Phoenix was selected as one of three cities (along with Detroit and Miami) to receive a Cities of Service grant to expand volunteering efforts in Phoenix. Cities of Service was founded by New York Mayor Bloomberg in 2009 to support mayors across the country who are committed to engaging volunteers as a solution to the most pressing challenges in our cities – such as food insecurity, homelessness, literacy, opportunity youth, etc. There are several big volunteer projects coming up in October and November. Michael Hammett of the city of Phoenix will tell us more.
TED SIMONS: TONIGHT'S EDITION OF ARIZONA GIVING AND LEADING LOOKS AT HOW THE CITY OF PHOENIX WAS RECENTLY AWARDED A CITIES OF SERVICE LEADERSHIP GRANT WHICH WILL HELP STRENGTHEN PHOENIX'S VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT. MICHAEL HAMMETT, THE CITY'S CHIEF SERVICE OFFICER, IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE GRANT.
MICHAEL HAMMETT: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
TED SIMONS: CITIES OF SERVICE GRANT. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: IT'S A NONPROFIT THAT STARTED BY MAYOR BLOOMBERG IN NEW YORK CITY AND IT HELPS MAYORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND CITY MANAGERS USE IMPACT VOLUNTEERING INITIATIVES TO CHANGE PRESSING NEEDS IN SOCIETY. SUCH AS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND LITERACY AND HOMELESSNESS ISSUES.
TED SIMONS: SO BASICALLY SUPPORTS CITIES THAT USE VOLUNTEERS?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: EXACTLY AND ENCOURAGING AND PROVIDES SUPPORTS TO ACTUALLY MAXIMIZE THE EFFORT OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
TED SIMONS: THE GOAL IS I WOULD IMAGINE TO DO GOOD THINGS, BUT ALSO TO STRENGTHEN CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, CORRECT?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: EXACTLY, WHAT WE FIND IN PHOENIX, CITIZENS ARE ENGAGED AND WANT TO BE EVEN MORE ENGAGED SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT TO REALLY HELP ACCELERATE THAT.
TED SIMONS: SOUNDS LIKE THREE CITIES WERE AWARDED THIS GRANT. PHOENIX AND WHO ELSE?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: MIAMI AND DETROIT. SO WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD COMPANY.
TED SIMONS: WHAT DID PHOENIX HAVE TO DO AND WHY WAS PHOENIX SELECTED?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: WE HAD TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT AND IT WAS A COMPETITIVE PROCESS FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. WE'VE BEEN AWARDED GRANTS FROM CITIES AND SERVICE IN THE PAST, GOING BACK TO 2009 SO WE HAD GREAT SUCCESS AND I BELIEVE THEY FELT IT WAS OUR TIME AND THAT IS DUE A LOT TO MAYOR GREG STANTON.
TED SIMONS: YOU'RE THE CHIEF SERVICE OFFICER, CORRECT?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: CORRECT.
TED SIMONS: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: IT'S A VOLUNTEER MANAGER DIRECTING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY OF PHOENIX AND NATIONAL SERVICE, WHICH IS OUR AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBERS, WHICH IS LIKE PEACE CORPS MEMBERS BUT THEY DO THEIR WORK DOMESTICALLY.
TED SIMONS: WE HAD AMERICORPS VISTA ON LAST NIGHT. I SAW THE CHIEF SERVICE OFFICER IS DEFINED AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: IT'S A HEAVY UNDERTAKING BUT REALLY THAT'S TAKING THAT EFFORT OF VOLUNTEERISM IN THE COMMUNITY, THE GREAT WORK BEING DONE IN DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY AND ALSO IN NONPROFITS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER TO THE TABLE TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THE EFFORT AND THE IMPACT.
TED SIMONS: KIND OF A CONDUIT FOR BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES THINGS?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: EXACTLY, THE SUPPORT OUT OF NEW YORK FROM CITIES AND SERVICE, THEY KEEP US MOVING AND REACHING OUR BENCHMARK.
TED SIMONS: HOW DO THEY DO THAT AND HOW MUCH INVOLVEMENT IS FROM BACK THERE?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: IT'S GREAT. I WOULD SAY THIS GRANT AND WORKING WITH CITIES AND SERVICE IS NOT EASY. THEY DON'T JUST GIVE YOU THE MONEY AND GRANT AND WALK AWAY AND SAY COME BACK IN A YEAR, THEY WALK YOU THROUGH IT. YOU HAVE REGULAR CHECK-IN CALLS AND WE GET TOGETHER WITH THE CHIEF SERVICE OFFICERS FROM MIAMI AND ALSO DETROIT AND WE'RE COACHED AND WE COME TOGETHER AT MEETINGS IN NEW YORK AND D.C. AND IT'S INTENSE BUT THE OUTCOME IS TREMENDOUS.
TED SIMONS: LET'S PUT THIS INTO ACTION. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE AS A RESULT OF THIS GRANT?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: WELL, WE HAVE -- RIGHT NOW, PUTTING TOGETHER A CITYWIDE SERVICE PLAN LED BY MAYOR GREG STANTON AND CITY MANAGER ZUERCHER AND WE'RE DOING A LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CITY ALREADY AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO IN TERMS OF WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANT TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER PROGRAMS. WE HAVE ONE CALLED LOVE YOUR BLOCK AND THERE'S A MINI GRANT APPLICATION, $1,000 FOR NEIGHBORHOODS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THEY TELL US WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
TED SIMONS: PLANT TREES?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: PLANT TREES, MURALS AND LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES, THE GRANT APPLICATION IS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY NOW. AVAILABLE AT PHOENIX.GOV AND YOU GO TO VOLUNTEER.
TED SIMONS: AND ARE THINGS COMING YOU UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: THERE ARE. WE HAVE SOME BIG EVENTS COMING UP AND THEY CAN FIND INFORMATION ON THAT. MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY IS COMING UP OCTOBER 22ND AND WE HAVE A BIG TREE PLANTING ON NOVEMBER 13TH NEAR DOWNTOWN PHOENIX.
TED SIMONS: SO BASICALLY WE'RE TALKING UP TO $100,000, SOMETHING ALONG THESE LINES?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: THIS WAS A $100,000 GRANT FUNDED THROUGH JPMORGAN CHASE. FROM THEIR PHILANTHROPIC ARM AND INVOLVED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED.
TED SIMONS: OVER THE COURSE OF ONE YEAR, TWO YEARS?
MICHAEL HAMMETT: ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO TWO YEARS, IS WHEN THEY GET US UP AND RUNNING AND WE'LL HAVE A STRENGTHENED VOLUNTEER EFFORT AT THE CITY OF PHOENIX.
TED SIMONS: CONGRATULATIONS TO PHOENIX ON THAT, AND GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
TED SIMONS: THURSDAY ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," WE'LL TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF THE NEW "CRONKITE NEWS" MORRISON "ARIZONA REPUBLIC" POLL. AND WE'LL HAVE A DEBATE OVER PROP 205, A MEASURE THAT WOULD APPROVE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA. PBS COVERAGE OF THE FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IS NEXT AND THEN JOIN US FOR A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON A SPECIAL POST-DEBATE EDITION OF "ARIZONA HORIZON." THAT'S IT FOR NOW. I'M TED SIMONS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING! CLOSED CAPTION PRODUCTIONS WWW.CCPRODUCTIONS.COM 844-335-0911
Michael Hammett of the city of Phoenix will tell us more.
