North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service

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“The North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service promotes the goal of fostering an ethic of service in North Carolina citizens of all ages. Work is guided by a 25 member Commission, appointed by the Governor. Housed within the Governor’s Office since 1993, the Commission supports federal and state initiatives that involve local citizen participation as an effective way to combat many of the problems that confront NC communities.

• AmeriCorps - Federal funds are administered to support the work of local communities as they strive to meet education, public safety, and environmental or other human needs.
• Learn and Serve (Community-Based) - Federal funds are administered to support local service-learning programs that allow school-age youth to pursue volunteer efforts to address community needs while learning the importance of civic responsibility.
• NC’s Mentoring Partnership and NC’s Promise - The goals of these state initiatives include: providing all children/youth in NC with the necessary resources they need to become successful adults, instilling the importance of giving back to their community through service, and ensuring that every young person who needs a mentor is paired with a caring individual.
• Volunteer Center Development - The Commission promotes the expansion of Volunteer Centers across the state. These Centers serve as the focal point in local communities for citizens to access volunteer opportunities that assist in resolving community problems. Currently 59 counties have Volunteer Center services.
• Governor’s Page Program - The North Carolina Governor’s Page Program provides students with an opportunity to gain hands on knowledge of the functions and roles of state government.
• North Carolina Volunteer Awards for Outstanding Service - Established in 1979, the North Carolina Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service (formerly the Governor’s Awards for Volunteer Service) are presented annually to individuals, groups and businesses that make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. The Commission collaborates with each county to ensure that local volunteers are nominated and honored at statewide recognition events.

Miscellaneous Initiatives:

• Promotion of annual national “Seasons of Service” days, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, National Volunteer Week, Youth Service Day, Make A Difference Day, and National Family Volunteer Day.
• Effort to increase the number of disabled North Carolinians to become involved in community service.
• Coordination of disaster response/relief and volunteer management activities during natural disasters.”