Volunteerism benefits everyone

Many people you meet on the street every day have some sort of volunteer duties. Volunteers make life better for others and bring community together.

Do you have Community Service Opportunities for College Students??

VSMD is working with the Leadership Program at the College of Southern Maryland to help provide students with community service opportunities. The students are required to complete 5 hour blocks of community service before April 2010.

If you have upcoming events and could use volunteer assistance for a block of 5 hours or more, please e-mail Heather Zeolla at hzeolla@csmd.edu or call 301-934-7790 X 7016.

Compulsory volunteerism?

In concept, the idea of compelling high school students in Gilroy to volunteer is a good one. What's not to like?

Students learning about their community in a service-oriented setting is a very good thing. Whether it's practical and should merit priority status is another, more difficult, question.

In the first phase of the "volunteer" program, the idea is to encourage volunteerism. In a perfect world, that first phase would work so well that moving into compulsory volunteering - truly an oxymoron of sorts - is unnecessary.

By Dispatch Editorial Board

Volunteer Maryland is looking for a new Support Team member to oversee the VM VISTA program!

The Program Manager (PM) will oversee the AmeriCorps*VISTA program at VM. In addition, the Program Manager will process, track, and report all payments and revenue for all aspects of Volunteer Maryland. The Program Manager will work closely with Preston Complex and GOCI staff to maximize resource sharing, logistics, and communications between VM, the Governor's Office, and State Government. As a member of the Volunteer Maryland Support Team, the Program Manager will also take an active role in all aspects of Volunteer Maryland organizational development.

Volunteerism still strong, but changing

The spirit of volunteerism appears to be alive and well, but it also is changing from long-term to more targeted commitments.
By ROBERT M. COOK

As economy sags, many turn to volunteering

At last, the up side of the worst unemployment to batter the country since the early 1980s: Americans are rediscovering volunteer work.

By Anita Creamer

The truest measure of a nation

Even in tough economic times, Americans generally agree that our greatness as a nation springs from our democratic traditions, diverse cultures and ingrained traits such as self-reliance, ingenuity and a "can-do" spirit.

By AL BRANDEL and DEBRA WASSERMAN
startribune.com