OCSL: UMass Serves newsletter

The NEFWC/School-Based Mentoring Program is looking for both men and women who want to make a difference in the life of a child by becoming their mentor for 1 hour once a week. The role of the mentor is to simply be a "friend," a positive role model who the child can confide in, look up to, and learn from. Currently 30 children have been referred to the program and are waiting to be matched. Your help is needed because they must have mentors. Together, as a community, these children can be provided with positive role models that allow them to succeed to their full potential. For more information, contact: Shamika Santos, NEFWC School Based Mentoring Program, 225 High Street, 4th Fl Suite 408, Holyoke, (413) 536-5403 ext. 228, ssantos@partnersforcommunity.org.

SEEKING PEER REVIEWERS FOR AMERICORPS*VISTA APPLICATIONS
April 24, 2008; Boston, MA

MACC (Massachusetts Campus Compact) AmeriCorps*VISTA members develop, improve, and support the capacity of MACC member institutions to establish and maintain civic engagement programs. The MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA program provides colleges, universities and the community-based organizations they work with the opportunity to explore possibilities: for collaboration, for impact, and for long-term change.
Peer Reviewers:
- Assist MACC with its decision-making process by reading, reviewing,
and providing valuable feedback on proposals from AmeriCorps*VISTA-seeking institutions statewide.
- Network with a group of civic-oriented people from diverse backgrounds, including those from higher education, community-based organizations, national service programs, service groups, and volunteer organizations.
- Learn about innovative models of civic engagement being proposed this
year at Massachusetts colleges and universities. To sign up, or to request more information, please email Karen Chisholm at karen.chisholm@tufts.edu.

Class Action has 8 different summer internships! They include a YouTube/Myspace/Internet Networking internship as well as Development, Media, Communications and more! Class Action inspires action to end classism. We raise awareness, facilitate cross-class dialogue, support cross-class alliances, and work with others to promote economic justice. For more information, contact Sarah Reid, Office Manager, Class Action, 104 Russell Street, P.O. Box 350, Hadley, (413) 585-9709 x201, or visit www.classism.org/Internships2008.html.

Adolescent Advocacy Mentoring Project (AAMP) - More than 100 foster children in Franklin and Hampshire Counties will "age-out"of the child welfare system over the next three years. Without stable family connections and few services to support them, these foster youth, ages 14-18, often must literally fend for themselves. Mentoring may be the critical bridge in helping these young adults make a successful transition from foster care to self-sufficiency, from being a dependent child to an independent adult. AAMP is looking for mature people who are able to commit a minimum of 12 months to a youth.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) - Friends of Children trains CASAs to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children, ensuring that their needs are not overlooked by overburdened court and child welfare systems. The CASAs interview all people in the child's life, do a thorough review of the records, meet with the child monthly and provide a written report to the court. All of the children served by CASA are referred by the local Juvenile Court. The CASA is an advocate, a monitor, an investigator and a facilitator. CASAs can help change a life, one child at a time. Friends of Children is looking for people 21 and over who are willing to commit 18 months to a child. For more details on either program, visit the website at www.friends-of-children.org/ or call Friends of Children at (413) 586-0011.

This database lists hundeds of opportunities for students looking to enrich their academic experiences or simply contribute to their community. Check out CSLinks anytime from anywhere!

Click here to find out how to register to vote, get an absentee ballot while away at college, access a Spanish/English glossary of election terms and get ideas for mobilizing others on campus.

Girls Incorporated of Holyoke Mentoring Programs are looking for Phenomenal Women who are 18 and over to mentor young girls 5-18 years of age in Holyoke and surrounding areas. Commitment: one-on-one, 4-8 hours a month of meeting time for at lease one year. We feel you can increase the opportunities and improve the chances for girls to achieve academic and career success, receive guidance in goal-setting and explore and enhance personal skill, talents and interests. For more information, contact Jenny Whitley at (413) 533-0796 x112 or jwhitley.holyoke@girls-inc.org.

The Zoo in Forest Park and Education Center in Springfield is currently looking for volunteers and interns in the following areas: Education, Landscaping, Marketing, Facilities, and Animal Care. For more information and applications, contact Alison Summers, Director of Education and Volunteer Services, at (413) 733-2251 x110 or www.forestparkzoo.org.