Meadow VIew Summer Gardening

We’ve finally reached the end of the year but the Meadow View garden will still be in action all summer, thanks to the help of several dedicated families who have agreed to continue volunteering over the summer.

Since the beginning of the year, Meadow View has hosted monthly garden workdays where families were invited to come out and help in the garden while we entertained their children with fun gardening projects. Things have gone so well that we decided to see if any parents would be on board to help over the summer and to our surprise, many said “Yes!” Currently, we have about twelve families that are helping in various capacities.

For example, one parent has been instrumental in getting our irrigation system up and running. He’s installed drip systems in our new beds and programmed a brand new irrigation timer that was purchased using grant money. Another parent brings out his weed eater and clears out the masses of weeds Meadow View seems to attract every few months. Some parents have adopted one or more of our six beds, which are all organized according to themes, and they are responsible for planting the seeds and maintaining the space. Any produce is up for grabs for all the families.

We never thought the garden would grow into such a successful project and know that it would not have been possible without the help of several dedicated mentors and families. Although we’re still in the beginning phases and there is still a ton to do, we have a good, solid start to a productive summer.

Holly Cumbie, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow

Join the CalSERVES Team!

Today is the last day of service for our full-time AmeriCorps members at CalSERVES. They have all done a tremendous job in serving our community. Thank you all for your incredible devotion and commitment to helping children!

As we look to next year, we have many opportunities for participation and service. Please consider joining our team for 12-13 - it's going to be another stellar year! Below are positions we have available:

AmeriCorps Service

At CalSERVES’s project sites across California, AmeriCorps members serve either full or part-time for 10-12 months, providing more than 1,700 or 900 hours of service. 

AmeriCorps members work with community organizations to develop their volunteer programs. They are committed to building program capacity by putting in place the building blocks for a sustainable, high quality volunteer program. Leadership opportunities are available for applicants with previous service experience.

Service Scholars
Service Scholars is a service learning and internship program that connects skilled, passionate and dedicated college students with youth in after school programs to provide learning opportunities for all. Selected candidates serve as role models and bring focused, inspiring instruction to youth in one of four areas of specialty: Art, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), PE/Nutrition, or Literacy.

Over the course of two semesters, scholars will lead small groups of students through a series of lesson in their area of focus.  For example, a Literacy Scholar might guide a 6th grade group in the creation of a school newspaper, while a STEM Scholar works with 5th graders in Lego Robotics, and the PE/Nutrition Scholar helps 2nd graders create a cookbook.  Specialists will also support homework, snack/recess time and lead a weekly club in their specialty area.

After School Classroom Leader
After School Classroom Leaders will guide an after school classroom of 20 students through the CalSERVES after school program. Components of the after school day include homework help, snack/recess, literacy instruction, PE/nutrition, and math. Classroom Leaders will prepare hands on and engaging lessons that meet the needs of all students, including those with disabilities. The program will prioritize applicants with previous experience and success in the program. 

If you are interested in any of these positions, visit our website JOIN OUR TEAM page to learn more. You can also contact us for more information at recruitment@calserves.org.

Nominations Open for the 2012 Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards

The CalSERVES team would like to you participate in nominations for the 2012 Governor's Volunteering and Service Awards!

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has opened nominations for the 2012 Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards. This annual CaliforniaVolunteers event inspires Californians as they learn of amazing feats of service taking place statewide.

“Everyday, Californians make the state stronger through countless hours of volunteerism. This spirit of service is especially important during these tough budget and economic times,” said the Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker. “The Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards celebrates the trailblazing work of California’s top volunteers, and we encourage Californians to nominate the best and brightest now.”

Nomination categories include:

• California’s Volunteer of the Year -Honors an outstanding Californian whose volunteer service is exemplary and inspirational.
• California’s Nonprofit of the Year - Honors an outstanding California nonprofit that has shown an extraordinary ability to leverage volunteers in service to their organization.
• California’s AmeriCorps Member of the Year - Honors an outstanding California AmeriCorps member who has made a substantial impact to their community.

The deadline to submit a nomination for a Governor’s Volunteering and Service Award is Friday, June 29, 2012. To make your nomination, please visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org/gvsa.

The Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 31, 2012.

Bellevue Principal honors CalSERVES AmeriCorps Program

I can't imagine my school without the CalSERVESAmeriCorps staff here--it would be too quiet, too boring, almost lifeless! The mentors are all over the school, all day long--we call them all mentors because they are role models for all the students in the myriad of positions they fill: as tutors, as afterschool teachers, as volunteer coordinators, garden project leaders, p.e. champions, marquee sign creators, cheerleaders, promoters of reading, etc.

The mentors are ready to take on any task and do it with zest. We have murals on our school walls thanks to the mentors, murals about eating healthy, and about the resiliency skills taught to all students. Mentors went to the sixth grade outdoor ed program, and we needed them for supervision and kp!

We have the garden looking its best ever because of AmeriCorps. And 40 of our students have made great gains in the tutoring program, reading four times a week with their special tutor to raise their scores to grade level.

That's what I see as a result of the positive energy CalSERVES AmeriCorps brings to Bellevue.

Beth Wilson
Bellevue Elementary Principal

Our Garden is Growing!

Since starting the garden project at Meadow View Elementary School last fall, the CalSERVES crew has accomplished a number of projects and are excited with the progress.

We have completed six new 4 ft X 4 ft X 8 ft planter boxes. To fill the beds, we used existing soil with a donation from Sonoma County Compost. We have begun repairing the irrigation system in the garden. New pipe has been laid underground and all beds have a brand-new drip system with a timer. The next step will be to find and repair a leak in one of the pipes.

We have begun work on our habitat garden, a designated space for native trees, plants, and butterfly friendly flowers. We have planted several species of plants that will attract different insects and animals. This project will be continued over summer.

Finally, we have created a new three-part compost system that can be utilized over summer and during the school year. Summer projects include restoring the outdoor classroom and creating new flower beds from existing cinder blocks. In addition, we have recruited eleven families at our school to help build a bench and support the planting and maintenance of our garden over summer.

Who We Are

Our CalSERVES team have created a fabulous video to share with the world what CalSERVES is all about. A Big Thank You to Patrick McGrath, our amazing videographer/editor/director. And a special thanks to all the CalSERVES AmeriCorps members that lent their voice to this project.

You will find this video and many others on the CalSERVES You Tube Channel!

In Celebration of a Fantastic CalSERVES Year!

On May 31, 2012, the CalSERVES staff and mentors gathered to celebrate the end of yet another fantastic CalSERVES year.

In the 2011-2012 School Year, 110 CalSERVES AmeriCorps members:

• Mentored 1,145 students in After School programs at 6 Elementary schools


• Tutored 382 students in reading


• Served (as of May 1, 2012) a total of 128,625 hours in the community!

Efren Carrillo addresses AmeriCorps members.

The celebration included an appearance from Efren Carrillo, Sonoma County Supervisor and long-time champion of our programs. He told the AmeriCorps members of the tremendous impact they had in the lives of the children they served and pointed out that the kids who come for tutoring and after school "want to be like you". 

Chasing down a clue during the treasure hunt.

There were speeches, awards, a treasure hunt, and dinner. And each site presented a video representing the amazing experiences of the past year. Check out the videos from the event on the CalSERVES YouTube channel. You can also view pictures of the proceedings on CalSERVES Flickr.

Hats off to the graduating AmeriCorps crew!

Congratulations, AmeriCorps Class of 2012! 

Go out and SERVE - wherever life leads.

Meadow View Makes a Difference!

 The AmeriCorps mentors of CalSERVES Meadow View recently spent 90 minutes making the biggest difference they could in our community. Many of our members paired off to do creative projects to help make a difference and contribute to the cleanliness, safety, and overall support of our Santa Rosa neighborhood. We then reconvened to share our stories. Mentors were nominated for specific awards for their efforts. Our challenge winners include:

Furthest Traveled Difference: Olivia and Julianna, who baked snacks to honor employees at Chops, the Redwood Empire Food Bank, and the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Rosa.

Most Creative Difference: Nick and Jovanna, who gave burritos out to homeless folks, cleaned up trash at Julliard Park in downtown Santa Rosa, and helped create a display at the Santa Rosa Library.

Most Meaningful Difference: Gualberto, who completed a special slideshow to share with our students and mentors to remember this amazing year.

Above and Beyond Difference: Kim S. and Maritza, who brought paint and offered to cover up graffiti on private property and businesses.

To honor their efforts and continue the spirit of giving back, the Site Supervisor arranged for each mentor to receive a $25 certificate for Kiva, a non-profit internet-based organization dedicated to finding resources to combat poverty. With painting, appreciations, feeding homeless, organizing libraries, making donations, supporting peers, and giving back to the community…it was a successful 90 minutes of making a difference!