Volunteer Florida

Volunteer Florida is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2012 Florida AmeriCorps State and National Service Conference happening February 24-25 in Orlando! This conference is an extraordinary opportunity for Florida's National Service members to come together for educational and inspirational opportunities to enhance their service.

Set to the theme Viva AmeriCorps! Celebrating Service, the conference will showcase the tremendous work of Florida's AmeriCorps members and strengthen their role in meeting critical community needs across the state.

Governor Rick Scott recently announced the appointments of John “J.P.” Ottino, Frank Nappo, Charles J. Scriven, Justin Quiggle, Chucha Barber, and Autumn Karlinsky to Volunteer Florida, the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.

“Governor Scott’s new appointments will bring fresh perspectives to Volunteer Florida and can help our organization to achieve its mission of connecting more Floridians to volunteer and national service opportunities,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Wendy Spencer. “Our new commissioners come from across Florida and have strong backgrounds in nonprofit, educational, community and faith-based organizations. I am looking forward to working with them!”

Ottino, 56, of Fort Lauderdale, is the vice president of Daily Management Inc. He succeeds Yolanda F. Londono and is appointed for a term beginning December 21, 2011, and ending September 14, 2012.

Nappo, 68, of Naples, is a retired community college dean. He succeeds Robert F. Milligan and is appointed for a term beginning December 21, 2011, and ending September 14, 2014.

Scriven, 79, of Tallahassee, is the minister of Corinth Christian Fellowship. He succeeds Jose R. Irizarry and is appointed for a term beginning December 21, 2011, and ending September 14, 2012.

Quiggle, 16, of Ponte Vedre, is a high school student. He succeeds J. Broderick Enwright and is appointed for a term beginning December 21, 2011, and ending September 14, 2013.

Barber, 58, of Tallahassee, is the chief executive officer of the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science. She succeeds Aileen Pruitt and is appointed for a term beginning December 21, 2011, and ending September 14, 2012.

Karlinsky, 38, of Weston, is a community volunteer. She succeeds Debora Carswell, and is appointed for a term beginning December 21, 2011, and ending September 14, 2012.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Volunteer Florida CEO Wendy Spencer recently announced 13 organizations across the state that are being awarded grants through Volunteer Florida’s BEST Neighborhoods initiative. The BEST program, which stands for Build-Engage-Sustain-Transform (BEST), is based on “neighboring,” a model concept of community engagement that uses volunteering as a tool to empower, mobilize and facilitate positive changes within communities.

“This past year’s BEST Neighborhoods program was a great success that exceeded our expectations, and I am thrilled to announce next year’s grantees,” said CEO Spencer. “Our BEST Neighborhoods program recognizes that every resident in a community has something to offer that can help a neighbor. By reaching out to marginalized populations, these BEST programs lift up citizens and communities through their volunteer engagement by rolling up their sleeves to meet local needs. It’s an excellent model of civic engagement and I look forward to working with our 2012 grantees!”

Organizations who were awarded grant funds were selected based on their abilities to address one or more of the following areas in qualifying counties: economic recovery, education, disaster preparedness, environment and human needs. In total, 13 grants are being awarded covering 11 counties throughout Florida.

Volunteer Florida’s BEST Neighborhoods program is a three-year program contingent upon federal funding. Volunteer Florida created the program last year as one of 19 state commissions to receive a Volunteer Generation Fund Grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, which funds the BEST program’s administration and implementation. See below for a full list of grant recipients!

Belafonte TACOLCY – Miami-Dade County

Chautauqua Learn and Serve Charter and AmeriCorps - Bay County

Chain Reaction – Escambia County

Community Drug and Alcohol Council - Escambia County

Community Vision – Osceola County

Earth Learning – Miami-Dade County

Flagler Volunteer Services – Flagler County

Gainesville Police Department – Alachua County

HandsOn Broward – Broward County

Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA – Hillsborough County

United Way of Suwannee County – Suwannee County

VolunteerLEON – Leon County

Volunteer Services of Manatee County – Manatee County

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!!

Visit the BEST webpage for more information.

Governor Scott poses with City Year Miami AmeriCorps members at a NASCAR event in the

Governor’s Mansion to promote volunteerism. From Left: Noah Youngstrom, Amanda Calderon, Walker Mosley, Governor Scott, Anthony Teague and Bethany Copland.

Volunteer Florida's City Year Miami AmeriCorps members were recently invited to join Governor Rick Scott at a NASCAR reception in the Governor's Mansion to promote volunteerism in Florida. The NASCAR reception highlighted NASCAR Unites, an initiative led by the NASCAR Foundation that strives to improve the lives of children across America.

City Year Miami AmeriCorps members serve as tutors, role models and mentors for some of Miami-Dade County's most underserved children and youth, and they shared some of their success stories with representatives from the NASCAR Unites Foundation who were present at the event. For more information about volunteer opportunities with NASCAR, click here.

From left: Commissioner Jon Levinson, Broward College President J. David Armstrong, Chairman Mike Andrew, CEO Wendy Spencer, Graham Institute Director Ann Henderson and Commissioner Susan Towler accepted the award on behalf of Volunteer Florida.

Volunteer Florida was recently recognized at the Leadership Florida Annual Meeting with a Statewide Community Award for its work responding to last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As the state's Emergency Support Function (ESF) 15, Volunteer Florida is charged with coordinating volunteers in response to disasters; and the organization registered 19,899 volunteers who were prepared for Deepwater Horizon immediate response, recovery and on-going long-term efforts.

Highlights of these efforts include clearing litter of over 250 miles of beaches pre-landfall to ensure the potential damages of oil were not exacerbated by additional debris; and, 3,726 volunteers photographed all 825 miles of Florida's beaches covering 34 coastal counties for the Great VISIT FLORIDA Beach Walk, a statewide event by volunteers to showcase Florida's oil-free beaches to encourage tourism and boost the economy.

Volunteer Florida Commission Chairman Mike Andrew, Commissioners Jon Levinson and Susan Towler, former Commissioners J. David Armstrong and Ann Henderson, and CEO Wendy Spencer accepted the award on Volunteer Florida's behalf. Thanks to all of the volunteers and partner organizations who helped in this response effort!