VetCorps helps West Virginia veterans heal themselves as they help others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPoDlGUAPR4
Returning veterans face many problems, such as homelessness, misdiagnosis, PTSD, warehousing, incarceration, self-imposed isolation, and fears of the consequences of acknowledging problems. West Virginia has the largest number of veterans, per capita, of any state. As more veterans return home, these issues will have an effect on families, communities, and the entire state. VetCorps is an AmeriCorps program that can hep alleviate these issues. Lisa Tignor and Mitzi Miller Vince are working on a documentary about VetCorps to be seen later this year. Check out the first promo here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VflMaZQdgME
Statewide businesses and organizations only have a couple of weeks left to submit a nomination for the second annual Business Volunteerism Awards.
Many businesses and organizations make significant contributions to their communities in both large and small ways every day. Coordinated by the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council (BVC), the Business Volunteerism Awards recognize West Virginia businesses, labor organizations, professional associations, and nonprofit organizations that incorporated volunteer service into their policies and practices in 2010. The deadline for nominations is March 31.
Nominations can be made in one of two categories:
The BVC encourages individuals to nominate an outstanding business or organization that displayed enduring commitment for the betterment of West Virginia through volunteerism in 2010. The nomination process involves a one-page nomination form along with a description of the nominee’s volunteer efforts. Two references must accompany each nomination.
Recipients of the Business Volunteerism Awards will receive recognition at the annual Business Volunteerism Reception held at the Governor’s Mansion in Charleston on April 13 during National Volunteer Week.
Nomination forms are available on Volunteer West Virginia’s website, www.volunteerwv.org. The deadline for submitting nominations is March 31, 2010. For more information, please contact the BVC at (304) 558-0111 or email bvc@wv.gov.
The West Virginia Business Volunteer Council (BVC) is a statewide initiative open to all private sector businesses, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, and business and professional associations. The BVC is a way for the private sector to join government and non-profits in building a better West Virginia through volunteer service. The BVC is a primary resource for encouraging, educating, and connecting businesses that support employee volunteer programs as a business strategy.
The BVC is a program of Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s Commission for National and Community Service, which provides critical administrative resources, guidance, and support, in addition to access to hundreds of non-profit agencies in the Mountain State through www.volunteerwv.org. To learn more about the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council, visit www.volunteerwv.org.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s Commission for National and Community Service, will honor these outstanding West Virginians who have gone above and beyond in their communities in a special banquet at the state volunteerism conference, Faces of Leadership, in Charleston on August 10, 2011.
“We’re looking for extraordinary people from across the state who have stepped up to meet a need in their community,” Stephanie Yu, executive director of Volunteer West Virginia, said. “These people have identified a need in their community and worked toward a solution in their own time and in an innovative way.”
Any individual, organization, or family in West Virginia actively engaged in voluntary service benefiting the state may be nominated. There are no age restrictions for nominees. Last year’s recipients volunteered to create opportunities for the homeless, feed the hungry, provide medical care for the underprivileged, revitalize a student neighborhood, create a recreational outlet for a community, mentor children and create economic opportunities through tourism.
Nomination forms are available on the Volunteer West Virginia web site, www.volunteerwv.org, or by calling (800) WV-HELPS. Nominations should be postmarked by April 13, 2011.