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Ms. Wheelchair Virginia is an Americorps*State Program AmeriCorps*State operates through the Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Service (OCVS) and the Governor-appointed Commission for Community and National Service to provide grants to public and nonprofit organizations that sponsor service programs throughout Virginia, including faith-based and community organizations, higher education institutions, and public agencies. Grants assist these groups in recruiting, training and placing more than 740 AmeriCorps members to meet critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment across Virginia. The purpose of AmeriCorps*State is to engage AmeriCorps members in direct service and capacity-building to address unmet community needs. Local programs design service activities for a team of members serving full- or part-time for one year or during the summer. Sample activities include tutoring and mentoring youth, assisting crime victims, building homes, and restoring parks. AmeriCorps members also mobilize community volunteers and strengthen the capacity of the organizations where they serve. As an AmeriCorps program and nonprofit organization, the mission of Ms. Wheelchair Virginia is to educate, advocate and raise awareness of the abilities and needs of the disability community in order to influence attitudinal, architectural, and social change. |Office on Volunteerism & Community Service Virginia Department of Social Services 7 North 8th Street, Richmond, VA 23219 Toll free in VA: (800) 638-3839 Work Direct: (804) 726-7065 Fax: (804) 726-7024 Email: info@vaservice.org Website: www.vaservice.org |