AfterShare

AfterShare is a collaborative effort by former homeless residents of Prince William County Homeless Prevention Center that provides services and support for current and formerly homeless people.

The group began in 1993 and uses ex-homeless persons’ knowledge to support and share skills with current residents of the shelter. They also assist new members with donated food and household items and manage donated food and clothing at the prevention center.

Members of AfterShare meet on the first Saturday of each month to discuss issues facing each other and the program. Members dedicate their time on a monthly basis to various activities in Woodbridge, Virginia, where the shelter is located. Within the last two years, the more than 182 members have contributed more than 12,999 hours of service to different programs and agencies in the local community. The program has also extended its service to Project Mend-A-House and The Cooperative Council of Ministries.

In 1995, AfterShare Kids was organized by formerly homeless adolescents who also volunteer at the Center to help make homelessness more bearable for other adolescents.

Together with guidance from Volunteers of America Chesapeake’s Homeless Prevention Center staff, AfterShare builds a community of support, friendship, knowledge and strength out of a common experience.

George Westrom

George Westrom created Future Scientists and Engineers of America (FSEA) in 1991 to address the critical shortage of American children who are enrolled in college-level science and engineering programs. Mr. Westrom was concerned that the United States would fall behind in the world economy without a skilled and motivated future generation to keep the country on the leading edge of technological change.

He secured initial funding from the American Electronics Association and the National Science Foundation to start FSEA while continuing his full time employment. FSEA started with two clubs in Orange County, California. It has since grown to include more than 4,200 children in 137 clubs in 13 states with more than 185 large and small businesses across the country serving as sponsoring organizations. More than 400 volunteers donate 22,336 hours annually.

The after-school program stimulates an interest in science and engineering by providing young people with hands-on projects that lead them to a greater understanding of technical and scientific issues. The program involves scientists and engineers from the community in the educational process, serving as mentors to both the teachers and the young people. One of the most popular projects on the elementary level is the “land yacht.” Students are divided into teams of two and, as mentors from the technical community watch and advise, build wind-powered cars.

The program provides participants with real life experience and helps build skills that will help the students gain future employment. Today there are chapters throughout much of California, as well as in Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.

Patricia Mitchell

Pollution and the nation’s ecological problems prompted Pat Mitchell, a mother and experienced teacher, to give up the security of a teaching job to take a leadership role in providing environmental education. She created Auntie Litter (anti-litter), a teaching concept meant to “do for the environment what Uncle Sam has done for patriotism.”

Ms. Mitchell developed an educational curriculum and public education campaign, and after two years of preparation, brought the character, Auntie Litter, to life on Earth Day 1990. Clad in a blue, green and white, stars-and-stripes costume, Auntie Litter uses poetry, skits, song and rap music to spread her anti-litter message about the three earthly R’s: reuse, reduce waste and recycle.

In addition to Auntie Litter, Ms. Mitchell has founded the nonprofit organization, Auntie Litter & U.S. Inc., which is dedicated to providing environmental education to the general public, particularly children. Two programs of the organization are The Pollution Patrol and Auntie Litter’s Recycling Rescue. The Pollution Patrol is a children’s chorus that travels and sings Auntie Litter songs with Ms. Mitchell at special events. “Auntie Litter’s Recycling Rescue” is an environmental musical comedy.

Recently, the United States Postal Service – Central Illinois District teamed up with Auntie Litter in their “Destination…Education” school environmental program. The USPS developed and distributed an environmental school kit which included: Auntie Litter’s video tape series, Auntie Litter’s audio cassette and song book and other educational materials. The program was targeted at children in grades 3 through 5.

She has delivered her motivational program throughout the state of Alabama to more than 500,000 children and adults through live presentations. Numerous others have heard her message through radio interviews, television appearances, news articles and public service announcements.

Youth Adult Participation Project

This school and community-based service-learning initiative provides opportunities for teens to develop their skills as they implement social action service projects to address issues in their communities.

Since 1979, the Nassau County Board's Youth Adult Participation Project (YAPP) has trained young people and adults to take a leadership role in their communities and throughout New York State. The project was founded on the premise that services for young people would be more effective and successful if young people were part of the identification of issues and the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of services. YAPP works to dispel the belief that "children should be seen and not heard."

The YAPP model focuses on youth empowerment, building successful youth/adult partnerships, experiential education, valuing diversity and community service learning. The youth and adults who volunteer their time make a minimum of a one-year commitment.

Each year, YAPP recruits 40 young people, representing a cross section of youth from across Nassau County, to participate in the program. Participants represent all ability levels and a diversity of racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Program participants undergo a year of training in such areas as diversity appreciation, conflict resolution, effective leadership, problem-solving and communication training. Each participant undergoes a peer interview process as they advance to more and more levels of responsibility and ownership in the program. Participants successfully completing the program spend the next two years applying what they have learned in the YAPP Caucus.

Caucus members serve on the Nassau County Youth Board, the Youth Advisory Committee of the New York State Commission on National and Community Service and other boards of neighborhood-based youth development agencies, assisting in the planning, design and implementation of youth services. They also conduct trainings on such issues as leadership and valuing diversity for agencies and schools throughout the County, State and nationally at such conferences as the Annual Service Learning Conference.

The community service learning activities have an impact beyond program participants. On a global scale, YAPP members have successfully advocated for the passage of a bill enabling 16- and 17-year olds to serve on the boards of directors of not-for-profit youth serving agencies. In addition, they have run county-wide youth speak-outs on suicide and teen pregnancy, produced documentaries on violence, a rap music video focusing on the importance of unity and performed traditional community service activities.

Over the years, YAPP has cultivated more than 700 young people and adults as leaders and provided them with the invaluable experience making a difference in their lives and that of the broader community.

Edgar S. Cahn

Edgar S. Cahn, an advocate for the poor, has spent more than four decades creating blueprints to solve social problems. Dr. Cahn and his wife are credited with establishing the National Legal Services Program, which was part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty campaign. Later, they were also involved in creating the Legal Services Corporation.

In 1972, Dr. Cahn co-founded the Antioch School of Law in Washington, D.C., which served students from racial, ethnic and other under-represented backgrounds who were interested in becoming public interest lawyers. Antioch School of Law served as the precursor to the University of the District of Columbia School of Law.

Ten years ago, Dr. Cahn created a community service movement, Time Dollar, which now works in communities in more than 30 states. Time Dollar, established to redefine work and value contributions, is a new, tax-exempt currency that empowers people to convert their personal time into purchasing power by helping others and by rebuilding family, neighborhood and community. When a person volunteers, a “deposit” of a number of credits is placed in a Time Dollar bank. For every hour volunteered, a Time Dollar credit equal to one hour of work is saved which can be later redeemed for goods and services. Through this program, people have access to legal services, food and medical assistance.

In the District of Columbia’s Shaw neighborhood, Time Dollar has created a reciprocal relationship between the community, a community development corporation, MANNA and a law firm, Holland and Knight. For every hour of pro bono work done by Holland and Knight, the community will equal that by tutoring students, cleaning up playgrounds and working to remove drugs and gangs from the area. More than 400 Time Dollars have been earned to pay from more than $67,000 of legal work.

In 1996, Dr. Cahn established another arm of Time Dollar — Time Dollar Youth Court. Young people from different neighborhoods in Washington D.C., who volunteer as jurors in the court system, are authorized to impose community service and other measures for youthful first-time offenders. This unique approach utilizes volunteerism as a method to engage first time offenders back into the community. Young people serving on the jury and former offenders earn Time Dollars from the hours they volunteer. With their Time Dollars, the young people are able to buy donated, recycled computers.

To learn more about Time Dollar visit http://www.timedollar.org

Aspiring Youth Program

The Aspiring Youth Program (AYP) of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division provides mentoring, educational and athletic activities to at-risk middle school students during “latch-key” hours. The program began in Houston, Texas in 1992 in response to the growing numbers of at-risk youth becoming involved in unproductive or illegal activities. Based on the premise that those with few productive after-school outlets are often recruited by gangs, drug dealers and other undesirable elements, the AYP fills this time slot.

In 1996, the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division implemented AYP across the country, as one of two major youth-oriented public service projects. Through ABA/YLD’s efforts, the program seeks to inspire and instill in America’s young people a sense of self-worth, confidence in their abilities and a desire to succeed. AYP demonstrates the importance of education, hard work and commitment through positive role models, mentoring relationships with lawyers, business persons, sports figures and community leaders. The program provides educational and athletic activities after school.

Typically, mentors volunteer one to two days per week during the school semester. Programs generally include one hour each of education and athletics during a session. The students spend the first hour in the classroom and the second hour playing basketball or engaged in some other athletic activity. The program also includes inspirational speakers and concludes with a championship game, a spelling bee and an awards ceremony.

Five volunteers started the original program in 1992. Since then over 400 AYP volunteers across the country have provided service to nearly 4000 children in nearly 40 cities. The overwhelming majority of these volunteers are young lawyers, who recruit additional volunteers from their communities. The Gatorade Corporation has sponsored the program on a national level by providing in-kind support in the form of product and athletic equipment and apparel. Additionally, several professional athletic teams and other partners – including the Texas Young Lawyers Association, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, University of Houston, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Harvard University, Houston Astros, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Cowboys and U.S. Legal Support, Inc. – have also provided speakers to excite and inspire the program’s participants.

Given the program’s effectiveness and proven successes, the Aspiring Youth Foundation, based in Houston, Texas, was specifically created to carry out and expand the mission of AYP – to provide young people with a will to aspire and the ability to achieve success. The Foundation is working with even more partners to move the program into more communities across the country.

Fathers Active in Children’s Education

Willie Cook, a father and role model committed to his children’s education, was frustrated by the lack of men involved in schools. Typically being the only black male at a school function but understanding the impact that the presence of a caring adult makes on the life of a child, Mr. Cook was inspired to create Fathers Active in Children’s Education (FACE) in 1993.

The volunteers of FACE are men of all generations – fathers, grandfathers, uncles, neighbors and friends – who work together to provide male leadership and guidance. FACE volunteers provide children and young people the inspiration, education and life skills they need to succeed. The In-School/After-School program, the FACE Mentoring program, and the FACE Urban Village project, are the major components of the program.

The In-School/After-School program serves four urban elementary schools in the city of Montgomery. FACE volunteers provide tutoring sessions, campus security, chaperone services, workshops and achievement awards. In addition, there is a month-long Black History Scholars Bowl tournament among the four schools.

The FACE Mentoring program is a “rites of passage” program for participating 12- and 13-year-old African-American males. 20 mentors, from various professions, commit to teaching manhood development, preventative health practices, spirituality, politics, economics and the importance of community involvement to young men from single-parent homes. After successful completion of the program – each child must pass a written and verbal test – there is a celebratory ceremony.

The Urban Village project mobilizes the young people as volunteers to their own community. On Make a Difference Day, FACE youth volunteers were trained to install smoke alarms. After the training, they installed smoke alarms in the homes of 35 elderly persons. They enjoyed the interaction so much that they went back to a few homes on Christmas to help put up decorations.

Since its inception, the number of volunteers has tripled; the number of students they serve has grown exponentially to 4,000 from different schools, churches and communities in the Montgomery area.

John J. George

In 1988, John J. George founded Motor City Blight Busters, Inc. (MCBB), a nonprofit volunteer organization aimed at revitalizing Detroit’s neighborhoods. Since its inception, MCBB has completed hundreds of residential beautification and renovation projects without the help of city, state or federal funding.

The group began by leading the efforts to board up a crack house in a northwest Detroit neighborhood. Over the last decade, MCBB has developed comprehensive volunteer programs for weekly clean-up and renovation projects throughout the city. MCBB has eliminated Devil’s Night arson and its associated negative connotations for Detroit through its Angel’s Night Patrol.

In addition, MCBB’s Blight Flight and Blitz Build programs bring together more than 50 sponsors, including local businesses, community and nonprofit organizations and more than 3,000 local and suburban volunteers to clean up and renovate Detroit neighborhoods. In 1996, volunteers logged more than 100,000 hours of community service performing such tasks as neighborhood tire sweeps, clothing drives, local park clean-ups, graffiti abatement, and adopt-a-highway projects. Money raised from MCBB’s used car donation program helps to fund MCBB’s efforts.

As a participant in Wayne County’s Project Save, MCBB receives tax-reverted properties at reduced costs. Properties are rehabilitated and sold to low or moderate income buyers at or below appraised values, causing neighborhoods to become stabilized and revitalized.

Recently, MCBB acquired from the city, and is in the process of completing renovations on, a northwest Detroit site to be used as the Motor City Resource Center. The center will house MCBB, Habitat for Humanity – Metro Detroit, The Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Program, The Think Twice Foundation and other like-minded community based organizations. The Center will serve as a hub for operations, including expanded volunteer work capacity, vocational training, a performing arts program, a life-skills training program and an education center for high-risk youths.

Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer has called MCBB, “the most effective housing development group in the city.” MCBB and its partners have been instrumental in the rebirth of many of Detroit’s neighborhoods.

To find out more about John J. George and the Motor City Blight Busters visit http://www.ddc.com/blightbusters.

Operation Clean Slate

On a 1993 ride to Los Angeles, Michael Howard, then teacher at a juvenile hall in Orange County, saw graffiti everywhere. Sensing that the problem was out of control, he began to ask questions on the city and county level about what was being done to solve the problem. Dissatisfied with the lack of proactive preventative measures, Howard went to the source – young people. He found that most children involved in “tagging” did it as a way to get attention and/or respect. Realizing that there had to be a better way for the children to utilize their talents; Howard created Operation Clean Slate (OCS).

OCS operates as a graffiti prevention program that provides young people with a positive alternative to gang-related activities. A typical OCS project lasts four to six weeks and involves educational presentations focusing on the graffiti dilemma and its effects on society, recruiting community involvement, a mural painting and a recognition ceremony.

An owner of an Anaheim engine parts repair shop found himself a repeated victim of graffiti. OCS stepped in, painting a mural with a ’51 Mercury and city backdrop that has not been touched in three years. The once graffiti-adorned wall has become a conversation piece and source of pride for neighborhood residents to enjoy.

Businesses such as the Mattel Corporation, Ingram Micro, Pacific Mutual, Rockwell International and TRW support OCS with in-kind donations, financial donations and employees volunteering their time to the project.

Under the leadership of Howard, more than 800 students provided more than 15,000 volunteer community service hours restoring the environment and eliminating graffiti in 1997. OCS has turned the creative art form of tagging and channeled it into a beautifying tool.

To find out more about Operation Clean Slate visit http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1275.

Give A Parent Support

Seasoned parents’ showing new parents the ropes is what Give A Parent Support (GAPS) is all about. Volunteers and public health nurses work together to assist first time, at-risk parents in dealing with the demands of parenthood. Developed by the Pima County Health Department Public Health Nursing Division and supported by funding from the United Way, GAPS volunteers seek to prevent child abuse and neglect through early intervention.

GAPS began in 1990 as Grandparents Adopted for Parental Support seeking to provide a way for retired individuals to contribute their time and talents. Today, GAPS has expanded to include adults of all ages. Volunteers are trained to provide support in the home. In their weekly visits, they demonstrate how to care for an infant and how to create a caring environment. They teach parenting skills on issues such as the growth and development of a child, proper nutrition for a child and the safety and health of a child. But most importantly, they provide a listening ear and friendship to the new parents.

Typically, after the birth of a child, GAPS volunteers spend two to four hours each week with participating families. This is coupled with the efforts of a project coordinator and a public health nurse who guide and supervise the volunteers and monitor the child’s health and developmental status. First-time parents participating in the program are selected by public health nurses and social workers who believe they would benefit from the support of GAPS. This interaction continues through the first three years of the child’s life.

Through early intervention, GAPS volunteers provide a service at no-cost to the parent that has proven to prevent child abuse. In the past year, 17 volunteers made 282 home visits with 775 client contacts and donated 1,300 hours of service. No abuse took place in any of the homes. Ninety-five percent of the families were able to identify at least one support system. Ninety-one percent of the families were able to identify age appropriate behavior for their child. One hundred percent of the GAPS children have completed immunizations. Additionally, one hundred percent of GAPS families utilized community resources for sick and well care.

GAPS volunteers enhance existing services. They support families in their efforts to continue their education or to obtain job skills so they can become independent. They “fill in the gaps” as a link between public health nurses and families in need of support.