Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thanks to Our Friends at Mass Service Alliance for Making this Editorial Possible
Globe Editorial, Posted March 29, 2011
OF ALL THE cuts House Republicans have sought under the banner of trimming the national deficit, the decision to zero out the Corporation for National & Community Service is the most incongruous. The $1.1 billion agency, which is the largest source of federal money to support volunteerism, epitomizes the bipartisan commitment to national service once described by former President George H.W. Bush as “a thousand points of light.’’
Beyond that, the national service program has become an incubator for initiatives — in areas ranging from housing to urban education — promising a more entrepreneurial, participatory approach to addressing public needs. This kind of innovation should appeal to budget-conscious lawmakers, even if it involves some up-front expense.
Continue reading the entire article here.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saving Service: Don’t Forget the Older Adults
(L-R) Dorothy Dottin, Mal Coles, Betty Smith, Caroline Trowbridge, Patrick Corvington, Mary Gunn, Akemi Minami, and Bill Wolff
The threats to national service are very serious. Congress wants to eliminate or greatly reduce funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and other programs.
Thankfully there have been many debates about this, thousands of phone calls to legislators, newspaper editorials, and an active web presence to Save Service. In most arguments, the discussion settles on the thousands of young adults in service to America and the millions of people they serve.
My organization benefits hugely from these young Americans, and every year we welcome about 40 new AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members who dedicate a year of service, sometimes two, to our mission.
AND they are joined, day in and day out, by over 300 older adults, all Experience Corps members, who tutor young children in literacy. They range in age from 55-90. They serve between 5-20 hours every week, year after year. They are black, white, hispanic, and asian. They are retired teachers, secretaries, and advertising executives. They serve to seek meaning and they make an impact. For many this service is their “encore career”.
Their impact was clearly on display yesterday when CNCS CEO Patrick Corvington and Atlantic Regional Director Mal Coles visited the Blackstone School in Boston. The Blackstone is one of Boston’s 13 “turn-around schools”, a designation given by the state when a school fails to meet Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) for several consecutive years.
Corvington and Coles met with members from Experience Corps to see how service programs are affecting the turn-around effort in public schools. Joining us was a team of City Year members who also serve at the Blackstone.
Lisa Lineweaver, the school’s Director of Accelerated Improvement had this to say: “Experience Corps members, by working with students in grades K-2, are helping to turn this school around. The progress that students are making is significant, and it is due in part to the work of Experience Corps. We need this extra help, and we can’t accomplish our goals without them and without other partners like City Year.”
Our guests were impressed. “Tell your story”, Mr. Corvington advised. “We are in a fight. Most people don’t know the impact that service organizations are making, especially in education.”
So let’s not forget the powerful contributions that older adults are making all across the nation as we talk about “saving service”. It’s not just for young adults. It’s for everyone. And we need everyone’s help not only to turn around under-performing schools, but to turn around communities in need.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Photo of the Week: March 24, 2011
On Site at The Yawkee Boys and Girls Club in Roxbury
Friday, March 11, 2011
No Alternative But to Close Some Boston Schools
RE “BIAS complaint shouldn’t slow wise plan to fix Boston schools’’ (Editorial, March 2)
Our literacy volunteers serve every day in Boston public elementary schools. The bias complaint by the Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts asks for a reversal of the decision to close nine schools because it adversely affects students of color. Boston Public Schools students are largely students of color, and nearly any school that is closed would adversely affect this population. If the alliance is successful, it would force another long round of painful decisions and community process that would impede progress. There is no alternative but to close schools. There is a deficit of more than $60 million, and there are too many empty seats and schools that have performance issues.
Superintendent Carol Johnson has set forth an ambitious plan to close the achievement gap while dealing with budget shortfalls that are not of her making. She has also listened and responded to student and family concerns, and has begun the turnaround effort at several schools. Her agenda lays out high expectations for student outcomes. Our collective energy and resources should be directed at these goals.
Should the alliance be successful in its complaint, I join many others in fearing a back slide away from progress.
Mary Gunn
Friday, March 11, 2011
Photo of the Week: March 11, 2011
Between the Lines Co-chairs Patricia Brandes and Michael Durkin with Generations Incorporated Executive Director Mary Gunn
Friday, March 4, 2011
Non-Profits Taking Hits
This week the Boston Globe had another stinging article about excessive non-profit CEO pay at one of our largest health insurance companies.
Our sector is getting some bad press these days because of this, as well as outrageous golden parachutes, double dipping, and outright fraud. Thankfully the Attorney General is looking into this because these excesses are hurting the rest of us.
Most not- for-profit organizations (NPOs) struggle to raise the dollars needed to accomplish our missions. Our board members are not paid and instead make voluntary contributions of time, money and expertise. Most personnel including the CEO receive modest pay, some even live at poverty level while providing critical support.
The large NPO circle in which I walk takes pride in our integrity to mission, ethics beyond compare, and highly talented staff who care about the people we serve. Boston is crowded with non-profits, some say there are too many.
And we either help YOU or someone YOU know. Often, our sector is seen as one which helps the poor. Thankfully this is true.
But here’s the rub. Families across all income levels have someone struggling with addiction, mental illness, or disability. Middle class families, like the poor, have children in day care or after school programs. If environmental, peace, and human rights advocates were to abandon their work, the consequences would be frightening. Community orchestras and Little Leagues bring us great joy. Places of worship provide spiritual nourishment. We all benefit from this sector either directly or indirectly.
If you are reading this, I am preaching to the converted. But please post this on FB or Twitter. Most NPOs do great good, do it well, and do it ethically.
Yours in service,
Mary
(I’ve always disliked the word “non profit”. Doesn’t “Social Profit” have a nicer ring?)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Photo of the Week: March 3, 2011
Poetry Reading with Students at the JFK School in Jamaica Plain
