AmeriCorps KEYS

AmeriCorps Week is Next Week!

2008-05-07T09:30:00.004-04:00

Hello Everyone!

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was blogging or talking to you about AmeriCorps Week! Well, it is now fast approaching and things are starting to fall into place! There is plenty going on that week and there are mnay opportunities for you to serve! I hope to see all of your beautiful faces at some of the events. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the events. The first part of this blog talks about AC Week in general and the second half talks specifically about PGH AC Week Events.

What Is AmeriCorps Week?

What are YOU doing for AmeriCorps Week?
AmeriCorps Week is a recruitment and recognition event designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible.

AmeriCorps Week provides an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners, and friends to shine a spotlight on the work done by members in communities across the country—and to motivate more Americans to join AmeriCorps or volunteer in their communities.

When Is AmeriCorps Week?
The second annual AmeriCorps Week will take place May 11-18, 2008.

What Activities Are Planned?
AmeriCorps Week events are happening across the country. They include statewide AmeriCorps gatherings, award ceremonies, "AmeriCorps for a Day" events with local VIPs, community service projects, recruitment fairs, and more. The week will open with a big event near Denver, and close with a major environmental project near Miami.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, awesome AmeriCorps events are taking place right here in Pittsburgh!

AMERICORPS WEEK IN PGH WILL LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

Sunday, May 11:
Race for the Cure with AmeriCorps.
Schenley Park, Flagstaff Hill
Meet at 7:30 a.m.
Join AmeriCorps members & alumni, community members, and friends & family as we walk/run to raise awareness about breast cancer. We will posting a link that will allow you access to register and join our team. Stay tuned for that!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008:
Pittsburgh AmeriCorps Rally (Simultaneous Rally being held in Philadelphia).
8a.m. - 9a.m.
City County Bldg Portico (Grant Street/Downtown).
AmeriCorps members & alumni, legislators, local dignitaries, community members and other organizations will be celebrating and recognizing AmeriCorps. The Mayor's Office will be declaring May 13 "Pittsburgh Goes Grey" - so be sure to wear your AmeriCorps gear! Enjoy coffee and pastries, live music, give-away's, and keynote remarks from a variety of attendees. The event will be emceed by Lynn Hayes Freeland (KDKA Host). This will be the communities opportunity to get up close and personal with National Service!

Tuesday, May 13:
Community Mosaic Mural Project:
Immediately following the Rally, join AmeriCorps members & alums and communtiy members on the Portico as we create a community mosaic mural to be displayed in the community. This project will be led by internationally renowned sculptor James Simon.

Tuesday, May 13:
Braddock Beautification Project:
Immediately following the Mural Mosaic Project, join AmeriCorps members & alumni and communtiy members as we participate in beautifying homes in downtown Braddock. This will include tending to flower beds and gardens and other beautification techniques. This will take place all along Braddock Avenue in Braddock, Pa (just minutes from the Rally location).

****For more details, please contact:
Holly McIntosh at: 412.350.2739 or holly.mcintosh@alleghenycounty.us

You can check out the following websites:
www.americorpsweek.gov
www.americorps.gov
www.keyservicecorps.org

Race for the Cure with KEYS!

2008-04-29T11:18:00.002-04:00

In 2008, Susan G. Komen for the Cure celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Komen Race for the Cure, the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world, with well over one million participants since 2005. The Komen Race for the Cure Series raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.

Join the AmeriCorps & Friends Team as we help raise awareness on May 11. The sing-up sheet is on the table. Here are all of the details and step-by-step instructions for the registration process: We will meet at the registration area at Schenley Park @ Flagstaff Hill at 7:45a.m. The walk begins at 8:45 a.m. You may participate in the 5k walk or the one-mile fun walk. The registration fee is $25 and is due when you register online.

To register online, go to: http://www.pittsburghraceforthecure.org/

Then click on: “Join a Team” toward the bottom of the page.

Then click: “Join an Existing Team” link at the right-hand side of the page.

Then go to the bottom of the page where it says, “Team Name” and type in “AmeriCorps KEYS & Friends” and click on “Search for a Team”.

Follow the directions from there.

We hope to see you there!

We Are Currently Recruiting For Summer 2008!!!

2008-04-29T09:52:00.004-04:00

Our members are placed with a variety of schools, after-school programs, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations. While serving with these sites, you’ll have the opportunity to work one-on-one or with small groups of school-aged youth. The youth with whom we work are typically between Kindergarten-12th grade- although we also partner with some programs working with older youth who are still working toward their GEDs.

A lot of our youth have some big needs and we need some people with big hearts, big spirits, infinite patience, and a good sense of humor to stand up to the challenges that are thrown your way.

Working with our youth is never boring. You could start your day greeting youngsters in the hallways as they tumble bleary-eyed and yawning into a new day of learning and fun. Or, you could start your day with a young man or woman who just lost a loved one to the street.

You could find yourself cutting out paper animals for a craft project, digging up a vacant lot to turn it into an urban garden, working alongside gang members to renovate an abandoned house into an art studio, painting house numbers on the apartment doors of a housing community, helping kids rehearse their lines for the big end-of-the-year talent showcase.. who knows?

Whatever you’ll end up doing with us, you'll know you’re making a difference in the life of a young man or woman. You could be the first person who looks them in the eye and says “I believe in you”.

And you can do it with KEYS Service Corps. We need good people.

Dates: May 27 through mid-August, 2008.
Serve at least 450 hours (about 43 hours per week)
Living Allowance: $2,938 before taxes
Education Award: $1,250*
Child Care Subsidy: Available to eligible members
Health Insurance: Available to eligible members

*Education award is made upon successful completion of the term of service. This amount is not made in cash, but is placed in a trust fund in the member's name. Members have up to 7 years to use the award to pay toward the cost of attending school or to pay toward existing student loans. Certain restrictions apply. Click here for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Summer Corps:

Why would anyone want to live in Pittsburgh for the summer?
Pittsburgh has transformed itself from the steel town of the past to a hub for the arts, sports, entertainment, technology and medical science.

Pittsburgh is home to the Carnegie Museums of Art, Natural History, Science and the Andy Warhol Museum. We're also home to the oddly unique and unforgettable Matress Factory (which has nothing to do with mattresses or factories) and the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.

If you're into sports, Pittsburgh has your game! Not only are we home to the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, but we also have the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team, Pittsburgh Passion Women's Football team, rugby, golf, Extreme Frisbee, rowing, sailing, biking and skating trails and more!

Find out more about what the city has to offer at www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us.

Where will I be working?
KEYS partners with various community and faith-based organizations, parks and other agencies such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, libraries, and parks throughout Allegheny County. Some of the neighborhoods in which we anticipate placing members include Homestead, Braddock, Oakland, Penn Hills, Downtown, and East Liberty.

What kinds of activities would I be doing over the summer?
Members will help with Summer Day Camp activities. These could include arts and crafts, kickball, dodge ball, volleyball, baseball, basketball, swimming, chaperoning field trips, nature walks, talent shows… basically any activities to keep the kids engaged over the summer.

What will my schedule be like?
Each site sets their own schedule, but primarily the hours are Monday through Friday during the day.

Does KEYS pay for out-of-town applicants to relocate to Pittsburgh?
Transportation to and from Pittsburgh is the responsibility of the member.

Does KEYS pay for my transportation while I'm in Pittsburgh?
KEYS is unable to pay for transportation while in Pittsburgh. Plan to budget $75-90 a month for unlimited public transit, depending on location. For more information about Pittsburgh's public transit, please visit www.RideGold.com. Most sites will have parking available for members who have their own transportation.

Does KEYS help pay for housing?
Unfortunately, KEYS is unable to help pay for housing costs.

Can I afford to live there this summer?
The good news is that CNN found Pittsburgh to be the least expensive city in the United States. If you or someone you know have been wanting to serve in AmeriCorps but were concerned about living on the living allowance, Pittsburgh has great opportunities!

Even though KEYS can't help pay for housing, we can help you by referring you to local classified ads, roommate services and, more importantly, by putting recruits in touch with each other and with current KEYS members. Last summer we had several members come in from out of town and they were all able to quickly find affordable housing.

Where can I look for housing?
There are lots of places you can look. The following is a sample of some resources. KEYS does not endorse any option more than another.

The University of Pittsburgh has listings at www.pittnews.com or their Sublet Listing Service. These postings are primarily college housing.

Craig's List is also a good source. For Pittsburgh-area listings, visit www.Pittsburgh.CraigsList.com.
Other resources to try are the classifieds at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review from there, you can select "Real Estate" in the "select a category" box.

KEYS Service Corps believes in strength through diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, sex, or sexual orientation.

KEYS Service Corps is a drug-free workplace environment.

KEYS Service Corps and the Corporation for National and Community Service programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, or other non-merit factors. Anyone believing he or she has been subjected to discrimination on these groups by the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps, or one of its grantees may contact our Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness at (202) 606-7503 or email at eo@cns.gov.

Oom Yung Doe Hosts Kick-A-Thon For Washington Avenue Foster House & Urban Farm Project!

2008-03-19T10:07:00.002-04:00

Every year Oom Yung Doe (Mt. Lebanon and Squirrel Hill locations) hosts a kick-a-thon in which the money raised is given to a cause or organization of their choice. The students and instructors kick as many times as they can nonstop for 20 minutes. Typically, the total amount of kicks is 20,000 – 30,000. The students, instructors and the chosen organization collect pledges for every kick. Lump sum pledges are also accepted.

Oom Yung Doe has graciously decided to donate 100% of this year’s kick-a-thon pledges to the Washington Avenue Foster Houses. The KEYS Service Corps AmeriCorps program under the Department of Human Services, Office of Community Services in partnership with the Foster Independent Living Program (ILP), will be renovating two houses in Braddock as part of a pilot program to create affordable independent housing for foster care youth who have aged out of the system. These houses were purchased by the non-profit, Braddock Redux, and are being made available to the Foster ILP. There are empty lots next to this duplex. The plan includes converting these into urban farms where the young adults will work. This will provide local produce to the community, a variety of hands-on learning experiences for the young adults, and will act as a positive way to engage community residents. A third house also purchased by Braddock Redux will house two urban farmers who will act as mentors to these young adults. KEYS AmeriCorps members, ILP staff, volunteers and the ILP young adults will be doing basic renovations to their houses, and will prepare the abandoned lots for farming.

The work on the houses will include: painting, removing the carpet, basic cleaning, bathroom tiling, minor repair to one ceiling, turning the attics into bedrooms, painting the outside of the houses when the weather is better, and basic outdoor grounds work. The two houses need: 1 updated furnace, 2 water heaters, 2 stoves, 2 refrigerators, and 1 washer to be shared between the two houses.

All donations will be used to turn these buildings into homes for our foster youth and to begin work on our Urban Farms.

The kick-a-thon will take place at the Mt. Lebanon location on Wednesday, March 26 at 7p.m. and at the Squirrel Hill location on Saturday, March 29 at 11a.m. Oom Yung Doe will be presenting the donations in the form of a check at their annual banquet on Saturday, April 5 at 4p.m. Students and instructors from the school will also be volunteering their time to assist in the renovation process at The Foster House during National AmeriCorps Week (May 11 - May 18).

If you are interested in pledging for the Kick-A-Thon or volunteering your time at The Foster House, please feel free to contact the AmeriCorps KEYS office at 412.350.2739.

AmeriCorps Alums Pittsburgh Chapter is Back in the Game!

2008-03-19T09:37:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I know it's been exactly 16 days since our last post but there has been sooo much going on in the AmeriCorps KEYS office and in the community in general! I just don't even know where to begin! There are awesome things in the works! With that being said, instead of overwhelming you all in one post about a ton of stuff, I've decided to attempt to stick with one topic per post, rather than going on tangents and digressing...which clearly I'm about to do, so let's just get to the point shall we?

AmeriCorps Alums Pittsburgh Chapter is finally back in the game! I am now the Chapter Leader for the AC Alums Pittsburgh Chapter. I served two terms of service with AmeriCorps KEYS in 2001/2002. I am now a staff member with AmeriCorps KEYS.

I want to first point out that you DO NOT have to have already completed a term of service to join the chapter. You CAN be a current member. So please do not let that stop you from joining!

With that being said, I would like to get the Pittsburgh Chapter back in the game! I think the first step is to get feed back from you all to see what you want to get out of the chapter as a member and what role you want AC Alums to play in our community.

Ideally, I'd like to meet with you all in the next couple of weeks and have an open discussion about these topics and go from there. So, if you are interested in becoming more involved in the Pittsburgh Chapter, please contact me no later than Monday, March 24 and let me know what days and times are good for you to meet and from that information I will set up a meeting time and place for our first meeting.

If you have any questions about anything regarding AmeriCorps KEYS, AmeriCorps in general, AmeriCorps Alums, etc please do not hesitate to ask!

As I said, there are many things in the works for AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Alums in the Greater Pittsburgh area, so keep your eyes and ears open!

Check out the AmeriCorps Alums Pittsburgh Chapter Page!

Hello From the AmeriCorps KEYS Headquarters :-)

2008-03-03T09:50:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone!

For those of you who are not familiar, I'd like to introduce you to KEYS Service Corps, an AmeriCorps Program! Please refer to our about me section to the left and check out our user profile to get the scoop on exactly who we are and what we do.

So you're probably wondering what to expect from this blog site. Ultimately, we want to get you interested in national and local service. We want to get you excited about your community, global and local. We hope to ignite that passion you have stirring inside. We want to push you to do the things you've always wanted to do but for whatever reason, never have - whether that be obtaining your GED, serving at-risk youth in your community, or fulfilling the dream of a obtaining a college education, etc. We want to know where and when you're going to do your term of service.

So let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?! Projects, ideas and opportunities are bustling at the KEYS headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh as well as at our host sites (and in the Greater Pittsburgh area in general). Quite honestly, I don't even know where to begin! I guess I will just give you a brief overview of all of the more time sensitive and/or important issues at hand as of now...and I'll get in to greater detail in later posts.

Ok, first things first. KEYS is currently recruiting for summer and fall positions (full time and part time). Eventually we will be offering the application online, but as of now, our website is experiencing some technical difficulties. But fear not! If you are interested in applying or receiving more info about our program, please email our assistant director, Aaron Gray at: aaron.gray@alleghenycounty.us or pay us a visit at 1 Smithfield Street Pittsburgh, Pa 15222. You may even run in to us at an upcoming career fair (we will be posting those soon)! Check out our website to find out what it means to serve with KEYS and all of the perks that come along with serving with us! You can also find us at www.myspace.com/americorps_keys and search for us on facebook!

Next up is AmeriCorps Week! This second annual week of celebration and service will be taking place May 11-18, 2008. I'm not gonna lie...this is gonna be pretty sweet! According to the national AmeriCorps website, AmeriCorps week is "an annual event designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums and thank community partners." Last summer was the first annual celebration and it's only going to get better this year! We cannot release any details just yet as to what we have in store, but I will tell you that it's going to be awesome. And may I add that you do not have to be an AmeriCorps member to participate. In fact, our goal is to recruit as many community volunteers and sponsors as possible to take part in this celebration and day of service. We will be posting all of the details and opportunities for AmeriCorps Week in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled!

This summer, KEYS will also be celebrating the graduation of another great group of AmeriCorps KEYS members! This graduation celebration is set for Friday, June 13, 2008. And this summer we will be honoring them in style! This graduation celebration is set to be one of the best in KEYS history! Not only will we be honoring their term(s) of service with AmeriCorps KEYS, we will be introducing them as AmeriCorps Alumni - and that's something to be proud of. Again, it's a bit too early to release the details so keep your eyes peeled!

That's it for introductions for now. I don't want to overwhelm you. The truth is, KEYS Service Corps has a a lot going on and a lot to say. We will be posting blogs daily (if not multiple times per day) to inform you of what we're up to, what our host sites are up to, what's going down in the community, and what opportunities exist in the community, and much, much more!