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Student-led nonprofit helps needy find aid buried in the bureaucracy
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Related Topics: WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The D.C.-based National Student Partnership reached record numbers of community residents this year, linking thousands of people in need of assistance with student volunteers who could help them navigate the confusing array of public programs.
The nonprofit is the only year-round, student-led volunteer organization connecting the needy with employment, training, resume-building, housing, health services and other resources to eventually enable them to become self-sufficient.
NSP operates a network of community centers in D.C., Maryland and along the East Coast that are staffed by student volunteers from local colleges and universities. This year, NSP fielded 553 student volunteers from 41 universities, with students from Georgetown University, George Washington University and Howard University contributing 5,994 hours of client service in the region.
The clients at NSP are usually low-income community members who come to the centers seeking a wide range of assistance.
“Our students help them find out what’s available in their area of need,” said Elena Boyd, director of development and communications in NSP’s national office here.
Boyd said NSP can help people connect with services to find affordable housing, match their skills to available jobs, prepare for their job interviews, find what health care they may qualify for, and address family assistance issues.
“My family became homeless when I was 12,” said Thomas V. Healy. “We lived on the streets and in shelters until I was 18. I walked into the local NSP office in Dec 2002 and a week later I had an apt, a job and became a volunteer with them. I’m now 21 and a full time student at Columbia University.
It’s my first semester and NSP was a tremendous help in getting me here.”
“They fill a need that doesn’t exist in the community,” said Sczerina Perot with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. “Usually, case managers are tied to a specific program,” she explained.
Boyd’s office reported that during the year its student volunteers served a record 5,046 community members, mostly living in poor neighborhoods. According to a report by the Corporation of National and Community Service, NSP students volunteer almost three times more hours on average than their peers.
In turn, “students get an amazing experience in public service and leadership development,” NSP’s Boyd said.
Many go on to bring increased concern for poverty issues to the business world, or become new leaders in regional or national nonprofits.
“It is the training ground for a whole new generation of community leaders,” she said.
Have information about area nonprofits? Contact Frank Sietzen at fsietzen@yahoo.com.
