Meet Our Leadership Award Winners!

Last week, on October 21, four very special national service alums were recognized for their great work. These alums represented four national service programs: AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps State and National program, and Senior Corps. They represented a variety of fields, and came from around the state. And we have all of you to thank for introducing us to them. 

AmeriCorps Alums Chicago and the Serve Illinois Commission selected these four alums from a wide range of nominations as the best of the best, extraordinary people who exemplified the AmeriCorps pledge, commitment to improving our country and community, during their terms of service and ever since. 

We honored them all in Springfield, IL, at the Serve Illinois Commission's Opening Day ceremony, where we were joined by a very special guest, Wendy Spencer, the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service!

We were so impressed that we want you to have a chance to meet our winners as well!

AmeriCorps NCCC: April Friend

For her service to AmeriCorps NCCC, today we’re honoring April Friend. April served at NCCC’s Denver campus. She also served a VISTA term with a nationally-recognized tax preparation program, the Center for Economic Progress, where she still works today as the Senior Director of Tax Services.

We also wanted to read from April’s nomination. April’s nominator said:

AmeriCorps service helped April to both define a career path as well as a personal mission to continue to serve. She continues to utilize her background to help her program move forward and ensure positive, productive experiences for all those involved.

(Pictured from left to right: Faye Stauber, Jamar Beyonou, and Birtis Reed.)

AmeriCorps VISTA: Faye Stauber

Our winner from AmeriCorps VISTA is Faye Stauber. Faye served two years as a VISTA Case Manager and After School Coordinator at Inspiration Corporation, and is now a social worker leading a team of clinical care staff and serving those afflicted with mental illness at Thresholds.

Faye’s nominator had the following to say about her:

Faye is very well rounded. She has great wisdom and incredible clinical skills that she puts to use daily. Her work ethic is top notch and she leads her team by example. Faye is very empathetic and goes above and beyond in the work that she does with our staff and our clients.

AmeriCorps State and National: Jamar Beyonou 

From AmeriCorps State and National Programs, we’re honoring Jamar Beyonou. Jamar served his AmeriCorps terms with City Year Chicago, and now, nine years later, is still serving there today as an employee.

Jamar’s nomination included the following quote:

Having worked in urban education reform for over ten years, I can honestly say that Jamar is one of the most committed and caring colleagues that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Jamar truly lives City Year's values of inclusivity, collaboration and putting students first.

Senior Corps: Birtis Reed

For his service as a Foster Grandparent, a Senior Corps program, today we honor Birtis Reed. Birtis has served an astonishing 21 years as a Foster Grandparent, where he volunteers with the children at Anna Waters Head Start.

Here’s what impressed us so much about Birtis, from the words of his nominator:

Birtis Reed has been a volunteer in the Foster Grandparent program for 21 years. This man is now 81 years old … and still volunteers every day …. Each year his evaluations continue to exceed all expectations of what our program supports. He is always smiling and in a great mood, I feel this man should be recognized for his true compassion and dedication to the children and the Foster Grandparent Program.

And one more thing:

We celebrate these individuals for their selfless work and their commitment to service, but we also celebrate that national service programs in which they served. We believe that programs like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps provide great opportunities for great people to do great work, and to get things done in the world.

Unfortunately, there are many who don't know about AmeriCorps or Senior Corps, and many others who don't fully understand their value. In fact, federal funding for AmeriCorps is once again on the precipice, and it needs your help to bring it back to safer ground. 

What can you do? To start with, talk about AmeriCorps. Tell your story, and tell your elected officials that this is something that matters to you. We are working on a plan to provide more ways to help, and will keep you all posted as it develops. In the mean time, thank you for all you to do to continue to serve, and to proudly continue serving out the AmeriCorps pledge to get things done!

Tell Your Elected Officials that AmeriCorps Matters!

Recently, both houses of our Congress--your elected officials--proposed a budget that included major cuts to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the government arm that manages all AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs. This means they want to take away funds for AmeriCorps, which would eliminate tens of thousands of AmeriCorps positions.

As someone who knows firsthand the value of AmeriCorps programs, it's important that you TELL your elected officials that AmeriCorps is important and needs to keep it's current funding! This is

Voices for National Service, a national advocacy organization, has developed some materials to help. Please see below. You can send this template, or make your own, to your elected official. Specifically, in Illinois, the most important person you can communicate this to is Senator Mark Kirk, R-IL. 

Please take a moment to send a message or make a call to Senator Kirk before the end of this month! Staff at his office WILL read your messages and answer your calls. As a constituent, your voice and your opinions matter to the Senator, and he has a duty as your elected official to represent your interests. 

You can copy/paste any of the samples below, or send a note to us and we can send you Word doc copies, along with more details about the bills and national service in Illinois. Email us at americorpsalumschicago@gmail.com 

Thank you for helping to Save Service!

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Template for Email:

- Submit messages through online form: http://www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=comment_on_legislation 

Dear Senator Kirk,

I am writing to you about the proposed spending bill before Congress that contains debilitating budget cuts to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a small federal agency that harnesses the power of citizens to fuel community solutions to pressing local problems. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps are two programs that CNCS administers that provide vital resources and services to our state by tutoring and mentoring struggling students, providing job training to returning veterans and their families, building homes for those in need, enabling seniors and individuals with disabilities to live independently, and helping communities recover after natural disasters. These national service programs deliver a dual benefit, offering a ladder of opportunity to those who serve.  During their service terms, members acquire workplace skills and post-service scholarships that provide access to higher education, propel them towards future career success, or help them enter or re-engage in the workforce. 

The cuts to CNCS included in the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill would have serious consequences in Illinois, where 2,826 AmeriCorps members and 12,263 Senior Corps volunteers participate in 146 programs at 2,011 sites. The bill proposes to cut CNCS by 20 percent and, if enacted, would eliminate tens of thousands of national service positions nationwide.  

This is a loss our community cannot afford.  National service programs have real impacts on communities and are a smart investment for the nation: according to a study by economists at Columbia University, for every dollar invested in national service, there is a $3.95 return to society in terms of higher earnings, increased output, and other community-wide benefits. 

In my community of Chicago, IL, [Insert personal story here. Include your connection to national and community service, the positive impacts of it that you’ve witnessed personally, and how these cuts will negatively affect your community. The more specific and meaningful, the better!].

CNCS programs play a deep and meaningful role in Illinois. Cutting them would take key services away from our community and those in need.  I ask that you use your position on the Appropriations Committee to ensure continued funding for CNCS in fiscal year 2016. Illinois is counting on you.

Sincerely, 

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR ADDRESS]

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Template for Letter:
- Send letters to either office: 
Chicago

230 South Dearborn
Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60604
Fax: 312-886-2117 

Washington, DC
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510
Fax: 202-228-4611 

Dear Senator Kirk:

As representatives of national service organizations in the state of Illinois, we urge you to protect the current funding level for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in any budget negotiation and/or continuing resolution. CNCS is our nation’s largest grantmaker for service and volunteerism, and their core programs, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps,  harness the energy and ingenuity of American citizens to address the nation's most pressing challenges. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, we know you are well positioned to support CNCS funding and ensure these programs continue to provide intensive, results-driven service to meet education, environmental, health, economic, and other pressing needs in communities across Illinois.

We represent a broad spectrum of national service organizations in Illinois.  We receive competitive grants from CNCS that helps to fuel our service delivery.  Our programs support struggling students, provide returning veterans and military families with job training, enable seniors and individuals with disabilities to live independently, and help communities rebuild after natural disasters.  Under current funding levels, STATE receives $XX million annually from CNCS, which allows a total of 12,263 Senior Corps and 2,826 AmeriCorps members to participate in 146 projects at 2,011 service locations across the state. [Add in story/example/case study of how CNCS programming affects the state]

National service programs supported by CNCS are proven to be a cost-effective investment for the nation. A study by economists at Columbia University demonstrates that, for every dollar invested in national service, there is a $3.95 return to society in terms of higher earnings, increased output, and other community-wide benefits. Through a robust public-private partnership, the federal investment in national service is highly leveraged to cultivate matching support from private, philanthropic, and local sources. Every AmeriCorps grant dollar results in another dollar of investment by community partners.

Given the impact and cost-effectiveness of national service programs in Illinois and across the country, we are extremely concerned about the proposed funding cuts to CNCS adopted by both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees for FY16. CNCS has been subject to significant reductions in funding since FY10, and further decreases to the agency’s budget would have dire implications. Should CNCS’s appropriations be cut further—after years of inadequate funding due to the combination of budget caps and sequestration—AmeriCorps and Senior Corps positions will be eliminated and our ability to deliver critical services  in Illinois will be in jeopardy. We certainly recognize the difficult atmosphere in which the Appropriations Committee is working to make challenging decisions, but the impact of national service programs on local communities and the economy in our state cannot be ignored. CNCS must be protected.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, you have the power to protect CNCS funding. We are counting on you to be our champion.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]


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Template for Phone Call:
- Call either office: Chicago - 312-886-3506 , Washington, DC - 202-224-2854 

• Phone Call To Congressional Offices – Talking Points
• Hi, my name is NAME and I’m calling from Chicago, Illinois.
• I’m calling to urge the Senator/Representative to protect funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service. 
• The Corporation for National and Community Service is our nation’s largest grantmaker for service and volunteerism, and they operate two large national service programs, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps.  These programs harness the energy and ingenuity of American citizens to help address local needs.  AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members tutor students, provide job training to veterans, and aid in recovery after natural disasters. 
• Our national service programs offer an additional benefit by helping to develop the workplace skills and experience of those who serve.   
• National and local nonprofits receive grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service to help fuel their work, including Habitat for Humanity, City Year, Teach For America, the American Red Cross, and many others.
• Funding for these programs is important to me because [insert personal story of how AmeriCorps/Senior Corps has affected your life and/or your community]
• As we approach the end of the fiscal year, I respectfully request that the Senator use his Appropriations Committee position to protect funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• His constituents are counting on him!