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Serve Wisconsin - February 2020 Newsletter
Articles this month:
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National Service Day at the State Capitol on February 19
Serve Wisconsin is coordinating National Service Day at the State Capitol on February 19, which will feature national service participants and staff from AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Senior Corps programs from throughout Wisconsin. Attendees will be operating informational tables from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the First Floor Rotunda, which will be filled with program banners and maps of service locations throughout the state. Additionally, attendees will be meeting with members of the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly or their staff to highlight the impact that AmeriCorps and Senior Corps have on communities throughout Wisconsin.
If you are interested in participating at the National Service Day at the State Capitol on February 19, please fill out the
RSVP form. If you have any questions about this event or to let us know about your participation, please contact Kyle Clower at
[email protected] or 608-267-9893.
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Governor Evers and over 100 AmeriCorps members join over 450 people at Lancaster Public School for MLK Day of Service
Over 100 AmeriCorps members from
College Possible - Milwaukee,
Teach for America - Milwaukee, and
City Year Milwaukee participated in a service project at Lancaster Public School in Milwaukee. They were joined by Governor Tony Evers, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, Mayor Tom Barrett, three AmeriCorps alumni representing parts of Milwaukee in the Wisconsin General Assembly, State Representatives David Bowen, Jonathan Brostoff, and David Crowley, and several hundred people from the local community.
Throughout the day, more than 50 projects were completed around the school, including the painting of murals that would greet the students when they returned to class the next day.
While serving at the project, Governor Evers described how participation in the annual MLK Day of Service is "an opportunity to think about service, how we can do better as a state and as a nation." Lt. Governor Barnes described how volunteering each year for this national day of service brings up a key concept addressed by Dr. King regarding "the most urgent and persistent question: What are we going to do for others?" Additionally, College Possible - Milwaukee Program Director Kelly Schaer described participating in projects each year to honor the legacy of Dr. King, stating "He really believed in so much change. The only way to change is by being action-oriented and doing something."
For media coverage of this project, please go to:
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AmeriCorps members with
Partners for After School Success and
Schools of Hope joined with Senator Tammy Baldwin and several other community volunteers at multiple events honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that were coordinated by the Urban League of Greater Madison, the United Way of Dane County, and the King Coalition. On January 19, AmeriCorps members volunteered in several capacities at the Outstanding Youth Recognition Breakfast at Edgewood High School.
On January 20, members served at the MLK Day Youth Call to Service at the Madison Central Library, which featured Senator Tammy Baldwin speaking with the assembled students. Additionally, Serve Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Duffy spoke with the students about the value of service, with the participants rotating through a series of workshops to learn more about historical and modern freedom songs and civil rights movements. The AmeriCorps members served as workshop room hosts/guides, worked with students on sign creation, and assisted with registration, the lunch, and general event logistics.
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The AmeriCorps members and staff at
UWEC's AmeriCorps-ECLIPSE program completed multiple projects and recruited several community volunteers, including the UWEC Women's Basketball team, for MLK Day of Service 2020. Their "day on" started by serving a meal at The Community Table in Eau Claire and then splitting their members and community volunteers into three service groups to complete projects with Girls on the Run, the Humane Society, and Chippewa Falls Parks, Recreation & Forestry.
For media coverage of this project, please go to:
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Public Allies Milwaukee completes MLK Day of Service project at Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center
Public Allies Milwaukee AmeriCorps members, alumni, staff, and community members gathered at Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center on January 20, 2020 for The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service, including Wisconsin State Representative Jonathan Brostoff, a Public Allies AmeriCorps alumnus, who represents part of Milwaukee.
Shavonda Sisson, a Program Director for Public Allies Milwaukee, noted the importance of focusing service efforts at Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center: "We partnered with Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center to ensure that Black community members receive the benefit of the legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."
Service activities included cleaning the school, refreshing bulletin boards, and painting murals. While Principal Bryan S. Terry and some staff knew of the service day, most teachers and students entered the school to its results as a surprise the next day.
Executive Director Ashley Lee reminded the class that The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not a figurehead who worked alone -- rather, the Public Allies Milwaukee AmeriCorps Members coming together to celebrate and strengthen a Black community space reflects Dr. King's message of uplifting the Black community in collective ways.
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Easterseals AmeriCorps members collaborate with local high school for MLK Day of Service
The AmeriCorps members with
Easterseals Wisconsin joined with 20 volunteers from the Wisconsin Dells High School Key Club for MLK Day of Service at Camp Wawbeek in the Wisconsin Dells. Throughout the day, they completed multiple projects, including making fleece scarves to be donated to the UW-Whitewater Veterans Lounge, painting the Respite Center, making fire starters for camps to utilize, and various additional projects around the camp.
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B
oys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee AmeriCorps assemble "snack packs" for Sojourner Truth House for MLK Day of Service
AmeriCorps members from the three AmeriCorps programs sponsored by the
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee made the MLK Day of Service a "day on" by participating in a day of service by assembling and decorating "snack packs" which will be delivered to the Sojourner Truth House in Milwaukee. The "snack packs" were decorated and filled with assorted treats and snacks for children at the shelter at Sojourner Truth House for families who are victims of domestic violence. Additionally, AmeriCorps members at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee participated in citizenship training activities on this day that honors a tremendous example of the power of civic engagement.
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In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, the team at
Blugold Beginnings hosted Ms. Lynda Blackmon Lowery, author of Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, at schools around Eau Claire where their AmeriCorps members work with students on STEM education programming. Ms. Lowery shared her story of determination and courage with the students about her experiences as a teenager during the Civil Rights Movement, especially during the Selma March. Ms. Lowery challenged the students to think about the issues we are faced with today and how they could each work on to make positive change in the world. Additionally, the students received a copy of the book to read and discuss during the Black History Month in February.
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The AmeriCorps members and staff with
Marshfield Clinic Recovery Corps held a free Concert for Recovery this January at Nicolet College in Rhinelander, WI as part of their efforts to serve those affected by substance abuse in northern Wisconsin. The concert featured Recovery Corps AmeriCorps member Bryce Luebke, with some of his songs referencing how he has been impacted by both addiction and recovery.
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Chippewa Fresh Start YouthBuild leads activities for local youth
AmeriCorps members from Chippewa Fresh Start YouthBuild worked with youth from Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls as part of a mental toughness week. AmeriCorps members guided participating youth through several leadership activities and volunteered at the Feed My People Food Bank in Eau Claire for MLK Day of Service.
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This January, twenty people from current and potential AmeriCorps programs in Wisconsin participated in the New Program and Staff Boot Camp in Madison, which provides training for both new staff at existing programs and staff at organizations developing a new AmeriCorps program.
The boot camp covered several topics, including: an overview of larger landscape of AmeriCorps and national service, rules and regulation, program management, site management, compliance, and enhancing the experience of our AmeriCorps members. This boot camp is hosted every year as part of the cycle of trainings and workshops hosted by Serve Wisconsin to provide support for its AmeriCorps programs.
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Serve Wisconsin to Release RFP for AmeriCorps Programs and Planning Grants this February
Serve Wisconsin will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) within the next week for organizations interested in applying for funding for AmeriCorps Programs through State Formula funding or for organizations interested in applying for a planning grant to explore/develop an AmeriCorps program. Organizations will need to submit a mandatory notification of intent to apply within two weeks of the RFP release and will need to submit proposals in mid-March. Please keep an eye on our website and social media accounts for the RFP release and due dates for submissions.
Links to the RFP, the Notification of Intent, technical assistance, and other resources will be available on the Serve Wisconsin website links below:
Please direct any questions regarding the RFP process or application to
[email protected]
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Become an AmeriCorps Member Today!
If you wish to engage in meaningful community service and acquire job skills, consider joining AmeriCorps!
To learn more about AmeriCorps or if you are ready to join and have questions about which program is right for you, contact us! We are happy to answer your questions and help you explore the different opportunities available.
Program information is also available on our
Serve Wisconsin
website.
We look forward to speaking with you!
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Interesting in serving as a member of the Wisconsin National and Community Service Board?
For those interested in taking an active role in promoting national service and volunteerism in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin National and Community Service Board currently has three vacancies for board members for the following appointment types:
- A representative of community-based agency
- An individual between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who is a participant or supervisor of a service program for school-aged youth, or of a campus-based or national service program
- An open seat where the individual would meet any of the slot descriptions in state statute for one of the other appointed members
Those interested in serving are required to complete an application to the governor for the appointment. The online application for applying for a board position can be found
HERE, with additional information on the application process found at
Apply to Serve - Governor Tony Evers. If you are potentially interested in serving on the board and have any questions, please contact Serve Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Duffy at
[email protected].
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Calendar: Upcoming Events and Key Dates
February
- February 19 - National Service Day at Wisconsin State Capitol (Madison, WI)
March
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See what's happening on our social media sites:
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