AmeriCorps at CitySquare: Getting things done!

CitySquare AmeriCorps is recruiting for Summer 2015!

 How can you help?

Help us spread the word about our summer of service opportunity by forwarding this information on to friends, peers, family, coworkers and anyone else you think might be interested! The application is attached and available online at http://www.citysquare.org/becomeamember/ .

Members commit to 300-450 hours of service during the summer, receive a biweekly living allowance while they serve and upon successful completion receive money for school! More details are available in the attached Handout.

This summer we have over 225 positions with following programs:

Food on the Move – Serve with a mobile feeding program that provides daily meals to 10,000 children residing in low-income apartment communities in Irving and Dallas. Members must be willing to serve outside all day in the heat, be energetic, have reliable transportation and thrive in a team environment. Preference is given to applicants 21 or over, bilingual (English/Spanish) and with access to reliable transportation.

Education - Help eliminate summer learning loss with one of our twelve community partner agencies; members support structured summer programming to provide daily enrichment activities to youth in low-income areas of Dallas and San Antonio. Members must have reliable transportation and interest in working with youth.

Member Eligibility:

-      Available full-time beginning June 1, 2015

-      17 or older by June 1, 2015

-      US Citizen or Permanent Resident (Deferred Action does not qualify)

-      Available all summer (Education ends August 7; FOM ends August 14)

-      Reliable Transportation

Priority consideration is given to applications received by March 13, 2015 and on a rolling basis until all summer positions are filled. We encourage applicants to apply early! Interviews will begin next week!

 

Looking for 225 good community builders!

CitySquare AmeriCorps is recruiting for Summer 2014!

Help us spread the word about our summer of service opportunity by forwarding this information on to friends, peers, family, coworkers and anyone else you think might be interested! The application is available at www.citysquare.org/becomeamember.

How can you help?

1.   Forward this Email! Word of mouth is our best recruitment tool so forward this email to everyone you think might benefit!

2.   Post a Flyer! Help us plaster the city with this awesome summer program! (Pull-Tab flyer available in English and Spanish--just call number below!)

3.   Invite us to an Event! We’re happy to come out to your group and discuss our program!

Members commit to 300-450 hours of service during the summer, receive a biweekly living allowance while they serve and upon successful completion receive money for school! More details available in the “AmeriCorps Handout 2014” we'll send if you call us.

This summer we have over 225 positions with following programs:

Food on the Move – Serve with a mobile feeding program that provides daily meals to 10,000 children residing in low income apartment communities in Irving, Dallas and Houston. Members must be willing to serve outside all day in the heat, be energetic, have reliable transportation and thrive in a team environment. Preference is given to applicants 21 or over, bilingual (English/Spanish) and access to reliable transportation.

Education - Help eliminate summer learning loss with one of our twelve community partner agencies; members support structured summer programming to provide daily enrichment activities to youth in low income areas of Dallas and San Antonio. Members must have reliable transportation and interest in working with youth.

Member Eligibility:

-      Available full-time beginning June 4, 2014 (exceptions will not be made for HS students)

-      17 or older by June 4, 2014

-      US Citizen or Permanent Resident (temporary work or student visa does not suffice)

-      Available all summer (Edu - August 8, FOM - August 15)

-      Reliable Transportation

Priority consideration is given to applications received by March 14, 2014 and on a rolling basis until all summer positions are filled.

We encourage applicants to apply early! Interviews will begin in mid-March!

In service,

Jennifer A. Rajkumar

Director of AmeriCorps

CitySquare

409 N. Haskell Ave.

Dallas, TX 75246

P: 214 828 1085 ext 122

F: 214 828 6392

jrajkumar@citysquare.org

www.CitySquare.org

Press Release: CitySquare wins state award!

CitySquare Receives Governor’s Volunteer Award for Community Leadership for Its Food on the Move Program

Dallas, TX. August 5, 2013 --- The 30^th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards have been announced with CitySquare being named as a recipient in the Community Leadership category. These awards allow the State of Texas to recognize individuals, organizations, corporations and public entities that truly embody the Texas tradition of community service.  The Community Leadership category recognizes an individual, group or organization for strengthening their community through outstanding partnerships, service and volunteerism. Community Leaders understand the importance of service and develop connections between groups and individuals to help them craft collaborative solutions to local needs. They exhibit a dedication to their communities that inspires those around them to serve.

Food on the Move provides over one million meals in a mobile feeding program targeting youth at low-income apartment sites, churches, nonprofits, and summer camps.  Funding for the food comes through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. Food on the Move takes a stand against childhood hunger statewide, offering mobile feeding programs in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Through an innovative collaboration with AmeriCorps, the program has delivered meals and provided enrichment to thousands of children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has hailed Food on the Move “a model for the rest of the nation.”

“Both the kids we serve and our AmeriCorps members benefit from Food on the Move,” says Dr. Keven Vicknair, Director of the Food on the Move and AmeriCorps programs at CitySquare, “We are proud to be recognized with the Community Leadership Award especially for a program that is helping to shape young people into community leaders.”

All of the awardees will be honored on September 11^th at a private dinner with OneStar Foundation board members and other dignitaries at the Renaissance Austin Hotel in Austin. In addition, awardees will be recognized throughout the Texas Nonprofit Summit on September 12th and 13th 2013.

CitySquare is one of the largest, most effective faith-based organizations in North Texas, operating a network of services and programs focused on fighting poverty through hunger relief, health care, housing and hope. CitySquare is the third largest summer food sponsor in the state of Texas.  A United Way agency, CitySquare is ranked a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator with more than 92% of revenue going directly to its programs.

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For more information about the event and the work of CitySquare, please contact: Katherine Allen at 214.303.2146, kallen@CitySquare.org  or Lou Ann York at 214.343.1599, lapub@sbcglobal.net .

Good News for CitySquare AmeriCorps Team!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

DATE: July 5, 2013

 

CONTACT: Elizabeth Darling, 512-287-2062, liz@onestarfoundation.org

 

OneStar Foundation Announces AmeriCorps Grants to Texas Organizations

 

2,126 AmeriCorps members to meet state and local needs

 

Austin, TX – OneStar Foundation announced today that 22 organizations in Texas have received AmeriCorps*State grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

 

The grants will support 2,126 AmeriCorps members across the state who will serve as in-school, after-school and summertime teachers, tutors and mentors, provide intensive college access and success services, engage in adult and early literacy interventions, participate in early childhood development programs, distribute food to economically disadvantaged children and families, engage children in daily physical activity, assist with case management for the homeless, recruit hundreds of volunteers, and respond to disasters throughout the state.

 

OneStar Foundation will distribute more than $12.3 million in funding to organizations selected in a highly competitive statewide and national process. 

 

“National service is an essential part of the solution to many of the social challenges facing our Texas communities,” said Elizabeth Darling, President/CEO. “These AmeriCorps members will meet pressing local needs and strengthen Texas as they develop civic and leadership skills that can last a lifetime.”

 

The current year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, due to the strong and growing demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources. Demand is also strong from individuals wanting to serve. CNCS received a record-breaking 582,000 AmeriCorps applications in 2011, a dramatic increase from the 360,000 seen in 2009. 

 

"AmeriCorps members are improving the lives of millions of citizens and having a positive and lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our communities,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “I congratulate these organizations for their strong applications in a highly competitive year. Thanks to the dedicated service of AmeriCorps members, these organizations will increase their reach and impact on meeting local needs.”

 

The grants advance the priorities of the bipartisan 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and focus AmeriCorps resources on six key service areas: disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families.

 

On a national level, AmeriCorps engages 80,000 Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to meet critical needs. Members serve through more than 14,000 organizations in rural and urban communities throughout the nation. Among other accomplishments, AmeriCorps members last year mobilized 3.4 million community volunteers, and tutored, mentored or served more than 3.5 million disadvantaged youth.

 

Since 1994, more than 775,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps. In 2012, 1,964 AmeriCorps members served at 20 programs across the state of Texas in the fields of Education, Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures, Environmental Stewardship, and Veterans & Military Families. Members provided 2.3 million hours of service and earned $7.4 million in Segal Education Awards to further their own education and repay student loan debt after serving. The 20 AmeriCorps*Texas programs received $12,111,429 in federal AmeriCorps funding, and leveraged an additional $9,766,781 in match funding.

 

Below is a listing of 2013 AmeriCorps grants in Texas:

• Amarillo ISD, $285,430 to support 55 AmeriCorps Members
• American YouthWorks, $260,000 to support 20 AmeriCorps Members
• AVANCE, Inc. El Paso Chapter, $930,960 to support 74 AmeriCorps Members
• Breakthrough , $330,013 to support 106 AmeriCorps Members
• CitySquare, $1,142,953 to support 304 AmeriCorps Members
• City Year, Inc. , $1,476,300 to support 111 AmeriCorps Members
• College Forward, $965,655 to support 75 AmeriCorps Members
• Communities in Schools of Central Texas, $711,044 to support 96 AmeriCorps Members
• Communities in Schools of the Heart of Texas, $279,168 to support 48 AmeriCorps Members
• Front Steps, $403,000 to support 31 AmeriCorps Members
• Harris County Department of Education, $326,618 to support 32 AmeriCorps Members
• Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, $330,592 to support 32 AmeriCorps Members
• Project GRAD, $244,353 to support 25 AmeriCorps  Members
• Project Transformation, $477,984 to support 115 AmeriCorps Members
• Reading Partners, $370,500 to support 30 AmeriCorps Members
• SA Youth, $265,421 to support 40 AmeriCorps Members
• Schulenburg Weimar In Focus Together, $282,830 to support 41 AmeriCorps Members
• Teach for America, $950,000 to support 634 AmeriCorps Members
• Travis County Dept. of Health and Human Services and Veterans Service, $301,696 to support 32 AmeriCorps Members
• University of North Texas, $466,436 to support 83 AmeriCorps Members
• The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, $265,892 to support 40 AmeriCorps Members
• University of Texas at Austin | Charles A. Dana Center, $1,330,000 to support 106 AmeriCorps Members

###

 

OneStar Foundation is the Governor-designated National Service Commission in Texas and administers the AmeriCorps*State grant program. The Governor-appointed Board members oversee the legal and policy governance of the AmeriCorps*Texas program portfolio. OneStar Foundation connects partners and resources to build a stronger nonprofit sector in Texas. Learn more at onestarfoundation.org.

 

AmeriCorps is a national service program administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service each year and administers United We Serve, the President’s call to service.  Individuals can learn about available opportunities and apply online by visiting AmeriCorps.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

AmeriCorps and learning service

Service

We have many goals for our AmeriCorps programs: help 3,000 children do better in school, provide 20,000 children with meals during the summer, provide food for 5,000 families through our food pantry, and recruit 500 volunteers to help expand impact. 

We have one unmeasured goal that in many ways we view as our most important accomplishment: instill in AmeriCorps members an ethic of service that extends beyond their short term with us. Member surveys and comments to us suggest we do a pretty good job at this goal.  However, every now and then we are presented with broader proof that we are reaching our goals.

Today a former member dropped by to let us know that she was tasked with a class project in her “Psychology of Poverty” course.  She had the option to do research and write a paper or she could do an action project.  She choose an action project.  

Drawing upon her tenure as a summer AmeriCorps member, she decided that she wanted to do two things: raise funds and recreational equipment to support the summer enrichment activities of our Food on the Move program and also raise awareness of poverty and childhood hunger. 

She enlisted the help of a few classmates and the management of SportsAuthority.  She set up a table at a local Sports Authority, who supported the project by donating 20% off coupons to be given out.  Her only visuals were a few 8 1/2 by 11 pieces of paper taped to the table and a homemade 3 sided cardboard sign – like the kind kids use for science projects.

Her team welcomed everyone as they entered the store and for those that stopped, they talked about not just the need in Dallas, but also about the solution.  And she asked them to help with the solution by donating funds or sports items like balls and jump ropes.  Over the course of two, four hour days this AmeriCorps Alum raised $900 in cash and received another $100 in sports equipment.

We have a need for both in our summer program; and we will put the funds to their intended use: buying more balls and jump ropes and sidewalk chalk…and hula hoops. But our greatest need was met by her actions – the need to have more citizens committed to a lifetime of service and attachment to their community.

Dr. Keven Vicknair

Director 

CitySquare's AmeriCorps team

Grant, my friend

Grant Wells and I have known each other for almost 18 years. 

Grant was among the first community volunteers who helped see that low-income families received the supplemental food they needed as they worked hard to keep their families going.  Grant unloaded trucks, stocked shelves, cleaned the floors and did whatever else that we asked of him. 

Grant is a very good guy. 

But a series of problems and issues fell on this man's life, resulting in deepening poverty and debilitating homelessness. 

For years we've attempted to help him find stable housing.  No need to rehearse the whole story here.

Last week the world changed for Grant! 

He signed a lease on an apartment, a home of his own. 

Jesus once claimed that he had come to "preach good news to the poor."  I can tell you the news conveyed to Grant that he now has a home surely satisfies the call of that claim.  What news could be better to a man who has slept on the streets of Dallas for years? 

I had to share a few photos of my buddy. Special thanks to Jonathan Grace, one of CitySquare's great AmeriCorps members and to our Homeless Outreach Team for doing such good work in partnership with Grant.

CitySquare AmeriCorps team recruiting for summer 2012!

CitySquare is still actively recruiting for nearly 230 summer AmeriCorps positions in Dallas to serve with Food on the Move.

CitySquare’s Food on the Move program combats childhood hunger by deploying mobile teams of AmeriCorps members into low-income apartment communities to provide youth with a nutritious lunch and 30-45 minutes of enrichment each day during the summer break from school. The youth we touch do not have access to traditional summer programming or nutritious meals during the day – so we bring it to them!

Members must be 17 or older with a HS Diploma or GED prior to program start (May 29), have reliable transportation, and a desire to work with youth. In return for 330 hours of service between May 29-Aug 17, members receive a $1,800 living allowance and $1,175 education award.

CitySquare's AmeriCorps team provides the perfect service opportunity for returning college students, graduating seniors, or someone who just wants to give back in a big way this summer!

How to refer someone to our program:

1. Simply direct your friends, peers, neighbors, family, etc to the CitySquare website at www.CitySquare.org/BecomeAMember.

2. Direct potential applicants to us via email at AmeriCorps@CitySquare.org.

How to help us spread the word:

1. Pass this on via email to friends, family, peers, church groups, civic groups, PTA, neighborhood associations, any group you have access to via email.

2. Invite us to speak at a relevant networking event, organizational meeting, college class, etc.

3. Word of mouth – share this opportunity with your friends and family over dinner, at church, and other social gatherings!

4. Post a Flyer – I’ve attached a pull-tab flyer you can print out and post at your site, church, or any other community boards you have access to.

5. Social Media – blog, tweet, or facebook us! – spread the word about this opportunity through your social networks!

All the information any applicant will need to know may be found at our website.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or ideas on how to get the word out about this great summer opportunity.

In service,

Jennifer A. Rajkumar
Associate Director
N2 Texas Corps
CitySquare
409 N. Haskell Ave.
Dallas, TX 75246

P: 214 828 1085 ext 122
F: 214 828 6392
jrajkumar@CitySquare.org
www.CitySquare.org

CitySquare's AmeriCorps team rocks!!!

Find out who's noticing the work of CitySquare's best-practice AmeriCorps team!

Click here and look for the report on Dallas. 

Or better, click here and read the report on our Dallas work.

Or best of all, click here and see who else is paying attention!

Way to go, CitySquare AmeriCorps team! 

CitySquare and the Corporation for National and Community Service

Two weeks ago, Robert Velasco, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, paid a visit to CitySquare.  Here's what he brought back to Washington, DC as impressions of the work we are doing. This essay appeard on the blog page for the Corporation.  Find it here.

CitySquare, AmeriCorps Provide A Second Chance

By Kate Enos

Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Robert Velasco, II, visited CitySquare last month to highlight the work being done to strengthen communities in the Dallas/Ft.Worth metro area. Below is a story that highlights the opportunities that national service can provide.

Many Americans struggle with poverty issues. According to the Census Bureau, 1 out of 6 Americans are living in poverty. In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area, more than 14.6% of individuals live below the poverty line and statewide, 4.6 million Texans live in poverty, putting Texas 3% higher than the national average.

In the face of unemployment and poverty, one Dallas resident found a pathway to opportunity through AmeriCorps in his search for food and shelter.

Employed his entire life, a three year stretch without a job left Chris Oliver evicted from his apartment with no food or shelter. Oliver turned to CitySquare, a local nonprofit that provides vital services to neighbors in search of food and housing. It was there he discovered AmeriCorps.

“Before leaving, I filled an application out to become an AmeriCorps member and was accepted that day,” said Oliver. He started work the next day, helping those who were in his shoes one the day before.

At CitySquare, there are currently more than 70 AmeriCorps members who work every day to help feed the hungry and tutor at-risk youth. Since 2006, CitySquare has placed and managed more than 1,000 AmeriCorps members. Over a five-year period, AmeriCorps members and CitySquare have partnered with 39 community agencies in afterschool and summer programming and served more than 14,000 youth throughout Dallas and San Antonio.

As the issues of hunger and poverty affect more Americans each day, the number of Dallas residents who have turned to City Square has steadily increased. In 2011, AmeriCorps members with CitySquare's Hunger Programs have fed more than 18,500 neighbors and are on track to surpass last year's totals.

“The food pantry has seen longer lines of people waiting for food assistance and more neighbors repeatedly having to turn to the pantry for help,” said Amanda O'Neill of CitySquare.

In 2010, more than 2.4 million pounds of food, valued at $2 million, were distributed to more than 27,000 people, or about 12,000 families going through a financial crisis. AmeriCorps members have also helped implement the Nurture Knowledge and Nutrition Feeding Programs, serving more than nutritious meals and snacks to at-risk children in day cares, after-school and summer programs.

As for Chris Oliver, AmeriCorps and CitySquare did more than just help him put food on the table – they've both provided him with a second chance to start his life over. After two years of service with AmeriCorps at CitySquare, Oliver was hired for a full-time position with the organization to work in the homeless outreach program.

“I was on the verge of homelessness and this one visit changed my life forever. I am now gainfully employed with a steady income with food in the cupboard, back in school, and out of a bad neighborhood. AmeriCorps and CitySquare have truly changed my life in ways I could have not imagined.”

[LJ's note:  The work of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is vital to the future of this nation.  Write your congressional representative and your senators today in support of AmeriCorps and the work of the CNCS!]

Take Action Today: Save AmeriCorps!!!

On Friday, a number of us had the privilege to meet with Robert Velasco, II, the CEO of the Corporation of National and Community Service, best known for its AmeriCorps program created in 1993.  Talking with Mr. Velasco for over two hours allowed me to rehearse some fairly amazing facts and stats about our AmeriCorps program here at CitySquare.  

For example. . .

• 80% of our AmeriCorps resources go out the door to our partners in the community, typically very effecitve but smaller non-profits who use the members to build capacity in operating summer and after-school programs
• Over the past year our members worked with 3,700 low-income children in these programs and at CitySquare
• AmeriCorps members provided nutritious food products to 28,000 individuals, including 8,000 children in our mobile summer lunch program who also participated in enrichment programs focusing on learning and fitness

The list could actually go on and on as to the benefit and cost effectiveness of the AmeriCorps program.  I've witnessed amazing "return on investment" in human and community capital over the past 6 years that we've been involved with AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Upon my return to the office from my meeting with Mr. Velasco, I learn that members of the U. S. House of Representatives have crafted a legislative plan to end almost all of the work of the Corporation of National and Community Service!  A truly absurd, short-sighted, ridiculous plan.

Here's the briefing I received:

The Save Service Coalition learned yesterday that the House of Representatives has issued draft legislation to shut down the Corporation for National and Community Service and eliminate funding for AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund, the Volunteer Generation Fund and Learn & Serve America. While we are pleased that the House bill includes funding for the National Senior Volunteer Programs, the bill dissolves the entire service enterprise, cuts over 100,000 jobs, and eliminates essential services that children, seniors, veterans and entire communities rely on.

Please visit the Save Service Take Action page to write and call your Members of Congress immediately to prevent this House bill from becoming law.

All of this comes at a time when the nation's investment in service should be growing to create jobs and better provide services to local communities. We will continue to work with the tens of thousands of Americans who are engaged in the Save Service initiative to ensure our country's policymakers recognize the value national service provides to our country and the critical role that the Corporation for National and Community Service plays in support of the 70,000 nonprofit and community organizations that mobilize Americans in service.

At a time when we need to find inexpensive ways to get things done, provide educational services for children and leverage scarce resourses, destroying AmeriCorps and its family of service solutions makes no sense whatsoever. 

Please take action today to tell your Senators and your member of Congress that you support continuing the vital work of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Food on the Move

We received the drawing above from a child involved in our "Food on the Move" initiative this summer.  You'll also see a thank you letter from this child's mother. 

Partnering with the Texas Department of Agriculture through our Nurture, Knowledge and Nutrition (N,K,N) team, our AmeriCorps team and our for-profit allies at PepsiCo, we delivered thousands of meals to eligible children living all across Dallas. 

Theresa Cissell, Program Specialist for our AmeriCorps team sent the drawing and the letter my way with the following commentary:

I thought you might enjoy the letter (an accompanying drawing) we got from one of the parents at a Food on the Move site. I think it shows that this program is about more than lunches!
 
Here are some stats for the summer that I sent to the amazing AmeriCorps members that made it through the summer, and with smiles on their faces.


We started the summer with 53 dedicated AmeriCorps members & 9 mobile routes.


You made it through 40 days of triple digit temperatures & 23,943 hours of service.

And together, this is what you achieved:  1,136 children received the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award & 279,551 meals were served to kids.

The Food on the Move effort does not take into account the meals delivered through N,K,N to well over 100 program sites across Dallas.  We'll have those numbers to add to this report later.  Combined we served well over 500,000 meals to low-income children during the summer school break.
Great work in the midst of recording breaking summer in terms of both temperature and community service!

Fall AmeriCorps positions open!

Important Announcement from CitySquare!

Summer is almost over and we’re gearing up for our fall program! We are currently recruiting for 80 AmeriCorps positions whose work begins on September 1st.

These new members will be placed with one of our partner agencies to provide after-school programming to youth in low income areas of Dallas.

Minimum Requirements:

· 17 years or older
· HS Diploma or Equivalent
· No criminal background
· Ability to serve M-F 1pm-6:30pm between 9/1/11-6/1/12
· Commitment to community service and development
· Interest in education and working with kids

Member Benefits: (see application for details)

· Biweekly living allowance
· End of Term education award
· Loan forbearance

More information is available online at www.CitySquare.org/BecomeAMember or www.AmeriCorps.gov.

Spread the word!

Help us spread the word about this opportunity by forwarding this email to friends, colleagues, family, and any other email listserv you have access to!  Or, use Facebook, Twitter and/or other social media to direct anyone interested to CitySquare's AmeriCorps team!

In service,

Jennifer A. Rajkumar
Program Manager
N2 Texas Corps
CitySquare

Food, work and hope

What we do

The most common question that I'm asked about CitySquare is a simple, but important one:  "What exactly do you do?"

We spend a good bit of our time answering that key question.  Usually we refer people to our website (http://www.CitySquare.org/).  Often we arrange for a tour that provides us the opportunity to provide a more detailed answer.  In an elevator we talk about our four major areas of concern:  Health, Hunger, Housing and Hope--the 4Hs!

In almost every case the best way to answer the question is to invite a neighbor who knows CitySquare  because of their personal experience in receiving our services.

Here's an example of just that sort of answer.  I share it in an attempt to answer the question one more time!  After you watch and listen, share it with your friends, your business network, your church and your other associates.

As you watch and listen, notice how a number of options fell into place for our friend, including AmeriCorps.

Technology and a prayer breakfast!

So, while I am at the mic welcoming everyone to our annual urban ministries prayer breakfast at Dallas Market Center (cool venue!), my buddy, Jerermy Gregg, aka Captain, fires off a Tweet that sends the photo below to only the good Lord knows where! 

Technology!  Amazing!

Thanks for being there this morning, Captain!

Best,

Col K

AmeriCorps on congressional chopping block

The current budget proposal coming from the U. S. House of Representatives completely eliminates funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service that includes AmeriCorps and VISTA.  Cutting this initiative would be short-sighted and foolish.

The return on investment in AmeriCorps to American communities turns out to be enormous. 

Think about it.

Students sign on to serve in communities of need and disadvantage, and in exchange receive an educational award at the end of their term of service, as well as a small stipend, health insurance and even a child care benefit, if needed.  The education award must be used only to pay college tuition or to retire college debt. 

In exchange for the benefits, AmeriCorps members take assignments in youth programs, mentoring efforts, community development projects, housing construction, architectural work, children's education programs, health and wellness centers--the list goes on and on. 

Here at CitySquare we've enjoyed the benefit of a large AmeriCorps team that has allowed us to bring innovative programming to many low-income communities in inner city Dallas.  It has been amazing to watch our AmeriCorps team members work hard to benefit others.  It has also been thrilling to watch them grow, learn and extend themselves beyond the boundaries of their beginnings!  We've hired a number of the members following the completion of their national service.  Typically, AmeriCorps members "sign on" for a life of community service as a result of their experience as an AmeriCorps member.  One of their mottos, "Getting Things Done!" really gets at the essence of AmeriCorps. 

Here's how you can help TODAY:

Please write, call and/or visit your member of Congress and your two Senators to express your support for fully funding the Corporation of National and Community Service.  You action could help save a vital, American expression of our commitment to higher education and community service. 

For information visit  http://www.saveservice.org/.

For information about contacting your member of Congress and your Senators visit http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml and http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

Act now to help save AmeriCorps!

Joe and Harvard

We work with so many wonderful and amazing young people who come to us as interns or through our robust AmeriCorps program.  Recently, Dr. Keven Vicknair, the director of CitySquare's AmeriCorps initiative sent me the following message.  I thought it would be encouraging while providing an insight into the powerful effect our program has on young leaders.  I'll let you judge for yourself.

Larry

Below is an email from one of our Food on the Move leaders this past summer. A young man, first generation US citizen, who grew up in a Dallas barrio and is now pursuing a Masters degree at Harvard.

His email gave me hope for the next generation set to lead our country so I thought to pass it along.

Keven
_____________________________

Teisha and Keven, (Teisha please forward to Dr.Vicknair,I don’t know her email.)

First and foremost I hope this email finds yall well.

As I promised Teisha a couple weeks ago, I’m writing this email to update you on my New England experience. Cambridge, as you know, is not Dallas. There are no tacos stands, no drive-thru beer stores, and no legitimate barber shops. I can do without the drive-thru beer girls, but I can’t do without the barbershops! I have to travel pretty far to get a good fade. I need the T (subway), a bus, and a donkey to get to and from the barbershop. Regardless of the distance, the trips are always worth it!

On my search for my fade I found Jamaica Plains, Boston. This predominantly Latino neighborhood might be old news to you but it was completely new to me. During my first visit not only did I find a barber second to only my Northwest Dallas barber but I also found the JP community center. I have returned to this community center to volunteer on multiple occasions. There is something special about this place (other than the Dominican Women). In case you don’t know, Jamaica Plains is known for its successful community development corporation and the community’s ability to ward off mass gentrification.

I mention JP because in truth it really helps me get to the point of why I am here. It helps me remember what the hallowed yards of Harvard can sometimes make one forget. I am here at the end of the day for the hardworking family that works day in and day out yet still cant get ahead. I am here for that family and those people who despite their own effort can’t seem to get a fair shake. Jamaica Plains reminds me of these people the same way my Bachman Lake does.

I think I can bring some of the ideas I’ve seen in JP home. For that reason alone, the last two months have been worth every minute I’ve been away.

Aside from my long trips to find a legit fade, things are well. Classes are challenging but not impossible. The people make this place what it is. Everyone has a story that is better than the last. My classmates are people who once started orphanages by providing women in West Africa micro-loans! That’s crazy! These are the type of people I get to speak with on a daily basis. It is humbling to say the least.

I cannot thank yall enough for the Food on the Move experience. I am a baby here. Harvard makes all 1st year MPPs take a “Management Course” . In this class, EVERYONE has something to say about the projects they’ve managed. If not for Food on the Move, I don’t know what I would say. My classmates might have managed an aids relief program in the Amazon but they’ve NEVER tried to manage a sweaty LaToya on a hot Texas summer day while 85 kids are waiting on their only meal of the day WHILE wearing a polyester Spiderman costume and trying to look good for the CBS 11 cameras. ..nope. …they’ve never done that.

Aside from class, I sit on the board for the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, I am involved with the community service organization @ the school, and I play flag football for the Graduate School House. The undergrads always beat us. They are just too fast!

What are yall up to now!?

Once again, I hope this email finds yall well. I see the name change, and I like it!! A CitySquare long sleeve t-shirt, (size medium) would sure look nice up here…just sayin. I’ll be home late December through mid January. For as great of a time I am having, I greatly look forward to some home cooking!

Best,
Joe

Food on the Move, Again!

Food for Good

Great story in yesterday's edition of The Dallas Morning News about our partnership with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, AmeriCorps and PepsiCo to provide hundreds of thousands of additional summer meals to low-income children in Dallas.

Here's a taste of the report by Ananda Boardman:


Food for Good summer program serves 200,000th meal in Dallas

Htee Kushee remembers running from soldiers in her native Burma as a 3-year-old.

Htee still runs, but now she and her friends gather twice a day at the Towne Center Apartments in northeast Dallas, where their motivation is happiness instead of fear. Thanks to the Food for Good Initiative, a partnership between PepsiCo Inc. and Central Dallas Ministries, 10-year-old Htee and other North Texas youngsters get a free breakfast and lunch each weekday.

"I like it," Htee said simply.

Texas ranks second to Mississippi as the state with the most kids at risk to go hungry each day, according to Feeding America, a Chicago-based hunger relief organization.

Between 300,000 and 400,000 children receive free or reduced-price lunches in the Dallas area during the school year, but during the summer, access to such meals is severely limited.

For the second consecutive year, the Food for Good program has helped fill that void.

On Wednesday, it served its 200,000th meal of the summer, and officials expect to do more.

To read the entire report click here.

Food on the Move: Summer Lunch Program

The images in the video below sum up "Food on the Move," a partnership effort of Central Dallas Ministries (CDM), the CDM AmeriCorps team, the Texas Department of Agriculture and PepsiCo's "Food for Good" initiative.

Hundreds of thousands of meals will have been served to low-income children by the end of the program in August. Here's where we are through July 28:  201,124 meals served to 7,924 unduplicated children and youth through the joint-effort, mobile feeding program. 

The effort is one of a kind, a new national model of food delivery, as well as a new kind of partnership involving a local non-profit, two publically funded programs and a major, international corporation.

Amazing encouragement to children, their families, our AmeriCorps members, and the drivers and volunteers from PepsiCo.

What a great summer we've had!