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Communicating success is a key element of sustaining <br />momentum. It is important to share your success <br />with the residents of your community as well as with <br />your state and federal partners. By sharing ideas and <br />practices that work in one community, similar actions <br />can be embraced by other communities and can <br />inspire further creativity. <br /> <br />Developing a strong Citizen Corps Council will <br />require significant proactive communication with <br />residents of your community. Identifying creative <br />ways to get the message out about opportunities <br />available through Citizen Corps, as well as calling <br />your citizens to action and communicating <br />success, will require an ongoing communications <br />strategy that can include media coverage, events, <br />and presentations. <br /> <br />You may want to consider forming a communications <br />committee within your council that includes local <br />media representatives, public relations and marketing <br />executives,.and talented spokespersons who will help <br />you to effectively recruit and educate the members of <br />your community. <br /> <br />The communications committee may want <br />to consider: <br /> <br /> ~ Developing a presentation about Citizen Corps <br />in your community that can be shared at meetings <br />held by groups within your community. Once a <br />presentation has been developed, council members <br />can fan out to present Citizen Corps to community <br />groups, local parent/teacher associations, volunteer <br />clubs and other groups that are interested in <br />Citizen Corps. <br /> <br /> ~ Planning a media outreach strategy that will tap <br />into and develop relationships with your community's <br /> <br />local media to educate them on Citizen Corps. Media <br />opportunities might include interviews with partici- <br />pants active in Neighborhood Watch, coverage of <br />your local government's proclamation of Citizen <br />Corps week, letters to the editor, or meeting with the <br />editorial board about Citizen Corps. Local media <br />could also sponsor a regular newspaper or television <br />spot to feature volunteer opportunities and Citizen <br />Corps activities/success stories. <br /> <br /> ~ Designating contacts for speaking to the media <br />and working with these contacts to develop a consis- <br />tent message for promoting Citizen Corps within <br />your community. <br /> <br /> ~ Incorporating Citizen Corps into newsletters and <br />other publications developed by your community's <br />local government, Chamber of Commerce, or neigh- <br />borhood associations. <br /> <br /> ~ Planning a community Citizen Corps fair to bring <br />together specific volunteer opportunities in your com- <br />munity with citizens interested in contributing. By <br />inviting a local radio station to sponsor it, they could <br />also provide public service announcements in advance <br />to promote the fair and broadcasting live from the fair <br />on the day of the event. Your local Volunteer Center <br />may be able to help arrange such an event. <br /> <br /> ~ Contacting members of Congress and their local <br />staff to help promote Citizen Corps activities within <br />your community. <br /> <br />You may also want to create a recognition committee <br />to provide support and recognition to Citizen Corps <br />volunteers. Your local Volunteer Center can assist you <br />with ideas for appropriate public recognition. · <br /> <br /> <br />