Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps Puts Citizenship and Service in Action

Joanne Bauer

Joanne Bauer

Published January 17, 2017 5:30 am
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CLARION, Pa. – AmeriCorps members and volunteers of Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps provided services to three local communities as part of MLK Day of Service. Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps yesterday led over 70 volunteers in signatures project to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s at three service locations in Clarion and Venango Counties.

(Pictured above Winds of Trade Community Center)

Twenty-four AmeriCorps members and staff assisted in renovating a homeless shelter in Franklin, PA.

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Twenty-nine members aided the Keystone SMILES House of Trades construction training project in painting and wall preparations for a home in Oil City which will contribute to affordable housing for an eligible family with the goal of benefited a family tied to military service.

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Lastly, 17 members assisted with various service projects to support programming at the Winds of Trade Community Center in Clarion.

An additional 60 AmeriCorps volunteers served in the remaining 8 counties where Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps’ service area exists in Northwestern PA.

Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps members and staff were joined by hundreds of thousands of AmeriCorps members and community volunteers across the country on this national day of service.

“Today we answer Dr. King’s call to serve and are helping to make a difference in the lives of Clarion and Venango County residents,” said Joyce Fosdick, the Executive Director of Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center and Director of Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps.

“A resourceful way to meet local needs, volunteer service is a powerful tool that unites us around a common purpose and builds strong communities. We are putting the core American principles of citizenship and service into action.”

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that oversees National Service Programs and leads the annual MLK Day of Service, working with the King Center in Atlanta and thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, schools, and businesses nationwide. These projects include delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, collecting food and clothing, signing up mentors, reading to children, promoting nonviolence, and more.

The MLK Day of Service shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides – today and throughout the year. Many communities will also engage in dialogue to explore ways they can address important issues. National Days of Service provide Americans with an opportunity to join neighbors and local leaders to tackle community challenges and strengthen the nation.

In Pennsylvania, AmeriCorps State Programs are administered by PennSERVE, The Governor’s Office of Citizen Service. Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps members provides academic support services to 30 School Districts and 12 Community Agencies across 10 counties in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Entering their 22nd year of National Service, over 2,200 Keystone SMILES’ AmeriCorps members have enhanced academic performance for 70,914 students across rural counties through tutoring and support service and have impacted an additional 22,814 students through mentoring programs that address their social and behavioral needs.

For more information about Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps or how you can apply to join Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps go to www.smilesamericorps.org.

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