Initiatives

Maine Citizen Corps is a joint initiative of the Maine Commission for Community Service and the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Since July 2002, the partners have collaborated on implementation of this federal effort to connect volunteers with first responders and emergency managers in order to support community preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery from natural or man-made emergencies.

More information on Citizen Corps in Maine is available through www.VolunteerMaine.org.

The Governor's Service Awards. Nearly twenty years, the Governor’s Service Awards have celebrated and recognized the exemplary work of Maine’s volunteer community. This award program, sponsored by the Governor of Maine, aims to highlight the many examples of commitment, impact on local issues or needs, leadership, innovation, and active citizenship. It is hoped that the awards have a dual effect: recognizing the invaluable contributions of the recipients and inspiring others to follow their examples.

The awards are administered on behalf of the Office of the Governor in partnership with the Maine Volunteer Connection. Nominations open each October for a January deadline and presentation during April's National Volunteer Week. For more information, visit www.VolunteerMaine.org.

Maine AmeriCorps. The Commission currently funds AmeriCorps program that have statewide impact. It administers $1 million in grant funds for AmeriCorps crew programs that address the need for first responders in rural areas, affordable and accessible housing for senior citizens and people with mobility restrictions, water pollution, and increased opportunities for youth to volunteer in their communities. Each program is selected and approved through a competitive grant process.

The current round of program funding covers 2003-2006. The next major round of grant awards will be made in Spring 2006.

For more information on Maine AmeriCorps, visit www.VolunteerMaine.org.

Volunteer Maine is a virtual "marketplace" of information, resources, and connections for Maine's public and private volunteer programs. Citizens who want to volunteer time can locate opportunities to be volunteers. Agencies and staff who are responsible for operating volunteer programs can find data, tools, "how to" information and more.

The Commission's partners in "Volunteer Maine" are the Maine Philanthropy Center, Maine Volunteer Connection, and the United Way of Greater Portland.