AmeriCorps Week Shines Spotlight on Impact of AmeriCorps Service in Utah

Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell thanks Utahs AmeriCorps Members for their significant accomplishments and service in our state.

SALT LAKE CITY – Everyday across Utah, citizens are finding solutions to local problems through national and community service efforts. From increasing high school graduation rates and grade level reading proficiencies to mentoring at-risk youth, providing healthcare to the medically underserved, and restoring public lands, these everyday heroes are strengthening Utah communities as they transform their own lives. These people are AmeriCorps members.

This week, May 14th 21st, is national AmeriCorps Week and people all across the country and here in Utah are thanking the AmeriCorps members who serve in their communities, often at great personal sacrifice, to meet some of our states most critical needs. Because of Utahs AmeriCorps members 5,648 children are mentored by caring adults. Over 10,000 youth are receiving tutoring in math and reading. Approximately 15,000 youth are given safe places to learn and play after school and nearly 3,300 have participated in leadership development trainings.

In 2010 members trained over 12,000 Utahns on how conserve energy and how to be good stewards of our natural resources. Last year members educated 28,000 people in preventative health methods and how to access options to health care.

AmeriCorps members are also tasked with bringing community volunteers into the organizations in which they serve. In 2010 AmeriCorps members across Utah recruited and trained over 13,000 community volunteers who served over 156,000 hours. These recruited volunteers bring an estimated $2.9 million dollars worth of service into Utahs economy.

AmeriCorps members also tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs, and help communities respond to disasters. They also focus on building the capacity of nonprofit groups to become more self-sustaining, among many other activities.

Since 1994, more than 10,000 Utahns have taken the AmeriCorps pledge to get things done for America. I want to personally thank each and every one of our past and current members for their dedicated service and commitment to get things done in Utah, said Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell. The impact of their service, addressing real community needs, is outstanding and I am honored to recognize them for their great achievements.

In exchange for a year of full-time service, members earn an education award equal to the maximum amount of the Pell Grant that can be used to pay for educational expenses at qualified institutions of higher education, or to pay back qualified student loans.

AmeriCorps Week is more than a way to honor AmeriCorps members for their great achievements in communities across the state. Its an opportunity to trumpet the impact of AmeriCorps service to transform lives and communities.

In a time of great fiscal constraint we are glad that programs like AmeriCorps exist, said Shar Lewis, Executive Director with the Utah Commission on Volunteers. AmeriCorps is a highly cost effective and competitive grant where every $1 granted $1.60 is matched by the grantee organization. It is a model for how government and local community organizations can partner for success.

Utahs State AmeriCorps programs utilized over 300 AmeriCorps members to address critical unmet needs in our communities. In 2010 the Commission was awarded $2.2 million in federal grant funding that was passed through to 10 State AmeriCorps Programs. These programs matched the federal dollars with over $3.5 million.

AmeriCorps members mobilized more than 8,000 volunteers who provided over 130,000 hours of volunteer service with an estimated economic value of $2.9 million dollars to Utahs economy.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES Utah State AmeriCorps Programs & Members Please see list and summary of Utah State AmeriCorps Programs with contacts for interviews. AmeriCorps Program Managers, their AmeriCorps members and the organization where they serve are available for interview. Utah Commission on Volunteers Shar Lewis, Executive Director and LaDawn Stoddard, AmeriCorps Program Manager with the Utah Commission on Volunteers are available for interview during the week. ###

Utah Commission on Volunteers The mission of the Utah Commission on Volunteers, an office of the Lieutenant Governor, is to improve communities through service and volunteering. It furthers its mission by administering federal funds for AmeriCorps and national service programs and increasing volunteerism by promoting community collaboration, volunteer recognition, youth and older adult service and providing training and resources for those working with volunteers. The Lt. Governors Conference on Service, State Volunteer Recognition and Awards Banquet, Summer of Service, and the Statewide Volunteer Matching Website www.volunteers.utah.gov are also premiere programs of the Utah Commission on Volunteers.

For more information, visit www.volunteers.utah.gov or call 1-888-755-UTAH. AmeriCorps AmeriCorps is commonly described as the Domestic Peace Corps. Individuals, called members, commit to a specific term of service usually one year- and are housed in nonprofit organizations, schools or other agencies. Members range in age from 17 to 70+ years of age and represent a wide spectrum of other demographics. Upon successful completion of their service, members earn an education award to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans. During their service, members may also be eligible to receive a modest living allowance, health insurance, childcare, and student loan deferment.

The Corporation for National and Community Service The Corporation plays a vital role in supporting the American culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility. They are a catalyst for change and champion for the ideal that every American has skills and talents to give. The Corporation is the nations largest grant maker supporting service and volunteering.

Through the AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Service America programs, they provide opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to express their patriotism while addressing critical community needs.

Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell Declared Utahs AmeriCorps Week in 2010

Lt. Governor’s Conference on Service General Session

Shirley Sagawa to keynote Conference Luncheon on Wednesday

SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Commission on Volunteers, in collaboration with the Utah Nonprofits Association, the Utah Society of Fund Raisers and the Nonprofit Academy for Excellence at the University of Utah, is pleased to host the Lt. Governor’s Conference on Service. In keeping with the conference theme, “Partnering for Impact”, the day has been planned in partnership with various agencies throughout the Wasatch Front.

 On April 20, Lt. Governor Greg Bell will kick off the 2011 Conference on Service general session day with his keynote address, “Partnering for Impact”. The general session day will be filled with over 30 workshops for the 700 attendees to choose from, each of which was chosen to represent the varying needs of conference attendees.

Lt. Governor Bell and the Utah Commission on Volunteers are pleased to announce that the 2011 luncheon keynote speaker will be Shirley Sagawa, co-founder of Sagawa/Jospin Consulting and a fellow at the Center for American Progress. She played instrumental roles in the creation of AmeriCorps, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Social Innovation Fund. Newsweek magazine names Sagawa a “Woman to Watch in the 21st Century”.

Sagawa will be addressing national service and volunteerism as a strategy during difficult economic times and is scheduled to speak at 12 p.m. Wednesday, April 20. Directly following the luncheon there will be a book signing with Shirley Sagawa, author of The Charismatic Organization: 8 Ways to Grow a Nonprofit and The American Way to Change: How National Service and Volunteers are Transforming America.

“We are thrilled to have such an influential keynote speaker for this year’s Conference on Service,” said Shar Lewis, Executive Director of the Utah Commission of Volunteers. “Shirley is uniquely able to speak to national service and volunteerism in a way that will appeal to all of our attendees.”

Media are encouraged to attend any of the conference’s events. 

 The mission of the Utah Commission on Volunteers, an office of the Lieutenant Governor, is to improve communities through service and volunteering. For more information on the Commission on Volunteers, and various volunteering opportunities across the state, log onto www.volunteers.utah.gov.

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Over 500 Volunteers Donate Hundreds of Hours as part of the 2011 Conference on Service

Over 500 of Utah’s Volunteers attending the 2011 Conference on Service, hosted by the Utah Commission on Volunteers

(Volunteers will be available for interviews)

More than 500 volunteers from across Utah will wrap up the Lt. Governor’s 2011 Conference on Service Thursday, April 21, when they participate in various service projects focusing on children, youth or families. Opportunities to serve great organizations around the valley, as well as projects at the hotel, will be available for conference participants. Volunteers will participate in projects with the Youth Mentoring Project, Family Support Center, Living Planet Aquarium, Department of Health, Habitat for Humanity, and Mountain View Elementary School. The projects will take place at a variety of locations, cumulating with a volunteer pizza lunch at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

WHEN:  Thursday, April 21, 2010
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

WHERE:  Habitat for Humanity Re-Store

                  1276 South 500 West

                  Salt Lake City, Utah          

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2011 Lt. Governor’s Volunteer Recognition and Awards Banquet

Gail Miller to keynote event honoring 9 state and 25 county volunteer award winners

 

SALT LAKE CITY- Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell and the Utah Commission on Volunteers will present nine State Volunteer Service Awards and celebrate twenty-five County Volunteer Silver Bowl Award recipients at the Lieutenant Governor’s Volunteer Recognition and Awards Banquet tonight at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center at 7pm. These awards, presented annually as part of the Lt. Governor’s Conference on Service, celebrate the extraordinary volunteer efforts of Utahns across the state.

The two most prestigious awards being the Lt. Governor’s Civic Volunteer of the Year Award and the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2011 Lt. Governor’s Civic Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented to Kelly Christensen, CEO and President of Iceberg Drive Inn. Kelly has met many needs in his community, whether through serving lunch to the hundreds volunteering during a fire in Herriman, working with the Special Olympics, co-chairing the Days of ’47 rodeo, or volunteering with student organizations in the Canyons and Jordan School District.

The 2011 Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Marion Palmer, who is affectionately known as “The Queen of Pre-School Vision Screening.” For over 55 years she has donated her time to the nonprofit organization Friends for Sight as she screens young children for Amblyopia. She initiated the passage of a bill requiring children to have a vision screening when they enter school. 

 “These honorees are a powerful force for good in our communities,” said Shar Lewis, Executive Director of the Utah Commission of Volunteers. “They are a shining example of the transformative power of service on those who serve and the communities around them.”

The Commission is pleased to announce that the banquet keynote speaker will be Gail Miller, wife of the late Larry H. Miller and owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. Gail will be addressing the importance of volunteerism in Utah as well as in her personal life.

Media are encouraged to attend tonight’s activities: Private reception for honorees at 6pm in the Trofi Room and the Banquet Program begins at 7pm in the Grand Ballroom.

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Lt. Governor’s 2011 Conference on Service Begins Tuesday

 Gail Miller and Shirley Sagawa Keynote During the Conference

 SALT LAKE CITY- Volunteers from across Utah will begin gathering at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center for the Lieutenant Governor’s 2011 Conference on Service Tuesday morning and will participate in a wide range of informative plenary sessions and workshops. The conference will run April 19-21 and registration is at capacity.

Hosted by the Utah Commission on Volunteers, the conference is the state’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, faith-based, government and corporate sectors. This year’s event features the annual Volunteer Recognition Awards Banquet which will honor and recognize the achievements of some of the most outstanding volunteers and volunteer programs in Utah.

The 2011 banquet keynote speaker is Gail Miller, wife of the late Larry H. Miller and owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. Miller is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 19. On April 20, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell will kick off the day with a keynote address at 8:30 a.m. Over 30 workshops will be held throughout the day providing information designed to strengthen volunteer organizations and communities.

Lt. Governor Bell and the Utah Commission on Volunteers are please to announce this year’s luncheon keynote will be Shirley Sagawa, author of The American Way to Change and The Charismatic Organization. Sagawa was named a “Woman to Watch in the 21st Century,” by Newsweek magazine and it is a please to have her speak at the conference. Sagawa is scheduled to speak at 12 p.m. Wednesday.

The conference wraps up April 21, when more than 500 volunteers will work with 7 agencies to provide meaningful service to the community. The service projects begin at 9 a.m. at the Hilton and various other locations.

“The 2011 Conference theme, ‘Partnering for Impact’ will leave participants coming away inspired, energized and ready to serve,” said Shar Lewis, Executive Director of the Utah Commission of Volunteers. “Our partnerships with the Utah Nonprofits Association, the Utah Society of Fundraisers and the Nonprofit Academy for Excellence promise to make this our most engaging conference yet.”

Media are encouraged to attend any of the conference’s events. For more information, contact Justin Hudspeth (801) 452-1221 The mission of the Utah Commission on Volunteers, an office of the Lieutenant Governor, is to improve communities through service and volunteering. For more information on the Commission on Volunteers, and various volunteering opportunities across the state, log onto www.volunteers.utah.gov.

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Lt. Governor’s 2010 Conference on Service Begins, Senator Orrin Hatch Keynote’s Tuesday’s Awards Banquet

Lt. Governor’s 2010 Conference on Service Begins

Senator Orrin Hatch Keynote’s Tuesday’s Awards Banquet

SALT LAKE CITY- Volunteers from across Utah began gathering at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center for the Lieutenant Governor’s 2010 Conference on Service Tuesday morning and will participate in a wide range of informative plenary sessions and workshops. The conference will run through April 8.

Hosted by the Utah Commission on Volunteers, the conference is the state’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, faith-based, government and corporate sectors. This year’s event features the Volunteer Recognition Awards Banquet which will honor and recognize the achievements of some of the most outstanding volunteers and volunteer programs in Utah and begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and the Utah Commission on Volunteers are pleased to announce this year’s conference keynote speaker is Senator Orrin Hatch. Senator Hatch co-sponsored the Serve America Act, which seeks to expand opportunities for people to serve their communities at every stage of life, from students and working adults to retirees. Senator Hatch is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

On April 7, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell kicks off the morning with his keynote address, “Service as a Strategy…Now More Than Ever,” at 8:30 a.m. Throughout Wednesday, 30 workshops will be held providing information designed to strengthen volunteer organizations and communities.

The conference wraps up April 8, when more than 250 volunteers descend upon Little Cottonwood Canyon to clean and maintain two hiking trails. This service project begins at 9 a.m.

“This is our most engaging conference yet,” said Shar Lewis, Executive Director of the Utah Commission of Volunteers. “Participants will come away inspired, energized and ready to serve.”

Media are encouraged to attend any of the conference’s events.  For more information, contact Shad West at (801) 505-2662.

The mission of the Utah Commission on Volunteers, an office of the Lieutenant Governor, is to improve communities through service and volunteering. For more information on the Commission on Volunteers, and various volunteering opportunities across the state, log onto www.volunteers.utah.gov.

Register today for the Lt. Governor’s 2011 Conference on Service April 19-21, 2011

Partnering for Impact

SALT LAKE CITY- Registration for the Lieutenant Governor’s 2011 Conference on Service is now open.  This year’s conference will be held April 19-21, 2011 at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. Register online at www.volunteers.utah.gov.

This year the Utah Commission on Volunteers hosts the Lieutenant Governor’s 2011 Conference on Service in collaboration with the Utah Nonprofits Association (UNA), Utah Society of Fund Raisers (USFR), and the Nonprofit Academy for Excellence at the University of Utah.

Early Bird Registration is $129.00 until Feb 28. Registration increases March 1 to $139.00 up until the date of the conference.

This is the state’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, faith-based, government and corporate sectors. This three-day event offers the opportunity to learn, connect, be inspired and make a difference through a wide variety of exciting and informative plenary sessions, workshops, special events, service projects and more.

The luncheon keynote address on April 20th will be given by Shirley Sagawa, a national expert on national service and philanthropy.  She has been called a “founding mother of the modern service movement” in the United States. She is currently a fellow with the Center for American Progress (http://www.americanprogress.org/).

This year’s conference is brimming with opportunities for professional development. Participants will LEARN, CONNECT, BE INSPIRED, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

• Learn best practices, strategies and new ways of doing business from the state’s best thinkers and practitioners on service and volunteering.
• Connect with peers, experts and leaders from the business, government and nonprofit sectors.
• Be Inspired, recharge, engage and bring back new ideas and energy to strengthen the reach and impact of your organization.
• Make a Difference by participating in service projects and honoring those who have made significant contributions to our communities through their volunteer and service efforts.

The mission of the Utah Commission on Volunteers, an office of the Lieutenant Governor, is to improve communities through service and volunteering. For more information on the Commission on Volunteers, and various volunteering opportunities across the state, log onto www.volunteers.utah.gov.