2011-2012 Weekly Updates
October 2011
September 2011
September 26 - 30, 2011
We are past halfway with our New Jersey enrollments!
A Note From Laine: I have taken a Grants Assistant position at Selfhelp Community Services, a non-profit organization whose offices are located in Manhattan. Selfhelp cares for senior citizens and other vulnerable populations through a variety of programs and initiatives. I am quite excited to work within a Development Department, but I am also saddened to leave The Bonner Foundation and the New Jersey Bonner AmeriCorps Program. My last day will be September 30th. Thank you all for making this such a great experience!
In this update:
1. September Hour Logs - Due October 15, 2011
2. Community Service Fair in Edison - October 4, 2011
3. Middlesex’s Poverty Forum - October 19, 2011
4. LIFT: Philadelphia Fall Workshop Series - October & November 2011
5. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help - Sept. & Beyond
6. Grant Opportunity
____________________________________________________________
1. September Hour Logs - Due October 15, 2011
September 2011 hour logs will be due October 15. There are no exceptions for lateness, and members may be suspended for non-compliance.
Campus programs hint: Have your members turn in their hour logs closer to the beginning of the month, so that you have time to resolve any issues and can turn them into the Bonner Foundation on time.
2. Community Service Fair in Edison - October 4, 2011
Please join us! On Tuesday, October 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Middlesex County College will host a Community Service Fair in the College Center Cafeteria C.
The first Community Service Fair will be an opportunity for committed, hard-working students to meet nonprofit agencies looking for volunteers. Students can meet with representatives of local nonprofits, learn what they are doing, and volunteer to help make their community better.
Nonprofits can promote awareness of their agency and solicit volunteers. They may be interested in a long-term volunteer commitment or, perhaps, a one-time service opportunity. Campus clubs will often volunteer as a group, so this is a good forum for recruitment. If interested in recruiting students and reserving a table at the fair, please call 732.548.6000 (ext. 3262) or email DemocracyHouse@middlesexcc.edu as soon as possible.
3. Middlesex’s Poverty Forum: October 19, 2011Issues of Poverty Are Not Just For The Poor!
Join Middlesex County College for an interactive evening of presentations and break-out discussions that will highlight the pervasive and escalating grip of poverty in Middlesex County and New Jersey. This promises to be a thought-provoking evening and a kick-off for the development of a heightened awareness and renewed advocacy by the citizenry.
This event will be held at MCC’s Crabbier Hall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19. Call Middlesex County Office of Human Services at 732-745-4186 for additional details.
4. LIFT-Philadelphia Fall Workshop Series - October & November 2011
LIFT-Philadelphia, a local community resource center, is excited to be piloting a series of workshops and information sessions this fall. There will be workshops on Food and Nutrition, Resume Writing, Dental Health, Interviewing, Financial Recovery, and Computer Skills. Click here for more detailed information.
All workshops will take place at LIFT-Philadelphia’s West office at 5548 Chestnut Street, 1st Floor (entrance on 56th Street). Please RSVP by calling 215-474-1807 or by emailing jwhetstone@liftcommunities.org. Space is limited so RSVP Today!
5. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help: Sept. & Beyond
Click here for information on assistance from Free Eye Screenings, Improved Finances, Utility Expenses Relief, and Mortgage Assistance, to Art Exhibits, Free Tax Preparation, and more.
6. Grant Opportunity
The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative that awards grants to help youth, ages 5-25, create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. The grants encourage semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 16, 2012) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012). Schools, service-learning coordinators, non-profits, and students in the health professions located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for the $500 - $1,000 grants. Applications must be submitted online before midnight October 17, 2011.
To obtain an application, visit http://www.YSA.org/HEROES. For more about YSA grants and awards, visit http://www.YSA.org/grants.
September 19 - 23, 2011
Many Members have exited with Educational Awards and many more are being enrolled. September is always a busy time of year, for every person involved in the Bonner AmeriCorps Program, so we thank you for all that you do!
A Note From Laine: I have recently taken a position as a Grants Assistant at Selfhelp Community Services, a non-profit based in New York City that cares for senior citizens and other vulnerable populations through a variety of programs and independent living resources. I am quite excited to work within Selfhelp’s Development Department, but I am also saddened to leave The Bonner Foundation and the New Jersey Bonner AmeriCorps Program. My last day will be September 30th. Rest assured, a fantastic replacement is on the way!
In this update:
1. Can’t Say It Enough: Check Out Our Wiki Website
2. August Hour Logs - Past Due
3. A Highlight: Montclair State’s National Day of Service
4. Resources for Neighborhood Revitalization - September 21, 2011
5. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help - Sept. & Beyond
6. Save the Date for Middlesex’s Poverty Forum - October 19, 2011
7. Grant Opportunity
____________________________________________________________
1. Can’t Say It Enough: Check Out Our Wiki Website
Confused and overwhelmed at the prospect of navigating the Bonner Wiki? Well, we’ve revamped our NJ portion, with clearer logos, posted forms, and a format that is a bit more user-friendly. Check it out. You’ll find all the forms, dates, and directions needed!
Why the change now? Well, we do hope to start each year with improvements, but our NJ Bonner staff cannot lie; we were inspired by those across the hall and down below, who have worked so hard to make the National Bonner Wiki a place of helpfulness.
2. August Hour Logs - Past Due
August 2011 hour logs were due September 15. There are no exceptions for lateness, and members may be suspended for non-compliance.
Campus programs hint: Have your members turn in their hour logs closer to the beginning of the month, so that you have time to resolve any issues and can turn them into the Bonner Foundation on time.
3. A Highlight: Montclair State’s National Day of Service
Congratulations Montclair Bonners and students for all of your service! (Click here for the news article.)
For the third consecutive year, the Montclair State University community joined together to serve those in need by participating in the annual National Day of Service. More than 250 students, faculty, staff, and alumni spent Saturday, September 10, helping local community organizations, cleaning up neighboring community areas, and participating in local food drives.
The Montclair State volunteers served in 18 different community service projects that were located in the towns of Montclair, Clifton, Little Falls, Bloomfield, Hillside, Newark, and Jersey City.
4. Resources for Neighborhood Revitalization
As Philadelphians clamor for fresh food in their communities, neighborhood organizations work to provide it. Join colleagues in this two-part workshop (“Growing and Greening: Urban Agriculture and Food Access Resources for Neighborhood Revitalization”) to interact with cutting-edge thought leaders and gain practical advice you can use in your community.
Part I: National/local best practice models for neighborhood food access; How local groups are changing the system to address food insecurity.
Part II: Participants will select one break-out session:
A. Getting Started: A primer on starting community gardening, including resources to reach your goals.
B. Been there, done that. Now what?
Wednesday, September 21, 12:30 to 3 p.m.
The Enterprise Center, 4548 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19139.
PACDC Member Cost: $25, includes lunch and resource materials
Non-Member Cost: $35, includes lunch and resource materials
5. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help: Sept. & Beyond
Click here for information on assistance from Free Eye Screenings, Improved Finances, Utility Expenses Relief, and Mortgage Assistance, to Art Exhibits, Free Tax Preparation, and more.
6. Save the Date for Middlesex’s Poverty Forum: October 19, 2011Issues of Poverty Are Not Just For The Poor!
Join Middlesex County College for an interactive evening of presentations and break-out discussions that will highlight the pervasive and escalating grip of poverty in Middlesex County and New Jersey. This promises to be a thought-provoking evening and a kick-off for the development of a heightened awareness and renewed advocacy by the citizenry.
This event will be held at MCC’s Crabbier Hall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19. Call Middlesex County Office of Human Services at 732-745-4186 for additional details.
7. Grant Opportunity
The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative that awards grants to help youth, ages 5-25, create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. The grants encourage semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 16, 2012) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012). Schools, service-learning coordinators, non-profits, and students in the health professions located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for the $500 - $1,000 grants. Applications must be submitted online before midnight October 17, 2011.
To obtain an application, visit http://www.YSA.org/HEROES. For more about YSA grants and awards, visit http://www.YSA.org/grants.
September 6 - 9, 2011
This year’s program is already off to a great start. With multiple orientations completed and enrollment under way, the 2011-2012 New Jersey AmeriCorps Bonner Leader Program year has officially begun. Again, welcome all...the Bonner Foundation staff sends our “Bonner Love” to each and every one of you!
In this update:
1. Seriously, Check Out Our Wiki Website
2. August Hour Logs - Due September 15, 2011
3. Central NJ Regional Kids Count Forum - September 12, 2011
4. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help: Sept. & Beyond
5. Save the Date for Middlesex’s Poverty Forum: October 19, 2011
6. Job Opportunity
7. Grant Opportunity
____________________________________________________________
1. Seriously, Check Out Our Wiki Website
Confused and overwhelmed at the prospect of navigating the Bonner Wiki? Well, we’ve revamped our NJ portion, with clearer logos, posted forms, and a format that is a bit more user-friendly. Check it out.
Why the change now? Well, we do hope to start each year with improvements, but our NJ Bonner staff cannot lie; we were inspired by those across the hall and down below, who have worked so hard to make the National Bonner Wiki a place of helpfulness.
2. August Hour Logs - Due September 15, 2011
August 2011 hour logs will be due September 15. There are no exceptions for lateness, and members may be suspended for non-compliance.
Campus programs hint: Have your members turn in their hour logs closer to the beginning of the month, so that you have time to resolve any issues and can turn them into the Bonner Foundation on time.
3. Central NJ Regional Kids Count Forum - September 12, 2011
On Monday, September 12, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Advocates for Children of New Jersey will hold the first Central NJ Regional Kids Count Forum. This event will be held at the Middlesex County Fire Academy, located at 1001 Fire Academy Road in Sayreville, NJ. Learn how to use Kids Count to help children in your county.
This Forum is aimed at helping county leaders and service providers use the Kids Count data to improve their response to emerging child-related issues in specific counties. This free event will focus on Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. At the forum, participants will learn more about current trends of child well-being in their county and those in neighboring counties, discover how to use data to identify and address problems facing children and families in their county, and hear from and share with other counties on ways of responding to families’ needs.
Space for each county is limited. Please register online today or email toni@acnj.org, providing full contact information in the e-mail.
4. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help: Sept. & Beyond
Click here for information on assistance from Free Eye Screenings, Improved Finances, Utility Expenses Relief, and Mortgage Assistance, to Art Exhibits, Free Tax Preparation, and more.
5. Save the Date for Middlesex’s Poverty Forum: October 19, 2011Issues of Poverty Are Not Just For The Poor!
Join Middlesex County College for an interactive evening of presentations and break-out discussions that will highlight the pervasive and escalating grip of poverty in Middlesex County and New Jersey. This promises to be a thought-provoking evening and a kick-off for the development of a heightened awareness and renewed advocacy by the citizenry.
This event will be held at MCC’s Crabbier Hall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19. Call Middlesex County Office of Human Services at 732-745-4186 for additional details.
6. Job Opportunity
There is an opening for the Executive Director of New Jersey Campus Compact. New Jersey Campus Compact (NJCC), a consortium of college and university presidents and chancellors who share a commitment to the civic mission of higher education, has announced a national search for its first Executive Director. New Jersey Campus Compact’s mission is to increase the resources, knowledge, and infrastructure of its member institutions to educate effective, socially responsible citizens for a just and sustainable democracy. Member institutions include public, private, 2-year, and 4-year colleges and universities throughout New Jersey.
The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer for the Compact, reporting directly to the Chair of the Executive Board. S/he promotes the mission and strategic objectives of New Jersey Campus Compact; provides leadership in the areas of service-learning, community-based research, and civic engagement; collaborates and builds community and campus partnerships; secures funding; and is the primary administrator for New Jersey Campus Compact. New Jersey Campus Compact is being formed as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization located at and hosted by Raritan Valley Community College.
The Executive Director will:
• Articulate, uphold, and model the vision and mission of the public purposes of education and mobilize New Jersey’s educational community to use its resources to act on the challenges facing our state and local communities;
• Provide resources and assistance to member institutions in their development as engaged campuses and with documenting and assessing their civic engagement activities;
• Facilitate networking among member campuses;
• Convene meetings of the Executive Board, Advisory Committee, and other campus-community constituencies;
• Develop and secure funding from public/private sources to support the advancement of campus-community engagement;
• Manage grants, including developing guidelines and disseminating procedures for Requests for Proposals (RFPs), write reports, collect data, and disseminate outcomes regionally and nationally;
• Promote the organization through news media, newsletters, reports, member campus publications, and electronic listservs;
• Foster growth of the organization through increased membership and connection to other state, regional and national organizations;
• Maintain all aspects of membership services, including recruitment materials, website, listserv, newsletter and a membership directory;
• Manage organization and budget, collect fees and dues, provide the Board with annual or appropriate reports, and provide leadership to staff. Hire, supervise, and lead staff in on-going reflection and evaluation; and
• Liaise between national Campus Compact and New Jersey Campus Compact member institutions and with other state and national organizations as needed.
The Executive Director will have:
• At least 5 years experience in service-learning, civic engagement, higher education, and/or campus-community collaboration;
• Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability to build coalitions and effective collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies;
• Demonstrated financial management experience, including budget development and grant administration;
• Experience in program planning, project management, goal development, agenda setting, meeting facilitation, and training ;
• Significant experience with community-based non-profit leadership and working knowledge of community issues;
• Proven fundraising and grant writing ability;
• Strong organizational and office management skills;
• Experience in program assessment and evaluation;
• Technological capability;
• Masters degree; and
• Flexibility to travel.
It is desired that the Executive Director will have:
• Familiarity with and enthusiasm for the great state of New Jersey;
• A PhD or other advanced degree;
• Evidence of contributions to the field; and
• Demonstrated success in starting or significantly building a new and developing organization.
To apply, please provide in electronic format:
• Letter of interest, addressing the description and qualifications for the position stated above;
• Current resume or curriculum vitae;
• A list of three references (including name, title, address, telephone number and e-mail) - references will not be contacted without permission; and
• A written statement of three to five double-spaced pages that addresses your experience in and passion for civic engagement personally and/or professionally and suggests your vision for leading New Jersey Campus Compact.
Please send these materials (via e-mail attachment) to:
President Casey Crabill
Raritan Valley Community College
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applications received on or before September 23, 2011 will receive full consideration. An appointment is anticipated to be made in November 2011.
7. Grant Opportunity
The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative that awards grants to help youth, ages 5-25, create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. The grants encourage semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 16, 2012) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012). Schools, service-learning coordinators, non-profits, and students in the health professions located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for the $500 - $1,000 grants. Applications must be submitted online before midnight October 17, 2011.
To obtain an application, visit http://www.YSA.org/HEROES. For more about YSA grants and awards, visit http://www.YSA.org/grants.
August 2011
August 29 - September 2, 2011
We want to thank those who served as and with Bonner AmeriCorps Members this past year: THANK YOU! We also welcome our new recruits this year: WELCOME! The Bonner Foundation staff sends our “Bonner Love” to each and every one of you.
In this update:
1. Check Out Our Revamped Website
2. August Hour Logs - Due September 15, 2011
3. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help: Sept. & Beyond
4. Save the Date for Middlesex’s Poverty Forum: October 19, 2011!!
5. Job Opportunity
6. Grant Opportunity
______________________________________________________________________
1. Check Out Our Revamped Website
Confused and overwhelmed at the prospect of navigating the Bonner Wiki? Well, we’ve revamped our NJ portion, with clearer logos, posted forms, and a format that is a bit more user-friendly. Check it out.
Why the change now? Well, we do hope to start each year with improvements, but our NJ Bonner staff cannot lie; we were inspired by those across the hall and down below, who have worked so hard to make the National Bonner Wiki a place of helpfulness.
2. August Hour Logs - Due September 15, 2011
August 2011 hour logs will be due September 15. There are no exceptions for lateness, and members may be suspended for non-compliance.
3. Mercer Alliance’s Programs and Services to Help: Sept. & Beyond
Click here for information on assistance from Free Eye Screenings, Improved Finances, Utility Expenses Relief, and Mortgage Assistance, to Art Exhibits, Free Tax Preparation, and more.
4. Save the Date for Middlesex’s Poverty Forum: October 19, 2011!!Issues of Poverty Are Not Just For The Poor!
Join Middlesex County College for an interactive evening of presentations and break-out discussions that will highlight the pervasive and escalating grip of poverty in Middlesex County and New Jersey. This promises to be a thought-provoking evening and a kick-off for the development of a heightened awareness and renewed advocacy by the citizenry.
This event will be held at MCC’s Crabbier Hall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19. Call Middlesex County Office of Human Services at 732-745-4186 for additional details.
5. Job Opportunity
There is an opening for the Executive Director of New Jersey Campus Compact. New Jersey Campus Compact (NJCC), a consortium of college and university presidents and chancellors who share a commitment to the civic mission of higher education, has announced a national search for its first Executive Director. New Jersey Campus Compact’s mission is to increase the resources, knowledge, and infrastructure of its member institutions to educate effective, socially responsible citizens for a just and sustainable democracy. Member institutions include public, private, 2-year, and 4-year colleges and universities throughout New Jersey.
The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer for the Compact, reporting directly to the Chair of the Executive Board. S/he promotes the mission and strategic objectives of New Jersey Campus Compact; provides leadership in the areas of service-learning, community-based research, and civic engagement; collaborates and builds community and campus partnerships; secures funding; and is the primary administrator for New Jersey Campus Compact. New Jersey Campus Compact is being formed as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization located at and hosted by Raritan Valley Community College.
The Executive Director will:
• Articulate, uphold, and model the vision and mission of the public purposes of education and mobilize New Jersey’s educational community to use its resources to act on the challenges facing our state and local communities;
• Provide resources and assistance to member institutions in their development as engaged campuses and with documenting and assessing their civic engagement activities;
• Facilitate networking among member campuses;
• Convene meetings of the Executive Board, Advisory Committee, and other campus-community constituencies;
• Develop and secure funding from public/private sources to support the advancement of campus-community engagement;
• Manage grants, including developing guidelines and disseminating procedures for Requests for Proposals (RFPs), write reports, collect data, and disseminate outcomes regionally and nationally;
• Promote the organization through news media, newsletters, reports, member campus publications, and electronic listservs;
• Foster growth of the organization through increased membership and connection to other state, regional and national organizations;
• Maintain all aspects of membership services, including recruitment materials, website, listserv, newsletter and a membership directory;
• Manage organization and budget, collect fees and dues, provide the Board with annual or appropriate reports, and provide leadership to staff. Hire, supervise, and lead staff in on-going reflection and evaluation; and
• Liaise between national Campus Compact and New Jersey Campus Compact member institutions and with other state and national organizations as needed.
The Executive Director will have:
• At least 5 years experience in service-learning, civic engagement, higher education, and/or campus-community collaboration;
• Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability to build coalitions and effective collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies;
• Demonstrated financial management experience, including budget development and grant administration;
• Experience in program planning, project management, goal development, agenda setting, meeting facilitation, and training ;
• Significant experience with community-based non-profit leadership and working knowledge of community issues;
• Proven fundraising and grant writing ability;
• Strong organizational and office management skills;
• Experience in program assessment and evaluation;
• Technological capability;
• Masters degree; and
• Flexibility to travel.
It is desired that the Executive Director will have:
• Familiarity with and enthusiasm for the great state of New Jersey;
• A PhD or other advanced degree;
• Evidence of contributions to the field; and
• Demonstrated success in starting or significantly building a new and developing organization.
To apply, please provide in electronic format:
• Letter of interest, addressing the description and qualifications for the position stated above;
• Current resume or curriculum vitae;
• A list of three references (including name, title, address, telephone number and e-mail) - references will not be contacted without permission; and
• A written statement of three to five double-spaced pages that addresses your experience in and passion for civic engagement personally and/or professionally and suggests your vision for leading New Jersey Campus Compact.
Please send these materials (via e-mail attachment) to:
President Casey Crabill
Raritan Valley Community College
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applications received on or before September 23, 2011 will receive full consideration. An appointment is anticipated to be made in November 2011.
6. Grant Opportunity
The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative that awards grants to help youth, ages 5-25, create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. The grants encourage semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 16, 2012) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012). Schools, service-learning coordinators, non-profits, and students in the health professions located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for the $500 - $1,000 grants. Applications must be submitted online before midnight October 17, 2011.
To obtain an application, visit http://www.YSA.org/HEROES. For more about YSA grants and awards, visit http://www.YSA.org/grants.
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