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by Lucy Bayard

People with disabilities volunteer for the same reasons that anyone else does–to give back to their communities, to improve their surroundings, and to be active and engaged in life. Some national service participants who have disabilities volunteer with organizations that serve other people with disabilities, while others focus their efforts on helping to meet a wide range of critical community needs. The individuals profiled here represent a small sampling of the many people with disabilities involved in the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs.

AMERICORPS STATE AND NATIONAL
Michael Tada
AmeriCorps Alumnus 2001, Oahu, HI
Disability: Developmental Disabilities
Michael Tada served in AmeriCorps for a year in 2001 at Goodwill
Industries as a mentor. Serving in AmeriCorps gave him an opportunity to let people know that just because he has a disability does not mean that he cannot do it. “I can do anything anyone else can do! I want to give back to the community that has given me so much,” explains Michael. Serving in national service was also a stepping stone to gain part-time employment. Since October 2006, Michael has worked part-time at the Hawaii Center for Independent Living as an advocate and is president of the Self-Advocacy Advisory Council (SAAC). He is currently the SAAC liaison to the APPLAUD project, a National Service Inclusion Project. Michael also helps with fundraising needs at Easter Seals on an ongoing basis.

SENIOR CORPS
Millie Rusk
Foster Grandparent since 1999, Laramie,WY
Disability: Blindness
Millie Rusk volunteers as a Foster Grandparent for Cathedral Home for Children. She is legally blind. Although she has no grandchildren of her own, she is affectionately called Grandma Millie, which makes her very proud. Grandma Millie volunteers in elementary schools in Laramie. She has an Atlas 600 Reading Machine that allows her to tutor children in reading and writing at the Thayer and Beitel schools. The children love to have the help of Grandma Millie and look at her special reading machine. She has received many accolades from the school where she has volunteered. In fact, when one school celebrated reading more than 2,000 books, the Cat in the Hat made an appearance and read a short poem that included a sentence about Grandma Millie. Everyone over the past eight years has felt the love, dedication, and compassion that Grandma Millie brings to the classrooms.

Please visit the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) website and share success stories of members and volunteers with disabilities in service.

Lucy Bayard is a Senior Training Coordinator of the National Service Inclusion Project at the Institute for Community Inclusion in Boston. She is a guest blogger.

The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) is a training and technical assistance provider on disability inclusion, under a cooperative agreement from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). NSIP strives to increase the participation of people with disabilities in national service and volunteerism. In collaboration with the Association on University Centers on Disability, National Council on Independent Living, Association on Higher Education and Disability and National Down Syndrome Congress, NSIP builds and sustains partnerships among disability organizations and all CNCS grantees. Services include national, state, and program training to all CNCS grantees including AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve programs; technical assistance and resources to support members and volunteers with disabilities including recruitment and retention, accommodations, accessibility, management, and ensuring Section 504 and ADA compliance.

By Ruth Saint Amand

Senior Corps Week, July 13th through July 19th, has come to an end! With a flurry of activity, from the signing of the Proclamation by Governor Baldacci on Monday the 13th, to news releases and events from Aroostook County to York County, eight Senior Corps Programs took the opportunity to highlight the impact of Senior Corps volunteers in Maine and to celebrate their service. A few of the highlights from that week include:
• In Aroostook County, a local 30-second PSA ran on WAGM-TV and Volunteer Maine. News releases ran in four local newspapers.
• The Senior Corps programs in the Bangor area set up an informational booth at an early-evening Outdoor Market and Concert.
• In Rockland, a Match Maker open house was held and four volunteers were signed up!
• In Southern Maine a Senior Volunteer Fair was held in Scarborough with refreshments, entertainment; and an opportunity for people to visit with about a dozen exhibitors who provide services for seniors in that area.
• In Central Maine, a two-day Health Fair was held at Spectrum Generations’ Muskie Center with exhibitors who shared information on everything from games to keep the mind active to nutrition and put on demonstrations on Tai Chi, Yoga and much more!

In my opinion, recruitment is the toughest of the three R’s – Recruitment, Retention, and Recognition. It’s difficult at best to get the word out and often feels like we’re the best kept secret in the volunteer world! This week was a great opportunity for all Senior Corps programs – RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program); SCP (Senior Companion Program), and FGP (Foster Grandparent Program) to get the word out about the wonderful and unique opportunities we have for people 55 and older to share their experience and knowledge with their communities.

A heartfelt THANK YOU goes to Rochelle Runge, Public Relations Representative for the Maine Commission for Community Service, for her hard work to make Senior Corps Week a success. We look forward to reaping the benefits this week has afforded our programs, and planning ahead for our next event!

Ruth Saint Amand is the Director of HealthReach RSVP and a guest blogger.

By Paula Burnett

Come on down! Be a volunteer contestant! Select a door! What is behind door #1, door #2, or door #3?

Ok, the volunteer has selected your door (agency). Now it is time to “make a deal” to cement this relationship and keep that volunteer coming back. Ahhhhhhhh, retention is the real name of the game. How many times each day do volunteers consider themselves unnoticed, unappreciated, unrecognized, and just leave? It happens all the time…more than you may realize. The deal is volunteers are not staff, which volunteer supervisors sometimes forget, and the reasons for being a volunteer vary from the sheer joy of doing an activity to a feeling of belongingness to leaving a legacy for future generations. Smiles, thank you’s, sincere feedback, and listening to their suggestions on a regular basis go a long way in terms of retaining volunteers and recruiting new volunteers via their comments to friends, family, and other community members. Put yourself in the shoes of your volunteer’s experience at the site….how would you like to be treated and remembered?

Here are a few volunteer testimonials for why Senior Corps volunteers choose to serve. These are gentle reminders for all of us in volunteer management.

Door #1 Senior Companion Program - “After I retired, I really didn’t know what to do with myself. I really felt depressed and useless, often looking out the window and wondering why I felt so down. Someone told me about SCP so I decided to volunteer. I don’t know that I would be here today if I had not gotten out and started to help other people. I have purpose and enjoy visiting others. Some days when it’s hard to get going, I think of the people who are waiting for me to visit and it really gets me moving. Somebody really needs me.” - Ed Morrissey

“Doing what I am doing has made my life so much better.” - Kay Newman

Door #2 Foster Grandparent Program - “I have grown in many ways. The students and teachers make me feel special every day…It’s been a privilege for me to be a part of FGP. We don’t have the responsibilities the staff has, but I believe we help so they can do what they need to do as they teach the kids to be intelligent, responsible adults. They [the children] are our future; we need to take care of them. They will need all the help we can give them.” – Prudy Turner

Door #3 Retired and Senior Volunteer Program – “Volunteering is fulfillment for my heart and allows me to meet the needs of my community.” - Edith Hussey

In conclusion and celebration of Senior Corps Week, I would like to take this time to encourage all volunteer managers to review the promises, trainings, and tasks that were set forth for their volunteers when the volunteers started serving. In other words, have you lived up to the DEAL you made with your volunteers? Perhaps, it is time to make a new DEAL.

Paula Burnett is a RSVP Director at the UMaine Center on Aging RSVP and a guest blogger.

By Patty Ott

During the week of July 13, Senior Corp programs throughout the state are initiating various opportunities for potential volunteers to learn about the Senior Corp programs and how to get involved. Join one of these events and you will find lively conversations, exciting information and challenging opportunities. .

One important way seniors can make a difference is by participating in the Born to Read program. RSVPs throughout the state connect caring readers with preschool children in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council.

Startling statistics show that:
• Children who are NOT read to have a vocabulary of 1,500 words when they start school.
• Children who ARE read to regularly in their preschool years have a vocabulary of 4,000 to 15,000 words, have improved ability to express themselves and increased attention span.
• Parents today typically spend one-third less time with their children than a generation ago. Preschools need older adults to be positive role models for children.

Not only is this volunteer job important to a child’s life, it is wonderfully rewarding to bring stories to little ones and unlock the power of reading in their young lives. Their minds are eager to learn and you have the key!

Visit Penquis RSVP (Knox, Lincoln and Waldo Counties) on Friday July 17. We are having Open House from 9-3:00, 170 Pleasant St. Rockland. We will show you “Born to Read” materials and many other opportunities that can match your interests and talents to make a difference in your community.

Patty Ott is a Division Manager for Penquis Retired & Senior Volunteer Program and a guest blogger.

By Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom

Volunteering has made it into the news a lot recently for a couple of different reasons. First, the recession is increasing the ranks of the unemployed as well as increasing the demands on voluntary organizations. Second, President Obama, from campaign rhetoric, to getting his hands dirty on MLK, Jr. Day, to signing the Serve America Act has shone a light on service in the United States. What is the impact of all of these new developments on volunteer managers?

You have an opportunity to take advantage of new volunteers who can bring a wide variety of skills and backgrounds to your mission.
- Who are some of these new volunteers?
- Recently unemployed adults from a variety of sectors including marketing, finance, customer service, and more.
- Recently retired – the first surge of baby boomers taking advantage of early out programs. Many of these individuals will want to work part time or look for opportunities for paid work down the road.
-Young adults looking for resume building opportunities during this competitive job market.

These new volunteers represent the larger trend in volunteerism that was anticipated with the retirement of the baby boomers and introduction of the millennial generation into volunteering.
- They have new skills to offer and really want to bring those skills to your mission.
- They need flexible schedules and the ability to engage at different levels over time.
- They may want to take the lead on a project or work with a team of volunteers on a project for your organization.

So what should you do to prepare for and welcome these new volunteers?
- Work with the staff of your organization to identify possible roles for skilled volunteers.
- Examine current volunteer roles to see if they can be restructured for more flexibility.
- Rethink your recruitment messaging to appeal to these new volunteers and their motivations.

For more information and ideas, view the presentation from our March roundtable, “Boomer Engagement: Inviting Boomers In” by Andrea Taylor, PhD, Director of Training for the Center of Intergenerational Learning at Temple University.

To read about the trends check out these news stories:
From Ranks of Jobless, a Flood of Volunteers
CNN – “Jobless, But Working”
Supporting Local Agencies During Challenging Times
A Special Moment for Service

For helpful articles on engaging skills based volunteers:

Baby Boomers and the New Age of VolunteerismPro Bono Volunteering ResourcesOrganizational Readiness

Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom is a manager of volunteers with Volunteer Arlington and a guest blogger.

By Len Kaye

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has just announced a grant to the state of Maine to establish the Senior Environmental Leadership Corps. This grant was awarded by the U.S. EPA’s Aging Initiative as a “2009 Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging: Training and Demonstration” project.

The Senior Environmental Leadership Corps will provide leadership and civic engagement training with a special focus on environmental stewardship and smart growth planning to adults 50 years of age and older throughout Maine. Between 150 and 200 individuals will be nominated as delegates by municipal, county and state governments; and senior education, volunteer, and social service organizations to represent their geographic regions in an intensive skills building and leadership development summit focused on forward-thinking environmental planning that will improve environmental and health outcomes for citizens of all ages. The summit is projected to be held in Northport, Maine at Point Lookout in late August of 2009. Delegates will be encouraged to take the skills and knowledge they gain from the summit and implement action plans in their own communities that focus on employing smart and green growth principles in future planning and program development. Administered through the University of Maine’s Center on Aging and monitored by an expert advisory board, project staff will provide on-going delegate support and technical resources and showcase the accomplishments of delegates through a variety of approaches.

This exciding project will engage an extensive network of state wide professional and community individuals and groups as well as nationally recognized smart growth experts. The University of Maine Center on Aging will perform the administrative coordinating function. Advisory committee members will provide technical assistance, project guidance, and program evaluation oversight. Project partners and advisors include: the Development, Community, and Environment Division of the U.S. EPA, the Maine Development Foundation, the New England Environmental Finance Center (a collaboration between EPA Region 1 and the Muskie School of Public Service), the Maine Municipal Association, the Maine Association of Senior Corp Programs, the Bernard Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (18 Senior Colleges with over 5000 members), the Maine Community Action Association, the Maine Commission for Community Service, the Maine Community Foundation, the Maine State Planning Office, the City of Bangor, Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, WBRC Architects and Engineers, GrowSmart Maine, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNS) 5 Retired and Senior Volunteer Programs (RSVP) (over 2000 members) in the state of Maine.

More information will be available shortly as this project gets underway. If you are interested in learning more about the Maine Senior Environmental Leadership Corps please e-mail project staff at SELC@mainecenteronaging.org.

Lenard W. Kaye, D.S.W., Ph.D. is the Director of UMaine Center on Aging and a guest blogger.

By Trudy Hamilton

Many of you have read the article in October’s Volunteer Fare about LD 2202 (please refer to the October article if you’d like background about LD 2202). The response has been requests for how to get the ball rolling in your own communities, a kind of “How-To” manual.

While I’m not aware of any towns in Maine that have adopted an ordinance that puts LD 2202 in practice, quite a few are starting to have conversations around it. There are many towns in other states that have been successful, so I’ll share what I found out during my research.

Please remember that if you work for an agency that depends upon municipal funding, you should check with your Executive Director before proceeding with efforts to get ordinances passed.

Step 1: Educate, educate, educate!
• Do you have volunteers over the age of 60 that could benefit from this ordinance? Share what you know with them, and work on building a strong base of support.
• Educate people in your agency. Encourage their advocacy in their own communities.
• Educate your community. Talk to your selectmen, your town manager, your budget committee, your social services committee.

When you are working on educating people about LD 2202, it might be helpful to put together a fact sheet that you can hand out, with the following information:
• Statistical data and explain your rationale for the article.
• How many seniors are paying Real Estate Taxes in your community?
• Approximately how many seniors would be eligible for your program?
• How will your Town’s senior property tax relief compare to neighboring towns?

Step 2: Be prepared!
There will be a variety of people with many questions. Here are a few (and answers if I have them):
• How many people will benefit?
• What will be the cost?
• Who will pay for the program? There is no state funding, but towns often set money in their budgets to offset tax abatements, or fund social assistance programs. The beauty of a town budget is that residents can choose what they want to pay for.
• Why should it be limited to only those over 60? Some will feel it is discriminatory, based on age. The amendment was designed, however, to encourage and assist older adults in maintaining their independence at home as long as possible. You can also answer this question with another question…why should those older adults be taxed for services they don’t use, such as school funding?

There will be different questions from each town, and probably different questions at each town meeting, as well.

Step 3: Get the support that you need on your side.
• Select boards in each town. Arrange to work with residents of the town to gain the support of town leaders.
• Opponents of selectpersons. Make sure this is “bipartisan”, rather than politics. Focus on the issue, not personalities.
• Media. Submit an article to your local paper, and have materials for reporters to refer to in their stories, as well. This is especially important if reporters are covering meetings.
• Budget Committee…often, the Select boards follow all the recommendations of the Budget Committee.
• What people will speak up to defend it?
• Who will oppose the article and why?

Step 4: Craft the article or ordinance.
How are articles usually written? Obtain the help of an experienced town leader to help you write your article. Will you leave it open to broad interpretation at a later date, or will you include all the details, such as what type of volunteer service counts, who may benefit from the program, what will the benefit be, how will the program be administered, how often may people benefit from the program? Be prepared to help guide the answers to these details so a win-win situation is created for both volunteers and municipalities.

Step 5: Get the article on the warrant for the town meeting. Dates are very important here, as towns vary widely for holding town meetings. What are the closing dates for an article to make the warrant? Do you need the support in advance of townspeople, as indicated by signatures on a petition?

Step 6: Obtain support for your article. This is different from obtaining support for the idea. Now, you have a concrete article you are asking folks to be supportive of. This
support for the is critical. Without strong support your article may not pass. This can be the most difficult step because it not only involves politics, but also involves money. You can, however, delegate much of this work.
• Ask volunteers to call supporters and give them the dates and times for all public hearings.
• Have seniors who can not attend the meetings write letters of support for the article and bring the letters to town meeting.
• Get the local press actively involved with the article. Create a human interest story. People like to hear stories about why the article is so important and who it will assist.
• Write an explanation of the article in your monthly newsletter.
• Speak about the article at your local Senior group meetings.
• Get as much positive press as possible.
• Get your article on your local cable station.
• Offer transportation to meetings. (Car pools, vans etc.)

Step 7: Attend Town meetings and select board meetings where the article is being discussed. Remember, however, that if you are speaking outside your own town of residence, you will have to ask permission to speak.

Hopefully, these steps will help you initiate passage of LD 2202 ordinances in towns throughout Maine. While helping older adults stay in their homes, this is also an unusual opportunity to place volunteerism in the spotlight, recognizing the important work volunteers do in their communities.

Trudy Hamilton is Volunteer Manager at Seniors Plus and is a featured blogger.