| Governor Patrick has just announced that he is going to adopt one of the Civic Engagement working group's key recommendations: the creation of Commonwealth Corps, a 1,000-member corps of full-time and part-time community service activists. From today's press release (on spiffy new "Governor Patrick" letterhead!):
Governor Deval Patrick today announced the creation of Commonwealth Corps, an organization dedicated to encouraging residents and improving communities across Massachusetts through community service and volunteerism. Enabling legislation will be filed shortly, and will build on the hard work that Senator Marc Pacheco and others have already done.
The Commonwealth Corps will include 250 individuals in its first year, with a goal of expanding to 1,000 members over the next five years. Members will dedicate at least one year of service to a nonprofit organization, civic initiative, or public entity, providing direct service to people or communities in need.
"Every single one of us has a stake in each others dreams and struggles, and in stronger communities. To that end, this administration will play a role in encouraging civic engagement," Governor Patrick said. "The mission of Commonwealth Corps is to draw together people of all ages and backgrounds to help meet human need and rebuild communities across Massachusetts. By mentoring, staffing after school programs or shelters, helping to clean up parks and neighborhoods, members can help transform communities and inspire others to take action to promote the common good."
And here's what the working group said about this:
Create a 1,000-person "Commonwealth Corps" to give Massachusetts residents the opportunity to serve their communities full-time.
Massachusetts can address its most urgent challenges and reinvigorate its civic life by creating a Commonwealth Corps, 1,000 members strong. Commonwealth Corps members will serve in schools, nonprofits, and municipal agencies, and will mobilize and lead 100,000+ volunteers in high-impact local projects.
The Commonwealth Corps will unleash the tremendous potential of voluntarism to transform the lives of those who serve and those who are served. It will also create and strengthen the bonds of common purpose that can unite our communities and help bridge barriers of race, class, age, language, and education. By establishing a new paradigm for large-scale, locally-managed service, Massachusetts can lead the nation to renew its civic vitality and fulfill its boldest aspirations.
The Commonwealth Corps members would serve one-year terms. The Corps would consist of approximately 500 full-time members, most of whom would be recent college graduates, and 500 part-time members, many of whom would be older adults and retirees. Commonwealth Corps members would be placed with nonprofit organizations and public entities (including schools) across the state, and would undertake projects from teaching citizenship classes for immigrants wishing to become citizens to rebuilding damaged homes in communities across the state. The entities would submit proposals through a competitive grant process and Corps member slots would be awarded to those entities with the highest-quality plans for engaging Corps members and the volunteers they attract. This proposal is estimated to cost $10-15 million annually.
Also noted in today's release -- and also recommended in the civic engagement report -- are some additional proposals:
The Bill will also codify the Massachusetts Service Alliance into law. The Alliance will administer the Commonwealth Corps and establish guidelines to implement community service and volunteer opportunities throughout the Commonwealth.
Governor Patrick's plan includes expansion of the State Employee Responding as Volunteers (SERV) program to address additional community needs. Currently, state employees who have worked for three months are eligible to volunteer for one day of service per month as tutors. The program will be expanded to include volunteer opportunities in the environmental, health and public safety fields, among others.
A very good start to Governor Patrick's promised 30-day blitz of policy announcements. Kudos, also, to Senator Marc Pacheco, who has filed legislation along these lines in previous sessions and who is joint-venturing this project with the administration. |
