Michigan National Service Directory

Hello again! My name is Matthew Reaume and I am serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC). To date, my service has consisted of a number of different duties and responsibilities focused on enhancing Michigan’s national service efforts including resource development. Chief among these resources has been the Michigan National Service Directory, an interactive searchable database containing the locations and contact information for all national service programs currently operating in Michigan.

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that earlier this week; the MCSC officially launched the Michigan National Service Directory, which can be accessed by clicking on the button located in the right-hand toolbar of the MCSC homepage or by going directly to www.michigannationalservicedirectory.org.

The purpose behind the Michigan National Service Directory is to assist national service program staff and members to quickly identify the different groups and organizations in their area that have a similar programmatic focus for the purpose of establishing collaborative partnerships.

The Cross-Stream Advisory Team recently conducted a survey that polled more than 100 programs representing each stream of national service. Survey results have provided valuable information regarding current efforts and existing needs among national service programs in the areas of outreach, communications, collaboration, and training/technical assistance. Results specific to collaboration indicate the third highest barrier to collaboration remains the inability of programs to locate potential partners.

These results reaffirm the need for a tool that can aid programs in locating potential partners quickly. Among the several resources I have played a part in developing for the MCSC, I would have to say that I am most proud of the Michigan National Service Directory. Many thanks must go out to all those individuals who have played a big part in turning this idea into a reality.

As my term of service draws ever closer to an end, I cannot describe how rewarding it is to be able to see and promote a tangible product that will serve as a valuable tool to Michigan’s national service programs.