 |
Homes for Service
Materials for National and Community Service
State Offices, Commissions, Programs, or Projects
Interested in Setting Up Homes for Service in Their Area
Developed by Communications Consultant
Anne M. Ostberg
July 2002
Revised and Updated
by the National Service Resource Center
July 2003
AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members donate a year of their lives to improve communities throughout the United States, serving full-time in exchange for a small living allowance. Setting up a Homes for Service Program can help members find affordable housing and offers hosts an opportunity to give to their communities.
How to Set Up Homes for Service in Your Area
Homes for Service Materials Available
Homes for Service Programs Listed by State
If You Want to Provide Housing
How to Set Up Homes for Service in Your Area
1. Prepare: Research, Survey, and Collect Data
2. Develop Materials
3. Launch the Program
4. Track Progress
5. Publicize Results
1. Prepare: Research, Survey, and Collect Data
-
Research the current status of housing in your area: What is the vacancy rate,
what is the average rent, and so on.
-
Collect data from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) on
number of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members serving in your area that relocated
from another area. This will give you a sense of numbers and percentages of future
members that might need housing.
-
Survey all local AmeriCorps*VISTA projects and AmeriCorps programs to identify
to what extent affordable housing is an issue for members (sample surveys available). Ask how they currently help their members find housing. Find out how many (or
what percentage) of their members are relocating from outside the area thus need
to identify housing in the community before starting service. Get their ideas
on how to address the problem.
-
Survey all AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA members to get their perspective on
housing issues.
-
Compile results of surveys, then distribute them at the same time you announce
the launch of Homes for Service.
2. Develop Materials
-
Based on feedback from the survey, tailor the publicity materials (brochure, flyer and news story) for your area. If possible, include a toll-free phone number for people to
call; if not, provide a phone number with a voice mailbox for Homes for Service messages. Print the materials on brightly colored, recycled paper that can easily
be photocopied.
-
Set up a Homes for Service e-mail address (this can be done through a free service
such as Hotmail or Yahoo). If possible, also set up a Homes for Service website. See other states' websites for examples.
-
Prepare letters, business cards, display materials and other materials needed
for mailings, meetings and presentations. (See list of materials already developed that can be adapted to your needs.)
-
Assemble e-mail lists, mailing labels, etc. for all organizations to be contacted:
AmeriCorps*VISTA projects
AmeriCorps programs
State Commission on National and Community Service (staff and board members)
Senior Corps projects
Other service partners (such as service-learning program administrators)
United Ways
Area Agencies on Aging
Higher education institutions and high schools
Media (newspapers, radio and television stations)
Churches
Alumni of AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and Peace Corps
Service organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, etc.)
3. Launch the Program
-
Send a mailing (both hard copy and e-mail) to announce Homes for Service to all national service programs: AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps*VISTA, Senior Corps,
and Learn and Serve America. Don’t forget to include your State Commission, the Corporation State Office, and other service partners with whom you work. Include brochures, flyers and
newsletter announcements in the mailing. Ask all programs to help publicize Homes for Service in their newsletters, among their staff and volunteers, on community bulletin
boards, etc.
-
Send letters to all known AmeriCorps*VISTA alumni in the area, asking for their
participation in Homes for Service, either as host homes or in assisting with publicity (see sample letters).
-
Make presentations on Homes for Service at meetings of AmeriCorps*VISTA project supervisors, AmeriCorps program directors,
commission staff and boards, service alliances, AmeriCorps Intercorps Councils,
etc. Provide materials on colored paper and plain white paper so organizations
can make additional copies themselves. Ask everyone to help publicize the program
in their newsletters, on their bulletin board, among their board members, in their
communities, etc.
-
Attend career fairs, volunteer conferences, and other public meetings to display
and distribute Homes for Service materials. Create a display of publicity materials on a 2’ x 3’ poster board
or corkboard to include with larger AmeriCorps recruitment displays.
-
Link Homes for Service with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA recruitment efforts. Ask project supervisors
and program directors to list Homes for Service as a possible benefit when recruiting. Publicize Homes for Service at all recruitment events.
-
Publicize Homes for Service to other agencies and organizations that can help get the word out and reach
potential host homes. These can include: media, churches, United Ways, Area Agencies
on Aging, colleges and universities, high schools, school guidance counselors,
local businesses, etc.
-
Identify Homes for Service advocates in key communities. These individuals can be State Commission staff,
AmeriCorps*VISTA project or AmeriCorps program staff, State Commission board members—any
person who will go the extra mile to spread any person who will go the extra mile
to spread the word about Homes for Service among his or her professional and personal networks.
- Utilize national e-mail discussion lists (VISTAnet and AClist) when appropriate to reach all members and projects in your area that subscribe.
4. Track Progress
-
Set up a database or other mechanism to keep track of host homes. Maintain updated
information on host name, address, e-mail, phone, fax, how they learned of the
program, and updated information about the type of housing they have, when it
is available and what it costs (i.e., private room with shared bath in home of
senior citizen; available starting Jan. 1 for $ 300 a month).
-
Distribute by e-mail or fax updated list of available host homes at regular intervals
(every 2–4 weeks) to AmeriCorps programs and VISTA projects. Include contact information
so program directors, supervisors or members can contact host homes directly.
Request follow-up information to track when host home matches are made.
- Prepare reports at regular intervals (every 4–8 weeks) on findings to date, tasks
completed (include both activities and results), strategies to address significant
challenges, and planned activities for upcoming weeks. Distribute reports to appropriate
stakeholders; include attachments of materials developed to date.
5. Publicize Results
-
Keep programs, projects, members and other stakeholders informed of the results
of Homes for Service. Publicize successes; seek input on addressing challenges; revise program as
necessary to meet specific needs of programs, projects and members in your area.
-
Develop recognition for host homes (thank-you notes, reception, etc.).
-
Invite host homes to service events and keep them informed of local service activities.
- Continue publicizing Homes for Service at every opportunity.
Homes for Service Materials Available
The materials below are available for download in Microsoft Word format. These
are samples only, and some include the contact information for the Maine/NewHampshire/Vermont
area. Please modify them to include your own contact information.
-
How to set up Homes for Service in your area (the same info as this web page, but in
Microsoft Word format).
-
Fact Sheet for Americorps Program Directors & Americorps*VISTA Project Supervisors
(includes liability language)
-
Flyer, Brochure (brochure is AmeriCorps*VISTA specific)
-
Sample News Releases or Newsletter Announcements in three different lengths: 300 words, 150 words, or 76 words
-
Press Release (can also be used as newsletter announcement or Flyer fits on one page)
-
Article Promoting Homes for Service Idea to Seniors
-
Host Home Checklist (includes liability language)
-
Graphic (Wanted: Homes for Service). Available in Bitmap format, Microsoft Word format, small gif, or large gif
-
Banner for small display on 2’ x 3’ posterboard or corkboard
-
Sample Letters (some letters are AmeriCorps*VISTA specific):
-
Sample of surveys sent to AmeriCorps*VISTA members and supervisors
Homes for Service Programs
Listed by State
California Homes for Service
Bob Walcher, Coordinator
Corporation for National and Community Service
California State Office
phone: (619) 281-3020
e-mail: info@cahomesforservice.org
San Francisco Bay Area Homes for Service
Maine Homes for Service
c/o Maryalice Crofton, Executive Director
Maine Commission for Community Service
187 State Street
Augusta, ME 04333-0038
phone: (207) 287-5313
fax: (207) 287-8059
e-mail: service.commission@maine.gov
website: http://www.volunteermaine.org/homes4service/index.php
New York Homes for Service
Donna Smith, State Director
Corporation for National and Community Service
New York State Office
phone: (518) 431-4150
e-mail: ny@cns.gov
Oregon
e-mail discussion group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oregonvistaamericorps
Vermont
Andrew Huff
phone: (802) 865-7547
e-mail: ahuff@ci.burlington.vt.us
website: http://www.cedoburlington.org/a_vista/Homes_for_Service.htm
Washington, D.C.
Inez Jackson
1201 New York Ave., NW
9212B
Washington, D.C. 20525
phone: (202) 606-5000, ext. 468
e-mail: ijackson@cns.gov
If You Want to Provide Housing
If you have low-cost or complimentary housing available that you would like to
provide to an AmeriCorps*VISTA member, e-mail vista@americorps.org with the location and specifications.
|
