Walk for Independence 2009 Community Parnter

Logo: Volunteer West Virginia, The State's Commissions for National and Community Service

Volunteer West Virginia: The State's Commission for National & Community Service

Volunteer West Virginia, the state's Commission for National and Community Service, was created in 1994 to strengthen West Virginia communities through service and volunteerism. The state agency administers a variety of programs, serves as a clearinghouse for volunteers, supports nonprofits, develops leaders in West Virginia communities, and encourages individuals of all abilities and backgrounds to serve their communities.

Volunteer West Virginia receives a federal grant to increase awareness and promote inclusion of people with all abilities in national service programs. Joyce Brown, AmeriCorps program officer for West Virginia and an AmeriCorps alum, tells us:

"In the past, we've partnered with other disability serving organizations but this is the first partnership with Mountain State Centers for Independent Living. We are very excited to have a team made up of our staff, AmeriCorps members and other friends to take part in the walk. By taking part in the Walk 2009 we feel that a window of opportunity has opened to share our message that 'everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.' We hope that the Walk for Independence is just the beginning of our partnership with Mountain State Centers for Independent Living."

More on Volunteer West Viriginia

Volunteer West Virginia supports organizations involved in community service and volunteerism through a wide range of services and technical assistance.

Programs administered by Volunteer West Virginia:

AmeriCorps - AmeriCorps is like the domestic version of the Peace Corps. AmeriCorps programs in West Virginia address critical issues such as poverty, illiteracy, economic development, and health.
Project FLOW (Future Leaders of Watersheds) - Project FLOW is a service-learning program that aims to involve youth in community service and education around the topic of watershed health.
Citizen Corps - Citizen Corps programs provide individuals and communities with training, education and resources to prepare themselves and their families in the event of a disaster.
Business Volunteer Council - The Business Volunteer Council helps bridge the gap between the business community and the nonprofit community through volunteerism.

Volunteer West Virginia's database clearinghouse for volunteers:

VolunteerWV.org - An interactive database that matches volunteers with the organizations that need their help. Individuals or organizations can register online to find a volunteer opportunity that matches their interests, post a need for a volunteer, or log volunteer hours.

Continuous methods of support for West Virginia's nonprofits:

Faces of Leadership Conference - This is the annual state conference on volunteerism, national service and service-learning. Conference attendees have more than 50 workshops covering a variety of volunteerism topics to choose from, a variety of special sessions, a community service project, entertainment, and an educational exhibit gallery walk.
SkillBuilder - This is a published and online training newsletter that features statewide training opportunities. Organizations can post their training opportunities online and a printed edition goes out to more than 5,000 people statewide three times a year.

Visit their Web site to learn more about VolunteerWV.org.

Contact Us

For more information about the Walk for Independence 2009, contact Brenda Goodfellow at 304-652-2116 or toll-free 866-687-8245 or email her at bgoodfellow@mtstcil.org.