NATIONAL SERVICE & FAITH-BASED & COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Working Together A STRATEGIC PLAN

GOALS Goal One: Empower communities to recruit volunteers to assist with the mentorship of children of inmates and ex-offenders upon reentry. (Justice Cluster Initiatives and the First Ladys Helping Americas Youth Initiative). Goal Two: Continue to remove barriers and (create equal access for FBCIs) level the playing field with emphasis on modeling at the state commission (Governors FBCI) and city partnership levels. Increase private sector leverage to sustain and strengthen grassroots initiatives. Goal Three: Increase service programs and participants in faith-based and other community-based organizations.

STRATEGY 1.1 Provide mentors to 25,000 children of incarcerated parents through AmeriCorps*State and National, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, and AmeriCorps*VISTA programs. Dr. Wilson Goode, founder of the Amachi Program, a faith-based national mentoring model for children of incarcerated parents. AmeriCorps State members helped Amachi during the critical start-up time by providing volunteer and mentor coordination in the local churches. We now have AmeriCorps*VISTA members as part of the overall national expansion for Amachi. Support from the Corporation has made it possible for us to move quickly and effectively to make a difference in the lives of these children. They have been great. Were grateful for this support and look forward to continuing the partnership.

STRATEGY 1.2 Promote Disadvantaged Youth Service Strengthen and document a national network of youth and adult reentry models and link volunteer resources with innovative ex- offender reentry initiatives. Problem: More than 650,000 adults and 200,000 youth offenders are being released from prisons/institutions every year. ( ) These ex-offenders will return to a life of crime (and back to prison) at a rate of 67.5 percent within the first three years of being released. (Bureau of Justice Statistics) Goal: Reduce ex-offender recidivism and promote successful reentry into society by connecting mayoral, DOJ, HUD and DOL reentry initiatives with linkages to volunteer support and faith-based and community initiatives.

STRATEGY 2.1 Forge dynamic partnerships with governors FBCI liaisons, State Commissions and local mayoral initiatives. Assist States in barrier assessment and monitor Equal Protections actions with appropriate T/A tools and guidance. STRATEGY 2.2

GOAL 3 Increase service programs and participants in faith-based and other community-based organizations. Jackson MS- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service participants Tess Scannell, David Caprara, Dr. Juanita Sims Doty, Mayor Harvey Johnson, Youth and Community

STRATEGY 3.1 Expand technical assistance and outreach to better demonstrate how national service programs and their members can be a resource to faith-based and other community organizations via program T/TA funding commitments.

STRATEGY 3.2 PILOTS (partial list) Asset Development - Individual Development Accounts, Financial Literacy (AmeriCorps*VISTA and AmeriCorps*State and National projects, including Accion and National Federation of Credit Unions) Housing, Rural Development and Volunteer Disaster Response (NCCC, VISTA and AmeriCorps*State and National, including projects with Volunteer Florida (hurricane recovery), Southeast Rural Community Assistance Program, Volunteers for Communities, Habitat for Humanity) NCCC members cover damaged roofs after Florida hurricanes.

STRATEGY 3.3 Collect accurate and timely data on participation of faith- based and community-based organizations. Work with OIT to make data collection a uniform and routine part of program administration across streams. During the next two years the Corporation will track the following metrics across programs: Mentoring at-risk youth and children of prisoners, and ex- offender reentry data Faith-based and Community-based participants

If federal programs can succeed in empowering grassroots organizations, faith- based communities, mayors, states, and other vital engines of civil society – and if together we can strengthen that partnership and make service to others the credo of every American – then we can truly overcome the challenges that face us. David Eisner, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service Strengthening America's Children and Families Conference, Jackson, Mississippi, January 16, 2004