Supporting Genesee County’s Children

Event: OMIA Golf for Education E-mail: jgirdwood@omiafoundation.org History The OMIA Golf for Education Outing began in 2009 as a fund raising effort for McLaren’s Camp Forget-Me-Not for Grieving Children. The Foundation expects to raise over $2,500 to contribute to this phenomenal camp that educates children on the grieving process allowing them closure after experiencing the loss of a loved one. Course The OMIA Foundation gladly hosts the annual Golf for Education Outing at Sugarbush Golf Club in Davison, MI. Click [here] for course details or to book an outing for your non-profit organization. Why We Golf McLaren Camp Forget-Me-Not for Grieving Children To support Brian’s House Residential Non-Profit Hospice Girdwood, J. (2007). A Strategice Plan to Diversify Public Education Through the Michigan Department of Education. Central Michigan University Girdwood, J. (2007). Bringing Outside Music Inside Michigan’s K-12 Classrooms: A Foundation to Increase Diversity. Central Michigan University

Granholm and Mulhern Promote Community Volunteerism

AmeriCorps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Elyse Ver Berkmoes Walter
Communications Specialist
(517) 241-0063 – office
(269) 845-2227 – cell
verberkmoese@michigan.gov
www.michigan.gov/mcsc

First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern helped spread the work of volunteers into Michigan‘s communities by swearing into service more than 400 AmeriCorps members from across the state at the 2008 Michigan‘s AmeriCorps Member Celebration. The event, hosted by the Michigan Community Service Commission, helped prepare AmeriCorps members for their year of service and celebrated the courage of their commitment.
WHAT: The Member Celebration provided an opportunity for all current Michigan’s AmeriCorps members to come together for a day of training, networking, and motivation. The annual Celebration helps members gain a new perspective on the impact their AmeriCorps service has on communities throughout Michigan.

Mulhern Granholm

Through the day’s events, members understand they are part of a significant national movement. Members participate in professional development workshops on leadership, service project planning, and other topics relevant to national and community service. Members also hear dfrom keynote speaker Susannah Cowden.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:Michigan‘s AmeriCorps is often described as the domestic Peace Corps. Individuals, called members, take on the toughest challenges facing communities by serving within nonprofit organizations, schools, and other agencies throughout the state. They tutor and mentor children, help the homeless, feed the hungry, protect the environment, and more.

In a 2007 report released by the Michigan Community Service Commission, Michigan’s AmeriCorps members:
- Completed over 700,000 hours of service and training.
- Recruited nearly 24,000 volunteers who served more than 188,000 hours.
- Impacted over 120,000 students, citizens, and volunteers.

Michigan Community Service Commission builds a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities

Communities

through volunteerism. In 2008-09, the MCSC is granting more than $5.3 million in federal funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities. The MCSC is funding 18 AmeriCorps programs and 24 Learn and Serve programs. The Governor’s Service Awards, Mentor Michigan, and Volunteer Investment Grants are also premier programs of the MCSC. The MCSC is housed in the Michigan Department of Human Services, whose mission is to assist children, families, and vulnerable adults to be safe, stable, and self-supporting. The Corporation for National and Community Service grants the federal funding the MCSC administers. For more information visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc and www.cns.gov .

Energize Volunteer Management Supports Community Organizers

From Energize [http://www.energizeinc.com/]:

“December tends to focus on charity to poor families. The challenge for volunteer resource managers is how to redirect the traditional one-way giving model into community building – moving from concentrated holiday events to year-round support and looking inside a neighborhood or organization before looking outside for volunteers. Do you agree with this role for volunteer resource managers?”

Energize!

Read this Month’s Hot Topic
Remember you can listen to the Hot Topic as a podcast, too!

About Energize
“Energize empowers and inspires leaders of volunteers worldwide. Their specialty is creating and selecting the most relevant, innovative resources in volunteer management. They’re advocates for the power of volunteers and for the recognition of the leaders who unleash it.”

Energize, Inc.
5450 Wissahickon Ave. C-13
Philadelphia PA 19144
Phone: 215-438-8342
Fax: 215-438-0434
info@energizeinc.com

Pass It On!
Pass on this update to interested news groups and others who work with volunteers.

VERY IMPORTANT: Material may be re-posted or printed without additional permission, provided credit is given to Energize, Inc., and the Web site address is included: http://www.energizeinc.com/.

FROM OMIA: We really love Energize’s monthly newsletters and highly recommend you sign up to receive them. They never produce any spam. The Energize newsletters are great and full of awesome information. The OMIA Foundation highly supports Energizeinc.com

OMIA Updates “Communities” Tab on Pages

An excerpt:

Our nations, states, cities, and communities need better organization now more than ever! As we shift from the industrial age to a more personal/individualist world, it is vital that we stay on course and focused.

President Barack Obama

The current U.S. President, Barack Obama, cites community organizing as a major driver in what shaped his future. From U.S. News & World Report:

As a community organizer in the Altgeld Gardens public housing project in the mid-1980s, Obama, then 23, quickly emerged as a tireless and pragmatic advocate for the community—traits that characterize the kind of president he says he wants to be. “His work as a community organizer was really a defining moment in his life, not just his career,” his wife, Michelle, told U.S. News. It helped him decide “how he would impact the world”—assisting people in defining their mutual interests and working together to improve their lives.

Listening.

In a speech in February announcing his presidential bid, Obama said, “It was in these neighborhoods that I received the best education I ever had.” His work, he added, “taught me a lot about listening to people as opposed to coming in with a predetermined agenda.”

The OMIA Foundation encourages you to join us in shaping a culture of listeners. Please contact our staff to discuss further possibilities for community organizing.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair:
John Girdwood, McLaren Visiting Nurse & Hospice, Davison, MI

Vice-Chair:
Jaime Zerka, Med-Team, Flint, MI

Treasurer:
Corey Ballmer, Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI

OMIA Scholarships deadlines extended

The OMIA Scholarships

Thank you for visiting the OMIA Foundation’s 2008 Scholarships web page. The Foundation is proud to announce two scholarships to be distributed in Fall 2008 to two respective students who exemplify the mission of the OMIA Foundation: enhancing the lives of students by expanding the scope of learning.   Higher education is just one way to expand students’ scope.

This year, the OMIA Foundation is excited to announce the following two scholarships:

• The Sylvia & Dr. John O. Zerka Memorial Scholarship
• The “Down the River” Scholarship in honor of Pamela Jo

Please check out these scholarships and convey the requirements to students who you know might be interested.   We look forward, as a Foundation, to reading all the entries along with sharing the stories of students’ progress with the family members of each respective scholarship.

Each scholarship web page has the requirements listed, submission method, and multimedia about the inspiration behind each scholarship.   Feel free to contact the OMIA Foundation with any questions.   Good luck to all 2008 OMIA Scholarship Applicants!

Requirements

• GPA greater than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (for those currently enrolled in higher education)

• GPA requirement of greater than 3.75 for incoming collegiate freshman

• Community service (see each scholarship for details)

• Three letters of recommendation

• A two page, double spaced personal statement essay

• All relevant transcripts (photocopies are acceptable)

• Any application lacking one or all requirements will not be accepted

Submission Method

Please submit all required scholarship application requirements electronically.   Send email to info@omiafoundation.org or mail to the OMIA Foundation at 6419 Beecher Rd., Flint MI 48532.   Applicants are welcome to cut and paste their documents on the web submission form below.   All application materials must be received by the deadline stated.

Disbursement

Each scholarship is set to be distributed to one student per year, during the fall (September) of each academic year, and is equal to the amount of $1,000 paid by check directly to the University at which the student attends.

Legal Disclaimer

The OMIA Scholarships are distributed to the students exclusively selected by the Board of Directors of the OMIA Foundation and the families.   All recipients are determined by the selectors indicated.   Distribution is at the full discretion of the OMIA Foundation.