Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism annual report 2014-2015

Table of Contents

Mission Letter from the GCSV Executive Director and the GCSV Board Chair Corporation for National and Community Service Visits Georgia AmeriCorps Portfolio of Programs Impact of AmeriCorps in Georgia Georgia Student Service Award Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council Mayors Day of Service and Recognition AmeriCorps 20th Opening Day GCSV Board, Staff, and Supporters

1 2 3 4-18 19-21 22 23 24 25 26

Youth Villages AmeriCorps Members along with CNCS CEO, GCSV Executive Director, Douglasville Mayor, CNCS State Director, GCSV Finance Officer, and Youth Villages Program Director poses as Rosie the Riveter in the "We Can Do It!" and "AmeriCorps Works" banners.

Mission
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism is a part of the Department of Community Affairs. Our mission is to promote service
and volunteerism in Georgia through AmeriCorps National Service grants, community volunteer recognition, and support of local volunteer organizations and efforts.
1

Letter from the GCSV Executive Director and GCSV Board Chair
Dear Friends,
Since 1994 the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (GCSV) has been instrumental in building a sense of community throughout the state of Georgia by promoting volunteerism and citizenship. The GCSV receives funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service located in Washington, DC. These funds are sub-granted to qualifying local organizations enabling the opportunity to implement AmeriCorps programs in their communities by recruiting AmeriCorps Members. These members serve by providing direct services; addressing the most pressing local civic needs in their communities and neighborhoods in areas of Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans and Military Families.
In 2014-2015, fifteen organizations provided services to Georgians in the aforementioned areas. The Commission oversees a diversified portfolio of programs and is proud to present this report to you, demonstrating their positive impact in our great state. As you review this report, you will note tremendous financial leverage and sustainability as a result of AmeriCorps in Georgia.
If you have questions or comments, please contact us at (404) 679-1584.
Sincerely,

Linda Thompson Director, Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism

Deborah Silcox
Board Chair, Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism

2

CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service Visits Georgia
The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (GCSV) was honored with a visit from the Corporation for National and Community Service's (CNCS) CEO Wendy Spencer on July 23, 2015. During her visit, she met with DCA's Commissioner Knowles and with the Governor's COO Travis Johnson. Commissioner Knowles is a strong advocate of AmeriCorps. CEO Spencer, Commissioner Knowles, COO Johnson, along with GCSV's Executive Director Linda Thompson and the State CNCS Director Amieko Watson shared in a dialogue on the impact of National Service in the State of Georgia.
Wendy also toured Youth Villages and the United Way of Metro Atlanta's Project Health Access' Good Samaritan Health Center, both AmeriCorps programs in GCSV's portfolio. Wendy met with AmeriCorps Members at Youth Villages and the United Way. Youth Villages AmeriCorps is partnered with Youth Villages-Inner Harbour campus, a not-for-profit residential treatment facility serving youth with emotional and behavioral challenges, children caught in the cycle of sexual, physical, substance or emotional abuse, and oftentimes serves as an alternative to Youth Detention Centers. Corps members are responsible for increasing academic performance and engagement, improving civic engagement, increasing acquisition of life skills in support of work and increasing school and life success to vulnerable populations of students with severe emotional and behavioral issues. The United Way of Metro Atlanta's Project Health Access AmeriCorps Members help build the capacity of community clinics to increase health outcomes of the uninsured and underinsured in the metro area and in targeted communities. They also help to ensure access to SSDI/Medicaid for disabled and homeless individuals.
Annual Report Overview
An overview of the focus and impact of GCSV's portfolio of programming is provided in the pages that follow. In 2014-2015, AmeriCorps Members served in areas of education, environmental stewardship, veterans and military families, and healthy futures. AmeriCorps Members participated in a number of service projects wherein they provided assistance to Georgia citizens to improve their neighborhoods and communities both esthetically and functionally. They helped to provide food and shelter for those in need. They tutored at-risk children and helped those who needed minimal assistance to be successful academically. They provided education on the environment to help preserve our planet. They cleaned up communities and neighborhoods and helped our veterans in a variety of ways. They helped those who had inadequate insurance or no insurance to receive health and dental care. They also assisted families and individuals who were refugees to resettle in America. To sustain these services, they recruited volunteers who served to increase the numbers served exponentially throughout our state. As you review the pages that follow, you will understand the vast impact of AmeriCorps in Georgia.
3

Clayton State University AmeriCorps Program

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Clayton

Clayton State University students served as AmeriCorps Members who provided mentoring and tutoring to local K-12 students in Clayton County. The AmeriCorps Members also conducted service projects to support the surrounding community.
In 2014-2015 Clayton State AmeriCorps Members tutored 540 students from four high schools. Of the 540 students tutored, 315 demonstrated increased attendance, participation, and interest in planning their futures.

Students Tutored, 540
600 500 400 300 200 100
0

Students showing improvement, 315

Pictures are from Clayton State's March All Corps Service Project. Clayton State AmeriCorps Members partnered with Trees Atlanta for a tree planting in the Chastain Park Area.
4

Communities in Schools of Georgia (CIS) AmeriCorps Reading Tutorial Program

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Fulton, Richmond, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Burke, Carroll, Dodge, Glascock, Washington

The CIS AmeriCorps reading tutorial program is designed to help students from kindergarten to 8th grade who are not reading at their appropriate grade level. Members served metro Atlanta and surrounding rural counties, providing small group and individualized tutoring on a daily basis.
During the 2014-2015 program year, AmeriCorps Members from the Communities in Schools Reading Tutorial Program tutored a total of 703 children in reading. Teacher evaluations of individual students revealed that 639 (91%) of the students demonstrated improvements in reading, 576 (82%) demonstrated increased confidence in their academic abilities, 569 (81%) increased in class participation, and 513 (73%) were more attentive and demonstrated improved attitudes toward learning. Overall, 667 (95.4%) of the children tutored were promoted to the next grade level or graduated.

Students demonstrating

Students tutored, 703

increased confidence, 576

800

Students demonstrating

improvement in reading,

Students increasing in class participation, 569

Students promoted to next grade, 667

700

639

Students improving

attitudes toward learning,

600

513

500

400

300

200

100

0

5

Covenant House Georgia AmeriCorps (CHGA)

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Fulton

AmeriCorps Members were charged with leveraging volunteers to serve homeless youth in a mentoring capacity in Atlanta at the Covenant House. AmeriCorps Members provided mentoring, assisting youth in moving toward their educational, vocational or employment goals.

In 2014-2015 Covenant House AmeriCorps Members served 710 youth and mentored 190. Of those mentored, 171 were able to build vocational skills and obtain at least part time employment.

Youth served, 710 800

700

600

500

400

Youth obtaining

Youth mentored, 190

employment, 171

300

200

100

0

6

Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. (TEEMS) Technology, Engineering, Environment, Math and Science

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Fulton

Georgia State University and the Alonzo A. Crim Center utilized AmeriCorps Members to provide mentoring and tutoring in areas of math and science to youth at-risk of academic failure.
For almost two decades, the Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence has served as an invaluable source of innovative and effective solutions for the challenges facing urban education today. Here are just some of the Center's most recent accomplishments:

23,125 Hours of STEM instruction to improve educational outcomes in math and science, conducted by TEEMS AmeriCorps members
1,300 Children provided with STEM instruction, facilitated by TEEMS AmeriCorps members in the Metro Atlanta area
24 College credits earned by the GSU early college high school students 21,000 children provided with early literacy support by GSU Jumpstart students 98% graduation rate for the college students participating in GSU Jumpstart programs 19 years of operation for the Crim Center (1996)

In 2012, Georgia's graduation rate was ranked 48 in the nation. Today in 2015, Atlanta's urban students still lag behind in terms of STEM performance. It is our mission at the Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence to optimize the life opportunities of children and families in urban communities by ensuring the availability of a prosperous and equitable school environment. We believe that through our work we can create a world where all children have equal access to educational opportunities that prepare them to be academically excellent, culturally competent, and critically conscious. The Alonzo Crim Center and AmeriCorps collaborated to develop comprehensive school day and after school programming for middle and high schools known as T.E.E.M.S. (Technology, Engineering, Environment, Math and Science). AmeriCorps members recruited for this program are mathematics and science majors/degrees and are trained in "Best Practices in Urban Education", which includes mentoring and tutoring.

This year, TEEMS AmeriCorps partnered with Jumpstart-a program housed in the Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence, focused on developing literacy, language, and social skills for children in the metro Atlanta area. TEEMS AmeriCorps and Jumpstart engaged in a Forest Cove Community clean-up effort. Formerly known as Thomasville Heights, Forest Cove was a 350-unit housing project built in 1967, demolished in 2010, and replaced with section-8 housing. Forest Cove Community is located directly across the Thomasville BGCMA, a TEEMS AmeriCorps service site and Thomasville Heights Elementary School.
7

Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Fulton, DeKalb

Georgia Tech AmeriCorps Members provided mentoring and tutoring in areas of math and science to at-risk youth. Members also served the community by engaging volunteers and students in community service projects.

During the 2014-2015 academic year, Georgia Tech AmeriCorps Members provided tutoring support to 285 students and engaged 884 students in hands-on STEM activities. The program provided college focused academic mentoring to 62 high school students and provided postsecondary information to 1,271 high school students. Data collected and analyzed by the program revealed that 68.42% of the students saw an increase in school belongingness and selfefficacy towards science, mathematics classes, and STEM careers.

During this timeframe, Georgia Tech AmeriCorps Members engaged 969 K-12 students in service projects, providing 1,877 hours of service to the Metro Atlanta community. In addition to students engaging in service, Members recruited 272 volunteers who provided 2,282 hours of service at six partner service sites.

In this photo, students are receiving tutoring in STEM.

AmeriCorps Member Markus Eaton participates in cleanup project.

1400 1200 1000
800 600 400 200
0

HS students receiving post-secondary information, 1271

Students involved in STEM, 884

Students involved in service projects, 969

Students tutored, 285

HS students receiving college mentoring, 62

8

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Regions, Inc. Financial Career and Training Services

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Columbus, Albany, Valdosta, Newnan

Goodwill Inc. utilized AmeriCorps Members to teach career search preparation and provided resource classes to economically disadvantage individuals including the military community. Outreach was provided at job and resource fairs and through one-on-one resume assistance.
Goodwill AmeriCorps Members provided instruction to 1,771 individuals, of which 159 were members of the military community. These clients participated in workshops relating to computer skills, resume writing, interviewing skills, and dressing for success. 1,254 clients demonstrated an increase in subject area knowledge.

Individuals receiving career and resume assistance, 1771
1800 1600 1400 1200 1000
800 600 400 200
0

Individuals demonstrating an
increase in knowledge, 1254
9

Hands on Atlanta, Inc.

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton

Hands On Atlanta's school based AmeriCorps Members served full-time to support students, teachers, administrators, parents and school communities in 35 partner schools in the Metro Atlanta area. AmeriCorps Members served as reading and math tutors and recruited volunteers.
During the 2014-2015 school year, Hands On Atlanta's 27 AmeriCorps Members served more than 2,000 students attending Title I schools in the Metro Atlanta area. Members provided academic tutoring in literacy and math, and after-school enrichment to elementary students. They also served as college readiness coaches to high school students. Members engaged community volunteers to provide group mentoring and enrichment. AmeriCorps Members' efforts, combined with the efforts of nearly 2,400 volunteers, resulted in more than 60% of the tutored and mentored students achieving significant gains in academic achievement and college readiness.

Students served, 2000
2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000
800 600 400 200
0

Students making gains in academics, 1200

10
Ready and Willing to GET THINGS DONE!

Jekyll Island State Park Authority Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Environmental Glynn

AmeriCorps Members served in every aspect of the Center's mission. Members were dedicated to educating the center's guests and school outreach program participants. They participated in sea turtle rehabilitation and diamondback terrapin monitoring. Members conducted night time sea turtle saturation tagging, nest management, and volunteer coordination. All members were trained and available to the Glynn County Emergency Management Agency for community disaster response.
In 2014-2015 the Georgia Sea Turtle Center AmeriCorps Members presented 1,550 educational presentations on environmental stewardship and the ecosystem to 69,067 guests including students. These presentations included 2,000 school children receiving standards based science education at no cost to the schools, which resulted in a statistically significant increase in conservation awareness and understanding. Citizen science efforts that occurred concurrently with educational efforts resulted in 123,000 pieces of debris removal from the environment and cataloged earning the GSTC the "top tracker" ranking from the marine debris tracker.

GSTC AmeriCorps Members provide science education to children.

140000 120000 100000
80000 60000 40000 20000
0

Pieces of debris removed, 123000
Individuals participating in environmental stewardship, 69067

Left: MLK Day clean-up project.

11

Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc.

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education DeKalb

Jumpstart Georgia Corps Members delivered an innovative early education program via yearlong individualized relationships. Jumpstart Georgia's AmeriCorps Members were paired with preschool children from low income backgrounds in the classroom setting and worked together on language, literacy, social, and initiative skills. Jumpstart inspires children to learn, adults to teach, families to get involved, and communities to progress together. Jumpstart is working towards the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.
Eighty-nine Jumpstart Corps Members provided preschool literacy intervention experiences in small group settings to approximately 364 children, with 176 children showing gains in knowledge.

Children receiving services, 364
400 350 300 250 200 150 100
50 0

Children showing gains in knowledge,
176

12

New American Pathways Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education, Human Needs DeKalb

Project RISE AmeriCorps Members served the needs of refugee children and youth from Sudan, Burma, Iraq, Burundi, Liberia, Afghanistan, and Somalia through five schools in Clarkston, Georgia. Members supported war-affected children and families, who relocated to Georgia, by providing comprehensive after school, summer and recreational programming for youth grades K-12.
Project RISE AmeriCorps Members provided 2,406 services to an amazing 821 adult clients this program year, which in turn helped lead refugee clients to self-sufficiency. Through educational services pertaining to transportation navigation, financial literacy, health care and other welfare programs, employment assistance and orientation to the American culture, 93% of our refugee clients were able to reach self-sufficiency within 180 days of arriving in the United States. This means that 93% of clients were able to sufficiently provide for themselves and their families without financial assistance.
At the end of the school year, members noted that their service in the afterschool program, along with constant engagement with the students, increased their level of success in academics, allowing those 99.5% of students to excel. More specifically, of the 364 students in our afterschool program, a total of 362 students showed improved academic engagement through constant ESL progress monitoring and attendance records.

Students served, 364
364
362

Students demonstrating improvement in
academic engagement, 362

360 Adult clients, 821
825
750

Clients reaching self-sufficiency,
764

675
13

Teach for America Metro Atlanta

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Fulton, Clayton, Henry, Fayette

Teach For America Metro Atlanta provides a critical source of well-trained teachers who are helping break the local cycle of education inequity. Leaders teach for two years, going above and beyond traditional expectations to help their students achieve at high levels. Armed with the experience, conviction, and insight that come from leading children to fulfill their potential, our alumni are working from all sectors to shape our schools, policies, and investments in low-income communities.
Teach for America commissioned an impact study by the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) at American Institutes of Research to analyze the effectiveness of corps members and alumni teachers across the region. Results demonstrated that high school students with TFA teachers learned more in the subjects of Math and Biology compared to students of non-TFA teachers in the same schools, and that elementary students with TFA teachers learned significantly more in general science compared to students of nonTFA teachers in the same schools. This particular study, combined with many others in recent years, illustrates that the thousands of Metro Atlanta corps members who have taught and continue to teach as alumni are moving the needle for students and contributing critical teacher talent to hard-to-staff schools and high-priority subject areas, which will ultimately lead to college and career success for students.
Studies also highlighted the ability of TFA alumni to develop leadership beyond the classroom, translating to increased opportunities for high-need youth. Nationally, the majority of TFA's 42,000 alumni go on to work outside the classroom in all manner of mission-aligned roles and increases the likelihood that corps members will pursue a career in the education sector after their teaching commitment (Dobbie & Fryer, 2015), and more founders and leaders of entrepreneurial education organizations started careers with TFA than from any other organization or company (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2011). In Metro Atlanta, TFA alumni have started student mentorship organizations, STEM curriculum programs, are leading nonprofits focused on increasing graduation rates, and much more.

Teach For America Corps Member and AmeriCorps Member Staci Arrington teaches at Brookview Elementary School, where he uses strong core values to get his students excited about early learning.

Nautrie Jones, Teach For America Metro Atlanta Director

of Teacher Leadership Development, engages with a

student at Brookview Elementary, where Teach For America

is an organizational partner, along with Fulton County

Schools and the Woodward Fund, to advance outcomes for

the Brookview Elementary School Literacy Initiative. The

initiative is a five-year partnership designed to achieve two

ambitious outcomes. First, the initiative will drive dramatic

literacy gains for Brookview students in Pre-K through third

grades. Second, the initiative creates a holistic model that

positively affects in- and out-of-school climate factors,

including high-quality teaching, student attendance and

family engagement, that research shows directly impact

school success.

14

The University of Georgia Georgia 4-H

Focus Area:

Education, Veterans and Military Families

Counties Served: Clarke, Appling, Banks, Barrow, Burke, Camden, Chatham, Chattooga, Cobb,

Coffee, Crisp, Decatur, Douglas, Fannin, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Haralson, Houston, Johnson, Laurens,

Lincoln, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Putnam, Rockdale, Spalding, Sumter, Tift, Turner,

Washington, Wilkes, Worth

Georgia 4-H AmeriCorps State Program engaged AmeriCorps Members in direct service and capacity-building to address critical community needs. AmeriCorps Members served to further the 4-H mission and build capacity in communities by addressing critical issues like (1) childhood obesity, (2) military family support, (3) youth development and (4) youth support in the endeavors to build confidence and develop public speaking skills.
AmeriCorps Members served youth in Georgia through 4-H programming. In-school educational Club meetings were provided by members in partnership with local school systems. Aligned with the Georgia Performance Standards, they served to enhance local education efforts through the delivery of research-based content. AmeriCorps Members served 10,267 students through educational club meetings. Eighty percent of the students surveyed demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter presented.
4-H Project Achievement, also assigned with the Georgia Performance Standards, helps youth become independent thinkers, obtain content knowledge, learn research skills, and build a portfolio of accomplishments and service similar to a resume. The process culminates in the student sharing a prepared demonstration with others. AmeriCorps Members served 9,571 students in the Project Achievement Process. Ninety-five percent of the participating students surveyed demonstrated knowledge or showed an increase in knowledge of best practices in public speaking and/or showed an increase in confidence in public speaking.
In addition, AmeriCorps Members served 1,452 military youth through 4-H programming and recruited 238 new volunteers that ultimately contributed 2,238 volunteer hours.

In the above photo, Georgia 4-H AmeriCorps Member Chantal Senra is a leader in her community, guiding youth through Project Achievement
and teaching science lessons in elementary schools throughout
Paulding County. She leads 4-H'ers in community service projects such as the "Need a
Computer Program" which refurbishes computers and provides them to youth in need.

Served in 4-H, 10267 12000 10000
8000 6000 4000 2000

0

Demonstrated knowledge in subject
matter, 8214

Served in Project Achievement, 9571

Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in public
speaking, 9092

15

United Way of Metro Atlanta Project Health Access

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Healthy Futures Fulton, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette

AmeriCorps Members served to help build the capacity of community clinics and increased the health outcomes of the uninsured and underinsured in the metro area and in targeted communities. They also provided access to SSDI and Medicaid for disabled and homeless individuals.
United Way Project Health Access Members provided care coordination services to 1,872 clients. Of the 1,872 clients referred, 833 kept their follow-up medical appointments. Members provided 2,106 individuals with health education classes. 1,287 of those individuals demonstrated improvement in health education. AmeriCorps Members screened 662 clients for SSDI and Medicaid. Eighty-one of those clients were approved for services.
Project Health Access members from across the region spent the day serving at the Good Samaritan Health Center's Urban Farm. Good Sam is a current AmeriCorps Project Health Access site that provides low cost health care and access to healthy foods for uninsured Georgians.

2500 2000 1500 1000
500 0

Clients, 1872

Participated in health education classes, 2106
Demonstrated improvements in health
education, 1287

Kept appointments, 833

Clients screened for SSDI and Medicaid, 662

Clients approved for SSDI and/or Medicaid, 81

Clients

Kept appointments

Participated in health education
classes

Demonstrated improvements in health education

Clients screened for SSDI and Medicaid

Clients approved for SSDI and/or
Medicaid

16

WINGS for Kids AmeriCorps Georgia

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education Fulton

WINGS for kids AmeriCorps is an education program that teaches kids how to behave well, make good decisions and build healthy relationships. They do this by weaving a comprehensive social and emotional learning curriculum into a fresh and fun after school program. Kids get the life lessons they need to succeed and be happy, and they get a safe place to call home after school. Service sites are located in the College Park area in Fulton County.
WINGS AmeriCorps Members served 363 students over a period of six months. Of the 363 students, 353 attended at least 80% of the time. These students showed an increase of five or more points on the skills assessed.

Students served, 363
364 362 360 358 356 354 352 350 348
Students served

Students with 80% attendance, 353
Students with 80% attendance

It is COLD, but we're having an awesome #dayofservice
17

Youth Villages Inner Harbour Campus Youth Villages AmeriCorps

Focus Area: Counties Served:

Education, Homelessness, Healthy Futures Douglas

Inner Harbour AmeriCorps partnered with Inner Harbour Hospital, a not-for-profit residential facility serving youth with emotional and behavioral challenges, children caught in the cycle of sexual, physical, substance or emotional abuse, and youth attending Inner Harbour as an alternative to Youth Detention Centers. Corps Members engaged in literacy tutoring, GED coaching, experiential learning activities, and assisted with expression classes, low and high ropes courses, and animal-assisted therapy.
Youth Villages AmeriCorps Members provided 1,465.75 hours of Life Skills tutoring to 102 students. Forty-six out of 50 students (92%) achieved improved life skills in at least one deficit area, per Ansell-Casey pre- and post-assessments. Of these, nearly 90% of students improved in more than one deficit area, specifically in the areas of permanency, daily living, self-care, relationships and communication, housing and money management, work and study life, career and education planning, and looking forward. Additionally, 41 out of 50 students (82%) increased in academic performance by half a grade level as measured by student surveys, standardized test results, and transcripts/school records. Forty-five out of 50 (90%) of students reported increases in civic engagement and making a difference in the community, and 46 out of 50 (92%) stated that they will continue to volunteer following discharge from residential care as measured by pre- and post-civic engagement surveys.

Wendy Spencer, CNCS CEO, visited Youth Villages in 2015. Mrs. Spencer was impressed with the impact Youth Villages is making in the community.

# Receiving life skills, 50 50 40 30 20 10 0

Improved life skills, 46

# Tutored, 50

# Participating in civic

Increased academic

engagement, 50

performance, 41

Will continue to volunteer, 46
18

Impact of AmeriCorps in the State of Georgia
In 2014-2015, 627 part-time and full-time AmeriCorps Members recruited 9,943 volunteers.
Volunteer Recruitment
Volunteers, 9,943.00

10,000.00 9,000.00 8,000.00 7,000.00 6,000.00 5,000.00 4,000.00 3,000.00 2,000.00 1,000.00 -

AmeriCorps Members, 627.00
AmeriCorps Members

Volunteers

The following facts were extracted from a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, "Volunteering and Civic Engagement in Georgia". The full report can be found at: https://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/GA
An Overview of Georgia in 2014-2015:
23.3% of residents volunteer, ranking Georgia 41st among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
1.65 million volunteers 27.0 volunteer hours per capita 206.3 million hours of service $4.8 billion of service contributed 47.5% of residents donate $25 or more to charity

19

The Power of Volunteers

9,943 volunteers, recruited by AmeriCorps Members, served a total of 53,563 hours in areas of education, community cleanup, environmental stewardship, veterans and military families, refugee services, nutrition and healthy futures, and in a variety of services providing other human needs.

Volunteer Hours
Number of Volunteer Hours, 53,563.00

60,000.00 50,000.00 40,000.00 30,000.00 20,000.00 10,000.00
-

Number of Volunteers, 9,943.00

Number of Volunteers

Number of Volunteer Hours

Based on the "Value of Volunteer Time" by the "Independent Sector" (http://independentsector.org/volunteer_time) the value of volunteer hours in the State of Georgia for 2014 was $23.26 per hour. In 2014-2015, AmeriCorps Members recruited 9,943 volunteers who volunteered a total of 53,563 hours. This equates to $1,245,875.38.

Dollar Value of Volunteer Time

Dollar Value, $1,245,875.38

1,400,000.00

1,200,000.00

1,000,000.00

800,000.00

600,000.00 400,000.00

Volunteer Hours, 53,563.00

200,000.00

Volunteer Hours

Dollar Value

20

Leverage

In 2014-2015, the Corporation for National and Community Service invested $3,437,917 in the State of Georgia. These dollars were sub-granted to qualifying agencies by the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism, located within the Department of Community Affairs. As a result of this federal investment, those organizations leveraged an additional $1,698,095.34.
Leverage
CNCS Investment, $3,437,917.00

$3,500,000.00 $3,000,000.00 $2,500,000.00 $2,000,000.00 $1,500,000.00 $1,000,000.00
$500,000.00 $-

CNCS Investment

Leverage, $1,698,095.34 Leverage

Combined, the value of volunteer time plus in-kind and cash leverage totaled $2,943,970.72. This means that for every $1.16 invested by the Corporation, the state of Georgia matched it with $1.00. This was almost dollar-for-dollar leverage due to the federal investment in Georgia.

$4,000,000.00

$3,000,000.00

$2,000,000.00

Total Leverage

CNCS Investment

21

Georgia Student Service Award
In an effort to engage high school youth in service and high-quality service-learning, the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (GCSV) instituted the Georgia Student Service Award during the 2011-2012 school year as a pilot project to recognize teenagers who make significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service. The GCSV continues to promote this program to recognize students engaged in volunteerism.
The Georgia Commission awards certificates and service honor cords at graduation ceremonies to Georgia students who meet a predetermined threshold of service hours in their communities. To qualify for the Georgia Student Service Award, an average of 75 service hours per year or 300 hours by graduation is required. Graduating seniors who reach the milestone will receive a certificate and a red, white and blue service cord to be worn at graduation ceremonies.
A member of the school staff must act as sponsor/administrator and register their school by going to https://www.dca.ga.gov/ServiceAwards/About.aspx . The sponsor/administrator must certify and submit student information and service hours. This record of service may only include direct contact hours (hours on task).
Service can be performed through school sponsored activities and/or through outside organizations such as churches and other clubs. Both public and private schools are eligible to participate in the Georgia Student Service Award program. Home schooled students may also participate if hours can be certified by an adult.
GCSV is located within the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) whose mission is the promotion and support of service and volunteerism by Georgians in communities across the state.

In 2014-2015, the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism awarded more than 350

certificates and service honor cords to graduating high school seniors. These high school graduates served a total of 61,150 hours.

22

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Dr. King believed that people have the power and responsibility to change their community for the better. "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve," Dr. King once wrote. The truth in these words has never faded. The legacy of his life and teachings live on not only through physical memorials and the echoes of his words, but also through the acts of dedicated men and women across the world. On May 9th, 2011, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed the bill to create the Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council, which consists of nine Georgians serving four-year terms. "It will be the duty of this council to promote the principles of nonviolence, peace, social justice and the awareness and appreciation of the civil rights movement and the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.," Governor Deal said during the signing of the bill. Supported by the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council will promote and plan statewide activities advocating Dr. King's principles and teachings on MLK Day and beyond.
Photo credit: Cara Pastore F22 Studio
23

Mayors and Counties Day Service and Recognition
The nation's mayors and county executives are increasingly turning to National Service as a cost-effective strategy to address local challenges. By unleashing the power of citizens, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs have a positive and lasting impact making our cities and counties better places to live. The Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is a nationwide bipartisan effort to recognize the positive impact of national service in cities, to thank those who serve, and to encourage citizens to give back to their communities. The Day is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the National League of Cities, and Cities of Service. Over 60 Georgia mayors and counties signed onto participate in the 2015 Mayors and Counties Day of Recognition for National Service.
Mayors Day of Recognition Service project at the East Atlanta Kids Club
24

AmeriCorps Opening Day 2015
Georgia Welcomes New Class of AmeriCorps Members as Part of Nationwide AmeriCorps Opening Day
In 2015, more than 500 AmeriCorps members began year of service pledging to "Get Things Done" in local communities
On Friday, October 16, The Georgia Commission on Service and Volunteerism, the Governor-appointed State Service Commission, in partnership with the Corporation for
National and Community Service (CNCS), Georgia Institute of Technology, and local AmeriCorps programs, welcomed a new class of AmeriCorps members pledging to "Get Things Done" in their local communities as part of a nationwide Opening Day ceremony. AmeriCorps members provided organizations support to strengthen education, foster economic opportunity, assist veterans and military families, restore parks, provide disaster services, and expand health services. During their service, AmeriCorps members expanded opportunity for themselves, gained skills and experience to jump start their careers, and earned education awards for their service. "I am proud to welcome these new AmeriCorps members into the national service family today they are the heart of everything we do," said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. "National service is an indispensable resource for nonprofits, communities, and the individuals they serve, uniting Americans of all backgrounds with a shared goal: to make a lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our nation. I salute all the AmeriCorps members for their dedication, and thank our outstanding partners who make their service possible."
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Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism Board of Directors and Staff

60 Executive Park South, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231 404-679-1584 Fax 404-327-6848 AmericorpsGA@dca.ga.gov www.servega.org
Members of the Georgia Commission for Service and
Volunteerism Staff
Linda Thompson, Director Kimberly Dupree, Fiscal
Program Officer Zaneta Ivery, Program Officer Michael Thomas, Program
Officer

Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism
Board of Directors
Mrs. Deborah Silcox, Chair Mr. Earl Cooper Dr. Myra Tolbert Dr. Cayanna Good Ms. Hannah Grady Ms. Semba Brittian Mrs. Claire Bartlett Ms. Laurie Chandler Mr. D. Glen Wilkins Ms. Elaine Pritchard Mr. William McCalley Mr. Stuart Wilkinson Mr. Richard McIntyre Ms. Kathy Colbenson Mayor Harvey Persons, III Ms. Sarah "Christie" Haynes Ms. Amieko Watson, Ex-Officio

The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism is supported by:

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60 Executive Park South, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231
www.dca.ga.gov