“I was looking for different volunteer opportunities,” said Kevin Jenkins. “At first, I was looking at the Peace Corps, but their application process was too difficult. I went to AmeriCorps and I found the City Year program.”



“I was looking for different volunteer opportunities,” said Kevin Jenkins. “At first, I was looking at the Peace Corps, but their application process was too difficult. I went to AmeriCorps and I found the City Year program.”

AmeriCorps program builds teamwork, leadership

Jan. 7, 2005

By Kass Stone
Post-Tribune Correspondent

Kevin Jenkins, a 2000 graduate of Crown Point High School, is taking a year off between college and entering the work force, but he is not squandering his time.

Jenkins is helping middle-school students in New York City through AmeriCorps’ City Year program, which brings young people into schools nationwide to help educate them on the importance of community service.

In May, Jenkins received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wabash College in Crawfordsville. After a training period with City Year, he was sent to New York and assigned to a team working with students in the borough of the Bronx.

“I was looking for different volunteer opportunities,” said Jenkins. “At first, I was looking at the Peace Corps, but their application process was too difficult. I went to AmeriCorps and I found the City Year program.”

One of the projects Jenkins and his colleagues have accepted is the Young Heroes Team, a volunteer club for middle-school students. He calls it a “Saturday service club.”

“Just working with kids, it’s a different experience,” said Jenkins. “It really has helped me with my communication skills and my leadership skills.”

Jenkins believes his City Year experience will help him professionally after his time with the program ends this summer.

“It has really helped me with my teamwork skills,” he said. “We have to work as a team. It has helped with just my leadership skills, and those are things I will definitely use in my career, in business.”

Taylor Rainier, Jenkins’ program manager, said City Year is a great opportunity for young people.

“I started as a core member, like Kevin, when I got out of college last year, and it’s been just a great experience,” said Rainier, adding that Jenkins is doing well. “He’s one of our hardest-working team members. ... I don’t think he’s had an experience like this before, living in New York, working with children, and I’ve really seen him grow.”

Jenkins’ team is creating a summer service program. He hopes it will become a lasting community resource, producing citizens who are dedicated to improving it.

“It’s a great program,” said Jenkins of City Year. “It’s a chance to live in New York and there are other cities around the country. And, they’re opening in South Africa soon. It’s an opportunity to go live in these cities and to work with children and to develop your leadership and teamwork skills.”

To learn more about City Year, go to www.cityyear.org.

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

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January 8, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Zambia RPCV Karla Berg interviews 1,374 people on Peace 7 Jan Breaking Taboo, Mandela Says Son Died of AIDS 6 Jan Dreadlocked PCV raises eyebrows in Africa 6 Jan RPCV Jose Ravano directs CARE's efforts in Sri Lanka 6 Jan Persuading Retiring Baby Boomers to Volunteer 6 Jan Inventor of "Drown Proofing" retires 6 Jan NPCA Membership approves Board Changes 5 Jan Timothy Shriver announces "Rebuild Hope Fund" 5 Jan More Water Bottles, Fewer Bullets 4 Jan Poland RPCV Rebecca Parker runs Solterra Books 2 Jan Peace Corps Fund plans event for September 30 Dec RPCV Carmen Bailey recounts bout with cerebral malaria 28 Dec more top stories...

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Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

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