ST. MICHAELS
Sites of Service

St. Michael Indian School (SMIS)
www.smis1902.org
Mission: To provide Native American students with a high quality education that is rooted in Catholic values, is sensitive to Native heritage, and enables students to contribute in a culturally diverse world.

Description: St. Michael Indian School is a K-12 Catholic elementary and high school. Volunteers are needed as teachers, coach/athletic director, computer technology coordinator, and office worker.

St. Michaels Association for Special Education, Inc. (SMASE)
Mission: To promote and provide a coordinated, accessible system of quality services for Dine (Navajo) children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Description: SMASE serves moderate to severely disabled Navajo children and adults with comprehensive day and residential services. Programs include fully-licensed and certified special education classrooms, skilled nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, adaptive ancillary programs, community integration and service learning. Volunteers are needed to work in a professional or paraprofessional position as part of a comprehensive team that moves every client or student towards meeting their full potential in life.

SACRAMENTO
Sites of Service

Clean and Sober
www.clean-and-sober.org
Mission: To offer a path to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction for homeless and financially impoverished women and men through a long-term residential program, transitional housing, and a community of support.

Clean & Sober provides resources to homeless addicts and alcoholics seeking recovery, including a walk-in office at a homeless services agency, two entry-level residential communities, and transitional housing.  Residents have typically been homeless or incarcerated, but learn to live in sobriety and eventually reenter society as productive, contributing members. A volunteer is needed to play a role in residents’ transformation by offering support, mentoring, providing transportation, securing donations, and providing encouragement.

Loaves and Fishes
www.sacloaves.org
Mission: In an environment of welcome, hospitality, safety and cleanliness, we seek to provide an oasis for homeless men, women, and children seeking survival services.

Loaves & Fishes recognizes the dignity and spiritual destiny of each person and hopes by their attitude of hospitality and love to nourish not only physical needs, but also spiritual needs for love acceptance, respect and friendship. Loaves & Fishes offers 12 unique programs. A volunteer is needed to serve at Maryhouse, a daytime hospitality center for homeless women and children, by offering case management, information and referrals, and assistance in basic hygiene and food necessities.

Mercy Housing
www.mercyhousing.org

Mission: To create stable, vibrant and healthy communities by developing, financing, and operating affordable, program enriched housing for families, seniors and people with special needs who lack economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities.

Mercy Housing programs are focused on design, construction, rehabilitation, and management of affordable housing for low and very-low income families, seniors, and individuals with special needs (homelessness, AIDS, mental health issues, etc.).

A volunteer is needed to coordinate direct service programs for residents at an affordable housing complex and also assist with outreach activities in rural communities for families who want to build their own homes.

SAVANNAH
Sites of Service

Candler SOURCE/Georgia Infirmary
www.sjchs.org (follow the links under community programs)

Mission: Rooted in God’s love we treat illness and promote wellness for all people.

St. Joseph’s/Candler SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in Community Environments) program seeks to positively impact the lives of older adults and younger people with disabilities through an innovative program of enhanced case management. SOURCE coordinates social and personal support services along with medical care through a primary care physician, helping members maintain good health and functional independence and avoid potential nursing home or other institutionalized care. Two volunteers are needed to coordinate community connection for SOURCE members through friendly visiting with members and building circles of support, reintroducing members to the neighborhoods and communities of which they were once a part.

St. Mary's Community and Health Center
St. Mary's Community and Health Center is located in a neighborhood where unemployment, illiteracy, lack of health care, and substandard housing are prevalent.  St. Mary’s offers a food pantry and clothing store, job training, adult literacy, children's educational programs, tax preparation programs, and
freehealth care for the uninsured. 

Volunteers are needed to serve in the center’s community and health outreach programs as social workers, counselors, health care workers (certification as PCT/LPN/MA/RN), tutors, teachers, and more!

BALTIMORE
Sites of Service

AIDS Interfaith Residential Service, Inc.  (AIRS)
www.airshome.org
Mission: To provide comprehensive supportive housing services to enhance quality of life, emphasizing self-sufficiency for low-income and homeless individuals living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other disabilities.

AIRS provides support services and housing to low-income adults individuals and families with children, youth and young adults, ex-offenders, Spanish-speaking populations, and those who require 24 hour compassionate care and supervision, all of whom are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other disabilities. A volunteer is needed to serve as a residential aide, providing compassionate, personal and direct care to low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS in a residential setting.

Alternative Directions, Inc.
www.alternativedirectionsinc.org
Mission: To help men and women in prison and those leaving prison become independent, responsible citizens.

A statewide organization, ADI is dedicated to helping inmates, ex-offenders, and others in need to become contributing members of the community through civil legal assistance and transitional services. In addition, ADI works to educate policy makers
on issues affecting the incarcerated and ex-offender population. A volunteer is needed to assist as a paralegal, organize informational workshops about community resources for women nearing release from prison, and coordinate an annual fundraising event.

Mercy Medical Center -- Catherine's Hearth
www.mdmercy.com
Mission: Rooted in God’s healing love for all people, Mercy Medical Center, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, provides and promotes health services for the people of Baltimore of every creed, color, economic and social condition.

Catherine’s Hearth is a support center for homeless families where adults and children can both participate in on-site programs and activities, and access off-site job-training and education programs provided by partner organizations. The program focuses on helping adults and children build healthy relationships, strong communication and leadership skills, and enhancing their self-esteem, in order to improve their ability to successfully find employment paying a living wage and permanent housing. A volunteer is needed to serve as a children’s programming specialist, assisting in developing age appropriate activities for children ranging from 0-12 years of age and implementing and managing these activities.

St. Peter's Adult Learning Center
www.stpetersalc.org
Mission: To empower adults with developmental disabilities to be contributing members of society.

St. Peter’s Adult Learning Center serves persons with developmental disabilities by providing day and supported employment services to persons 21 years of age or older. A volunteer is needed to coordinate the day extension program to allow members life skill instruction, volunteer employment experiences, job coaching, travel training and case management services.

DETROIT
Sites of Service

Matrix Theatre Company
www.matrixtheatre.org

Mission: To use the transformative power of original theatre to change lives, build community, and foster social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers and audience of original theatre.

Matrix Theatre Company offers the following services for youth and adults: after-school drama & puppetry classes, inclusive theatre initiative, and giant puppet construction. The organization primarily serves the residents in southwest Detroit with services also offered in the surrounding suburbs of metro Detroit. A volunteer is needed to work with youth and adults from all walks of life in a community-based theatre setting.

Mercy Education Project (MEP)
www.mercyed.net

Mission: To provide educational opportunities, life skills development, and cultural enrichment for women and girls, who have limited access to resources, to enable them to improve the quality of their lives.

MEP provides after-school one-on-one remedial tutoring and other activities to at-risk girls in 1st-8th grades from southwest
Detroit and provides literacy, adult basic education, individualized GED preparation, and job skills training to women from low-income households in Detroit. All programs are designed to help women and girls overcome the stigma of earlier academic failure as they work toward short and long-term goals. A volunteer is needed to teach a class to women, tutor women, lead girls in structured activities, provide support for program planning, documentation and other program support.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School for Girls (OLG)
www.olgdetroit.org

Mission: An independent, Catholic school for young women with unique needs located in southwest Detroit. It is dedicated to empowering students to succeed academically, contribute to society and develop to their full potential.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School is a full-scholarship Catholic middle school for girls which offers small class size, an extended school day, Saturday field trips, extensive parental involvement and summer programming. The school serves a multicultural population of girls in grades 6, 7, and 8 from working-class and impoverished families. A volunteer is needed to serve as a member of the Extended Program team, leading clubs/sports, monitoring study hall, chaperoning field trips, assisting with the lunch program, and helping maintain the school library.

Part-Time Positions
Choose 2 of the following 3 sites to combine to make a full-time volunteer position.

Cabrini Clinic
www.cabriniclinic.org

Mission: To provide a holistic approach toward meeting the primary health care needs of economically disadvantaged residents of southwest Detroit and beyond. Cabrini Clinic offers education, prevention, and treatment without charge, but with deep compassion and respect for the people served and their needs.

Cabrini Clinic is a free medical clinic for uninsured adults.  The clinic is staffed by volunteers who provide primary care, prescription assistance and mental health counseling to those who otherwise have no access to needed care. A volunteer is needed to assist with the organization and operation of the clinic, including helping with a planned move to new and expanded space.  If an individual brings clinical credentials, there would be opportunity for direct patient care.  
 

Detroit Cristo Rey High School
www.detroitcristorey.org

Mission: To provide excellent college-preparatory Catholic high school education, in the Cristo Rey model, to students from economically disadvantaged families in Detroit.

Detroit Cristo Rey High School will welcome its first class of students in August 2008. The school integrates classroom experience with real-life work experience by partnering with businesses and corporations in metro Detroit. A volunteer is needed to assist the students with their academic and professional endeavors.

Office of Peace and Justice
no website

Note:The volunteer is not eligible for a full-time AmeriCorps Education Award due to the nature of the work.

Mission: To champion the Gospel, nurture non-violence and support human rights.

From a simple office in an African-American inner city parish, a volunteer works with Bishop Gumbleton’s administrative assistant, a Sister of Mercy, to implement his extensive speaking and travel schedule. A fabulous and life-changing opportunity to support the ministry of this “prophet of peace” as well as gain experience from a warm and gratifying partnership with a Mercy Sister and other peace advocates. A volunteer is needed to maintain personal contacts (phone, letter, email), research and writing, organizational tasks, and networking with advocacy groups locally and internationally.

ST. LOUIS
Sites of Service
Center for Women in Transition
Center for Women in Transition assists women transitioning from jail/prison, or in lieu of incarceration to reintegrate into society and their families, thereby witnessing to society that a restorative approach to justice is more effective for the women, their children, and society than is a punitive approach. 91% of the women remain out of jail compared to a national average of 27%. The Center offers year long mentors to accompany the women and advocacy support within the legal system, media, and society. A statewide coalition to promote restorative justice practices within the system and a transitional house provides for 11 women. Out of sensitivity for the women, only female volunteers can be considered for placement at this site. More information can be found on their website: www.cwitstl.org .

A special note. The next two ministries listed are a part of St. John's Mercy Health Care. St. John's Mercy is one of the largest Catholic-sponsored health care complexes in the nation. Since 1871, they have been known for comprehensive family medical care, medical education, research, community services, and dedication to the Mercy values of compassion and caring for all members of the community. More information can be found on their website: www.stjohnsmercy.net

Loyola Academy of St. Louis
Loyola Academy of St. Louis is a Nativity model middle school sponsored by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province.  Loyola Academy serves 60 young men in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades who have academic potential but are in danger of not reaching that potential due to a variety of social and economic factors.  Students who attend Loyola Academy participate in an extended school day as well as a six-week mandatory summer program.  A volunteer is needed to fill one of the following positions: middle school teacher or assistant after-school director, tutoring students, supervising lunch, recess and study hall, assist with after-school program activities and plan activities for the bi-monthly Saturday morning program. 

JFK Health Center
The JFK Health Center supports more than 30,000 visits from patients each year. The population served are those who are economically disadvantaged falling within or below the poverty guidelines. Patients are from the greater St. Louis area and throughout Missouri—some travel 100+ miles to receive necessary health care. Individuals represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds with an estimated 30 percent non-English speaking. Interpreter services are provided at no cost to the patient. Medical care is available in the following major areas: internal medicine, ob/gyn, pediatrics and general surgery.  The services of pharmacists, dieticians, social workers, nurses, nurse assistants, and interpreters are available to clinic patients.  Depending on interest and experience, volunteer opportunities are available in any of the above areas.  Interpreters are required to have 40 hours of interpreter training.  Nurses must have a Missouri license.  Strong preference for bilingual volunteers.  Some special projects, clerical work, or customer service may be included.

St. John's Mercy Neighborhood Ministry
As a department of St. John's Mercy Medical Center, the Neighborhood Ministry connects the economically underserved with appropriate health and social service resources. In partnership with community organizations, they improve access to care and quality of life for those in need. A large percentage of those being served are African American along with a refugees from Bosnia, Vietnam, and African nations. Health education, screening, job development/referral, English tutoring, and community development programs are all cooperative efforts of the Ministry and surrounding agencies. A volunteer is needed to assist with outreach efforts at churches, schools, and a variety of community organizations.

ANTHONY
Site of Service
Women's Intercultural Center
www.womensinterculturalcenter.org

Mission: A place where women of the Mesilla Valley learn and work together to develop their social, spiritual, economic and political potential.

Women’s Intercultural Center offers the following programs: educational programs (ESL, visual and healing arts, personal development, physical health, etc.); economic self-sufficiency (folk art, sewn products, etc.); and consciousness raising (an understanding of the larger factors impacting the border reality as well as a border awareness immersion program). Two volunteers are needed to share knowledge, skills and experience with the women participants at the Center, function as a part of the staff at the Center, and assist, according to talents, abilities and interests, with the work of carrying out the Center’s mission.

NEW YORK CITY AREA
Sites of Service

MERCY CENTER
www.mercycenterbronx.org

Mission: To provide educational, technical, human and supportive services to women, parents and other family members, empowering them to reach their full human potential, lead meaningful lives, and be agents of change in their families and communities.

Mercy Center is a neighborhood center for women and families in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. It offers a variety of programs to a primarily immigrant population (mostly Spanish-speaking): Alternatives to Family Violence, employment training, ESL/Immigrant Services, personal development and programs for the children of the women and families served. Volunteers are needed to be part of the Mercy Center community offering programs and skills to engage people in the work of growth and change.

CINCINNATI
Sites of Service
Bethany House Services, Inc.
Bethany House Services collaborates with others to provide emergency and affordable permanent housing to homeless and disadvantaged women and children. To meet the special needs of homeless families in an integrated, coordinated fashion, BHS formed the Family Shelter Partnership Program bringing together the energy, particular focus and expertise of 6 area family shelters. The FSPP also collaborates with Hamilton County Job and Family Services to bring Children's Services referrals into the partnership.  Over 2000 unduplicated homeless persons are served annually in the BHS programs. The agency hub is located on the west side of Cincinnati and plays an active role in the culturally and racially diverse neighborhood.  Emergency shelter and case management take place in a 25-bed homelike facility (in the hub) as well as at a local motel. More information can be found on their website: www.bethanyhouseservices.org .  A volunteer would enjoy the diversity that an agency like BHS provides and would be oriented, trained and supervised to participate in a variety of the agency services and programs depending on the person's interests, talents and desires.  A program of daytime and evening volunteering would be great and would provide the most variety for an immersion experience that is fulfilling and meaningful in terms of interaction with shelter guests, staff and volunteers.

St. Boniface School
St. Boniface School is a fully accredited Catholic elementary school grades K-8.  It is one of a cluster of eight inner-city schools that are partially funded by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  More information can be found on their website:  www.stbonifacecincinnati.com .  A volunteer is needed to tutor students, assist classroom teachers, help the students in the computer lab or school library, offer occasional office assistance and/or assist/coordinate major school celebrations and events.  There are many opportunities for service from which a volunteer may choose.

Nativity Parish
Nativity Parish is a medium-sized urban parish with a school of 377 students located in a racially and economically mixed neighborhood. The people of the parish are involved and committed to maintaining the vitality of the community being affected by a population shift to the suburbs.  More information can be found on their website:  www.nativity-cincinnati.org .  A volunteer is needed to represent the parish at the local food pantry and community arts center and to work with parish organizations—St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Ann - and the school  This requires a flexible volunteer with initiative for these diverse activities. His/her talents will shape the job description for unmet needs in the parish community.

A special note about the next 2 service sites : In 2007, both the H.O.M.E. Program and Mercy Connections plan to merge with a third Mercy-related organization, Healing Connections, Inc.  Although two different role descriptions are given above, a volunteer could serve in both programs, if that would be the choice.

Sisters of Mercy H.O.M.E. Program
The mission of the H.O.M.E. Program is to enhance the quality of life of the elderly poor and people with special needs who lack basic necessities.  HOME provides service to clients in two low-income neighborhoods of Cincinnati, OH.  Clients are predominantly African-American.  A flexible and compassionate volunteer is needed to work with the nurse and outreach workers to visit and assess clients in their homes, nursing home, or hospital.  The volunteer will also assist with planning activities in the senior housing units, managing the food pantry, and serving “walk in” clients.

Mercy Connections
Mercy Connections provides support, services and resources in a nurturing environment with the goal of improving life for families and individuals.  More than 90% of clients and students are African-American, with more than 90% living in poverty. The education and support programs help individuals and families gain the skills they need to achieve self-sufficiency, live successfully in the community, and break the cycle of poverty in their lives.  More information can be found on their website: www.mercycon.org .  The volunteer would be asked to tutor adults in GED and remedial studies, tutor or instruct in computer ed classes, and assist with other computer-oriented projects.

ERIE
Sites of Service

SafeNet Domestic Violence Safety Network
www.safenet.erie

Mission: Committed to ending domestic violence, affirming human dignity and delivering comprehensive direct services to victims of domestic violence. It provides sanctuary, support, education and advocacy and promotes changes in legislation and social policies. 

SafeNet offers the following programs: emergency shelter services, non-residential counseling, community education and medical outreach. SafeNet serves mostly women and children, of all ages and backgrounds. Two volunteers are needed to take hotline calls, assist in running the shelter, participate in advocacy work, perhaps counsel individuals, and generally learn about domestic violence.

PHILADELPHIA
Sites of Service

Bethesda Project
www.bethesdaproject.org

Mission: Seeking God’s guidance and believing that we are responsible for each other as members of one family, the mission of Bethesda Project is to find and care for the abandoned poor.

Bethesda Project is a faith-based community which builds communities among the homeless poor of Philadelphia. Since 1979, Bethesda has worked in collaboration with local church communities and social service agencies to offer housing, supportive services, and community life programs to homeless and formerly homeless men and women afflicted with serious physical, psychological, and behavioral disabilities. Two volunteers are needed in the following positions: 1) Community Life Assistant, developing programs which shape the residential houses into familial homes and 2) Church Shelter Assistant, working at Our Brothers’ Place shelter assisting homeless men to stabilize their condition and transition into supportive housing. Note: For Community Life Assistant position ONLY – the volunteer is not eligible for a full-time AmeriCorps Education Award due to the nature of the work.

Calcutta House
www.calcuttahouse.org

Mission: To serve the most fragile persons with AIDS and to support the self-empowerment of each person to live as fully as their situation permits.

Calcutta House provides supportive housing with services responsive to the individual: those who are dying, those who are able to rebuild their lives and move to independence, and those who will continue to require the assistance of supportive housing. The organization is staffed by a qualified nursing staff; four social workers; a director of nutrition; registered dietician and consulting psychiatrist; a full-time activities coordinator and driver. A volunteer is needed to work closely with the director of nursing and nursing staff to provide high quality services, assess needs, participate in the overall care of residents, assuring a safe and secure environment for them to thrive (qualifications: LPN, RN).

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia, Inc.
www.mercyneighbors.org

Mission: To create partnerships and services that respond to the needs of those who are poor in the North Philadelphia community, especially women, children and persons with special needs. Consistent with the gospel values and vision of Catherine McAuley, the focus of these ministries is to identify needs which are not being met by other groups, to respond to these needs over time, and to fulfill them in a collaborative and empowering way.

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries offers a variety of wholistic programs to the residents of the Tioga neighborhood that support individuals for life: school-age child care, adult education and human development, workforce development, as well as a supervised adult day care program for special needs adults. The population served is one that is culturally rich, predominantly African American, and economically poor. A volunteer is needed to coordinate and direct activities for the adult day care program which ministers to the very vulnerable elderly and special needs adults in need of supervised day care in a caring, community setting.

Project H.O.M.E.
www.projecthome.org

Mission: To provide permanent solutions to homelessness and poverty through housing, education, employment, health care, and the revitalization of a low-income community.

Project H.O.M.E. provides a continuum of services for children, youth and adults who are homeless/chronically homeless. These include: street outreach; supportive, transitional, and permanent housing options; community-based supportive employment and education opportunities for youth and adults. Project H.O.M.E. also provides education and advocacy to the larger community on behalf of and with homeless and low-income persons for more just and human public policies. A volunteer is needed to assist case managers in carrying out consumer goal plans and providing outreach services to homeless individuals.

GEORGETOWN
Sites of Service

Mercy Wings Vocational Center
Mercy Wings is an innovative vocational-technical training program for adolescents, ages 15-19 who have not completed traditional schooling. Vocational tracts are offered in construction (carpentry, masonry, and plumbing), child care, and catering. Volunteers are needed as teachers in the Adolescent Development Program and in remedial subjects (math, reading, computer literacy), as counselors, and to assist with music, dance or art. Educational and/or social work background is helpful but not required.

St. Joseph Mercy Hospital
www.sdnp.org.gy/sjmh

Mercy Hospital is a non-profit health care facility offering 24-hour care. They offer traditional in-patient services as well as outreach programs including a free mobile clinic and free HIV testing and treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS. They also have a full-time nursing school program. Volunteers are needed as social workers, counselors, nurses and public health nurses (experience preferred), physical therapists, occupational therapists, medical technicians, project organizers, and other health care professionals.

St. John Bosco Boys' Orphanage and Bosco Academy
http://bosco_orphanage.tripod.com/index.htm

More than forty boys between the ages of 4 and 16 reside at this orphanage sponsored and operated by the Sisters of Mercy. Many of them are home-schooled at Bosco Academy and others are in need of additional tutoring.  All the boys would benefit from opportunities for more socialization and creative activities. Volunteers are needed to serve as teachers and tutors as well as to lead sports and artistic activities, and to aid in the day-to-day activities of the home. Social work and counseling skills are also useful in the holistic development of the boys. Teaching and/or social work background is helpful but not required.