Secretary of State's Service for Service Project

The Service for Service Project was conceived by Secretary Markowitz to encourage service-learning projects in Vermont schools.  

For the first venture, through a generous donation from Verizon and with the assistance of the USO, the Secretary of State's Office created the Guard Card Project to distribute long-distance phone cards to deployed soldiers.  Last spring schools across Vermont organized fundraising activities to assist with the project and the phone cards were distributed during deployment ceremonies this past fall. 

Now we are encouraging schools to help soldiers and their families in other ways, either through direct service, collecting needed items, or by raising money to purchase items associated with these efforts.

For more information about the Service for Service Project  contact Olivia Gay at 802-828-1296 or olivia.gay@sec.state.vt.us.

Join up or tell us about your own project and ideas!

Join up now!

•  Click here to sign up for a Service for Service project, describe your organization's project, or just submit your ideas!

Here's what some schools are doing:

• Browns River Middle School created a project to send school supplies to Afghanistan for distribution by Vermont National Guard soldiers. 

• Middlebury Union High School has a service requirement in their curriculum.  Participation in a Service for Service project has been added as an option.

• Students in the Windsor Southeast school district held a car wash, put donation jars in businesses around the area, sold ice cream sandwiches during the school play, sold strawberry shortcakes at school during all three lunch periods one day.

• Benson Village school raised $100 from a coin drive and also created handmade calling card holders with images of Vermont for the soldiers.  These holders contained the donated phone cards.

• Third, fourth, and fifth graders in Cavendish conducted an Ed-u-thon. They played learning games and other activities from 7 pm to 7 am. Sponsors of this event helped the kids raise $1,400.  Click on the video below to see the October 27 kick-off event at Cavendish Town Elementary School.

• One 6^th grade teacher is planning a Guard-based service learning project for the upcoming school year that will emphasize math concepts in the curriculum. She has a student in her class whose father will be deployed.

Need some ideas? 

• Collaborate with Operation: Military Kids to fundraise for and/or help pack Hero Packs for children with a parent in the National Guard.

• Direct Service Volunteering - offer your time and services to help a military family or volunteer for a National Guard support program, such as summer camp.

• Run a donation drive or host an event to raise money. Donate the funds to Vermont Charitable Foundation, the 501(c)(3) of the Vermont National Guard.

• Send soldier care packages – raise money or seek donations to get items needed by soldiers, package the items, mail them.

• Send family care packages - see above.

• Send letters, artwork, and holiday cards to soldiers and their families.

• Adopt a military family for a period of time. Include them in holidays and other special celebrations, help with chores, etc.

• Host a community event to support military families, e.g. a dance, a veteran’s appreciation night, etc.

• Post a YouTube video about your project to inspire other schools.

Please note that the identities of Guard soldiers and their families are protected and will not be provided unless they have given express permission.