Community Cares

“Getting Things Done”

February 2005

Boy how time flies!  It seems only yesterday that we kicked things off for the 04-05 program years.  In only two years, Community Cares has grown from 8 AmeriCorps members to 30.  Currently we serve 54 rural communities across the state of Tennessee.  The AmeriCorps members currently are serving an average of 700 frail and challenged seniors and people with disabilities.  Since September 2004, we have assembled and delivered over 300 disaster relief kits, home, fire, and medication safety plans.  After three informational days of training at Highlander Center, the members hit the ground running. 

We arrived in Knoxville, hungry, cold and freezing to death in October 2004, but that did not deter our service sprit.  Along with current AmeriCorps members, Community Cares Alumni and those awesome VISTA’s we were able to attend and participate in the 10^th Anniversary Celebration of AmeriCorps.  Community Cares members along with 340 other AmeriCorps members from around the state cleaned creeks and neighborhoods and disposed some 30 tons of garbage and rubbish. 

The TCAC Annual AmeriCorps workshop in November was a wonderful member development and peer exchange event - hats off again this year to Community Cares members for coming away with some awesome awards.  Mary Young and Sharon Bryant won the coveted Baker Bell award.  I’m not sure about anyone else, but every time I hear that song, “we all need somebody to lean on” it reminds me of the Community Cares gang.

Things didn’t slow down after November.  During the month of December, thanks to Heather Santana and Greeneville housing authority, AmeriCorps members were able to participate in METH & Ecstasy training from the Tennessee National Guard.

We held a regional team meeting thanks to Joyce Rickard and Morristown housing on Jan 13, 2005.  Special thanks to Mary Fitzpatrick from the Volunteer Center in Greeneville for speaking to us on how to beef our non-AmeriCorps recruitment.  Patrice Puglise we couldn’t have done it without you.  Thanks to Marsha Collins and Marilyn Medley for the catering.  YUMMY! 

Road trip anyone!!!

January 14^th, 2005, up at 3:00 a.m. and off to Memphis to celebrate MLK Day with other AmeriCorps members from across the state.   Community Cares members participated in vacant lot clean-ups, painting rooms in a local middle school and assisted in winterizing homes for 300 needy seniors.  AmeriCorps members also toured the MLK Museum and had some fun on famous Beal Street.  The highlight always of national service days is the swearing in ceremony.  What a feeling of solidarity!  I cannot think of any other place to be than with others in national and community service.

Mark Your Calendars

Our next Community Cares regional team meeting will be March 25, 2005 in Morristown TN.  Topic:  Smallpox disaster training.  This is one meeting you will not want to miss.  Along with Community Cares this year, I have invited Appalachia Cares, CAC, Emerald Youth Foundation and TCAC VISTA to join us. 

Don’t forget April 18-22 is National Volunteer Week.  Don’t let this opportunity go by members to do something special for your non-AmeriCorps volunteers who have assisted you during this program year. 

Member Fun Day anyone?!?

That’s what it will be On May 20, 2005 at Jefferson City housing authority. Mary Young and Sharon Bryant tell me they have lots of fun things in store for everyone! Come hungry, I hear they are cooking for all of us too.

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