New York State Commission on
National & Community Service

New York State Commission on
National & Community Service

David A. Paterson

Governor

Susan K. Stern

Commission Chair

Mark J. Walter

Executive Director

AmeriCorps Week 2009
New York State Service Projects

Western New York/ Buffalo

The Belle Center - Buffalo LeaderShape AmeriCorps is leading several activities throughout AmeriCorps Week:

  • Volunteers will assist Buffalo LeaderShape AmeriCorps in helping to showcase the after-school programs at The Belle Center on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
  • The American Heart Association will perform stroke alert test on community participants on Tuesday & Wednesday
  • Volunteers will assist Buffalo LeaderShape AmeriCorps in planting flowers and trees in gardens in the neighborhood
  • Volunteers will assist Buffalo LeaderShape AmeriCorps and the Buffalo Public Library with registering families for library cards and setup/breakdown for family movie night on Friday. In addition, volunteers will help AmeriCorps members tutor and mentor refugee children in reading and math, and help with arts and crafts.
  • Volunteers will assist Buffalo LeaderShape AmeriCorps in educating the public in how to respond to disasters on Friday.

Genesee County AmeriCorps: The RSVP program is part of Senior Corps, another program sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Hundreds of RSVP volunteers serve at numerous agencies in Genesee County. Each year, the volunteers are honored for their service at an awards luncheon. Since this event is being held during National AmeriCorps Week, we thought it would be a good chance to show our support for another national service program. AmeriCorps members will be helping serve the luncheon is being held, on Thursday May 14. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and will be held at the Sacred Heart Social Center, 17 Sumner St, Batavia.

Southern Tier

Southern Tier AmeriCorps Resource Team is also hosting several events to celebrate AmeriCorps Week

  • START's AmeriCorps member, Greg Landries, will be doing one or two presentations to groups within the Mental Health Association in Olean. These presentations will be about the AmeriCorps program and a recent project, Operation Dignity, in which the No One Way Teen Support Group, lead by Greg Landries, has participated. Youth from the support group will be creating a collage of Operation Dignity, which will be on display at the Mental Health Association in Olean.
  • The No One Way Teen Support Group will be volunteering Saturday, May 16 at the Cattaraugus County SPCA in Olean, a no-kill shelter that serves all of Cattaraugus County.
  • Students and volunteers from the community of Friendship Central School will be doing a food drive for Mission Agape all week. Boxes will be in local businesses throughout the community, as well as in the school. Donations will be collected, sorted, and packaged, and then distributed to families in need.
  • Throughout the Olean area, there will be collection containers for pop can tabs for St. Judes Hospital. Pop can tabs collected will help St. Judes Children's Hospital continue the fight against cancer.
  • Students from the Belfast Central School will be presenting certificates of appreciation to local volunteers and organizations to honor their service to the community on Thursday, May 15. Many organizations and individuals will be recognized. Local newspaper reporters have been invited, and a presentation on AmeriCorps will be given.
  • Members of the No One Way Teen Support Group will be going to the Gowanda Psychiatric Hospital to restore dignity to the hospital's cemetery plots, which are the final resting places of the forgotten.This will be an on-going project that will take some time to complete. However, even the smallest gift of time and effort is important.
  • Volunteers from several organizations, including ACHIEVE, the YMCA, Community Action, and Salamanca Alt. Ed., will be coming together on May 9 to help re-open the Pennsy Trail in Salamanca. Many fun activities are planned, and the event promises to be huge. The Pennsy Trail will once again be opened for the use of all!
  • The No One Way Teen Support Group will be volunteering Thursday at the Cattaraugus County SPCA in Olean, a no-kill shelter that serves all of Cattaraugus County.

City of Binghamton: Binghamton Neighborhood Assemblies and City of Binghamton's own AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers will be sponsoring a food and gently used clothing drive during AmeriCorps Week on Saturday May 9th, 2009 to help students spring clean as they prepare to leave for the summer. The food items will be donated to CHOW and the clothing will be donated to local thrift stores. Come out and join us for this great event. Let's celebrate with the close of the school year and the help of AmeriCorps VISTA in the fight against poverty.

Central New York/Syracuse

SUNY Upstate Medical University: Join AMSA and Community Outreach & Global Health Education on Tuesday, May 12, at 12 PM in the Medical Alumni Auditorium as they celebrate AmeriCorps Week! Learn about volunteer opportunities through AmeriCorps and the benefits of serving your community through AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), or AmeriCorps*VISTA. Lunch will be served in recognition of all the volunteer efforts of Upstate students this year. Tuesday, May 12 at 12:00 pm

AmeriCorps VISTA: The Red Cross AmeriCorps VISTAs in Cayuga County will be helping the newly opened Homeless shelter run by Holy Family. They just moved into a donated house, but the house needs some TLC. So... we will be doing some yard work and painting, Monday - Friday. We would also like to collect any toiletries possible.

New York City Region

Met Council will be providing senior residents with free energy efficient light bulbs and helping install them in their apartments on May 12

American Red Cross in Greater New York ARC/GNY AmeriCorps members will present on their individual and group service projects on Thursday, May 14 12:00pm – 1:30pm Location: 520 W. 49th St, Halls B&C, New York City

Open Door Family Medical Center The Community HealthCorps team at Open Door Family Medical Center is assisting CAP May 15, 2009 in Ossining, NY

The After School Corporation will partner with Junior League of New York and rehabilitate the James J. Walker park on May 17, 2009

Sunset Park Community HealthCorps Sorting donations of clothing, food, books, other items for the Arab American Service Day Free Market. Brooklyn, NY on Thursday, May 14, 2009

Cypress Hills Local Development Corp.

  • PS 65K Community Service: Healthy Eating/ Healthy Lifestyles PS 65K’s after-school program, the AmeriCorps team and their youth have made it their agenda to inform and educate their local community members and school about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. Their project will be a “hands on” service delivered by the youth of the PS 65K after-school program. It will, hopefully, start a trend of healthier living by parents, children and community members. One of the fascinating things they intend to do is hold a “Nintendo Wii” tournament with children and adults to promote the fact that you can be active everyday without having to take time
  • S 171K Community Service: Heroes’ Appreciation/ Safety Awareness The youth and AmeriCorps at IS 171K’s after-school program have started working on a project that will recognize the hard work and dedication of our local heroes, specifically the local NYPD and FDNY.
  • PS 7K Community Service: Murals in junction with CHLDC Housing Development The AmeriCorps Members at PS 7K, in partnership with CHLDC’s Housing Development, tenants, and after-school youths and will be painting “community” themed murals on the outer doors of houses/housings that CHDLC has either developed or renovated. These murals will shine much needed “light” and recognition for a growing community. Thanks to CHLDC and its constant commitment to developing the neighborhoods of Cypress Hills, our project will bring hope and unity between the community, community members and family, youth, the organization and AmeriCorps. The AmeriCorps members will work hand in hand with the youth of PS 7K’s Kids’ Clubhouse in developing the murals and deciding the responsibilities of creating a mini-photo album of the project, a youth-based newsletter and a culminating ribbon cutting and revealing of the murals.
  • IS 302K/ PS 89K (The Beacon) Community Service: Safe Zone One of the biggest and most constant concerns today, in our community, is the safety and welfare of our youth. Especially, in an environment that has faced much hard times when it comes to school violence and gang violence, kids have been afraid to walk home after school or after their programs. The AmeriCorps members and after-school participants at the Beacon, with cooperation from local businesses, are developing a “Safe Zone” project that will provide the youth a map of their neighborhoods and local merchants, who will participate in the “Safe Zone” project. The local businesses have a key role in the project, as they will be the “Safe Zone” locations a child can go into, should they feel at risk of danger or threatened. These merchants will have contact information on the local precinct and school, thus providing the youth with adult supervision and a safe, away from danger, environment. Stickers on store fronts and a map-photo book will give detailed description and location of the “Safe Zone” locations. A project of this quality and quantity will definitely have a self-sustained future, should the next group of AmeriCorps and youth take on the task on building on this.

Kids To Kids International: Help organize student created picture books and school supplies that will be sent to Afghanistan, China, and Sudan. Yorktown Heights, NY

Community Health Care Association of New York State

  • Callen-Lorde Community Health Center seeks volunteers to prepare for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Pride Events (ie Pride Parade, Folsom Street East, etc). Tasks may include float design, t-shirt decoration, and material organization. In order to register for any day, please contact: Brittany Charlton AmeriCorps Member and Health Educator Callen-Lorde Community Health Center 356 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011
  • South Bronx Community Health Center for Children and Families: I need volunteers to read to children in waiting room and help me sign children in the waiting room up for summer camp. I am going to have a table set up with information regarding free programs for children in the summer. I also have several stay-away camp applications, that we will assist parents in filling out. I am looking for volunteers to help Monday through Friday 2-5. Thursday I also need someone for a morning session from 9-12 because we have a lot of kids in the clinic at that time.
  • Harlem Children's Health Project - 35 East 125th St, 5th Floor New York, NY 10035 During the week of May 11th-May 15th, we will have Health Week for the elementary students of Promise Academy I. Students will visit the Harlem Children's Health Project to participate in a few workshops on the topic of Mental Health

Met Council Join us in beautifying our senior residence by planting a garden on the back patio.

Highbridge Community Life Center: Two volunteers will be presenting about their volunteer service to the middle school children enrolled at St. Luke's school on 138th St. in the Bronx, NY. It will take place on May 15th in the AM periods.

Ryan/Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center: In observance of National Women's Health Week, the Ryan/Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center and its Community HealthCorps team will be canvassing the community with health education materials and information for women.

South Bronx Community Health Center for Children and Families: Volunteers are needed to read to children in waiting room and help me sign children in the waiting room up for summer camp. I am going to have a table set up with information regarding free programs for children in the summer. I also have several stay-away camp applications, that we will assist parents in filling out. I am looking for one volunteer to help Monday through Friday 2-5. Thursday I also need someone for a morning session from 9-12 because we have a lot of kids in the clinic at that time.

Grand Street Settlement is holding Take Back the Night on Friday, May 15th. Take Back the Night is an annual event to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault. There will be a panel discussion, performances, a march, a candlelight vigil, and workshops on healthy relationships, sexual health and self defense. Volunteers are needed on the Wed and Thurs before the event to help make flyers, buttons, banners and packets for the event.

SCA Hudson Valley AmeriCorps/NYSDEC: More than 500 people are expected to volunteer as Statue of Liberty National Monument – Ellis Island hosts the National Parks America Tour event on May 16, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will meet at Battery Park and Liberty State Park and take ferries to Ellis Island. A special sail time for ferries is to be determined. Volunteer projects include polishing the Wall of Honor, retiring American flags, sidewalk polishing on Liberty Island, as well as raking and grounds work.