Environment

From Busted Halo: Recession-Proof Summer Fun
by Allison Dilyard

Get in Touch with Nature:

1. Go for a hike
It doesn’t matter if you live near the mountains — going for a hike, or a long walk through nature, is a great way to get outdoors and get away close to home. Find a state or national park, pack a picnic, bring your friends, and have a great day trip. The best part? The only thing you’ll pay for is gas.

2. Go on a bike tour
If you live near the shore, this is an especially great idea. Bike paths and easy-to-manage terrain make beach biking relaxing and fun, with beautiful views and cool ocean breezes. Make a few pit stops for ice cream or cold drinks along the way.

3. Go boating
Whatever body of water you live near — lake, river, ocean, bay — take advantage of the aquatic opportunities! Go kayaking, tubing or canoeing down a placid stream with some friends, take a sightseeing cruise, or just rent a rowboat to take out for a few hours. Who knows — maybe you’ll find a hidden island to explore!

4. Picnic in the park
Take a stroll in your local park and enjoy the performers and street vendor fare. People watching is always fun, too.


Relive Your Childhood:

1. Take a trip to the zoo
Who doesn’t love cute, fuzzy animals? Chances are, there’s a zoo near you and, chances are, it has all sorts of cuddly (and not so cuddly) creatures to see.

2. Have a game night
Invite your friends over for a potluck party of all the games you had fun playing as a kid. Everyone brings a game and a dish to share, so you can enjoy some Twister (and hope it doesn’t get too awkward), Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit over mini-quiche and cocktail wieners.

3. Visit your local science museum
Remember learning about atoms and molecules from awesome exhibits with hands-on fun? Pretend you’re a kid again and revisit the thrill of discovering some cool facts about science that you might have forgotten. And don’t forget to use your student ID (if you have one) for a discount.

4. Paint some pottery
There are plate-painting places in pretty much every part of the country. Take advantage of them with your friends and make some customized kitchenware. Paint a picture of your puppy on a mug or decorate a serving dish with a festive pattern. You can even make things to exchange with your friends when you’re finished.


Arts and Culture:

1. Go to a drive-in movie
There are only about 700 left in the country, but hopefully one is near you. Experience the American Graffiti-esque nostalgia of the 50s and 60s as you and your friends (or maybe a date!) park the car, recline your seats, grab some popcorn, and have a movie-going event you won’t forget.

2. Make your own film festival
Why pay for three-day passes to a film festival with only two movies you want to see? Instead, get your friends together for a movie night (or day!). Have a marathon viewing of Lord of the Rings, invite all the girls for a night of rom-coms and Ben & Jerry’s, or get the guys together for some beers to help you through all the movies in the Rocky series.

3. Be a tourist in your own city
There’s nothing more fun for me than going with my friends on vacation in the Big Apple for a day — visiting the Empire State Building, Times Square and Rockefeller Center, and snapping goofy photos of each other in front of all the best tourist attractions. But even if you don’t live in a city, hop in the car (or on public transportation) and get to the nearest city for a day. If the nearest urban center is too much of a trek, visit some of the best off-the-beaten path attractions or cheesy side-of-the-road tourist traps in a town near you.

4. Look at some art
Even if it’s not super-renowned, there’s probably a museum or gallery near where you live. Get out for the day and be inspired by some beautiful artwork and have something to talk about with your friends later over dinner.





http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/recession-proof-summer-fun
Allison Dilyard, a current Busted Halo intern, lives in New York City while studying undergraduate religious studies at Barnard College. In her spare time she reads whatever she can get her hands on and goes to as many movies as possible. She wants to get a Ph.D. and become either a professor or novelist -- or both.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


June 8, 2011


Drastic Loss of Funding for Faith-Based Volunteer Service

Washington, D.C. -- Catholic Volunteer Network learned recently that the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) did not fund its grant for AmeriCorps Education Awards. Catholic Volunteer Network has been able to offer the AmeriCorps Education Award to about 1,300 volunteers each year for the last 13 years.

“The loss of this funding is going to have a tremendous negative impact on many people,” said Jim Lindsay, Catholic Volunteer Network Executive Director. “Our organization’s mission and outreach initiatives will suffer, but the hardest hit will be the 1,300 volunteers who would have served as AmeriCorps members at the 900 sites run by our programs in 43 states and the District of Columbia, where volunteers have filled needed roles in schools, soup kitchens and social service agencies.”

CNCS, the federal agency that oversees volunteer service initiatives across the U.S., received a cut in funding and was able to fund only 53 programs out of more that 330 that applied. Fiscal year 2011 congressional budget appropriations were $1.1 billion, $72 million below the 2010 fiscal level. The Learn and Serve America program was cut entirely and AmeriCorps programs received a $22.5 million reduction. Coupled with the cuts, CNCS received requests for nearly twice as many national service funds as it did last year.

AmeriCorps Education Awards are vouchers earned to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training or to repay qualified student loans. For terms of service that are supported with 2011 funds, the award value for completion of 1,700 hours of service is $5,550. Catholic Volunteer Network volunteers will lose over $5 million dollars in education awards.

In the 2009-2010 grant year, Catholic Volunteer Network placed:

• 400 AmeriCorps volunteers in educational placements, serving nearly 250,000 people
• 80 AmeriCorps volunteers in health placements, serving nearly 85,000 people
• 50 AmeriCorps volunteers in nutrition placements, serving more than 600,000 people
• 525 AmeriCorps volunteers in social services, serving more than 750,000 people

“For 13 years, we have had a wonderful partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service,” Lindsay said. “Without the Education Award, many of the young adults, the vast majority of whom are recent college graduates, may not be able to serve. ”

Lindsay said the loss of loan forbearance during a volunteer’s period of service, an AmeriCorps benefit, will create serious obstacles for volunteers who need to defer their educational loans.  “Volunteer service may no longer be an option for many young people.”

Established in 1963, Catholic Volunteer Network is the leading non-profit association for domestic and international volunteer programs. Currently, more than 14,000 volunteers serve in its member programs throughout the U.S. and in over 100 other countries worldwide. It has been the largest faith-based grantee of CNCS. The program has been vigilant in ensuring that volunteer hours counted toward the Education Award do not include religious activities or other pursuits prohibited by AmeriCorps.

Lindsay is concerned that the ability of Catholic Volunteer Network programs to recruit and retain volunteers may suffer.  Catholic Volunteer Network publishes RESPONSE, an annual directory of full-time, faith-based volunteer opportunities, with more than 30,000 copies distributed last year to schools, churches and individuals. Catholic Volunteer Network conducts recruiting efforts on more than 80 college campuses annually. It holds an annual conference for its members and hosts workshops for startup programs.

Further information is available online at http://www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org/.