The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase articles that feature national service and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.

AmeriCorps

Conserving, one step at a time
The Citizens' Voice (Pennsylvania), March 18, 2013
Tiffany Welch, 25, is a member of AmeriCorps, a government civil service program that does work in areas such as education, conservation and housing. She and her colleagues clamp into the breaker box and install a transmitter for a wireless energy display that will allow the resident to monitor her energy use, and more importantly, how much money she is spending. Read more>>

School crisis teams ready to respond
UT San Diego (California), March 25, 2013
Buchheit was one of 11 counselors and psychologists from the county office who went to El Camino High School and Cesar Chavez Middle School on March 14. The team augmented the schools' own counselors and psychologists and volunteers from the Promoting Achievement and Student Success (PASS) AmeriCorps program. Read more>>

Low-income families in mountains get boost from Habitat for Humanity
The Denver Post - Online (Colorado), March 25, 2013
Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is branching out to other areas in the mountains. With three houses being erected in Evergreen and three more in the planning stage, the nonprofit also is in the design phase for a house in Idaho Springs. […] Cyndy Cservenyak, an AmeriCorps volunteer, works on outreach and also coordinates volunteers for build days. Read more>>

Minnesota Reading Corps helps her give back to the community
Park Bugle (Minnesota), March 25, 2013
Minnesota Reading Corps is a research-based AmeriCorps program targeted at Minnesota students from age 3 through third grade with the goal of helping ensure all Minnesota children are on track to reading proficiency by the end of third grade. I work one-on-one daily with my students, monitor their progress weekly and have a file full of graphs to show their growth that I can share with their teachers. It's inspiring to see the number of letter sounds or words they can read in a minute increasing each week. Read more>>

AmeriCorps Project Conserve tours Polk County farms
Tryon Daily Bulletin – Online (North Carolina), March 25, 2013
Project Conserve is an AmeriCorps program unique to western North Carolina, and members are placed at host sites that focus on land conservation, water quality, energy conservation, and local food and farmland initiatives. Read more>>

Two serve Macoupin County through AmeriCorps
State Journal-Register - Online (Illinois), March 24, 2013
Alexandria “Alex” Boles, one of two people serving a stint at the Macoupin County Public Health Department as a member of the AmeriCorps service program, has found her duties to be an eye-opener when it comes to working with domestic violence victims. Read more>>

Homeless role-playing event draws attention to Grand Rapids' housing challenges
MLive.com (Michigan), March 21, 2013
Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness and AmeriCorps are teaming up for a simulation designed to raise awareness of the challenges many people face in obtaining affordable housing. Read more>>

Rebuild Joplin celebrates opening of 59th house
Joplin Globe - Online (Missouri), March 20, 2013
“Once they got out of that immediate crisis mode, they looked at what was the biggest need, and the biggest need was housing,” she said. Rebuild Joplin now operates with a paid staff of eight to 10, and a volunteer staff from AmeriCorps of about 35 to 40, Finnie said. Read more>>

A Place to Power Up: Technology and Teamwork
Edutopia (California), March 19, 2013
Through one of its many partnerships, PowerUP has teamed with the national AmeriCorps VISTA program to provide two staffers for each new center. These individuals work closely with the staff of partnering organizations to ensure that computer-related activities are coordinated with other programs for youth. Read more>>

Build-a-Bed project responds to needs of county children
Tribune Courier - Online (Kentucky), March 18, 2013
Thirty or more Marshall County children will be sleeping in new beds this year, thanks to the Build-a-Bed project. Debbie Proctor, a reading and math interventional teacher at Jonathan Elementary School, is a member of AmeriCorps. She and other AmeriCorps teachers in the county have selected Build-a-Bed as their service project. Read more>>

AmeriCorps NCCC

Raven 5 team swoops in to do good works
The Meadville Tribune (Pennsylvania), March 25, 2013
The Adopt a Roof program is moving slowly but surely after winter storms grounded National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team Raven 5, expected to complete 15 roofing projects by mid-April. Read more>>

AmeriCorps VISTA

Storm recovery VISTA shares her experiences
The Daily Mountain Eagle - Online (Alabama), March 23, 2013
A month in Walker County wasn't enough for Karen Neupauer. Neupauer, who spoke to the Rotary Club of Jasper this week, is a native of Lancaster, Pa., who is currently assisting with long-term recovery efforts as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Neupauer had a successful career in the construction industry before a slowdown in the economy inspired her to dedicate more time to disaster relief. Read more>>

Senior Corps: RSVP

Help with legal matters readily available
Centre Daily Times (Pennsylvania), March 25, 2013
According to Taylor, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program assists with income tax preparation for low- to middle-income taxpayers. Through the sponsorship of the county commissioners, the RSVP and Penn State, free tax help is available in Centre County. An IRS effort called the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program also offers free tax help to low-to-moderate income individuals/families that generally fall lower than $51,000 combined household income. Read more>>

RSVP celebrates 40th anniversary
The News-Courier - Online (Alabama), March 23, 2013
Dr. Sidney Sandridge, former president of Athens State College wrote the first RSVP grant for Limestone County in 1973. Today, RSVP has 381 active volunteers serving more than 145,000 hours annually working with 55 volunteer stations. Read more>>

Veterans and Military Families

National Guard Kicks Off 'Joining Community Forces'
TheBayNet.com (Maryland), March 24, 2013
The National Guard Bureau recently signed an agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service to work together to develop and mature a network of support in the three critical areas of employment, wellness, and education. Watson said the CNCS already has dedicated more than 100 members of Volunteers in Service to America to help develop and foster this critical network of support at the local level across the United States. Read more>>

City Year

City Year hopes to improve education in South LA
Intersections South LA (California), March 18, 2013
Over 200,000 South LA residents do not have a high school diploma according to the 2000 census. City Year, a non-profit organization that partners with public schools to help students succeed, hopes to change this. Read more>>

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase articles that feature national service and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently, including a new initiative to place AmeriCorps members in underperforming schools across the nation.
 

The IRS filing deadline is less than two months away, reviving a task that ranks somewhere near having a root canal for a lot of Americans. However, there are many national service members who are ready and willing to tackle the job, free of charge, through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Who says accountants should have all the fun?
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

Did you know that some of the programs under the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) banner have been in existence for nearly 50 years? We’ve created a new national service timeline to show how we got to where we are today.
 

The work continues on the Hurricane Sandy recovery front in New York, New Jersey, and across the Northeast as approximately 1,200 national service members have been deployed in response to the storm. Read on to see some of the stories about service and volunteerism in the superstorm’s wake.
 

The Coulee Region RSVP in La Crosse, Wisconsin, collaborates with Gundersen Lutheran Health System’s environmental stewardship program to mitigate some of the waste that was being sent to the county’s landfill and reuse the material to help others in the hospital.
 

For more than 40 years, RSVP has delivered proven results and engaged millions of Americans 55 and over in national and community service. This Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) program is a win-win for America, as senior volunteer service benefits the health of the adult volunteers and addresses vital needs in the communities they serve. Last week, Senior Corps opened its 2013 RSVP Competition.
 

The Coulee Region RSVP in La Crosse, Wisconsin, collaborates with Gundersen Lutheran Health System's environmental stewardship program to mitigate some of the waste that was being sent to the county's landfill and reuse the material to help others in the hospital.
 

For an aging individual coping with the loss of mobility, lack of proper foundations in and around a home can lead to difficulties remaining independent and mobile. This is especially true of our nation's veterans and as a nation, we have a duty to take care of these individuals how have sacrificed so much for our country.
 

Shrinking budgets are creating new holes in support services for our most vulnerable citizens at a time when their needs are growing. At the same time, many in the largest and most-influential generation are at a stage in their lives where they are looking for ways to give back. It's almost a perfect storm of supply meeting demand
 

This week, communities across the nation are taking part in Senior Corps Week, an annual event designed to celebrate the powerful impact of Senior Corps volunteers and encourage more Americans 55+ to give back. Want to learn more about what Senior Corps is all about? Take a look at these videos explaining the three programs of Senior Corps - Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents, and RSVP.
 

My grandmother lived in Texas, and she would remind me that everything was bigger there -- including their hearts. The work of one person, empowered by a Corporation for National and Community Service program, demonstrates how thousands of people are making a Texas-sized impact on the lives of our nation's veterans.
 

This Valentine's Day, volunteers across Montana are showing love for our veterans, mobilizing in an effort to help America's heroes prepare tax returns at several Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites around the state including Billings, Bozeman, and Helena.
 

On the National Service blog, the past few weeks have been dedicated to veterans. We've shared stories of WWII and Gulf War vets, of vets inspiring and helping young people, and of vets serving their country on the battlefield, and off.
 

Among the milestone events that have marked our nation's history, World Word II is one everyone knows of but few remember. The heroes of that war, their shared sacrifice and their continued dedication, shows they truly are the greatest generation. Montana's Bernard Mulder, 89, is one of these heroes.
 

As Veteran's Day nears, we look to honor those of the "Greatest Generation" who so valiantly served our country during World War II. Today, these heroes are still serving today – tutoring and mentoring at-risk youth, serving veteran and military families, and helping fellow seniors stay independent in their own homes.
 

59-year-old Lillie Lanser is one of the millions of Americans affected by the economic downturn. She spent years as a legal secretary, but when she was laid off in 2009, Lanser realized that unemployment allowed her to pursue a new direction in her life – service. As a volunteer, she found a passion for giving back and created the Cancer Pilot Transport Program while an RSVP volunteer with Senior Corps.
 

For too many veterans, returning home from war does not mean the battle is over. In fact, for some, the battle has just begun. Adjusting to civilian life can be challenging, especially when a veteran is suffering from an injury, depression, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Yet, some returning soldiers can neither drive nor have the daily support necessary to make it to the frequent appointments required for treatment—creating stress for themselves and their families.
 

After a long career with the U.S. Military, retired Lieutenant Colonel and Vietnam Veteran Howard Parker Rice found himself unable to stop serving. RSVP of Allen County provided the opportunity for him to continue serving by helping active military members and their families through the hardships of deployment.
 

Seeing is believing. RSVP volunteers in Indiana believe that all children have the right to see and see well. And thanks to Prevent Blindness Indiana, which trains RSVPs to conduct vision tests, they can play an important role in making sure that happens.
 

On Wednesday July 12, 2011, I was honored to participate in a White House event on senior volunteerism and service. At the event, Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, explained that seniors in service creates a “win-win” situation—communities benefit from the volunteers and the volunteers benefit from the act of serving.
 

Nancy Ryan was a full-time caregiver for her husband, a full-time job without any fanfare. Without much help, she carried on each day making sure her husband had the love and care needed to make it through each day. Through the RSVP Boone County Adult Caregiver Respite Program, Ryan was able to take a break and do the little things one may take for granted -- run a quick errand or grab a bite to eat.
 

Superwoman. That should be RSVP volunteer Evelyn Hildebrand's new name. If you're ever able to catch up with her,she's probably volunteering.
 

Monday’s Senior Corps luncheon brought together more than 700 program directors to hear Senior Corps Director Dr. Erwin Tan discuss the program’s strategic direction and celebrate RSVP’s 40th Anniversary.