Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation
for National and Community Service, joined Mayor Jim Strickland to celebrate
Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service on April 6 at First
Baptist Church. Mayor and County Recognition Day
spotlights the key role national service volunteers play in meeting a wide
range of community challenges. The event will also include a volunteer
showcase for local elected officials illustrating the local impact of national
service programs. Porter-Leath is home to two CNCS programs, AmeriCorps and
Senior Corps.
AmeriCorps places young adults in
organizations to solve community problems and mobilize volunteers to action. Over
the past year, 20 AmeriCorps members served 28,733 hours in Porter-Leath
Preschool classrooms, working directly with 67 children to develop
individualized education plans, improve assessment results, and coordinate early
learning enrichment activities. AmeriCorps members recruited 229 community
volunteers who provided additional support to the classrooms throughout the
year, while students scored 16% higher in assessments from mid to end year.
Senior Corps connects adults 55+ to organizations
that help them become mentors, coaches, or companions to people in need;
Porter-Leath offers Senior Corps’ Foster Grandparent and RSVP programs. Over
the past year, Foster Grandparents provided educational activities to 154
children ages 5-14, with 132 children showing increased improvement in reading
and literacy skills. Foster grandparents also provided preschool educational
activities to 169 children ages 1-5, with 169 children demonstrating
improvement in emotional and cognitive skills. RSVP volunteers mentored 120
children ages 3-5, with 100% demonstrating improved classroom behavior and
meeting educational and behavioral goals. RSVP also provided homework
assistance and enrichment activities to 185 children ages 5-15, with 130
sustained mentor matches throughout the school year.
“National service volunteers have been
an invaluable resource in addressing local challenges, rallying other
volunteers, and making our community a better places to live,” said Judy
Rautine, Generations Manager at Porter-Leath. Devoting over 200,000 hours of
service, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps
programs operate in 10 additional nonprofit and public sector sites in Memphis
including Bridges USA, the City of Memphis, HopeWorks, Impact Memphis, Libertas
School of Memphis, Literacy Mid-South, MIFA, Shelby County Schools, Memphis
Teacher Residency, and Teach for America. First Baptist is located at 2835
Broad Ave.
Read more about Mayor's Day 2016 at The Commercial Appeal.
About Porter-Leath
For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has
been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By
focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath
not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope.
Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger
Memphis. For more information, visit or contact at 901-577-2500 or jrautine@porterleath.org.
About The Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that connects more than 5 million
Americans to service opportunities in their communities. CNCS engages volunteers
of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps,
AmeriCorps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs. For
more information, visit nationalservice.gov.