What is Tempe Service Corps?

Well... right now Tempe Service Corps is mostly just an idea.

Our goal is to expand upon some organized service activities already underway and reach out to everybody in the area to invite them to participate.

In a nutshell, we have some ongoing service opportunities, some which are regularly scheduled and some which happen on an ad hoc basis. We know that many people would like to participate in these service activities for a variety of reasons, including pure altruism but also for fun and friendship.

We want to organize a website and communications through social media so that as many people as possible who live in the area can be given the invitation to participate in these service activities.

We currently have an active roster of over 200 people who are regularly involved in a small number of service activities. These are simple activities what people of all ages and backgrounds can participate in, including beautifying and improving local parks, landscaping, staffing blood drives, canvassing, cleaning up trash, cleaning church buildings and community centers, preparing meals, etc.

People can serve as often as they want, but currently most participate on a "by invitation" basis, and typically serve 3 to 4 times a year, for about an hour each time. Most participants find this is a fun program to be involved with and look forward to the services activities.

Some of the volunteers participate to fulfill volunteer service requirements in their school or other programs.

Our goal is to give everybody in the area an opportunity to learn about local service opportunities and to sign up to be invited to participate in these activities on a regular basis - according to their own preferences. We can provide an opportunity to take part in service activities frequently or infrequently... every week if somebody wants to participate frequently, or someone could ask to be invited very infrequently, such as just once a year.

We also are actively looking for additional service opportunities. We want to find people and organizations who need service, or are willing to receive service. Obviously we can not provide opportunities for volunteers to participate in service activities if we do not identify those service opportunities. Our goal is to expand the pool of volunteers significantly, but if we do that, we will want to expand the number and variety of service opportunities as well.

We have a very open idea about what types of service opportunities we could participate in. The purpose of Tempe Service Corps is not to promote any specific goal or ideology, and it is not limited to any particular group. The goal is to provide people with an opportunity to come together and perform service in the community. That could mean providing service to an individual neighbor in their home, or a civic group, a school, a church, mosque, synagogue, etc., a local park, youth group, organization.

Even a local for-profit business could be a recipient of service. Tempe Service Corps will not replace or displace actual employees. But there are appropriate ways for volunteers to help all kinds of organizations (including businesses). This can include one-time neighborhood beautification projects such as painting or landscaping.