Imagine Miami: Connecting Miami-Dade Florida's Changemakers imaginemiami.groupsite.com

My name is Georgina Hernandez.  I'm 23 years old and I'm an AmeriCorps VISTA for  Service For Peace.  AmeriCorps VISTA is a national program which entails a year commitment to serve full-time for a non-profit organization, helping them build capacity.

I've been a full-time volunteer for Service For Peace since January this year, specifically working towards coordinating events for MLK Day of Service in 2009.  In the beginning of my service (Jan-June) I worked to instill Service For Peace programs at an under resourced Pre-K through 12 school in the heart of Little Haiti, the Yvonne Learning Center.

I'm now concentrating on MLK Day and one of my major hopes for Miami is that through this Day of Service we could increase volunteerism and educate the public about Dr. King's Beloved Community and his principles of nonviolence. 

My name is Laura Heller.  I am an elementary guidance counselor at Greynolds Park Elementary School, in North Miami Beach.  We are a Title I school, which means that we have a significant amount of students who receive free and reduced lunch.

I am always looking for volunteers for our school!   There are many areas where volunteers can (and do!) help.  For example: we proudly host the training for the Listeners Program and welcome Listeners to our school.  The Listeners Program is jointly sponsored by MDCPS Office of Community Services & The Francine & Herbert Tobin Foundation.  The Listeners/Oyentes Program has been servicing students by providing them w/ special one-on-one attention since 1972.  The next training is November 13 at Ojus Elementary (9-12).  If you do attend this training, please come volunteer at *our* school once you are trained! (...but really, all schools need help)...

I like to be involved with the local community and, while I stated above that I am always looking for volunteers, I also look for ways in which the students can give back to the community, too.  It is a tough year this year, economically, for everyone and our school is definitely feeling it.  For example: we used to get money from a neighborhood bank and we have not this year.

Thank you for reading this far,

~laura

Hello all!  My name is Gina Ha and I am the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) Coordinator for Human Services Coalition and a Public Ally.  I am 23 years old and recent graduate of the University of Florida, with a bachelors in Psychology.  Go Gators!  I was born and raised in Miami, and pretty much never left besides the three and half years in Gainesville.

Through Public Allies and my placement at HSC, I have a greater appreciation for Miami and its occupants.  I have a particular interest in the well-being of children, education, animals and the arts.  PLTI encompasses many values and principles that are the foundation of my own life.  I, therefore, have a strong faith in the program and hope that others see the signficance of it.

We are currently recruiting parents and adults who want to advocate on the behalf of children for PLTI.  The program is limited to 25 individuals.  Our goal is to have over 40 applicants to keep the selection process competitive.  I am very excited about partkaing in such a wonderful program and I hope to continue to share the news on this online community. 

Hi Gina,

We have a Community Involvement Specialist in our school (in most, if not all Miami dade County Public Schools that are Title I schools)

and I would love to pass the PLTI information along to her.

Can you please email me at lheller@dadeschools.net?

thanks!

~laura

Good day to all.

 This is Harold Silva with Miami Dade College- Center for Community Involvement (CCI) and Service for Peace- Miami; and the Americas and Caribbean Region.
Other than being a proud alumnus from MDC, class of 2004, I have been with CCI since September 2006. Our focus is academic Service-Learning. We have a database of over 200 agencies (see www.mdc.edu/cci), where students can complete their service-learning experience. In case you are asking yourself, what is Service-Learning? Well, SL is the combination of classroom instruction and community service. If you need further clarification let me know. Also we are having an agency workshop (requirement to be a partner) on Thursday, December 4th, 2008, space is limited so let me know if you are interested to attend. Contact me at hsilva@mdc.edu.

With Service For Peace, I started as a volunteer in the Summer of 2003 when I was a student in MDC. I was recruited by one of the greatest professor at MDC, Dr. Michael J. Lenaghan whom open my views and perspectives about our world. Both, professor and SFP help me find my calling, to serve and make a positive change in our community and world. Since then, I have grown personally and professionally within the organization. Today I am the Executive Director for the Americas and Caribbean, supporting the work, programs, and initiatives of our dedicated youth staff and representatives in Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Also we have annual programs in each country where global volunteers participate in making a positive change in a community through adopting and support an elementary school for sustainable community development. Our next upcoming project is in Honduras this December. Questions contact me at hsilva@serviceforpeace.org

Hi Gina,

 This is Georgina... a fellow AmeriCorps member.  Just wanted to give you the heads up that a great resource to recruit volunteers is the www.mlkday.gov website.  Being that I am coordinating events for MLK Jr. Day of Service in January for Miami, I've been working with different non-profits and organizations to promote this website to local media so that the general public is informed of the many events going on to celebrate the Day of Service. Let me know if you'd like more information about the website or the event in general.

Good Luck,

Georgina Hernandez

Service For Peace

Thank you Georgina for your suggestion, it sounds like a great idea.  I am really trying to branch out to different people and communities.  Public Allies is doing something for MLK Jr. Day.  We are gathering ideas and suggestions about what organization or group we would like to participate with on MLK Jr. service day.  This is a wonderful resource for me as an ally and PLTI coordinator.  Thank you very much fellow AmeriCorps member!

Hello! I'm a fifth-generation Miamian and a resident of the Edgewater/Wynwood area. I am a coordinator for Bike Miami - Mayor Diaz's free monthly event to promote bicycling, liveable streets and community by closing Downtown streets so everyone can come out and explore the city in a new way. I work with volunteers to organize the events (at the launch on Nov. 9th, we had Prayerdanse, Yoga, a live music performance, Museum passes... all free) and make sure everything moves smoothly for the people who come out. The whole day is basically a family-friendly street party.

I also edit www.BikeMiami.blogspot.com and maintain the facebook page for fans of Bike Miami. I would really appreciate anyone's ideas or suggestions, offers to volunteer or help spread the word. Thank you!

My main interest is promoting community in our growing international city through service, the arts and sustainable initiatives that help us reconnect with each other and our earth.

My name is Douglas Cox. I came to Miami as a young man in 1979 as an adventure catching a ride from Denver to Orlando and hitch hiking into Miami from there. Never left. I have accumulated quite a few friends over the years which have occupied most of my time. I have always worked in construction and witnessed and participated in the a significant change from a downtown Miami consisting of only 2 buildings One Biscayne tower and the then Southeast Bank building and a Miami Beach left to rot so that it could be leveled for a new planned developement.

The other change I have seen here and all over this country, over the years, is a moving away from the any sense of family and community and I see the efforts being made to further their demise.

I have in mind being involved in some kind of business which is connected and supportive to the community.