Current Events

Getting Things Done: Americorps in Allegany County

Bridgette Tojek: second term Americorps member

The week of May 8- 15 is the fourth annual recognition of Americorps week. As you walk through the streets of your community, most likely you will have passed an agency that has an Americorps member working hard to improve the community that you both share. The Southern tier Americorps Resource Team (S.T.A.R.T ) out of the Cattaraugus County Youth Bureau has multiple members placed throughout Cattaraugus and Allegany County. I will take the time to recognize just one of the many agencies whose programs are working hard and striving to obtain the noblest of objectives- Literacy. The Peerworx program is part of multiple after school programs in Allegany County. Peerworx originates from Literacy West NY Inc- Learning for Life- is currently utilized in six Allegany County school districts. The peerworx program coordinator matches a trained high school student with a middle school student.

The peerworx tutor will work one on one with the middle school student with homework, projects and other academic enrichment projects to improve the current standing of both.

Whitesville Central School currently has four high caliber students who are peerworx tutors; they are worth mentioning. Jenna Harrison, Charlie Latterell, Cassandra Hallet and Billy Wahl have collectively helped achieve thirty seven grade increases between seven middle school students in the third quarter! Billy Wahl was recently recognized by the Allegany County Youth Bureau as an outstanding youth in the community. For Americorps week- I just want to make sure I articulate the importance of service to the community, nurturing stewardship, responsibility, compassion and try to capture the true spirit of America by encouraging all those who wish to positively impact America by considering applying to become one of the 574,000 members of a very influential group of people who realize that by helping an American, you are serving America by Getting things done!

Please visit www.americorps.gov to see how you can make a difference.