National Volunteer Week Part 2 of 6: Frank J. Kormos, “The Outstanding Older Texan”

by Leah Scanlan AARP Driver Safety Program

Meet Frank.

 Frank has been volunteering in some way since he was 20 years old.

Today, at age 96, Frank is AARP Texas’ oldest volunteer and has 76 years of volunteer experience under his belt.

 Frank started volunteering for the AARP Driver Safety Program in September of 1989. Over the past 21 years, he has served as an Instructor, Assistant State Coordinator, Associate State Coordinator, and most recently a Marketing Specialist for the AARP Driver Safety Program. He has instructed over 150 classes during his volunteer career.

 In 1993, Frank received the “Outstanding Older Texan Award” from the management of the Richardson Senior Center where he taught courses.

As a Marketing Specialist, Frank devotes 20-45 hours a week to answering emails, writing advertisements, assisting other DSP volunteers, and researching new ways to get the word out about the AARP Driver Safety Program. More recently, Frank has embraced social media and has begun using Facebook to reach out to prospective students and volunteers.

 When asked what the most rewarding part about being an AARP Driver Safety Program is Frank replied, “The ability to persuade someone to attend a class that can potentially teach him or her things that will save his or her life.”

 He goes on to explain that the course is much more than just giving people discounts on car insurance. “This course is about saving lives.”

 Frank, the AARP DSP staff would like to thank you for your 21 years of dedication to the AARP Driver Safety Program. You have helped to promote safer driving and make a real difference in the lives of people in your Texas community.

 Do you have a volunteer that you would like to see profiled on our Facebook page? If so, please drive@aarp.org.

For more information on volunteer opportunities with the AARP Driver Safety Program visit: www.aarp.org/driversafetyvolunteers.

National Volunteer Week 2011

by Kathy Greenlee

During National Volunteer Week 2011 (April 10-16), we at the Administration on Aging (AoA) acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of the volunteers who serve older Americans all across this nation. Volunteers have always been the backbone of programs administered under the Older Americans Act.

From its beginning AoA and its state and local networks have counted on volunteer support. Each year about ten million older people use Older Americans Act services, whose delivery largely depends upon the efforts of half a million volunteers.

This year we are highlighting the work of one group of extraordinary and committed volunteers – the more than 11,000 volunteers who serve long-term care residents through their state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.

More than three-fourths of states use volunteers to support the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, ensuring the rights, safety, and well-being of residents of nursing facilities, assisted living communities, board and care homes and similar facilities. Last year, more than 8,800 of these volunteers were trained and certified as long-term care ombudsmen, resolving complaints with and on behalf of residents.

Volunteer ombudsmen visit and listen to residents' concerns as well as problem-solve. Many residents of long-term care facilities sometimes have little or no contact with the outside world and some have few visitors. An ombudsman volunteer who visits regularly can make a huge difference in the quality of life of a resident.

If you are interested in serving as an ombudsman volunteer, you can contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in your state for more information about volunteer opportunities and qualifications. A good way to locate contact information is through the National Ombudsman Resource Center at http://www.ltcombudsman.org/.

In addition to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, volunteers help the aging network in many other ways, including: assisting at group meals sites and delivering meals to home-bound elders; escorting and transporting frail older persons to health care services and grocery shopping; weatherizing the homes of low-income and frail older persons; counseling older persons in a variety of areas including health promotion, nutrition, legal and financial concerns; detecting and preventing health care fraud; and helping during disasters.

For more information about the wide variety of rewarding volunteering opportunities to benefit older Americans, check out the Administration on Aging Civic Engagement section at http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/Special_Projects/Civic_Engagement/index.aspx#resources

A sincere thank you from me and all of us at the Administration on Aging to each one of you who contribute your time, experience, expertise and compassion to benefit the lives of older Americans.

Kathy Greenlee

Public to Select Five Winners of ‘Launch Pad’ Contest; Voting Starts Today at Encore.org

SAN FRANCISCO – January 25, 2011 – Voting opens today at Encore.org for the first-ever Launch Pad contest , which aims to help people over age 45 turn creative ideas for solving problems in their communities into working solutions.

Twenty-five finalists (see list below) were selected from more than 1,000 submissions nationwide. The public can now vote online for the five who will receive $5,000, plus resources and support from the larger Encore.org community. Winners will be announced in early March.

Launch Pad is a project of Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose, and sponsor of The Purpose Prize, which invests in five social innovators over 60 each year who are making extraordinary contributions to the greater good. Civic Ventures promotes encore careers – which combine purpose, passion and a paycheck – in many other ways, including advice and resources on Encore.org.

The first finalist, James Robinson of Huntsville, Ala., was selected by the public through online voting last week. The other 24 finalists were chosen by a Civic Ventures selection committee, headed by Alexandra Céspedes Kent, director of The Purpose Prize.

“With this contest, we hope to help people in the second half of life who are eager to put their experience to use for the greater good,” Kent says, “and show the world what those in their encore careers can do.”
Here are the finalists and their ideas:

David Buck, 51, Minneapolis
Will work to expand SHiFT Midternships, a pilot that offers internships for people in midlife who need real work experience to help them transition to new jobs.

Michael Caldwell, 60, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Will promote economic redevelopment in Cleveland’s inner-city neighborhoods by helping low-income people start businesses.

Esther Cantu, 68, San Antonio, Texas
Will recruit volunteers serve as mentors for Spanish-speaking school-aged children who have not yet learned English.

Anne Cheung, 59, South Amboy, N.J.
Will develop a Chinese Cancer Support Group for patients in the Chinatown area of Flushing, Queens, New York.

Robert Deissig, 65, New York City
Will provide free career transition services for U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers returning from deployments.

Cathy Elser, 61, Yonkers, N.Y.
Will engage older adults in the fight against childhood obesity by using a program proven to increase healthy behaviors in children.

Rachel Emmer, 51, Evergreen, Colo.
Will help teach residents of Section 8 (government subsidized) housing about gardening and how to choose healthy foods.

Susan Evans, 68, San Francisco, Calif.
Will recruit and enroll retired nurses to teach healthy cooking classes to kids at Boys and Girls Clubs.

Ellen Freudenheim, 61, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Will create a pilot program for low-income women in Brooklyn that uses text messaging on cell phones to communicate vital messages about pregnancy, AIDS and other health topics.

Anthony Genia, 68, Lauderdale, Minn.
Will develop a Native American youth entrepreneur training curriculum aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty on reservations.

Linda Grotberg, 66, Wimbledon, N.D.
Will work to make small farms sustainable by helping local farmers make homegrown fuel using straight sunflower oil.

Rita Hubbard, 52, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Will teach baby sign language to low-income parents before their children (who are able to hear) can speak with the goal of increasing parent-child interaction and enhancing future school performance.

L. Patricia Ice, 57, Jackson, Miss.
Will help undocumented immigrants plan for the management of their property and the care of their family members who remain in the United States, in case of deportation.


Vicky Jekich, 52, Boise, Idaho
Will improve patient access, especially in rural communities, to creative arts therapy – which uses dance, music and other forms of artistic expression to improve physical and mental health.

Irene Martinez, 55, Orange, Calif.
Will work to break the cycle of violence and poverty in immigrant communities by teaching women to change the way family violence is perceived.

Lynn McGee, 57, Brandon, Miss.
Will establish Delta Community Health House Network, a cost-effective primary care delivery system designed to treat the underserved in their communities.

Nancy Fernandez Mills, 63, Stockbridge, Mass.
Will provide education in Spanish to local low-income Hispanics, with the goal of preventing diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

Milton Morgan, 72, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Will provide free Internet access and one-on-one computer instruction for fellow senior residents in affordable housing facilities.

Robert Morrow, 79, Stockton, Calif.
Will provide training to child care providers and agency outreach staff on how to identify and refer children with special needs.

Ron Moulton, 63, Cambridge, Mass.
Will create Project Managers for Good, which will match corporate project managers with nonprofit projects that benefit the developing world.

James Robinson, 47, Huntsville, Ala.
Will provide independent living services to homeless young people who may be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

Rhonda Rundle, 60, Los Angeles, Calif.
Will recruit a corps of encore volunteer coaches to encourage public high school students to prepare for, apply to and enroll in college.

Shekinah Shakur, 57, Los Angeles, Calif.
Will recruit and train midwives and other childbirth experts in inner-city communities affected by high infant mortality rates.

Janine Vanderburg, 57, Denver, Colo.
Will provide training for retirees and others with corporate sales backgrounds to help them become nonprofit, campaign and community fundraisers.

Rod Wilson, 65, Lexington, Ken.
Will organize advocacy services for residents of assisted living, particularly those without family to advocate for their care.
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About Civic Ventures (www.encore.org)
Civic Ventures is a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.

Launch Pad Contest Seeks Five People With Great Ideas for Improving Their Communities

Five winners age 45 and over will receive $5,000 and Encore.org resources to get their ideas for social good off the ground

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – November 16, 2010 – Today Civic Ventures announced its new Launch Pad contest (http://launchpad.encore.org/), which is designed to discover five inspiring people 45 and over with ideas to improve their communities. Each winner will receive $5,000 and resources and support from the Encore.org community to put his or her idea into action. 

Launch Pad is a project of Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.  Civic Ventures runs The Purpose Prize to invest in social innovators over 60; works in a variety of ways to promote encore careers combining purpose, passion and a paycheck; and offers advice and resources for people seeking encore careers on Encore.org. 

Launch Pad contenders from around the country can submit their ideas on how they want to make a difference in their communities at http://launchpad.encore.org/ starting today through December 20.

On January 17, 2011, Civic Ventures will name 25 Launch Pad semifinalists. From January 17 through February 14, people will be invited to vote online for the idea they’d like to see realized.

Contestants can submit ideas in the following Launch Pad categories: education, social services, environment, health care and helping others engage in encore careers.

The announcement of the Launch Pad contest follows last week's news of the 2010 Purpose Prize winners, 10 people over age 60 who are making extraordinary contributions in their encore careers. The Purpose Prize, an award of up to $100,000, is given annually to individuals who are using their experience and passion to tackle society’s biggest challenges.

For more information on the Launch Pad contest, visit http://launchpad.encore.org/.

Launch Pad and The Purpose Prize are supported by grants from The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation.

AoA is Accepting Applications to Create a National Aging Civic Engagement Technical Center

AoA is pleased to accept applications for a National Aging Civic Engagement Technical Center. The Funding Opportunity Number is: HHS-2010-AoA-CC-1024 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance CFDA Number: 93.048.

The Program Announcement and Grant Application Instructions are available on http://www.grants.gov or http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Grants/Funding/index.aspx.

The deadline date for submission of applications is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on June 25, 2010.

New IGSW Courses: Spirituality and Aging, Elder Abuse, Suicide Prevention, and Civic Engagement

Spirituality and Meaning in Later Life, a course that focuses on resources that are important to many older people, is among the new offerings now available from IGSW on topics of special interest or concern to social workers and others who work with elders and their families. The new courses are a mix of interactive self-paced (ISP) courses, which use a combination of online features for a compelling presentation of the latest information of relevance to practitioners, and print-and-go (P&G) courses, which are article-based and can be downloaded and printed or completed online for maximum convenience and flexibility. The following recently released IGSW courses are available: *Spirituality and Meaning In Later Life (P&G, $60, 3 CEUs) *Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (ISP, $80, 4 CEUs) *Suicide Prevention Among Older Adults (ISP, $80, 4 CEUs) *Civic Engagement in Later Life (P&G, $60, 3 CEUs) For more information about IGSW online courses, including how to order, click here.

AmeriCorps National Planning and Tribal Planning Grants

What are AmeriCorps State and National grants?
Subject to the availability of appropriations for fiscal year 2009, the Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation) announces the anticipated availability of approximately $21,288,000 to award new and re-competing AmeriCorps State and National grants.

The grants in AmeriCorps State are: State Competitive, Territories Competitive, States without Commissions, and State Education Award Program (EAP).

The grants in AmeriCorps National are: National EAP, National Direct, National Professional Corps, National Planning, and Indian Tribes.

Is my organization eligible and to whom do we apply?

If your organization works in just one state, please contact your state commission, which can be found here: http://www.nationalservice.org/about/contact/statecommission.asp.
You will apply to them.

If your organization works in more than one state, you are eligible to apply for a national grant. You will apply directly to the Corporation. If your organization is an Indian Tribe you may apply through your state commission, or directly to the Corporation. See the 2009 Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity for more information, found here: http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=66

If you are submitting a request for continuation in 2009, please see the Application Instructions, which include information for continuation applications, found here: http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.

Notice of Intent to Apply:
In order to help us gauge the number of applications we are likely to receive, please send an e-mail prior to the deadline to americorpsnational@cns.gov , for National applicants. National applicants should state the competition for which you will be applying. Although submission of the notice of intent to apply is not mandatory, your e-mail will help the Corporation to plan more efficiently for review.

More Information on AmeriCorps State and National
For more than a decade, the Corporation for National and Community Service—through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve programs—has mobilized a new generation of engaged citizens. This year, more than 1.8 million individuals of all ages and backgrounds will serve through these programs. They will help thousands of national and community nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies meet local needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other critical areas.

Roughly three quarters of all AmeriCorps grant funding goes to Governor-appointed state service commissions, which award subgrants to nonprofit organizations in their states. These organizations recruit AmeriCorps members to respond to local needs.

The Corporation distributes most of the remainder of the grant funding directly to organizations operating in more than one state.

The Corporation’s mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

In the FY 2009 competition, the Corporation will give special consideration to projects that address one or a combination of five strategic initiatives, listed below, that meet critical needs of our nation, achieve national service goals, and address community problems.
1. Mobilizing more volunteers.
2. Ensuring a brighter future for all of America’s youth.
3. Engaging students in communities.
4. Harnessing Baby Boomers’ experience.
5. Helping communities recover from and prepare for disasters.

In 2009, the Corporation will also give special consideration to programs designed to engage veterans as service recipients or providers. The Corporation reserves the right to re-focus program dollars in the event of disaster or other compelling need. Additional programs and program models that may receive special consideration in the selection process are described in the AmeriCorps regulations Section 2522.450. You can find the regulations here: http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/manage/index.asp . You are encouraged to integrate the priorities and initiatives into your program design, where they logically align with your organizational mission and objectives.

For more information contact your state commission, which you can find here http://www.nationalservice.org/about/contact/statecommission.asp  if you are interested in the State grant program. Contact (202) 606-7508 if you are interested in the National grant program.

Voting and Civic Engagement Supplements to the Current Population Survey

The U.S. Census Bureau requests authorization from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct the November 2008 Voting and Civic Engagement Supplements to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Supplement (Voting and Registration supplement in previous years) continues the biennial collection of data concerning voting and registration that has been requested periodically since 1964. The data yield statistics on voter (and nonvoter) characteristics and current voter trends. The data will also enable policymakers to keep issues up to date, such as changes in participation in the election process by demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, and educational attainment. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has entered into an interagency agreement with the Census Bureau to conduct the Civic Engagement supplement, which will appear for the first time in conjunction with the CPS. The civic engagement supplement will provide information on the extent to which American communities are places where individuals are civically active. It will also provide information on the number of Americans who are active in their communities, communicating with one another on issues of public concern, and interacting with public institutions and private enterprises. The information will also provide the number of Americans who engage in activities that promote positive relationships with those of equal and differing socio-economic or professional levels. This survey will be the only source of nationally representative data on such information as: level of participation in organized groups, extent of political action and knowledge, extent of connections with other community members, and how often individuals get news and information from various media sources. When combined with demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, education, occupation, income), the data can provide information on the relationship between these characteristics and the level of civic engagement in the United States. Government agency analysts and private, state and local leaders will use this data to compare levels in their area of interest to the national level of civic engagement, and to formulate policies that foster healthy communities. This clearance will also cover the collection in November 2010, the Voting supplement, which will consist of the voting and registration questions only.