Nevada Volunteers, Author at Nevada Volunteers

Amass for AmeriCorps Update

Thank you to our amazing supporters that continue to help us spell AmeriCorps!

I found out about AmeriCorps from friends while attending the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who recommended the program to me because they knew of my desire to help others. After researching the program, asking questions, and speaking with National Service Alums, I realized that this was a perfect opportunity for me because of my skills and passion for helping people and my community.

I am a Site Coordinator for Communities In Schools within the United Way of Southern Nevada AmeriCorps program. I assist students with their homework, make sure they have their basic needs met, and guide them to graduate at a local high school and Community Center. Some of these basic needs include personal items, clothes, food for their families, paper, pencils and pens. If there is something that the student needs, Communities in Schools finds a way to help the student, which supports them in (more…)

Meet the Northern Nevada Governor’s Points of Light Finalists!

Each year, Nevada Volunteers is overwhelmed by the amount of nominations and the inspiring stories submitted for the Governor’s Points of Light Awards. Our distinguished panel of judges selected the following three finalists for this year. These three individuals will be honored at the awards luncheon on January 18, 2013, and the recipient of the category will be announced. Congratulations to the finalists and thank you for your service to our communities!

Northern Nevada Individual Finalists for the

2013 Governor’s Points of Light Awards

Steve Burns

Steve Burns has been a volunteer with the Washoe County School District since January of 2011. Since that time, Steve has offered 1680 total hours tutoring Algebra students at Vaughn Middle School five days a week, five class periods a day. Said one parent of a student Steve has tutored, “Kids used to make fun of her and even teachers would say my daughter couldn’t do it. Now she’s confident in herself and is in the GATE program. He changed her entire life. My daughter is now talking about preparing to apply to competitive colleges, something she never thought of doing before.” After a rewarding career, Steve found even greater pleasure in tutoring students and seeing them achieve results they didn’t think were possible. He says that at the age of 65, he has finally found his calling. (more…)

Looking to build that resume of yours?

Have you been looking for a way to build up your resume? Want to switch career paths but not quite sure where to start? Here’s your chance to learn more about different fields, while earning a monthly stipend and at the end of a successful one year term of service, earning an Education grant to pay off student loans or continue your education…

Early Education Assistant Position

Washoe County School District

Position hours: 40 hours per week

Daily Supervision By: Rechelle Murrillo

Position Summary: The AmeriCorps member will support family self-sufficiency to improve the lives of adults and children in poverty, to support school readiness for young children and to prevent child abuse and neglect. The AmeriCorps member’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

Primary responsibilities: tasks and duties which are fundamental and critical (more…)

Want to make a difference in your environment? Apply today!

Want to make a difference in the world? How about a difference in the environment? You can do all that AND pay off student loans or pay for college tuition!

Great Basin Institute’s Nevada Conservation Corps has two types of AmeriCorps*State positions open: one for the fall and the other as a year-round member. Apply today!

2012 Fall Restoration Team Member

August 20, 2012 – November 15, 2012

Spend your fall working and camping outside at some of Nevada’s premier natural areas. Serve alongside volunteers from across the country while making a lasting contribution to Nevada’s natural heritage. Gain valuable field experience while working on habitat improvement, restoration, and recreation projects with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Nevada Division of Forestry. Projects may include trail construction and maintenance, hazardous fuels reduction, and habitat restoration.

Compensation: This is an AmeriCorps position and candidates will receive a living stipend of $3,500 for the fall. This is not an hourly wage or a salary and is paid to members bi-monthly throughout their term of service. Upon completion of AmeriCorps service members shall receive an additional education award in the amount of $1,468 that can be used for paying off student loans, or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college. (more…)

Don’t Waste Another Summer on Facebook — Get Out There and Volunteer!

With summer almost over, what would you say you accomplished? Did you go on a family vacation? Did you spend time with friends? Or did you spend your summer on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.?

While social media continues to become a larger part of our lives on a daily basis, it is our last ditch effort to encourage students to become truly “social” and get out in your community to give back. Here are some ideas we came up with to get you started…

Love to read? Want to become a teacher? History guru?

1. School Supply/Book Drive: As school quickly approaches, help those that might not be able to purchase new school supplies or schools needing some extra supplies. Host a school supply drive and distribute your donations to an elementary school in your city in need.

2. Library: Volunteer at your local library putting away books or reading to kids in the children area. Spend your time helping and completing that summer reading list. Contact your local library today to see what ideas they have to put your service to use. (more…)

Green Economy: Does it include you?

Today is World Environment Day, established in 1973 by the United Nations Environment Programme. This year’s theme is “Green Economy: Does it include you?”

As the Nevada governor’s Commission on Service, we can say loud and clear that “yes, it does include us.” As as matter of fact, it includes three out of six of the AmeriCorps*State programs in Nevada that have an environmental component to their programs.

Only halfway through the current grant year, AmeriCorps members have impacted Nevada’s green economy in the following ways:

Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation

cleaning, improving, and/or creating 9.62 miles of trail or rivers

collecting and recycling 206.08 tons of materials

Great Basin Institute

restoring and improving 1131.88 acres of public land and waterways

building and maintaining 51.71 miles of trails

educating 475 youth on environmental issues

Nevada Outdoor School

giving 361 lessons on environmental stewardship to 6646 students

After completing their term of service, each AmeriCorps member receive an educational award to use in a higher education capacity, like pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. While in service, members receive a monthly stipend on average $1,000 per month, a small subsidy compared to the amount of impact they have on their communities. (more…)

Thank You Teachers!

On this Teacher’s Appreciation Day, all of us at Nevada Volunteers would like to thank the teachers that made a difference and impacted our lives, as well as those that continue to lead our future generations to a brighter future. We acknowledge the uphill battle that today’s educators face, and for that it is our honor to oversee AmeriCorps programs that foster a passion of learning and an environment to learn, and do our part in helping today’s teachers as well as encouraging others to help too.

Last year in Nevada, AmeriCorps members made significant strides in serving the education world:

Provided case management/academic support to 286 students and families
- 80% of those students showed improved attendance
Educated 651 teen parents through the Infinite Campus software and provided them with local resources
Educated 429 students/youth in energy-efficient and environmentally conscious practices
Presented higher education option to 8,365 high school students through gotocollege.com
Offered after-school education programs, in which 1,160 students completed the program

(more…)

Governor’s Volunteer Service Certificate Launched!

Liasion to Governor's Office with Inaugural Awardees

Tyler Klimas, Liaison to Governor's Office, helped present the Governor's Volunteer Service Certificate to John and Dawn Fidaleo.

Nevada Volunteers is excited to announce the Governor’s Volunteer Service Certificate. This ongoing certificate process will be an avenue for nonprofits, governmental agencies, and faith-based agencies to apply for recognition from the Governor’s Office on behalf of exemplary volunteers that meet the criteria.

During National Volunteer Week 2012, the Governor’s Office and Nevada Volunteers presented the inaugural awards to John and Dawn Fidaleo, on April 17th, Tax Day. These two outstanding volunteers have served over 2,000 hours within the last five years with the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) project that provides free income-tax preparation for low-income individuals.

Nevada Volunteers and the Governor’s Office is looking forward to recognizing volunteers throughout Nevada that continue to make an impact in our communities. Read below for more information regarding how you can nominate a volunteer for the Governor’s Volunteer Service Certificate. (more…)

Nevada Grows Service-Learning in Higher Education

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“Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities,” according to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. Service-learning meets real community needs by incorporating components like integrated learning, collaboration, reflection, high quality service, student voice, civic responsibility, and evaluation of partnerships and projects.

Nevada has made great strides in incorporating service-learning in our University of Nevada system, both north and south. With Nevada Volunteers support, UNR joined Campus Compact, an organization made of almost 1,200 college and university presidents committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. This membership inspired a group of dedicated UNR faculty to set up regular meetings to share best practices in service-learning and civic engagement.

In the south, UNLV was recognized for its outstanding service in 2012 by gaining a spot on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll from the Corporation for National and Community Service. UNLV also holds regular faculty gatherings to strengthen and support service-learning. The Office of Civic Engagement and Diversity facilitates community partnerships and coordinates campus-wide service projects like Make a Difference Day. (more…)

National Volunteer Week 2012

National Volunteer Week is finally here! Nevada Volunteers is so excited to celebrate the volunteers in Nevada that continue to make our state a better place to live!

This year, Nevada Volunteers will be sharing the great works of volunteers in Nevada, as well as volunteer coordinators/managers that continuously support those volunteers. Each day, we will be posting inspiring stories and pictures – keep checking our blog, Facebook, and Twitter for amazing stories!

Thank you to those that continue to give their time, money, and energy to organizations throughout Nevada! If you are not yet volunteering and want to get involved, visit blue.nevadavolunteers.org to find volunteer opportunities near you!

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Gayle Farley with Boys & Girls Club volunteers

Gayle Farley, Volunteer Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, poses with some of her fabulous volunteers!

I have over 120 volunteers and they are mostly teens and young adults. Many of them come into the Boys & Girls Club to volunteer for school credits and really don’t want to be here in the beginning until they see what is here for them, and that this Club is for them. I see them working with younger kids and loving what they do. They just want to help out as much as they can. Some of these young volunteers go to school, work, and still volunteer because they love it so much. When I call them to see how they are doing, the calls and emails I get back are often, “it is so nice to have someone who cares about what is going on in my life” –makes me feel that I am doing something really worthwhile. I can honestly say, for the first time in my life, and I have worked for many years, that I feel that I am really where I am supposed to be. I watch these young volunteers grow into great leaders with goals and a purpose in their lives because of what volunteering and the sense of what “giving back” has taught them. And you know, they make me feel pretty special too…..everyday. (more…)