Contact: Melissa Reifert
September 14, 2007

Grant Funding to Help MECC AmeriCorps Continue to Serve Others

News about community service and opportunities to help others seems to be everywhere these days with a recent Time magazine special report entitled, “A Time to Serve,” and former President Bill Clinton’s new book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. For those inspired by this news, the Mountain Empire Community College AmeriCorps offers students the chance to actively participate in activities that serve others.

AmeriCorps is a national program with members of varied backgrounds and ages who work to address critical problems in our local communities in the areas of education, public safety, the environment, and other community needs. In May, MECC learned that the AmeriCorps program would receive a three-year continuation grant from the Virginia Office on Community Service and Volunteerism and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

There are currently 40 AmeriCorps members at MECC. They serve as literacy tutors and mentors in 14 primary and elementary schools in the counties of Dickenson, Lee, Scott, and Wise, and the city of Norton.

“All of us in the MECC AmeriCorps program have memories of our service that we hold dear to our hearts,” says Program Director Sue Graham. “We feel sure that AmeriCorps members in other programs are no different. Throughout the 2006-07 year of service, we had many great experiences, and we are looking forward to more in 2007-08.”

In addition to serving as literacy tutors, members participate in various other community service projects such as helping to enroll children in the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, renovating homes in collaboration with the Rural Areas Development Association, painting a new dorm and cafeteria at a faith-based summer camp, building houses with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and helping the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation group clear four tons of garbage out of a local stream that was victim to several generations of trash dumping.

The group also sponsored book drives within area schools, where they collected over 5,000 books which were redistributed to school children. Each child received two or three books to keep. The remaining books were given to local non-profit groups that serve children.

AmeriCorps’ reputation of service has become well-known within the community. “We helped build two houses with Habitat for Humanity,” relates Graham. “Out in the community later, while we were helping with the Imagination Library project, the mother of one of the families who received a Habitat house came up to us, very excited, saying, ‘I know who you are! You helped build my house!’”

The MECC AmeriCorps program is recruiting for new members for the 2007-2008 grant year, which is now underway. Students at MECC and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise are eligible to apply. For more information, contact Graham at (276) 523-2400, extension 365 or sgraham@me.vccs.edu.

MECC AmeriCorps member Mo Haskins trims tree branches while helping the Rural Areas Development Association renovate an elderly woman’s home. Haskins and other AmeriCorps members participate in a number of different service projects throughout the community.

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