1515 [-r;:;' Ci'i Avenue Cup No. 201800 Helena. MT 59620-1800 MONTANA PROGRAM NATIONAL SERVICE DIRECTORY ir;r2—s c ex * Jo—ining People and _ kesources— tolmprove S / Montana Communities Montana Governor's Office of Community Service State Capitol Building, Room 219 Helena, Montana 59620-0801 444-5547 (406) FAX 444-4418 (406) s 361.8 G15MNS " MONTANASTATELIBRARY 3 0864 0010 1613 1 PURPOSE The Office of Community Service was created through the combined efforts of the 1993 Montana Legislature and the Office of the Governor. We support community-based volunteer programs that address critical community needs. The vision of this office is to ensure that helping each other becomes a primary part of every Montanan's life and heritage. We accomplish our vision by: Renewing the ethic of civic responsibility, Encouraging young people to serve in ways that benefit both their communities and their own personal and professional development, Building on existing resources to expand community service, and Encouraging citizens to engage in community service. "Ourown actions mayseem insignificant;butwhen we adjoin togetherandvolunteer, we can mal<e an enormous difference in thelives ofeach other andourcommunities. -GovernorMarcRacicot MONTANA STATE LIBRARY 1515 East 6th Avenue Helena, MT 59620-1800 Table of Contents ^-^ ^^ 1997 Montana Community Services Advisory Council l\/lembers 1 National Service in Montana 2 Montana Governor's Office ofCommunity Service Fact Sheet 3 Montana AmeriCorps"USA Programs Montana Conservation Corps 7 Montana Campus Corps 17 Volunteer Montana! 25 Blackfeet Health and Safety Corps 37 Fort Belknap Program .„. 41 Green Lights Program 45 GettingThings Done Grants 47 Learn & Serve America School Based K-12 Programs 53 Higher Education - Montana Campus Compact 57 AmeriCorps*VISTA Programs 63 National Senior Service Corps Retired And SeniorVolunteer Program (RSVP) 67 Senior Companion Program 69 Foster Grandparent Program 70 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Montana State Library http://www.archive.org/details/montananationals1997mont MONTANA COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS George Dennison, Chair The University of Montana, Missoula Norma Bixby Northern Cheyenne Tribal Government, Lame Deer Candace Bowman Fergus County Council on Aging, Lewistown Susan Caliaghan Montana Power Company, Butte Nancy Coopersmith Office of Public Instruction, Helena Gertrude Downey Community Volunteer, Butte Patricia Gunderson Montana Public Employees Association, Belgrade Billie Krenzler Billings City Council, Billings Joe Lovelady Corporation for National Service, Helena Charles McCarthy Dept. of Public Health and Human Services, Helena Loren Oelkers Montana National Guard, Helena Kathy Ramirez Lewis and Clark County United Way, Helena Bob Simoneau Department of Labor and Industry, Helena Montana Governor's Office of Community Service State Capitol Building, Room 219 Helena, Montana 59620-0801 (406) 444-5547 FAX (406) 444-4418 e-mail: [email protected] Mary Blake - Executive Director Christie Briggs - Administrative Assistant Administering the AmeriCorps*USA Program and Getting Things Done Corporation for National Service Capitol One Center 208 North Montana Avenue, Suite 206 Helena, Montana 59601 (406) 449-5404 FAX (406) 449-5412 e-mail: [email protected] Joe Lovelady - State Program Director Jane Piilola - State Program Assistant John Allen - State Program Specialist Administering the AmeriCorps*VISTA and National Senior Service Corps MONTANA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE FACT SHEET THE MONTANA COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT The 1993 Montana Legislature, at the request of Governor Racicot, enacted the Montana Community Service Act (90-14-101 MCA, formerly HB660), v^^hich is the focus for Montana state government's Involvement in all phases of community and volunteer services. The Montana Governor's Office of Community Service snbs established with the purpose of renewing the ethic of civic responsibility in the state; encouraging Montana citizens to engage in full-time or part-time service. This service is a call for people to volunteer to participate in projects that would benefit not only the state, but improve their own lives through the acquisition of literacy, job skills, and interpersonal skills. Building on existing organizational framework of state and local government entities, the service opportunities are designed for full and part-time positions in a wide variety of programs for all citizens, particularly youth and older Montanans, creating activities that would not otherwise be performed by employed workers. Finally, the Montana Community Service Act is designed to establish corps to accomplish labor-intensive improvements to public or low-income properties or to provide services for the benefit of the state, its communities, and its people through service contracts that specify the work to be performed by these corps. THE NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM The Montana Governor's Office for Community Service was established in 1993 to implement the nation's AmehCorps program and engage citizens of all ages and backgrounds in community-based service. The office carries out AmehCorps concepts, and supports a range of national and community service programs providing opportunities for participants to serve full-time or part-time, with or without pay, as individuals or as part of a team. AmeriCorps encourages thousands ofAmericans to help communities address their toughest challenges while earning support for college, graduate school, or job training. The Learn and Serve program has been established in eight schools in Montana to offer service learning, and a heightened sense of awareness of the need for community service in the lives of many young people. People of all ages are being encouraged to support their communities and make Montana citizens stronger, safer, healthier and equipped with problem-solving skills. The Montana National Senior Service Corps is in charge of three programs that give older citizens the opportunity to become involved in their communities - Foster Grandparents, RSVP and Senior Companions. THE AMERICORPS PROGRAM AmeriCorps joins a long tradition of programs encouraging and rewarding service programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Montgomery Gl Bill, and the Peace Corps. AmeriCorps projects are locally driven and community-based, and, like earlier programs, it has a long-term vision for America. Getting Things Done - AmenCorps will help a community meet its educational, public safety, human, or environmental challenges through direct and demonstrable services. Every AmeriCorps program becomes a powerful model for communities to apply their own efforts towards getting things done. Strengthening Communities - While we celebrate the ways we differ, we also need to remember the values we share. AmeriCorps unites individuals and institutions of ail kinds in a common effort to improve our communities in Montana. Encouraging Responsibility -Through service and civic education, AmeriCorps enables Members to see themselves as problem-solvers, not problems; to become leaders, notjust followers; and to act on their responsibilities as well as their rights. Expanding Opportunity - AmeriCorps helps those who help America. Members receive skills, invaluable experience, and helpful scholarships or loan repayment for school or job training. Strengthening our youth will strengthen Montana. AMERICORPS PROGRAM PRIORITIES AmeriCorps programs undertake service that would not otherwise be provided and that has a maximum impact upon Montana communities. The need exists. We desire to respond in these areas; Public Safety - Work with programs in public agencies or community-based organizations o provide a wide range of support services to victims of crime and to help link victims to other providers of information and services within the justice system and community. Environment - Initiate innovative programs in low-income areas that promote sustainable communities by reducing environmental risks and conserving natural resources. Human Needs - Improve the health and school readiness ofyoung children through child care, Head Start, and other pre-school Programs; programs to improve parenting skills, and community-based efforts to provide comprehensive services to families with young children. Education - Broaden or coordinate the range of services available through schools such as tutoring, after-school enrichment programs, service-learning, health and child care services and efforts to involve parents in their children's education as a part of a comprehensive strategy to improve school achievement and knowledge retention. AMERICORPS MEMBERS There are over 400 AmeriCorps programs and over 25,000 AmeriCorps Members volunteering across the country. AmeriCorps includes two national programs which are managed by the Corporation: AmeriCorps*VISTA and AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps. There are over 4,000 AmeriCorps*VISTA Members serving to develop programs, mobilize resources, and build capacity for service programs across the nation. AmeriCorps*NCCC is an innovative new program in which AmeriCorps Members live and train on downsizing military bases while undertaking service projects - particularly those focused on the environment in the surrounding region. In Montana, the Montana Conservation Corps is working to provide upkeep on over 160 miles of trail through our national parks, and other wilderness areas. Restoration and preservation of many public sites and buildings is underway. Volunteer Montana! has recruited hundreds of volunteers to provide everything from clean up days to medical care for the disadvantaged. Montana Campus Corps is organizing college students across Montana and helping them find meaningful service opportunities in the communities where they attend college. Another program serving our state. Green Lights Project Partners, surveys the lighting used in public buildings and schools. Recommendations are made on how they can be made more energy efficient and thus save taxpayers money. In the following pages, you will discover howfar reaching and important the Montana Service Act has become to our state. AMERICORPS MEMBER BENEFITS Members who successfully complete a 1700 hour term of service receive educational awards. The educational award forfull-time Members is $4,725 and the educational award for part-time Members who serve 900 hours is $2,362.50. The educational award must be used seven years from completion of service to pay for the costs of attendance at an institution of higher education, the costs of approved school-to-work programs, or the costs of repaying qualified student loans. Full-time Members also receive a small living allowance of approximately $7900 per year.