PSP recently received word that it has been awarded UServeUtah's annual MLK Day grant for the second year in a row. PSP joins 7 other organizations to receive the mini grant that support service projects occuring on MLK Day throughout the state of Utah. PSP will partner with other Cache Valley National Service Alliance programs such as Cache County's America Reads AmeriCorps program and Senior Corps RSVP. To read the article and find out how you can support MLK Day service initiatives across the state of Utah, click here: https://heritage.utah.gov/userveutah/mlk-day-projects

National service and community volunteers will be out in local grocery stores requesting food, hygiene, baby care, and household items to support local school and community pantries. The America Reads AmeriCorps members will be coordinating diaper drives at local schools up until MLK Day to support the Cache County-based My Young Mother program, which was created by a PSP VISTA alumna. Volunteers will also be set up at Adam's Elementary in Logan, UT throughout the day on January 16 accepting, weighing, and sorting donations. If you have a donation you wish to give, you can visit one of our grocery store sites or Adam's Elementary from 9am-3pm on January 16 or contact Shonna or Cameron at 435-797-0633.

More details TBA, and a flyer will be posted soon!

The Herald Journal recently published a story on PSP's Senior Corps RSVP program and the service experiences of some of the RSVP Volunteers. We are so grateful for our Senior Corps RSVP Volunteers and the countless hours they have dedicated to serving others in their community!
Check out the story below, or visit the link here: ​http://news.hjnews.com/allaccess/oriented-toward-service-rsvp-program-helps-seniors-volunteer-in-community/article_af3cb99a-7796-52a6-a037-3f99f3c49e79.html

The November edition of the PSP Jotter is here! Congrats to our VISTA Member Recognition recipients:

• The Good Rold Model Award - Shonna Ferree
• The Above & Beyond Award - Aubree Thomas

Click here to download and print the newsletter, or, view the newsletter below.

The October issue of the PSP Jotter is here! Click here to download the newsletter or take a look below for the most recent updates from PSP's VISTA and RSVP programs. 

Also, congratulations to October's VISTA Member Recognition recipients:

• The Above & Beyond Award  - Courtney Stumph, South Cache Middle
• The Good Role Model Award - Melissa Yardley, Cedar Ridge Middle
• The Outstanding Outcomes Award - Wes Andrew, Cache High
• The Determination Award - Stacie Denetsosie, The Family Place

Last week, Bridger Elementary School (Logan, UT) hosted its first Watch D.O.G.S. event of the school year. Watch D.O.G.S. is a national father-involvement program that engages father figures as classroom and school safety volunteers. PSP VISTA Member Jason Parker, currently serving at Bridger Elementary, coordinated the event, which had the largest crowd in the event's history. Around 320 people filled the auditorium at Bridger, where they enjoyed pizza, getting to know other families, winning cool prizes, and signing up as Watch D.O.G.S. volunteers for the upcoming school year.

​Jason obtained donations from local businesses prizes, recruited and coordinated event-day volunteers, corresponded with the Watch D.O.G.S. organization to receive event materials, and promoted the event to families in the weeks leading up to the event. Bridger is very proud of its Watch D.O.G.S program and of the commitment these father figures, and all of the school's volunteers, make each year to the school and its students. Great job Jason and to the Bridger Elementary community! 

* Do you want to volunteer with the Watch D.O.G.S. program at Bridger Elementary? Email VISTA Member Jason Parker to find out how to get signed up!
* Do you have an interest in hosting the Watch D.O.G.S. at your school? Click here to find out more information!

Check out the September issue of the PSP Jotter below, or download it here. This issue is our first complete issue with updates from PSP's VISTA and RSVP programs. Congratulations to the following PSP VISTAs for receiving this month's awards for the VISTA Member Recognition program: 

• Dawna Webb, Above & Beyond Award
• Rachel Busenbark, Good Role Model Award
• Jason Parker, Outstanding Outcomes Award
• Laura Higgins, Determination Award

Current and incoming VISTA Members, PSP staff, Site Supervisors, community partners, and their family and friends gathered Thursday evening at the USU Alumni House for the Public & School Partnership's annual Recognition Banquet. Everyone enjoyed delightful conversation, a delicious meal, and an inspiring recognition ceremony during the evening's program. 

The recognition ceremony kicked off with a warm welcome from PSP Director, Rikki Wheatley-Boxx, who announced some pretty impressive numbers reached by our 2015-2016 VISTA group - 17,000 clients served in our community and over $200,000 in in-kind and cash donations obtained by our VISTA Members in the past year! Rikki also recognized our dedicated Site Supervisors, who spent countless hours guiding VISTA Members through their service term and helping the members and our staff develop both professionally and personally.

Afterwards, PSP VISTA Leader Shonna Ferree thanked our most valued sponsors - Ross Dress For Less, Shopko, Smith's Marketplace, and Walmart (Logan) - as well as our most valued community partners - members of the USU CCESL Department, Dr. Rebecca Walton, USU student Michael Wheatley, our new VISTA sites (Ridgeline High and The Family Place), and many others. Incoming PSP VISTA Leader Cameron Brewer then joined Shonna at the podium to distribute PVSA Awards and to honor our graduating VISTA Members, who are as follows: Jon Wilkey, Jasmine Despain, Rebecca Miller, Angela Wood, Jennie Hymas, and Angelina Whitehorse. The night ended with a peer recognition ceremony.

We want to thank USU Catering for a delicious meal and professional service. Bluebird Candy also donated the delicious chocolates everyone received in their gift bag. We are so thankful for everyone who attended the banquet and for everyone who continues to support PSP and continues to understand the value of service here in our community!

PSP's full-term VISTA members and Summer Associates participated in a daylong summer service project on July 12, 2016, which has now become a summer tradition here at PSP. Our service crew spent four hours in the morning at The Family Place (Logan), The Logan Family Center, and the Utah Conservation Corps garden doing everything from cleaning floors and windows to hauling branches to labeling books. They then made their way to Mountain Crest High School to enjoy lunch, donated by Subway (North Logan Wal Mart), and to participate in more service activities, including: restoration of the outdoor garden, repainting The Giving Room, washing and sorting clothes for The Giving Room, and preparing craft kits for The Logan Family Center.

It was a long, hot day, but our energy was high, we shared tons of smiles and laughs, and we "got things done" for different organizations in our community!

We have tons of highlights and updates for you in the July edition of the PSP Jotter! Congratulations to PSP Summer Associate Andrew Erickson for receiving this month's Above & Beyond Award! See the newsletter below or click here to download.