| AmeriCorps expansion means opportunities for unemployed, nonprofit says |
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By: TMP Reports
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Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 3:12 pm
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President Barack Obama’s recent signing into law a measure to strengthen community service means new opportunities for local Murfreesboro unemployed and nonprofits.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will expand the AmeriCorps VISTA programs by tripling the number of service members annually for the next eight years.
“There are people out there who have long harbored in their heart a desire to become a part of something that benefits people and enriches our community who now find themselves unemployed,” said Ronni Shaw, executive director of Read To Succeed, the literacy initiative serving Rutherford County. “By becoming a VISTA volunteer through AmeriCorp, they can fulfill their need for employment while doing something meaningful for a local nonprofit agency.”
Shaw and Read To Succeed are currently interviewing the local pool of VISTA volunteers to find someone to work with the literacy organization.
Read To Succeed is looking for a mature person to help with its adult literacy program, grant writing and growing its volunteer program.
Because of local layoffs, the organization is experiencing twice the volume of calls from potential learners inquiring about tutoring, Shaw said.
The increase in VISTA funding by the federal government will now make more positions possible for local nonprofit organizations.
In addition to Read To Succeed, there are a number of local charities and nonprofits that use VISTA volunteers, such as the Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Murfreesboro Housing Authority.
“I think there’s a perception that if you join VISTA, you’ll be whisked off to some other part of the country or state,” Shaw said. “There’s a need for you right in your own backyard. For those locally who find themselves out of work, here’s the perfect opportunity to work locally doing something you may have always wanted to do.
“Difficult times can be a time of new beginnings and new possibilities. And for a lot of people, thanks to passage of this measure, new possibilities await,” she added.
To find out more about joining VISTA visit www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp
Read To Succeed, the community literacy collaborative in Rutherford County, will promote reading, with an emphasis on family literacy. This nonprofit initiative supports literacy programs and fosters awareness of the importance of reading. For more information, visit www.readtosucceed.org. |
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