From today’s Baltimore Sun:
In his recent Op-Ed criticizing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (“AmeriCorps boondoggle grows, April 28), James Bovard missed the boat on the essence of AmeriCorps and its engagement of professional volunteers to implement sustainable social change in America.
By allocating increased funds to AmeriCorps, the federal government places resources in the hands of organizations with a proven aptitude for tackling some of our toughest problems. For years, the Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) has provided AmeriCorps volunteers with meaningful experiences that make a lasting difference in Baltimore. More than a dozen members join our staff every year.
Last year, AmeriCorps volunteers at GHCC generated more than $1.5 million dollars in resources into Baltimore neighborhoods. Over the past decade, our members have facilitated free vision screenings, dental cleanings, winter coat drives, Thanksgiving and Christmas basket drives, mentoring programs, after-school programs, and countless other services that so many of us take for granted.
Many talented individuals are eager to serve their country and community. We would be remiss not to put these people to work here at home, where they have unlimited potential to effect positive change in our communities.
To suggest that AmeriCorps members merely busy themselves as they are paid with government dollars on false pretenses belittles the enormous contribution these individuals make to our communities. Karen Stokes Baltimore
Karen Stokes is executive director of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation.
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“Professional volunteers”?
And how can we know that they are professional? ‘Cause they get paid.
Stokes says that AmeriCorps members “have unlimited potential to effect positive change in our communities.”
And the evidence she offers? Winter coat drives and free Christmas baskets.
That is not quite a revolution.
If something is worth doing well, it’s worth building a bureaucracy that consumes 70% of the operating budget to get it done. This way, more people can enjoy the act of getting things done and if we’re really lucky, we can reach Mandatory Full Employment Volunteerism. Any commercial realtor in Washington knows that, stupid.
They are professional because they receive intense training. And what’s wrong with winter coat drives or Christmas baskets? Is that not revolutionary enough for you? It’s evident that you haven’t spent much time in communities where something as simple as having breakfast before school or owning a warm winter coat is a luxury. Indeed, AmeriCorps members do much more than simply collect coats – they work towards building the guidelines, knowledge and experience to implement sustainable, community-led change. Sometimes, that takes years to achieve and it’s often difficult to measure. But then again, it doesn’t surprise me that you can’t wrap your head around how it works. In fact, I bet it’s safe to assume that you’ve done relatively little in service to your country.
“Many talented individuals are eager to serve their country and community.”
If they are so eager to serve, then government intervention is not necessary. Americorps is based on the ludicrous premise that community does not exist without government.
Christy – what is your definition of “service to your country”?
AmeriCorps portrays practically any good deed (at least any deed done under federal auspices) as service to the nation.
I have never been able to understand that core notion…
Ahhhh yes….the “intense training”…something always required whence attempting good deeds. Intense training requires a proper venue and videos and catering and lecturers and handouts in binders and janitors and press releases and , for the top echelon, a resort retreat every now and then so the leadership can practice “team building” .
I know this is a difficult concept for some folks to “wrap their head around”…but the point is not whether anyone disdains the notion of “community service”, “charity” or passing out winter coats but when the Federal Government gets involved with anything, those winter coats are the least of their worries no matter how much they might sing stirring songs about them beause the Federal Government has a single task in mind :Glorifying the Federal Government as a cover for handing neat stacks of freshly minted bills to whatever charlatan seems to be working the racket most effectively.
Don’t get me wrong, all government is not bad, this would be a childish notion…it’s just that this government is not only bad, its ALL BAD…….no matter how much good is intended. It can’t help itself, it’s like a defrocked priest, eyeballing the kiddies as they go by from his gutter perch, drinking Father Cribari wine in the manner of that fine Tom Waits song.”Alter Boy”.
I worked for Knoxville Habitat for Humanity from Aug 2006- Aug 2007 as a carpenter during the week and a crew leader on the weekends. Following college, I chose not to take the highest paying job I could find or move to a beach town and chase girls. I took a job that paid $11,500 plus the worst health coverage that I’ve ever received, for what? I worked 40 – 60 hours a week building houses for/with the working poor. I finished every day tired, sweaty, callused, and happy with what work I had accomplished. To be blunt – I worked my fucking ass off.
My point is, I am disappointed with your one sided portrayal of AmeriCorps programs. To me, it cheapens the hard work that many people have done. It was already cheap enough – I think I got less than minimum wage all told. I know people who worked in the worthless programs you discussed but to give no credit the the tangible and useful work done is irresponsible.
I helped construct 28 new homes, renovate 3, maintain our relatively large construction warehouse, and went to Mississippi to help with 2 homes for Katrina victims and taught countless people carpentry, roofing, siding, electrical, wood trim work, and masonry.
Put that in your next article where you list the useful things that Americorps can do.
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I would like to make an additional point: I couldn’t agree more on the poor choice of ‘branding’ Americorps as volunteers. It never made sense to me. I made sacrifices and provided a needed service but I was paid. It’s a poor title. I do feel strongly that the service and sacrifice need to be fairly recognized both by Americorps leadership and the media as a whole.
I saw a Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps project when I visited Mississippi in ’99. The HH projects seem to be above average for what AmeriCorps projects, and I did not make any criticisms of that Miss. project in the articles I did back then.
I think the vast increase in the size of AmeriCorps will prove to be an utter nightmare as far as oversight and quality standards. Habitat for Humanity projects, in contrast to most AmeriCorps efforts, involve real work and measurable outputs.
Habitat for Humanity existed long before AmeriCorps was created, and Habitat thrived without federal assistance. It can do so again. (There are also questions about the effect on Habitat of becoming at least somewhat dependent on federally-provided labor). Another issue – the nation has a glut of housing at this point, and producing even more low-cost homes will likely not help a revival in the housing market.
If something is worth doing well, it’s worth building a bureaucracy that consumes 70% of the operating budget to get it done. This way, more people can enjoy the act of getting things done and if we’re really lucky, we can reach Mandatory Full Employment Volunteerism. Any commercial realtor in Washington knows that, stupid.