Virginia Service: News & Media http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/index Service news and events from across the Commonwealth brought to you by the Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Service. en gail.doyle@vaservice.org Copyright 2008 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:35:00 -0400 37.541046-77.435365http://www.vaservice.orghttp://www.vaservice.org/global/image/logo.gifVirginia ServiceSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes National Service Hill Day http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/344799877/ AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service, Events & Conferences, Learn and Serve, Mentoring, Of Interest, Senior Corps Voices for National Service Capitol Hill Day, Sept. 25, is an annual event bringing together representatives of the national service field, including commissioners, commission staff, alumni, program staff, service partners, and corporate sponsors. Participants will visit congressional offices and discuss the federal investment in AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Corps. Participants will advance an expansive vision of national and community service. Learn more about this event and register today.

]]> 2008-07-24T16:35:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/national_service_hill_day/ Projects Needed for Hands On Greater Richmond Day http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/341701325/ Of Interest, Volunteering & Service Hands On Greater Richmond wants to know if your organization is need of volunteers for upcoming projects. On October 18, Hands On Great Richmond in cooperation with Target Stores, will present an annual Day of Service. Hands On Greater Richmond will connect your organization to a volunteer team who will help complete your project. If you have needs and just need the manpower to get things done, contact Hands On Greater Richmond and download an application to be a host site.

]]> 2008-07-21T16:14:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/projects_needed_for_richmond_area_day_of_service/ Latest Virginia Child Wellness Rankings http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/331925831/ Faith-based, Of Interest, Training & Resources Virginia ranks 15th in child wellness according to the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT Data Book. The report is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America's children that provides data on the economic, health, education, and social conditions of America's children and families. Information from the Data Book is now available in an easy-to-use online database, which allows users to generate custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles, or download the entire data set as delimited text files.

How Virginia ranks:

  • 24th in low birth weight babies
  • 35th lowest infant mortality rate
  • 15th lowest child death rate
  • 13th lowest teen death rate
  • 19th highest teen birth rate

Review the Data Book online.

]]> 2008-07-10T17:32:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/latest_virginia_child_wellness_rankings/ CDC Reports U.S. Life Expectancy at Record High http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/328932284/ Of Interest Americans' life expectancy reached a record high of 78.1 years in 2006, with disparities among ethnic groups and between the sexes generally narrowing, according to government data released June 12, by the Centers for Disease Control. The death rates from most diseases went down, with influenza mortality falling steeply and AIDS mortality marking its 10th straight year of decline. Infant mortality in 2006 also fell from the previous year, continuing a trend stretching back nearly 50 years. The overall U.S. life expectancy of 78.1 years was up 0.3 years from 2005. Life expectancy for women was 80.7 years, and for men, 75.4 years. White women had the longest life expectancy, at 81 years, followed by black women (76.9 years), white men (76 years) and black men (70 years). Read the report in the Washington Post.

]]> 2008-07-07T14:43:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/cdc_reports_us_life_expectancy_at_record_high/ Newsweek Explores Charity Crisis http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/324923470/ Faith-based, Of Interest, Volunteering & Service A recent article in Newsweek (June 12) examines the nation's current economic struggles and how they are affecting nonprofits and community service organizations throughout the country. Not only have monetary donations begun to drop, but also donations of food, clothing, and other items important to the services provided by charitable organizations. The article explains that it's the smaller donations by hundreds of millions of nonbillionaire Americans that fuel most of the nation's nonprofits. With those donations slowing down, experts predict a lean year for nonprofits. Read the article.

 

]]> 2008-07-02T14:01:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/newsweek_explores_current_charity_crisis/ AmeriCorps in the News http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/321464899/ AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service, Emergency Preparedness/Homeland Security, Of Interest, Office on Volunteerism and Community Service, Volunteering & Service Residents of Clarksville, MO, got a chance to see AmeriCorps in action last week following devastating tornados and flooding. AmeriCorps members set up base in the Clarksville City Hall and helped to sign up volunteers, field telephone calls and match aid to the needs of the community. The continued successes of teams like this one, support the need for expansion in national service. Read how the townspeople of Clarksville feel about AmeriCorps after seeing their efforts firsthand.

]]> 2008-06-27T15:10:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/americorps_in_the_news/ Virginia’s Seniors and Adults with Disabilities Have a New Resource http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/318957338/ Disability Inclusion, Emergency Preparedness/Homeland Security, Faith-based, Mentoring, Of Interest, Senior Corps, Training & Resources, Office on Volunteerism and Community Service, Volunteering & Service A new online tool connecting seniors and adults with disabilities with services throughout Virginia, is officially up and running. "Virginia Easy Access" is a public/private partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia, SeniorNavigator, and 2-1-1 VIRGINIA. There will an official launch later this summer, but seniors and Virginians with disabilities are invited to explore the site and utilize the tools at http://www.easyaccess.virginia.gov/.

]]> 2008-06-24T15:20:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/virginias_seniors_and_adults_with_disabilities_have_a_new_resource/ New Law Makes AmeriCorps More Accessible to Americans with Disabilities http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/316348207/ AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service, Disability Inclusion, Learn and Serve, Mentoring, Senior Corps, Volunteering & Service President Bush recently signed into law H.R. 6081, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 ("the HEART Act"), making AmeriCorps more accessible to people with disabilities. The HEART Act contains a provision that excludes AmeriCorps benefits from being counted as income for purposes of eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This extends the long-time AmeriCorps VISTA income disregard for SSI to all AmeriCorps positions. An SSI recipient who enrolls in AmeriCorps will no longer risk the loss of SSI benefits or eligibility as a result of participating in AmeriCorps. While the law does not extend to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), it removes a significant barrier to participation for SSI recipients. The Corporation for National and Community Service is working with the Social Security Administration on implementation of the new law and will post additional updates and resources on the Corporation's Web site.

]]> 2008-06-20T16:55:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/new_law_makes_americorps_more_accessible_to_americans_with_disabilities/ Newsletter for Foster Care Youth http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/313056674/ AmeriCorps, Of Interest, Training & Resources The Virginia Department of Social Services' (VDSS) Youth Advisory Council has just released the Spring 2008 issue of its E-newsletter for youth. This newsletter expresses the ideas and goals of foster care youth and provides them with information about the foster care system. This edition features articles on conflict resolution, Americorps, the Foster Care Alumni Association, the summer fashion forecast and more. The Youth Advisory Council Newsletter was originally created as a way for foster care youth to develop their creative writing skills while expressing their life experiences, concerns and goals. Now the newsletter is used by VDSS to inform foster care youth, foster parents, Independent Living Coordinators and local departments of social services and the public. Take a look.

]]> 2008-06-16T13:41:00-05:00 http://www.vaservice.org/go/news/newsletter_for_foster_care_youth_available/ Volunteerism Conference Survey Results http://feeds.vaservice.org/~r/service_news/~3/311276036/ AmeriCorps, Events & Conferences, Of Interest, Office on Volunteerism and Community Service More than 170 attendees of the 2008 Virginia Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service responded to a recent survey designed to facilitate planning for future conferences. The conference, which was held in Virginia Beach, May 23-25, hosted more than 500 participants from throughout the Commonwealth. Attendees represent nonprofit and faith-based organizations, public and private schools, colleges and universities, large and small businesses, and national service programs, including AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Learn and Serve America. Over half of this year's attendees felt the workshops and their speakers rated "very good" or "excellent." Read how Virginians felt about this year's conference.

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