more. Thousands of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members will lend a hand to community-based projects. Individuals and groups, of all ages and backgrounds, will come together – as Dr. King would have wanted – in service.

Champions of Change: Making a Difference through Service and Innovation

Marta Urquilla — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:01:36 +0000

Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

Last week, we gathered fourteen inspirational citizens to hear about their tireless efforts to renew and strengthen their communities through service and innovation. We met in New Orleans, the host city for the 2011 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, an annual convening of over 4,000 people working to make a difference in the lives of others. President Barack Obama has called New Orleans a “symbol of resilience and community”—and what better place to highlight these Champions of Change than the Crescent City and the living laboratory for social innovation and civic participation that it has become.

Each of this week’s Champions exemplifies our Administration’s firm belief that the best ideas really do come from outside of Washington—from local communities across the country where, everyday, individuals are taking on our most pressing social challenges and developing solutions that work. From a twelve-year old environmental activist to established and highly regarded non-profit leaders, these Champions are making an extraordinary impact in communities, in schools, and in the workplace. They are building homes, creating opportunities for young people, veterans, and immigrants, and helping disaster victims rebuild their lives. Through their actions, they demonstrate that citizen leadership is critical to “winning the future.” They are redefining civic participation in the 21st century.

Our Administration is investing in these community solutions. Many of the Champions of Change are recipients of Social Innovation Fund grants—YouthBuild USA, the Delta Workforce Funding Collaborative, and iMentor—and we are so excited by the work that they are doing on the ground. Others are partnering with national service programs like VISTA and AmeriCorps, and delivering critical services to help communities recover and rebuild from disasters and to support the reintegration of veterans in our society—Equal Justice Works, Alabama State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and the Washington Commission for National and Community Service.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the St. Bernard Project. This New Orleans non-profit has drawn volunteers from across the country to rebuild hundreds of homes throughout St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward. It’s been quite an extraordinary example of “shared responsibility” and the possibilities that can come from citizens pulling together around a common goal. The President once noted that he saw in the St. Bernard Project “the symbol that this city has become.” And, indeed, the work of each of these Champions has such resonance.

Please visit the Champions of Change website to learn more about these individuals and their work. We hope these Champions and their causes will inspire and energize you to make a difference in your own communities, and, by doing so, to win the future.

Marta Urquilla is the Senior Policy Advisor to the White House Domestic Policy Council’s Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.

Volunteers Prove Essential to Disaster Response

Wed, 04 May 2011 18:32:25 +0000

Volunteers help gut homes, aiding in recovery efforts from recent storms.

Over the past few weeks, a series of devastating tornadoes swept across the country. From Mississippi to Virginia, communities are suffering great losses. The Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Disaster Services Unit rapidly mobilized thousands of volunteers to assist local recovery efforts.

Working closely with the State Service Commissions and FEMA, CNCS has built partnerships across public and private sectors to provide critical services to communities in need. In Kentucky, AmeriCorps members support local Red Cross shelters. In St. Louis, AmeriCorps Safety Service Corps deployed members to remove trees from roofs and tarp houses to keep out the rain. Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) volunteers are providing services such as checking on the welfare of affected residents, clearing debris, delivering clean water, assisting residents with relocation, distributing donations, organizing sandbag efforts to prevent flooding, transporting elderly residents to medical facilities, and providing case management support.

For Kelly DeGraff, the Senior Advisor for Disaster Services at CNCS, the agency's response to the tornadoes in Mississippi was particularly poignant. In less than 24 hours after the tornado struck Jackson, MS, CNCS volunteers were on the ground serving affected residents. A team of six NCCC members from the Southern Region campus in Vicksburg, MS helped to feed residents and distribute supplies. For nearly a week, team Leader Moses Moua, 23, of Orlando, FL and Corps Member Michael Brown, 20, of Indianapolis, IN provided day and night staffing at the American Red Cross shelter in Clinton, MS.

While working in the shelter, Moua and Brown spent time with Frelicia May and her family of sixteen. May, her husband, sister, children and grandchildren were painfully familiar with being in a shelter following a storm. After losing everything during Hurricane Katrina, they had drifted to several places in Louisiana and Texas before settling near her family in Jackson, MS. On April 15, when the tornado struck May’s new home, she gathered the few things she could salvage and headed to her sister’s two-bedroom apartment. They quickly realized that the cramped apartment would not provide the large family sufficient space or resources to get back on their feet.

The May family took refuge in the American Red Cross shelter where Moua and Brown welcomed them. After a few days at the shelter, May spoke affectionately of the NCCC members – “We love them. They laugh and talk to us and treat us like family. Michael is really good with the kids.” In addition to providing the families with basic needs, Brown has been playing tic-tac-toe, basketball, coloring, and reading to the 13 children.

“I can do a lot of things that I couldn’t do before, like build things. I knew exactly what to do when I got to this shelter because we had training on it,” said Brown. He said that being an NCCC volunteer has taught him a lot of skills and given him training that he didn’t know he would utilize. It has also taught him the power of giving back.

Throughout the year, CNCS engages more than 1.5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service. Senior Corps, AmeriCorps State and National, and the AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers have been particularly active in responding to the recent disasters. These programs play an essential role assisting communities responding to a disaster. CNCS volunteer programs provide a great deal of value both to the communities in which they serve and the volunteers themselves.

For more information, contact the CNCS Disaster Services Unit at DSU@cns.gov.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Spotlight on Community Colleges Vying for Prize

Sonal Shah — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:28:46 +0000

Last October, at the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges, President Obama announced the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, a new, privately-funded prize to recognize, reward, and inspire outstanding outcomes in community colleges nationwide.

Yesterday, Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary Arne Duncan congratulated the 120 community colleges that – due to exceptional student outcomes – were selected by the Aspen Institute to compete for the inaugural $1 million purse. In Round Two, the Aspen Institute will invite these 120 eligible institutions to submit applications containing additional detailed data on completion rates, labor market outcomes (employment and earnings), and student learning outcomes. Eight to ten finalists will be named in September and – following campus visits by Aspen in the Fall - prize winners will be announced in December.

Excellence in community colleges is critical to reaching President Obama’s goal that the U.S. lead the world in college graduates by 2020 and to preparing the American workforce to compete in the global economy.

Growing Green Neighborhoods Through Youth Engagement

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:41:54 +0000

Groundwork Somerville teens tending and harvesting a garden and learning about urban agriculture.

In 2010, Chelsea Clarke joined Groundwork Somerville (GWS), a nonprofit that promotes sustainable community development and revitalization in Somerville, MA. It was a “giant leap of faith,” for the environmental consultant, but it turned out to be the perfect blend of her passions and the incredible investment in her own community she had been yearning.

Clarke began at GWS as a Green Team supervisor. Green Team is an environmental job corps that employs youth ages 14-17 to learn about and practice environmental stewardship, educate communities on green space issues, and conduct community health outreach. The youth also maintain the upkeep of school gardens and harvest and sell produce at local farmers’ markets. Green Team helps youth develop strong interpersonal skills through their team, with their supervisor, and through interactions with farmers’ market customers. “You can really see them grow over time,” gushes Clarke. “Just a few weeks ago, we took some of the teens to Philadelphia for the 2011 EPA Brownfields Conference. It was amazing to see someone who started out as a shy kid get up and present so confidently at a national conference.”

Now a community organizer, Clarke works more extensively within the neighborhood, primarily with the Green Line/Green Spaces Team. This team concentrates on the planning and use of lands for the extension of the Boston metro system through Somerville, specifically focusing on the project’s affect on urban youth. Clarke explains that “key issue areas for city youth are surprisingly similar to those of older demographics” – youth are just as concerned with sustainability, transportation affordability, and efficiency as their parents.

Garden Youth Crew gets their hands dirty and learn about urban agriculture in Somerville.

GWS also has programs for younger children as well as the broader community. The Schoolyard Gardens Program and Garden Youth Crew teach urban kids about their ecosystem and the agricultural practices behind the food they eat. The Community Corridor Planning program aims to make community planning processes inclusive and advocate for health equity and local jobs. The Somerville SoilCycle picks up compost for community members and uses the fresh soil from the composting for school gardens. Finally, the “Spring into Action!” program gives 2nd and 3rd grade Somerville students a chance to spend their spring breaks learning about their environment, participating in outdoor physical activities, and learning to prepare balanced meals.

Groundwork Somerville is part of the national Groundwork USA network, which works to improve neighborhoods that have experienced long-term decline in their physical and social environments.

Share your story about a transformative person or organization in your community!

Resilient and Sustainable Economies in the Gulf Coast

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 22:37:27 +0000

Solar Panels at Charlotte High School – the first full campus LEED Gold Certified public school in the Southeast.

This week marked the one year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Throughout the past year, communities across the Gulf coast have worked hard to diversify their economies to be more resilient. The Clean Economy Development Center (CEDC) has established a model of collaboration that brings together local communities, federal agencies, nonprofits, and businesses to rebuild neighborhoods to be more environmentally and economically sustainable.

Charlotte County recently hosted the “CEDC Clean Economy Roadshow,” spotlighting their innovative recovery work. Charlotte County, on Florida’s west coast, is home to almost 160,000 residents. Over the past seven years, the County’s primary industries of construction and tourism have struggled from the economic recession, three hurricanes, and the BP oil spill. Jason Stoltzfus, Program Liaison for Charlotte County, notes that by 2010 the unemployment rate was 13% and property values had gone down by 42%. In response, the county has worked hard to build a more sustainable economy, job market, and tax base by diversifying the County’s economic focus to include green technologies, renewable energy, medical information technology and life sciences.

Charlotte County has partnered with local businesses and leveraged FEMA funding to assist with rebuilding a more resilient community. Sustainability and energy are at the core of the County recovery plan – creating sustainable businesses and jobs while reducing energy needs and costs. Some of their innovative projects include:

LEED Buildings
In the rebuilding process following Hurricane Charley, five of the public schools earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Charlotte High School is the first full campus LEED certified public high school in the Southeastern United States.

Annual Energy Conference
The County hosts a two day conference – the Green Future Expo and Energy Options Conference – that promotes green energy, sustainable construction and economic growth. Over 3,000 people have attended the conference.

Solar Hot Water Service
Through a partnership with a local business, the County is in the process of establishing a Solar Hot Water Service program that will provide residents a low cost method for lowering their utility bills with no upfront costs. The program will generate jobs, provide the county with additional revenue through a profit share, and enable residents to switch to solar energy with no upfront or additional cost.

Babcock Ranch
The County is working with the legislature to permit the development of Babcock Ranch – the first city planned to be 100% powered by solar energy. The majority of the power would be generated by the largest on-site solar photovoltaic facility in the world.

Charlotte County is a small but mighty county with a clear vision of how to rebuild in a manner that is both sustainable and more resilient to future disasters. Next month, Stoltzfus will join leaders from communities across the Gulf Coast to share ideas and experiences at the Gulf Coast Sustainable Economies Leadership Academy. CEDC is partnering with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Institute for Sustainable Communities will be hosting a free training, peer learning and technical assistance workshop in New Orleans. The goal is to help catalyze community-based sustainable development in Gulf Coast communities.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Honoring Eli J. Segal – A True Entrepreneur

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:15:40 +0000

Today marks the two year anniversary for the Serve America Act. As we celebrate the progress we’ve made in looking to community solutions and innovation to address our nation’s greatest challenges, we also reflect on those who have paved the way for service.

Last month, Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, had the honor of addressing students, faculty and community members at Brandeis University for the annual Eli J. Segal Memorial Lecture.

Eli J. Segal was both a respected businessman and a dedicated public servant. In the 2007 Inaugural Segal Memorial Lecture, President Clinton remembered his friend and colleague as a true entrepreneur – a man who saw problems as opportunities for new solutions. He showed us that service could be an integral part of one’s life, not just something to squeeze into limited spare time.

Segal was a doer – someone who turned his visions into reality. An aide to President Clinton, Segal was instrumental in driving several of the Clinton Administration’s most praised projects. He helped create AmeriCorps – the national service program that today deploys 85,000 Americans to serve in communities across the country – and he went on to serve as the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency established to run the federal service programs. Nelson Mandela turned to the “father of AmeriCorps” for uniting post-apartheid South Africa through service. Segal and President Clinton helped realize Mandela’s vision of a black and white youth serving side by side through the creation of City Year-South Africa. During the overhaul of the federal welfare system, Segal was the “chief implementer” – finding 20,000 companies to move 1 million Americans from welfare to work.

In her remarks highlighting Segal’s legacy, Barnes said:

"Coast to coast, country to country, Eli believed ordinary citizens could be change agents empowered to strengthen their communities, their country, and the world. And at a time when our world is changing so quickly – when some are looking for what divides us rather than what brings us together – it is the best time to honor a person who believed in the humanity that exists in all of us – humanity that ultimately resists division and instead, brings us closer to work for the common good."

Barnes remembered past Presidents who had called on our nation to serve, and she relayed President Obama’s call for Americans to integrate service into their lives.

“…We have a real opportunity to position America to win the future. This is the time to build new models of civic engagement – and if past is prologue, we will. Historically, we’ve responded boldly in times of challenge by tapping into our creativity and ingenuity. And, we’ve turned to community – rather than away from it – for solutions.”

The Administration understands that government does not and should not have all the answers. Rather, solutions to the major challenges that we face are going to be overcome by ordinary citizens across the country taking action to improve their communities.

Tell us how you are integrating service into your life.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Growing Strong Communities in Detroit

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:43:07 +0000

A lot transformed by the Georgia Street Community Collective - before and after.

There are two tales of Detroit – one of vacant lots and unemployment, the other of strong communities and regeneration. As urban planners and city officials work to maintain essential infrastructure for the more than 740,000 city residents, Mark Covington turns empty lots into community assets. He says “Detroit is peaceful because it’s not a typical city – there is so much space between the houses and my neighbors are people I grew up with.”

In 2008 Mark Covington lost his job and moved back to his childhood home in Detroit. That spring, he noticed that melting snow was catching on garbage and flooding a lot near his home that had been empty for decades. He started picking up the trash, but soon realized that removing debris alone would not stop people from using empty lots as dumping grounds. He convinced his mother and a friend to help him clean up the lot and plant a garden. As they spent more time in the garden, curious neighbors stopped by and began sharing their stories with Mark and with each other. He talked to many people with difficult choices – families forced to decide between paying electricity bills, purchasing groceries, and filling prescriptions. While the garden became a source of nutritious food, the real power of the garden was in bringing neighbors together.

Neighborhood children gather at the Georgia Street Community Collective.

Through persistence and dedication, what started as one man cleaning up an empty lot has transformed into a community movement – The Georgia Street Community Collective. A neighbor sent her foster children to help in the garden. They brought along a few friends, and soon Mark found himself acting as a mentor to the children. As more people became involved and new ideas were suggested, he helped to turn these visions into reality. Eventually, Mark and the Collective took on the responsibility of cleaning up and maintaining 18 different lots. Three became community gardens and one was turned into an orchard. In the summer, some lots are even used as outdoor movie theaters. The Collective has been so successful in bringing the community together that it event transformed a once-vacant building into a multi-purpose community room where neighbors help students with homework and host community holiday dinners.

Over the past three years, Mark has received encouragement from unexpected places. He started out keeping a journal on DetroitYES!, sharing his story and regularly updating the blog with the Collective’s growth. His followers quickly grew, and some even sent donations. A record label from England was so inspired by Mark that they came to Detroit and spent a day transforming an empty lot into a "pocket park," which is a small green space for public use. Initially neighbors were skeptical, but his dedication was contagious. To others who want to make a difference in their neighborhoods, Mark says “Go for it. Don’t give up. If you can’t get something one way, then try something else.”

Mark misses the days of his childhood when there were mom and pop shops and a car dealership in his neighborhood. He hopes that the work of the Georgia Street Community Collective might spur development in the area. Using produce from the gardens, he hopes to create opportunities for neighborhood kids to sell produce at local markets. Someday he might even grow the Collective into a small business. But for now, Mark enjoys just giving back to his community. He said “I’m probably more at peace in these past three years than I have been in my whole life.”

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Partnerships and Innovation in Colorado

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:26:43 +0000

Photovoltaic (PV) panels at Columbine High School.

Last fall, Jeffco Public Schools and Golden Power Partners, LLC (GPP) partnered with Renewable Social Benefit Funds (RSB) to bring solar energy to thirty Jefferson County, Colorado public schools. Combining federal and state incentives, as well as Xcel Energy renewable energy rebates, Jeffco Public Schools pays no upfront costs, and the project is expected to save Jefferson County taxpayers $1 million in energy costs over the next 20 years.

This January, the Jeffco solar project began to produce energy at district schools. In total, there will be 30 systems operating on campuses across the district, producing a collective 4.1 million kilowatts a year. While this is only a fraction of the total energy used annually, it’s a start. “With declining resources, any money saved goes a long way, even if it’s just enough to save one or two teachers’ jobs – initially,” notes Tom MacDonnell, Energy Management Coordinator at Jeffco Public Schools. “As the project progresses, we should receive more and more savings.”

In fact, Jeffco has been exploring opportunities to decrease the environmental footprint of their schools for years. The district started an energy conservation program in 1993 and has participated in EPA’s EnergyStar and Tools for Schools programs. Around that same time, Kirk Stokes, VP of Business Development at GPP approached Jeffco about a solar program. However, the program was cost-prohibitive. It wasn’t until funding from RSB Funds helped cover the cost of installation and management of the solar panels that the project took off.

The Jeffco solar project also enables the district to reallocate resources and strengthen its curriculum. Next fall, Jeffco is anticipating the launch of Teach the Teachers, a classroom education piece that teaches students and teachers about solar power and other energy-saving measures. Students will learn how to live a more sustainable lifestyle and develop an understanding of the science and technology behind their green choices. The program, a collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), will introduce a curriculum in partnership with Jeffco’s science department in the 30 schools that are participating in the solar project. Once the curriculum is developed and tested, Jeffco hopes that other schools will also adopt alternative renewable energy curriculums.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Reflections on Service

Sonal Shah — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:47:33 +0000

March was an important month for service. Two events – the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps and the Points of Light event honoring President George H.W. Bush’s contribution to the modern service movement – highlighted service in an unprecedented way. To commemorate these events, the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation dedicated its blog to share stories celebrating service.

These stories came from many different leaders including, Harris Wofford, one of the principal architects of the Peace Corps, to prominent Returned Peace Corps Volunteers like Donna Shalala, to current Peace Corps Volunteers in Ghana and Mongolia, give us insight into what it is like to serve abroad. Other blogs, like those by Christa Gannon and Iris Dooling, illustrate the impact that individuals can have on their communities and tell compelling stories of the need for service here at home. They exemplify the powerful tradition of service in our country.

As we go into National Volunteer Week, we look forward to continuing to share stories about volunteers and community leaders around the country who are making a difference.

Share your story with us!

Sonal Shah is the Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

You Give A Lot, You Get A Lot: A Story Celebrating Service

Congressman Tom Petri — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:39:48 +0000

Tom Petri during his Peace Corps service in Somalia.

I responded to President Kennedy's call and applied to the Peace Corps in 1961. Had I gone, I would have served in Ethiopia with Paul Tsongas, the late Democratic senator from Massachusetts. But I got into Harvard Law School, and told the Peace Corps that perhaps I could do something law-related after I graduated. The Peace Corps got back in touch with me three years later, and I went off to Somalia to help organize its legal code.

Since that time Somalia has had terrible problems. Obviously, the Peace Corps can't turn every nation away from disaster. As representatives of the American people, our jobs was to assist the Somali people to improve their situation. In the end, there were greater forces at work, but we helped to improve lives for a while and showed that Americans can work in a peaceful, cooperative spirit with others for the benefit of everybody.

While in Somalia, I learned quite a bit about how the world works in practice and not just in theory, and these lessons have informed my public service ever since.

For instance, we Americans tended to have a "We'll show you how to do it" attitude while the British had learned over decades of empire building that it was better to take an approach which said, "We'll work with you and learn from you and try to work together on things."

An example of the American approach: We saw the obvious need for water in the parched country, and set about drilling wells. But no one really had ownership of the wells, which meant that they weren't maintained. Instead, nomads would come to the wells, make use of them, and then fill them in before moving on so the next group wouldn't benefit.

Another example: To upgrade the livestock in the country, our aid people had the idea of bringing in good, productive Rhode Island Red chickens, without fully realizing that Somalis let their chickens roam and survive on the land - something our chickens were not equipped to do.

We didn't want to just give chickens away, so we would make the Somalis bring in their scrawny chickens in exchange.

The Somalis quickly discovered that our chickens were not particularly good at surviving, but were very good for eating. So, they would always wait until it was time to kill a chicken, and then they would take one or more of their scrawny chickens and make an exchange for Rhode Island Reds, and then slaughter them.

This did not have a long-term impact on improving Somali livestock. But it certainly made a few Somali festivals a little happier.

I learned from this that government programs should be thought through, and that unintended consequences should be expected. I am sure that with time and experience, Peace Corps management has learned these lessons from early blunders as well.

Even with the missteps, I knew we were doing important work. I was with two other Peace Corps lawyers in Somalia, but there were also dozens of Volunteers in the country who were teachers, community health workers, and school builders. They provided real services to their host communities, and they built personal relationships that aided understanding between the two nations.

I can still remember the quizzical but interested reaction that so many people in Somalia had when they saw Americans engaged in a project: "Who are you?" "Why are you doing it?" "Explain that to me again."

The spirit was catching, and they would end up participating in all kinds of little volunteer activities and things that they hadn't thought of doing themselves, all working together.

People ask me about the Peace Corps, and I always say that one of the things you have to remember about it is that you get a lot more than you give. You're serving other people, and you can get great satisfaction from trying to make the world, or at least a small piece of it, a better place. And while you're serving, you're learning. You learn about another culture; and at the same time, you're learning about your own country and your own experiences because of the points of contrast.

What a wonderful thing it is that America has now tens of thousands of people who have served in the Peace Corps, who have returned and are now in every walk of life - working in international organizations and in business, knowing different cultures and different languages - thereby providing a dimension to our own national life that we would otherwise not have. We all benefit as a result.

Congressman Tom Petri served in the Peace Corps in Somalia from 1966-67 and currently represents the 6th Congressional District of Wisconsin.

Kicking off Champions of Change

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:59:28 +0000

Throughout the last month, we’ve celebrated stories of service. In response, many of you from around the country have shared your stories of communities working together with us. We have loved reading them and look forward to sharing them on our website in the coming weeks and months.

Today, the White House launched “Champions of Change: Winning the Future Across America,” a weekly spotlight on individuals just like you who have done extraordinary things in their communities. This week spotlights Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have leveraged their experiences abroad to help their communities back home. Similar to the series of blogs we have posted about Returned Volunteers, these videos capture the value of the Peace Corps experience, and the ease of translating lessons learned abroad into action in local communities.

We look forward to sharing more stories from all of you. Keep them coming!

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Commemorating 50 Years of Peace and Friendship Through Service

Aaron S. Williams — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:03:25 +0000

Director Williams with Peace Corps Volunteers in Ghana, October 2010. Ghana and Tanzania were the first Peace Corps programs to welcome volunteers in 1961.

Peace Corps is as vibrant today as it was a half a century ago and continues to capture the imagination of Americans committed to service. Our 50th Anniversary is an opportunity to honor our past and advance our mission of world peace and friendship through education and engagement. As part of our commemoration, the Peace Corps is encouraging Americans to consider participating in a community service project here at home to honor the work of our Volunteers and the vision of public service as envisioned by President John F. Kennedy.

This past month, Peace Corps staff, returned Volunteers and our regional recruiting offices across the country commemorated the anniversary through local service projects, both in the United States and in Peace Corps host countries. Our regional recruiting offices have initiated community-service projects, such as cleaning a community park, sorting donations at a food bank, serving lunch to veterans, and tutoring students in afterschool programs. Peace Corps staff overseas have been working with Volunteers on a variety of projects in the fields of agriculture, business and information technology, education, environment, and public health.

In addition to working together on community service projects, our 50th anniversary has been a time of reflection. I have heard countless stories of service. I met with many of our founders and original staff members who have spent the last 50 years working to increase service opportunities for all Americans. I spoke with applicants who have been inspired by their local service experiences and are looking to make a difference globally. I went to El Salvador and the Dominican Republic to meet with current volunteers who have been forever changed by their leadership experiences. The sum total of all of these stories of service is the legacy of Peace Corps.

In our 50th year, over 8,600 Americans ranging in age from 21 to 86, and from all 50 states, are serving as Peace Corps volunteers in 77 countries. Today, there are more Americans serving as Peace Corps Volunteers than any point in the last 40 years. Our Volunteers represent the best America has to offer – they are grassroots ambassadors for the United States. They represent America's values, generosity and hope. Although much has changed since 1961, our mission to promote world peace and friendship through service remains the same.

For me, as for so many Volunteers, the Peace Corps experience was nothing short of transformative – with an impact that has lasted far beyond our years overseas.

Aaron S. Williams is the Director of the Peace Corps; he served as a Peace CorpsVolunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1967-1970.

Lessons learned: A Story Celebrating Service

Congressman Mike Honda — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:09:24 +0000

Mike Honda meets with community leaders in El Salvador as part of his Peace Corps volunteer efforts to build local schools and hospitals.

My time in El Salvador as a Peace Corp Volunteer taught me so much.

I went into the Corps as a college student shy of graduation with little direction; I emerged with the confidence that my emotional, psychological, and physical limits had been pushed, plied, and ultimately surpassed.

I went into the Corps driven by the shame of my youthful lack of direction; I emerged determined to do something about the pervasive poverty surrounding me.

I went into the Corps speaking one language; I emerged speaking another: Spanish, a gift that introduced me to a new world, gave me a new way of understanding other cultures and helped me connect to constituents in California.

The Peace Corps got me back to the basics, and I realized that every day is a gift to be used wisely. That lesson is what guides me now in Congress.

This year, as we celebrate the Peace Corps’ 50th Anniversary and its countless contributions to communities worldwide, let us remember Sargent Shriver’s selfless commitment and visionary leadership. He created a pioneering organization that provides opportunities for young Americans to serve as ambassadors, promoting peace and friendship around the world.

As the founder and first director of the Peace Corps, Shriver’s impassioned call to help those in need will have a lasting impression on past, present, and future Peace Corps Volunteers who accept the call to serve the international community. Shriver put it best when he said, “The Peace Corps represents some, if not all, of the best virtues in this society. It stands for everything that America has ever stood for. It stands for everything we believe in and hope to achieve in the world.”

I couldn't agree more.

Congressman Mike Honda served in the Peace Corps in El Salvador from 1965-67 and currently represents the 15th Congressional District of California.

Cesar Chavez - A Role Model for Service

Christina Markle — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:59:10 +0000

Editor's Note: This post was originally posted on the National Service Blog.

Cesar Chavez (1927 – 1993) was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist. His birthday, March 31st, is a state holiday in California and a number of other states and is also celebrated by many as a day to promote service to the community in honor of his life and work.

Markita Fortune, a Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium AmeriCorps member from California, incorporated Cesar Chavez’s core values into the work she does with 5th graders at a school in Menlo Park, CA.

Most of the youth are of African American and Latino descent and often experience bullying at school. "I thought that teaching them about the Core Values of Cesar Chavez might help them realize that it is better to work together than against each other,” said Fortune.

When asked if they knew of Chavez, a few of the 5th graders raised their hands but many simply shook their heads no. After taking a quiz and learning more about Cesar Chavez, the young people began to notice a connection between themselves and his work.

“When they started going over the answers, the youth were really excited and asked lots of questions about the things that Cesar Chavez did for the community,” said Fortune. “They realized that he worked in communities that were similar to theirs.”

Fortune then introduced her students to Cesar Chavez’s core values. The group discussed how the values could be used in their after-school program and decided to focus on three values a week, beginning with Acceptance of All People, Celebrating Community, and Non-Violence. When asked why they selected those values, the youth conveyed a hope that these core values would help address the bullying problem.

“I have definitely noticed a change in the youth since we began the Cesar Chavez curriculum,” noted Fortune. “They have become kinder to one another and have been helpful around the school. I am grateful that I have this as a tool to strengthen my youth development skills.”

On January 12, 1990, shortly before the MLK Day holiday, Cesar Chavez said, “My friends, today we honor a giant among men: today we honor the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a powerful figure of destiny, of courage, of sacrifice, and of vision. Few people in the long history of this nation can rival his accomplishment, his reason, or his selfless dedication to the cause of peace and social justice. Today we honor a wise teacher, an inspiring leader, and a true visionary, but to truly honor Dr. King we must do more than say words of praise. We must learn his lessons and put his views into practice, so that we may truly be free at last.”

You can serve on Cesar Chavez Day and honor Dr. King together, by making it part of the MLK 25 Challenge, an ongoing initiative to honor the 25th anniversary of the King Holiday.

Christina Markle is a former part-time AmeriCorps Bonner Leader and a current John Gardner fellow from UC Berkeley at the Corporation for National and Community Service

Closing The Loop: A Story Celebrating Service

Jon Carson — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:07:53 +0000

Loading up survey equipment and heading out to a rural Honduran village.

This last Sunday, in between playing with my two year old and helping my wife with our new baby, I got a call from my friend Dagoberto Nunez that brought back a flood of memories from my two years of service as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

The first time I met Dagoberto I was a Peace Corps Volunteer newly arrived in Honduras. I was assigned to work on water and sanitation projects in the southern part of the country, helping Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that provided the funds to build water systems in small rural villages. I lived in the central city of Choluteca and would ride out by bus, pickup, or the occasional mule, to villages to work on the water projects. I would complete a land survey of the village, design the system, and then hand it all over to a Maestro de Obra, or project manager, who would actually supervise the construction of the water system.

Dagoberto was a Maestro, and on a visit early in my service to a project under construction, I first got to see him in action.

Installing a water system involves installing miles of plastic and metal tubing, building multiple concrete structures to capture and store the spring or ground water, building a 10,000 gallon (or more) tank to hold the water, and then installing a distribution system through the village with a water tap for everyone. All of the labor to build and install the system was volunteered by the villagers receiving the system. In order to manage one of these projects, a Maestro de Obra had to be a master craftsman, trainer and coach to the villagers who had never built one of these systems before, and have the political savvy to deal with the local governments and village politics that might get in the way of finishing a project.

Dagoberto was all of these, and the best Maestro de Obra I worked with during my two years in Honduras. My basic job as the surveyor and engineer was to make sure the water could get from Point A to Point B. The moment of truth would come after months of backbreaking labor by the villagers: digging a three foot trench by hand from the spring to the tank location, carrying hundreds of pipes over hills and across ravines, and installing them. Then you turn on the valve, and wait to see if water shows up at the other end.

The picture below is from one of those moments about a year into my service. Dagoberto stood next to the pipe as water poured out onto the tank site of one of the toughest surveys and designs I’d completed. I remember asking myself at that moment: with everything else he and other local Maestro de Obra’s were capable of, why couldn’t they also learn how to do my part of it?

Dagoberto showing off a water pipe successfully bringing water to a village.

It turned out that they could, and that the major obstacle in their way was access to the surveying equipment needed and someone to teach them how to use it. While I continued to complete surveys myself in my second year of Peace Corps service, I spent the majority of my time helping Dagoberto and other local Maestro de Obra’s become surveyors themselves. I wrote to engineering companies in the United States and received half a dozen donated surveying instruments that we could use. I then partnered with another local Peace Corps Volunteer, David Lawler, to develop an eight week long beginners surveying course that the local non-profit community college sponsored. Thirty local Hondurans enrolled. Eight weeks later, 25 of them graduated. After the course, I spent extra time out in the field with a small group of the graduates who planned to form a small cooperative of surveyors utilizing the donated equipment.

When you are completing a land survey like the ones we did to design water systems, the only way you know the accuracy of your measurements is to survey in a large circle and make your way back to the point you started from. This is called “closing the loop”. The only problem is that you don’t know how you did until you take the measurements back and make all the calculations. The day I went with Dagoberto and his team out to a small village for their first survey, I was more nervous than they were. For an entire day I watched quietly and anxiously as they made their way from the spring in the mountains down to the local village, making hundreds of measurements. My one requirement was that they survey back up to the starting point to “close the loop” so we could see how they did.

A long and dusty bus ride back down to my house and a couple hours of data entry later, I had my answer: Dagoberto and his team had nailed it. Five miles of measurements across the village, and they were accurate to within inches. I was so excited I ran outside and hugged one of the neighbor kids playing in the street.

That was 5 years ago. Dagoberto and his team are still surveying and partnering with NGOs who are supporting the water projects. Now instead of receiving a survey for free, villages have to raise the money to pay Dagoberto and his team for a survey. This invariably means they take the survey and water project more seriously because they had to pay for it, which leads ultimately to a better water system, and a better approach to community development.

Most returned Peace Corps Volunteers will tell you that they get more out of their service for many years afterwards than they feel they gave to their host country; I couldn’t agree more. And getting a call from Dagoberto on a Sunday morning to “close the loop” was one of those moments.

Jon Carson served in Honduras from 2004-2006 and is now the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement

Peace Corps Reflects the Diversity of America: A Story Celebrating Service

C.D. Glin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:53:22 +0000

Peace Corps Volunteer C.D. Glin with children in his South African community, 1997

Ed. Note: In October 1994, Presidents Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela met to seal a bond of friendship and a promise to work together to transform South Africa from a divided nation to one united by its commitment to build a democratic, nonracially based society. The Peace Corps was a small but important part of that agreement. Today there are 152 Peace Corps Volunteers in South Africa working in the fields of education and NGO development.

As long as I can remember, I have aspired to live and work in Africa. As a young African American growing up, I wrote anti-apartheid rap songs in high school, interned with an Africa advocacy group, and even shook Nelson Mandela’s hand at a reception during my junior year of college at Howard University.

While interning in Accra in 1994, I had the opportunity to meet Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Ghana. They were community leaders welcomed by Ghanian communities, communicating in local languages and sharing new ideas.

Once learning about Peace Corps service, I only had two thoughts: Why hadn’t I heard about this sooner? And: Where could I sign up? That year, President Mandela invited the Peace Corps to South Africa and asked for a Volunteer group that truly reflected the diversity of America.

In January 1997, the Peace Corps swore-in the first group of 35 Volunteers going to South Africa, and I was among them. The assignment for our group was in elementary school education, serving in South Africa’s Northern Province (now renamed Limpopo Province) as liaisons, advisors and trainers for local teachers. The goal was to help implement a new national education curriculum that offered parity among people and replaced the current curriculum, which was based on ethnicity, race, and color.

To better communicate with my community, I learned an African language, Northern Sotho. I took pride in learning a new language and culture, though it came with some frustration; I would inevitably be drawn into the same questions.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from the States,” I’d reply.

“No, I mean where are you really from?”

“From the States,” I’d say again, this time more emphatically.

Then came looks of confusion and annoyance. Why, they wondered, would I deny my heritage and language? Surely I was African. They would try a new tack.

“Well, where are your parents from?”

And on and on it went.

These conversations of heritage and where I came from often led to discussions about slavery and the number of people of African descent in the United States. As I gave impromptu history lessons, I always mentioned the similarities I saw between South Africa and the United States and the struggle for racial equality. Exactly 40 years after Brown vs. Board of Education struck down “separate but equal” in the United States, apartheid was struck down with the first national multi-ethnic democratic election in South Africa’s history. In response to frustrations expressed that their personal circumstances hadn’t immediately changed, even though the government had, I would explain that slavery in America was followed by a reconstruction period and the civil rights movement.

I feel privileged to have played a small part in South Africa’s civil rights movement as it transitioned into a democracy, and I am grateful that the Peace Corps gave me this opportunity. As the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Partnerships at the Peace Corps, and a former staff member of the Office of Minority Recruitment at the Peace Corps, I continue to support Peace Corps’ efforts to ensure that Volunteers reflect the face of America and that everyone is provided with opportunity to serve.

C.D. Glin served in South Africa from 1997-1999 and currently, is the Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Partnerships with the Peace Corps.

Taking On a World of Challenges: A Story Celebrating Service

Congressman John Garamendi — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:56:01 +0000

John and Patti Garamendi help administer vaccinations to children in Ethiopia.

Life is about choices. I could not be prouder of my decision to serve in the Peace Corps with my wife, Patti, in Ethiopia. The experience imbued us with the courage to choose a life of public service: to dedicate ourselves to developing policies that create social and economic justice and lift people out of poverty.

In 1966, at the start of our Peace Corps journey, we found a new home in rural Ethiopia: a tin roof, dirt floor, wattle walls, and unlimited opportunity to serve. Teaching seventh and eighth grade and women’s family health education, digging wells, offering small pox vaccinations, building remote schools, setting up coffee co-ops – every day was filled with helping the community.

The work inspired confidence in the ability of our common humanity to overcome daunting challenges. We witnessed remarkable cooperation and an intense desire to build a thriving community.

The partnerships we forged through our Peace Corps experiences have borne fruit up to this very day. For example, small pox was once a scourge upon our earth that disfigured, blinded, and killed millions. In administering vaccinations, we played a part in a global campaign that led to the eradication of this disease.

In the 1980s, I returned to an Ethiopia that was suffering from mass famine and drought due to civil war. Using my knowledge of water issues, I worked with a local public servant to provide water to a large camp of people displaced from the fighting.

In the late 1990s, during the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, I led a peace delegation of returned Peace Corps Volunteers to negotiate between the warring states. Because both heads of state had been taught by Peace Corps Volunteers, they were willing to talk with us, and we were able to help negotiate a peace treaty.

My Peace Corps experience has guided me throughout my career. For instance, having seen the transformative benefits of expanding health access to rural areas of Ethiopia, I authored a law in the California legislature that made it easier for families in remote areas of California to see a doctor.

These Peace Corps stories are replicated over and over again by Volunteers of the past, present, and future. Peace Corps Volunteers return to America as tried and tested leaders. They are ready to take on a world of challenges in this country and continue a life of service.

Congressman John Garamendi served in Ethiopia from 1966-68 and currently represents the 10th Congressional District in California.

Inspired to Serve: A Story Celebrating Service

Congressman Sam Farr — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:24:20 +0000

Sam Farr served in Medellin from 1964-66 with one of the first Peace Corps groups in Columbia.

Fifty years ago this month, President Kennedy challenged Americans to serve their country in the name of peace. I was one of the many who got inspired to serve, and I count myself fortunate to have been a Peace Corps Volunteer under the masterful direction of Sargent Shriver.

As one of those early recruits, I worked in a poor barrio in Medellin, Colombia where I saw the grinding cycles of poverty that left so many men, women, and children without hope. This barrio had no lights or running water. But what this community lacked in infrastructure, they made up for with an unyielding commitment to build a better life for their children.

Immersing myself in the culture and language, I learned about the needs of the community and worked with the men and women of the barrio to uplift the whole community. Resources were scarce and life was not easy, but armed with the will to make a difference, I worked shoulder-to-shoulder with my Colombian friends to build a local soccer field, a school and install sewers. Because these projects were driven by the community members, they fostered an enduring sense of community empowerment that outlasted any one volunteer.

My story is one of millions that have emerged over five decades of Peace Corps service. And these stories, from the Volunteers and the communities they serve, help to shape our country’s image around the world. Over the past 50 years, through war and conflict, the Peace Corps has shown the world a hopeful, uplifting side of America that reflects our fundamental ideals of peace, service, and grassroots development.

It is in no small part, that because of my experience in the Peace Corps today, I have the privilege of serving the United States Congress. Peace Corps taught me to listen and react to the needs of those you serve. And that is a lesson I have used everyday in my 30 years in elected office.

As we celebrate 50 years of service by nearly a quarter million Americans, Peace Corps has never been more relevant. As President Obama said in his Proclamation honoring the Peace Corps, “In our increasingly interconnected world, the mission of the Peace Corps is more relevant today than ever.” I am very encouraged that Peace Corps has 8,655 Volunteers currently serving in 77 developing countries, marking a 40-year high. I urge my fellow Americans to honor 50 years of incredible service, and to encourage the next generation of Volunteers who answer the call to serve our great nation in the name of peace.

Congressman Sam Farr served in the Peace Corps in Colombia from 1964-66 and represents the 17th Congressional District of California

Veterans Helping Veterans: A Story Celebrating Service

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:18:31 +0000

In 1986, three Vietnam War veterans – Peace Foxx, Mark Helberg and Ken Smith – made a pilgrimage to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC. They were surprised to find a large number of homeless veterans living in the park nearby and returned to Boston inspired to make a difference.

After learning that veterans comprise nearly one-third of the national homeless population, Foxx, Helberg, and Smith founded the Vietnam Veteran’s Workshop. Through HUD’s Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, they acquired a 10-year lease on a former VA Outpatient Clinic in downtown Boston in 1989. A year later, they opened the doors to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, one of the nation’s first veterans-only homeless shelters, now known as the New England Center for Homeless Veterans (NECHV).

NECHV was recognized by President George H.W. Bush as the “142nd Point of Light” – part of a vision that ordinary individuals across the country can make a difference in their communities. NECHV takes a multi-pronged approach to the issues that challenge homeless veterans. The center supports veterans through five core program areas: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Single Room Occupancy Apartments; Training and Employment; and Health Care and Case Management.

The Center collaborates with local programs to provide the services necessary to ease transition back to civilian life, especially for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). NECHV partners with the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) to provide emergency medical care for all residents. The Center has a full-service in-house eye, medical, and dental clinic to provide on-going medical care. NECHV takes a personal approach to addressing the issues facing our veterans – reducing the incidence of homelessness one veteran at a time. Stephen Cunniff, Director of Community Affairs, explained that each veteran has his or her own case manager and that this commitment to individual needs inspired two special needs programs that the Center runs in partnership with the Veterans Administration. The Senior Services Program caters specifically to the needs of veterans over the age of 65. The Bridges Program provides clinical case management for veterans with chronic and persistent mental illness. The Center also hosts a number of tailored drug abuse rehabilitation programs for their veterans that take an integrated approach to addressing mental health and addiction issues.

Cunniff finds the work “extremely rewarding,” which is reflected in their low staff turnover and abundance of volunteer and community support. The organization collaborates with the government and private institutions to tackle a national problem on a local level.

Share your story of an organization that takes a community based approach to address a national challenge.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

More Than Interest: A Story Celebrating Service

Iris Dooling — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:07:23 +0000

2008-2009 Louisiana Habitat AmeriCorps members who were recruited, interviewed, and managed by Iris Dooling.

Joining AmeriCorps was a way to tackle issues of educational inequality and poverty housing head-on. I joined to share my love of learning with at-risk students and help rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

During my service, I gained new skills, and through some mistakes, I found a new confidence. I learned how to hammer down a nail in 3 swings, and get a rowdy class of 45 seventh graders to sit still and craft an essay. I experienced failure when the stakes were high, and how to get up and try again until I succeeded. I felt the resiliency of my adopted community, which refuses to be wiped off the map.

My service was personally transformative. However, national service is much more than a defining experience for those who serve; it has a profound impact on the communities in which volunteers serve.

Last year, 657 AmeriCorps members served with Habitat for Humanity at 187 sites throughout the country. These members served for 1 million hours, raised $4.5 million in cash and in-kind donations, supported 200,000 community volunteers, and helped 3,642 Habitat families. Since the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes more than 110,000 AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America participants have contributed more than 9.6 million hours to the Gulf Coast recovery effort.

National service is indeed a part of the solution to our nation’s most pressing challenges.

No one person believed in the power of national service as a solution to our country’s problems more than the late Eli J. Segal. Eli Segal was an inspirational leader in the national service movement, and the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that administers the AmeriCorps program.

Last year, I had the honor of serving as the 2010 Eli J. Segal Fellow at CNCS. This provided me the opportunity to develop and implement national service policy initiatives with the Director of AmeriCorps. As the Segal Fellow, I applied lessons I learned through my AmeriCorps service to improve and expand the AmeriCorps program. After my fellowship, CNCS hired me to serve as a Disaster Services Specialist, in a position that enables me to continue to serve my community.

So, why am I interested in national service at this point in my life?

I am passionate about national service as a key way that we all come together to meet the considerable challenges in our nation and our communities. I have witnessed firsthand the transformative effect national service can have on the members who serve and the communities in which they serve.

Why are you interested in national service at this point in your life? Share your story with us.

Iris Dooling was the Program Specialist for the Louisiana State AmeriCorps program for Habitat for Humanity from 2007-2009, and served as the 2010 Eli J. Segal Fellow at Corporation for National Community Service.

"All Together Now: A Celebration of Service"

Sonal Shah — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:32:42 +0000

Throughout the month of March, the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation is celebrating stories of service. Last night, the Points of Light Institute paid tribute to President George Herbert Walker Bush, America’s 41st President and the man who inspired the modern service movement.

Throughout his life, President Bush has promoted the notion that every day, in communities across America, countless ordinary individuals and community organizations are hard at work volunteering their time and skills to help make a difference in the lives of others. He described this hands-on movement as “a vast galaxy of people and institutions working together to solve problems in their own backyard.”

During his Administration, President Bush created the first ever Cabinet-level position dedicated solely to service and established the Daily Points of Light Award to highlight individuals making a difference in their communities. President Bush called the nation to service, and in response, the Points of Light Foundation, which later became the Points of Light Institute, was created. Thanks to the work of President and Mrs. Bush, many Americans have come to recognize the voluntary action of citizens as a cornerstone of our democracy.

President Obama continues to carry on this legacy of service. Within the first 100 days of his Administration, he made expanding national service a Presidential priority by signing into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The landmark legislation reauthorizes and expands AmeriCorps and establishes the Social Innovation Fund. Two key ideas promoted by the Act – rewarding results and demonstrating the impact of national service programs – have resonated with communities and funders around the country. Since the signing of the Act, there’s been an emergence of new models of civic and corporate engagement and a fresh focus on evaluation and metrics for success.

Service is not separate from our achieving our national priorities, but integral to it. In fact, in times of challenge, we are best when we turn to community for the solutions rather than away from it. Through the creativity and ingenuity of engaged citizens, we can create a future that allows our children to prosper.

Last night, the Points of Light Institute honored President and Mrs. Bush for their remarkable leadership and dedication to service. The public event in Washington D.C. brought together all of the living former Presidents, many senior Administration officials, and thousands of people from around the country who have helped their communities through service. Tune into NBC on Monday, March 28th to watch the event.

The Points of Light Institute is also collecting inspiring stories from around the country. Share yours on their online Tribute Wall.

Sonal Shah is the Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Sharing Solutions Through Service: A Story Celebrating Service

Sara R. Lopez — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:52:51 +0000

Lopez teaching her students in El Salvador during her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer .

Ed. Note: The Peace Corps program in El Salvador began in 1962 and is was one of the agency's earliest posts. More than 2,100 Americans have served in El Salvador coordinating with local municipalities, NGOs, and community groups to develop better water systems, make health and sanitation improvements, provide environmental education, and assist municipal development projects. Sara served as a Municipal Development Volunteer in El Salvador from 2003-2006.

When I first arrived in Candelaria de la Frontera, El Salvador, I frequently wondered, “Why can’t this country just be more like the U.S.?” Though my family is of Hispanic heritage, I had usually shied away from being labeled as Hispanic and did not regularly embrace many parts of Latino culture. It took me about a year to understand that I had to accept the country with all of its idiosyncrasies, and that if I was going to be there as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I had better work my hardest to make my two-year commitment worth it. So I began meeting with different community groups, helping to strengthen their internal functions and facilitating communication with the local city hall. I organized youth camps, giving many children in my community the opportunity to travel outside of their village for the first time while facilitating educational experiences.

I soon realized that I loved being a Peace Corps Volunteer, and I loved learning about Latino culture, appreciating it, and embracing it. I decided to stay in the country after my Peace Corps service to manage a service-learning program at a private high school in El Salvador, whose students would become future leaders in many fields. The program taught students the value of service by helping them become development workers who learned more about their country by doing hands-on work. On several occasions, I used my Peace Corps community for service-learning activities, and my students led youth camps for children from other Volunteers’ communities.

Working with Salvadorans across the economic spectrum allowed me to learn about Salvadoran society, culture, and different paths to community development. Experiencing the daily obstacles to community improvement in the Peace Corps, and facilitating a student’s first exposure to the stark realities of their country, made me more determined to learn about solutions to poverty; I pursued a Master’s degree in public affairs and learned about solutions on a broader scale. I am now a proud federal employee who strongly believes in the ability of government to provide the foundation for community-level initiatives to address poverty.

I consider the Peace Corps as my launching point for my career in public service, and I am grateful for the grassroots experience that continues to shape my thoughts and actions.

Sara R. Lopez is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer and a Program Specialist in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Partnerships with Peace Corps.

Transformation Starts From Within: A Story Celebrating Service

Christa Gannon — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:55:01 +0000

I went to law school in California planning to make the world a safer place by incarcerating criminals. During my first week, I volunteered to teach incarcerated youth about the law, in all honesty, because I wanted to meet “juvenile delinquents.”

This service experience changed my life.

I realized that underneath the shells of hardened “juvenile delinquents” were kids. Kids who had grown up believing that by the time they were 18 or 21 they would be in prison or dead.

Kids who over and over again would tell me: “If only.”

“If only I knew how much trouble I would get into.”
“If only someone had cared about me.”
“If only I had been given a chance to do something good for community…I wouldn’t be here.”

I hadn’t expected to care. But, their stories began to haunt me. I found myself wishing that someone would listen to their ideas and do something to help. Then it hit me – I should stop wishing and start doing.

So I asked them, “What would you do to help other kids from ending up here?” They said: 1. Teach kids about the consequences of crime to help them learn how to make better choices; 2. Connect them with a positive role model to help them be successful; and 3. give them a chance to give back to their communities to help them show it’s not too late for “juvenile delinquents” to change.

These youth wrote letters of recommendations for seed funding to start Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY). Today, over 10 years later, with 100 volunteers and 26 staff, FLY provides the programs they recommended: legal education, mentoring, and leadership training for kids in the juvenile justice system and those at-risk for system involvement. The kids who helped design FLY were right; their suggestions worked. FLY effectively helps kids start transforming their lives for less than 1/10 the cost of incarceration.

At FLY, the youth we seek to serve continue to be our greatest teachers, reminding us that those we want to help have the greatest insights into what they need and an incredible capacity to serve as part of the solution. Personally, I am mindful that being a part of an organization that is all about transformation began, first, with my own.

Christa Gannon is the Founder and Executive Director of Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY)

The View From My Shoes: A Story Celebrating Service

Donna Shalala — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:04:29 +0000

Shalala, pictured here with her students, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran from 1962 to 1964.

The captivating power of instant communications, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or the 24-hour news cycle, creates the illusion that we are more “plugged in” than we really are. Jolting images of events taking place around the world awaken our sense of compassion and desire for justice. We wish there was something we could do.

Awareness and concern are good first steps. But to truly grapple with the harsh realities that too many people face today, we have to step into their place and literally see the view from their shoes. This is a Peace Corps Volunteer’s vantage point and strength. To “walk the walk” is more than helping to alleviate the painful effects of poverty, conflict, and social discrimination—it’s about advancing the sustaining power of culture and the uplifting complexity of the human spirit.

As a new college graduate, I felt completely primed and empowered to join the Peace Corps as a Volunteer in Iran in 1962. I didn’t realize that the greatest lesson of my life was just beginning. Two years teaching English in a remote area taught me more invaluable lessons than anything else that has happened afterwards. Daily life became transformative just by eating the same food, washing in the same water, and using the same transportation as the people I lived and worked with everyday.

I learned resourcefulness, resilience, and immense respect for a community that gradually learned to accept and trust me as well. The dean of the school where I taught had never worked with a female teacher before; he didn’t quite know how to deal with me at first. Over time I became less of an outsider and more of a valued contributor, and while all my ideas weren’t embraced, many were adapted to fit a distinctly local framework.

What can one person really do? More than you can imagine. Lasting change is best accomplished by small, meaningful steps that accrue and are reinforced over time. And change is never one-sided. By helping to improve the quality of life for others, we create a more meaningful life for ourselves.

I tell students that to really learn about the world, they need to be part of it. Service shapes our values, harnesses our passions, and, most definitely, makes a real difference.

As we celebrate 50 years of the Peace Corps Volunteers, I invite everyone who is ready to “walk the walk” and make a difference in others’ lives to step up and see the view from their shoes.

Donna Shalala served as the Secretary of Health and Human Services for eight years under President Clinton and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush in June 2008. She is currently serving as the President of the University of Miami.

Healthy Markets, Healthy Communities: A Story Celebrating Service

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:32:05 +0000

Across the country, many low-income urban and rural communities live without access to the healthy foods that families need to thrive. These areas where residents face economic and social barriers to affordable, fresh, whole foods are known as “food desserts.” At the same time, small farmers are struggling to make ends meet. Wholesome Wave, a Connecticut-based nonprofit, is seeking to nourish neighborhoods and support family farms by directly connecting consumers to fresh foods.

The Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation had the opportunity to talk with Wholesome Wave. The organization is built on a series of local partnerships and provides solutions that address the nutritional needs of families and build local markets. The staff works with farmers markets and organizations to connect a broad base of consumers to farmers. This three year old organization tells a story of two unlikely partners joining to create a scalable model that addresses the specific needs of people in communities across the country.

In 2008, Michel Nischan, a sustainable food chef, and Gus Schumacher, a former Under Secretary of the USDA, joined to found Wholesome Wave. A professional chef and restaurateur, Nischan adapted his passion for regional cuisine to meet the strict dietary needs of his young sons who had been diagnosed with diabetes. He recognized that the difficulty of achieving a healthy diet for his sons must be amplified for someone without the same elevated access to nutritious foods.

Schumacher’s activism around food access began when he was delivering boxes of pears from his family farm. During the trip, one box fell off the truck. When Schumacher and his brother returned to pick up the fallen fruit, a woman and two young sons were picking the bruised pears out of the gutter. When Schumacher asked why she would be collecting this unwanted fruit, the mother explained that her food stamps weren’t enough to buy the fruits and vegetables her family needed.

The Nischan-Schumacher collaboration was the first of many partnerships that support Wholesome Wave. The organization works with third-party funders to double the purchasing power of SNAP dollars (formerly known as food stamps) when used to buy fresh food at farmers markets. This partnership incentivizes food assistance recipients to choose healthy options without any extra cost. Another project is to develop public-private partnerships with businesses, social services, and public spaces to create Healthy Food Hubs. These are neighborhoods that provide both access to food and information about improving healthy habits.

Since its start in 2008, Wholesome Wave has expanded its programming and reach. The organization has scaled its services from 12 markets in 4 states to over 160 markets in 20 states this year. We applaud Wholesome Wave for the inspiring work they do to serve low-income families and local farmers.

How have you connected your passion with serving your community? Share your story with us.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Understanding the Culture of Questions: A Story Celebrating Service

Robert Galloway — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:59:43 +0000

Ed. Note:The Peace Corps program in Mongolia opened in 1991 and has hosted nearly 900 American volunteers over the past twenty years. Volunteer Robert Galloway arrived in Mongolia in 2010 to teach English.

As an English teacher, I’m eager to introduce my students to question words early.

“Yagaad” is Mongolian for “why,” and I enjoy hearing it because such a word really deserves at least two syllables. For a question that so rarely has an answer, just as interesting to me is when it is asked. At home, it was a steady stream of family and friends asking me why I was going all the way to Mongolia for two years. Now that I’m here, the most common conversation I have is, “Do you have a wife, Rob?” “No,” and without a breath in between, “Yagaad?” I used to be taken aback by this; the question sounding to my ears like, “Why, what’s wrong with you?”

My reflections on service are usually based on the small and trivial aspects of my exchanges in Mongolia and the natural human curiosity we hold for one another. In my ninth month here, “yagaad” has slowly been replaced by “why” in my conversations with students, signaling to me that they now expect and desire my answers to be in English. They’ve stopped asking about a wife and started asking about why America celebrates Martin Luther King Day, why I enjoy reading so much, why American families live in the ways that we do.

One of my ninth graders surprised me early on a Saturday morning by knocking on my door: “Good morning teacher, may I chop your wood for you?”

“Really?” I asked, more than a little relieved for the help.

“Yes, I would like to talk and practice English with you.”

“Sure, why not?” I said.

What I’ve come to know is that the Peace Corps is a time when “Why?” becomes “Why not?” both for Volunteers and the people and communities we aim to serve. Each encounter is full of possibility, and the frequency with which I get to answer these questions about myself, and ask them of others, is a small and everyday measure of my impact here—the world becoming a slightly smaller classroom and all of us as students becoming a little more curious about our neighbors.

Why not?

Robert Galloway, 24, is from Wayzata, Minnesota, and serves as an English teacher with the Peace Corps in Mongolia

Empowering Latinos in Minnesota: A Story Celebrating Service

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:16:15 +0000

A health promoter provides blood pressure check ups to community members at a health fair organized by Centro Campesino in a local manufacturing home park.

Located in Owatonna, Minnesota, Centro Campesino is a grassroots organization that empowers their community members to seek and develop solutions to their problems. The organization focuses on engaging both migrant workers and year-round residents, many who are Latino. Centro Campesino strives to improve the lives of its members through policy reform, education, youth outreach, and advocacy, and empower residents who receive their assistance to become the future providers.

Partnerships in Health

Centro Campesino believes that collaboration with local organizations can enhance the provisions of services. Currently, Centro Campesino is running a pilot program in partnership with Allina Hospital in Owatonna. Centro Campesino staff serve as promotoras or “health romoters” that provide, on a one-on-one basis, basic health education and check-ups. They conduct cholesterol and HIV tests, measure blood pressure, and check sugar levels for community members. Twice a month, doctors from Allina Hospital visit Centro Campesino to provide free consultations to community members who need additional health care. This partnership has created an avenue for patients in the Latino community to receive medical care that would otherwise be unavailable. “The ultimate goal is to eventually open a full time free clinic for low income uninsured residents in southern Minnesota,” says Jesus Torres, a community organizer at Centro Campesino.

Community Outreach Through Youth Empowerment

Centro Campesino also encourages youth to serve their communities through a spring internship program. Students are tasked with identifying problems within the Latino community and developing effective solutions. As an organization devoted to youth involvement within the community and committed to youth education and tutoring, Centro Campesino advocates learning through empowerment. This year the students are directing their efforts toward computer literacy. They have found local sponsors to donate computers, motivated friends and classmates to create a curriculum, and empowered fellow students to teach community members basic computer skills. “Many of those who signed up [for classes] are parents,” says Torres. “It will be interesting to see how these students step-up to teach parents, some of them their own.” Centro Campesino believes that this program will not only prepare youth to be more responsible and to become leaders in their community, but it will also help community members overcome some of the technology obstacles they are facing.

Do you know of organizations or individuals in your community that are rising to this challenge? Share your story with us.

Divya Kumaraiah is the Policy Assistant to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Growing A Future: A Story Celebrating Service

Sam Frankel — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:32:46 +0000

Ed. Note: Ghana has the distinction of being the first country in the world to welcome the Peace Corps. The first group of 51 Volunteers left for service after a departure ceremony in the Rose Garden with President John F. Kennedy on August 28th, 1961. Since that time, more than 3,700 Americans have served in Ghana. Today, there are over 160 Americans working on Peace Corps community development initiatives through programs in education, small enterprise development, environment, and health. Volunteer Sam Frankel is expanding the program to address rural agricultural issues.

Since 2008, I have served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a small farming community in Ghana, West Africa. I came to the Peace Corps from a laboratory science background, researching the effects of toxic substances on human health. After years of reading about environmental and health issues in the developing world, I was looking for a chance to work directly on the problems that people grapple with in their daily lives.

My town in Ghana is a place where nearly everyone’s livelihood depends on agriculture. Farmers grow food crops to feed their families and sell cash crops for money to build houses, send their children to school, and pay medical bills. I joined in the agricultural life of the community with help from my friend and colleague, Mr. Mfodwo, an experienced farmer and community leader. He is the local organizer of a Habitat for Humanity low-cost housing program and a tireless advocate for housing, education, and agricultural projects. Mr. Mfodwo and I come from very different backgrounds, but share a desire to improve the welfare of our town.

I learned in Ghana that although the aspiration to serve is important, actual service requires both strong relationships and perseverance. Mr. Mfodwo and I work with other interested farmers, seek new agricultural opportunities, and develop relationships with knowledgeable people in other communities. Ultimately, we were able to establish a center for small-scale food processing projects. But in order to succeed, we had to experiment, learn from our failures, and deal with many setbacks along the way. Some of these challenges were very clear, like the cost of a piece of machinery. Others involved learning how to work across barriers of culture and experience toward a common goal. At times the challenges seemed overwhelming, and it was only in retrospect that I could appreciate what we’d gained from overcoming these obstacles.

My Peace Corps service has given me a sense of how difficult it is to foster real change, but also the rewards of being personally involved. It taught me that service is never abstract or remote, but that it is built on your relationships with other people. In many ways, the rewards are the relationships you build with other people. I could only have learned these things by practice, and Peace Corps service has given me that chance.

Sam Frankel is a biologist from central Maine. He served as an Environment Volunteer in Ghana from 2008 to 2010, and has recently rejoined Peace Corps Ghana as a volunteer to help expand its agriculture program.