AmeriCorps’ Post

What if boosting public service programs could bring us together and tackle some of our biggest civic challenges? Could this be the key to stronger, more connected communities? Many people are craving a chance to give back and feel more connected with their communities, they just need the right opportunity. Programs like the American Climate Corps or state-level programs can be real chances to get involved and really connect with our community. It's about personal growth just as much as it is about helping out. #SunnyPath ☀️ #PublicProcurement

The Power of Parks 🌳 “Power and hope emerge in surprising places. Envisioning, planning, creating, and stewarding a park exemplifies social infrastructure, enabling communities to address social issues on their terms and replace despair and frustration with hope and action.” In SSIR’s summer issue, read about how the Trust for Public Land is helping communities from Hawai‘i to Washington, DC, revitalize their parks and build community power in the midst of ongoing social crises: “To respond to the times, parks and public spaces must become not just passive spaces but catalysts in forming a healthy polity. In caring for the commons of parks and green spaces, we nurture social solidarity, civic engagement, and a thriving democracy.” Read the full story >> https://lnkd.in/e8bgMN3X #democracy #parks #community #power

ADULTS WHO SPEAK ALOUD IN A WORLD IN DISARRAY SHOULD LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY TO THOSE WHO WILL POPULATE THE FUTURE In the precarious state of humanity, adults who have frightening reasons to speak out loud should listen more carefully to those who will populate the future. Watch ‘The Child Speaks’ https://lnkd.in/ewv7hxMP, in which young people speak with open minds about the future they want to see, which has gone viral and has been screened at international conferences. More and more people are forced to live in expanding cities, but what should they look like from a child’s point of view? In a joint project with the Urban Communication Foundation, the Rescue Our Future Foundation is asking young people to share their ideas, https://lnkd.in/e-PHECUt. If you are young and care about your future, consider sharing your thoughts in a short video (info or send to rescue@rescueourfuture.org) , which will be used to produce ‘The Child Speaks II’. LinkedIn friends, share this great initiative with your children, nieces and nephews. Those who will populate the future have the right to design the world they want and like. #youth #future #city #rescue

#ThrowbackThursday: Our mission hasn't changed! Workforce Development and Education (WDE) helps transform Mission Men from dependence and homelessness to long-term economic self-sufficiency. We focus on entry-level to intermediate jobs in STEM, hospitality, culinary, labor, administration, and Green industries. By educating, engaging, and employing men in promising positions, we create lasting change. What has made it all possible, both then and now? The transformative power of the Gospel. #MissionStrong #WorkforceDevelopment #EconomicEmpowerment

Thinking on how I can contribute on the prosperity of the community.

While volunteer first responders across the country share a common goal of serving their communities, each individual has different beliefs that impact their role. Tim Cramblit (Crescent Lake, OR) believes that volunteer responders, as public servants, have an obligation to learn, train, and pursue education & service opportunities whenever possible. Learn why he believes his, and how it’s impacted his first responder journey, at https://lnkd.in/gZ69YCwr.

** Training Opportunity! ** This year, I was invited to join the inaugural cohort of the Rural Defenders Union (RDU) - a group of rural organizers from across the US who are building power in places threatened by authoritarianism. RDU is offering this 4-session training on "Building Power in Turbulent Times" - I hope you will sign up if this interests you! https://lnkd.in/gSaq5iiD I. White Nationalism 101 - Presented by Western States Center (Wednesday, September 25, 3-5pm EST) II. How to Counter Political Violence - Presented by HOPE-PV in partnership with 22nd Century Initiative and the Horizons Project (Tuesday, October 1st, 7-9pm EST) III. Fundamentals of Community Organizing and Base-Building - Presented by People's Action (Thursday, October 10th, 7-9pm EST) IV. Building Safe, Lasting Institutions of Belonging - Presented by Hoosier Action (Wednesday, October 16th, 3-5pm EST) These trainings will take folks on a journey from learning about authoritarianism and its tactics, to tapping into the organizing traditions that can help us build something better. In small-town and rural communities across the United States, many of us have experienced the last 30 years as a painful struggle and decline. Family farms have been decimated, factories and rural schools shut down, and both capital and young people have fled town. So many of our neighbors have fallen into resignation, despair, and substance use, unable to envision a future for themselves and their hometowns. Others have been enticed into authoritarian mindsets, choosing to blame democracy itself and scapegoating immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ people for what has happened to their communities. This dangerous and false explanation for the state of small-town America has spread more and more rapidly as our communities have become increasingly isolated. We’ve lost local newspapers, basic civic infrastructure, and third spaces where people come together across their differences toward achieving shared goals. But from the Mine Wars to Selma to Standing Rock, we know that real change is possible when it is led by the people who are most targeted, in the places where our opponents are most powerful. We are on the lookout for Rural Defenders: people from small-town places with the big courage to build collective people power and stand up to authoritarian forces. Those forces often look different in different places - from incidents of political violence; to white nationalist and hate group demonstrations; to attacks on free speech, voting, libraries, and public education; to authoritarian take-over of local government; to the criminalization and persecution of vulnerable people; and more. No matter what you are up against in your hometown, this training series is for you.

On #NationalTruthAndReconciliationDay, we honor and remember the survivors of residential schools, their families, and many Indigenous communities who have been, and continue to be, impacted. 🧡 At Pennecon, we are dedicated to building lasting relationships founded on respect, inclusion, and understanding, knowing that much work still remains on how to contribute to healing and meaningful change. Pennecon continues to be focused on Call to Action #92 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, urging Corporate Canada to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This framework guides our corporate policy and operations as we continue building respectful and collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities all across Canada. If you're looking for impactful ways to observe and recognize today, here are some events you can participate in to learn more and take action: 📅 The Rooms: https://lnkd.in/eeJhZenv 📅 First Light:https://lnkd.in/e9V_9VYA Every child matters. 🧡 #TruthAndReconciliation #NDTR #OrangeShirtDay #EveryChildMatters #CallsToAction #CorporateResponsibility #Pennecon #CommitmentToReconciliation #IndigenousRights

This bill explicitly focuses on bridging divides through community-focused projects, relationship building and sustaining, or addressing the root causes of polarization through ready channels such as AmeriCorps, which is already active throughout communities across the United States. Read more: https://loom.ly/E9QV39c #thefulcrum #citizenconnect #bcba #disagreebetter

great series on the politics of disasters and the effects on people in terms of social engagement and radicalization.