2007-2008 Grantees

Community Assessment Grantees:

Volunteer Center For Anne Arundel County (Annapolis, MD):  The Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County seeks to engage the families and residents in a low-income area of Severn, Maryland.  The elementary school serving this area is designated as a Title I school with 83% of the students receiving free or reduced lunch.  The Volunteer Center will be partnering with the New Beginnings Methodist Church, Van Bokkelen Elementary School, and the Boys and Girls Club, among others, to better understand the strengths and needs of the community and to explore the role that the Volunteer Center can play in the future.

Volunteer Connection of Northwest Ohio (Defiance, Ohio):  The Volunteer Connection of Northwest Ohio is in the process of expanding into 6 additional counties.  One of these areas, Henry County, is located in the heart of rural Northwest Ohio.  The Volunteer Center will interview and survey residents of Henry County to identify the volunteer needs and existing strengths in the community.  Through this research, and through community meetings, the Volunteer Center hopes to identify the role that they may play in the future of the County, and to establish a more formal identify with area residents.

United Way of Tampa Bay (Tampa, Florida):  The United Way of Tampa Bay has made a long term commitment to the North Greenwood and Sulphur Springs Communities.  Residents in these communities have a significantly lower per capita income than the county average, and lack access to community resources and service providers that would provide the resources to better equip their families for success.  Through their work, the Center hopes to identify and develop community liaisons with service agencies and government entities to ensure that families have access to available services.

United Way of Lane County (Springfield, FL):  The Volunteer Center is seeking to partner with the Eugene Neighborhood Leadership Council in Eugene, Oregon, to implement the Neighbors Serve, Learn and Thrive project.  The goal is to establish a working group consisting of neighborhood residents, community organizations, and others to better serve and engage families living in marginalized communities within Lane County.

Volunteer Services Agency (Youngstown, OH):  The Volunteer Services Agency serves the city of Youngstown, OH, where the population has been declining and the poverty rate rising as the manufacturing economy declines.  The Volunteer Center is working to identify and train community leaders to help revitalize the community.  In order to identify and resolve community issues, Volunteer Services Agency will train residents to be viable agents of change and equal partners.

Core Grantees:

Volunteer Macon (Macon, GA):  Volunteer Macon is working in an area of Macon, known as Peach Orchard, which has seen a rise in crime and drug activity over the past five years.  Many residents have left the neighborhood, leaving behind vacant buildings.  The Volunteer Center will engage area residents to make effective long-term change in this neighborhood by training individuals and identifying opportunities for residents to serve on non profit boards, advisory committees, and other civic associations.  Some volunteers will also be trained and serve as volunteer trainers alongside Volunteer Macon staff.  The Center hopes to expand the belief that residents of marginalized communities can be leaders in their own city.

Volunteer Services of Manatee County (Bradenton, FL):  The Volunteer Services of Manatee County works closely with the Bradenton Front Porch Community (state designation for marginalized communities working to improve from within) near downtown Bradenton, Florida.  This community is host to Manatee county’s highest substance abuse rates, dropout rates, and teen pregnancy.  In order to help address these issues, the Volunteer Center is reaching out to the youth residents of the Front Porch community to engage them in positive opportunities to improve their community.  The youth volunteers will publish and distribute a neighborhood newsletter, host community forums on critical issues, and produce a film documentary about Front Porch Communities. 

FIRSTLINK (Columbus, OH):  FIRSTLINK operates the Kinship Navigator program for Columbus area grandparents raising their grandchildren, known as Kinship Caregivers.  This program provides information and referral services, offers educational workshops on issues that affect kinship caregivers, and facilitates kinship support group meetings on a neighborhood level.  The Navigator program is the primary access point for caregivers seeking assistance outside of the foster care system, and caregivers are referred to the program from public schools, community centers, and local churches.  In order to allow kinship children to connect with their peers, FIRSTLINK is working to establish Family Fun Days, which will give kinship families the opportunity to enjoy themselves and meet and develop friendships with similar families.

Social Services of Clackamas County Volunteer Connection (Oregon City, OR):  Clackamas County Volunteer Connection is working within the Clackamas County Housing Authority to develop a volunteer program for public housing residents.  The Volunteer Center will utilize an AmeriCorps*VISTA member to conduct community assessments and identify resident needs and strengths.  They will also deliver leadership training in an effort to strengthen social networks and enhance self-esteem among the residents. 

Metro United Way’s Volunteer Connection (Louisville, KY):  Metro United Way’s Volunteer Connection is located within and serves the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville.  The elderly residents in Smoketown are unable to do repairs on their homes due to physical and/or financial limitations and are at-risk of living in sub-standard conditions.  In order to alleviate this problem, youth and young adults from the community will volunteer to provide access to needed services and supports for elderly residents and offer basic home maintenance and repairs.  In addition, the Volunteer Center is working with senior residents to develop a walking tour of the historic Smoketown neighborhood in conjunction with the Presbyterian Community Center’s Freedom School.

Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley (Bethlehem, PA):   The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley serves the marginalized residents of Allentown, Pennsylvania’s 14th Ward.  This community lacks positive social networks and is disconnected from the Lehigh Valley community and its resources.  The Volunteer Center is partnering with the Moser Village Family Center to increase civic engagement and social connections among area residents.  In addition to several training opportunities, the Center is also creating a Kids Care Club that will engage youth in after-school activities throughout the summer and school year. 

United Way Volunteer Center of Chippewa County (Sault Ste. Marie, MI):  The United Way Volunteer Center has forged a working relationship with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  This partnership led to the development of a satellite Volunteer Center within the Sault Tribe.  Before the volunteer center was established, the Sault Tribe had no coordinated approach to volunteer service within their membership services divisions.  Driven by their recent success, the Volunteer Center is working with the Tribe to increase these services into a new part of the Tribe’s service area.

Volunteer Memphis (Memphis, TN):  Volunteer Memphis is working in the South Memphis to build stronger community associations and strengthen social networks among residents.  The Center is partnering with the South Memphis Alliance and will focus on training members of the neighborhood associations under the SMA umbrella.  The Center is also working to train staff members of area nonprofits to better utilize the time and talents of low-income and other marginalized residents as volunteers.