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Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of AmeriCorps in Wisconsin at the 2019 Opening Ceremony in Milwaukee
400 AmeriCorps members, program staff, and alumni from throughout Wisconsin came together to mark the 25th anniversary of AmeriCorps in Wisconsin during the 2019 Opening Ceremony at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Friday, October 11.
Congresswoman Gwen Moore, an AmeriCorps VISTA alumna, enthusiastically swore in the members to "get things done for America" with the AmeriCorps pledge and described for the new AmeriCorps members how her leadership was impacted by her service, stating "I learned the value of self-help, coalition building, cooperation, and mobilization. I realized that great things can be accomplished with the collective strength of community."
Following the AmeriCorps pledge, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes spoke to the attendees regarding the impact of AmeriCorps service on Wisconsin and presented a proclamation from Governor Tony Evers celebrating the 25th Anniversary of AmeriCorps in Wisconsin.
The afternoon programming kicked off with remarks from Chester Spellman, the Director of AmeriCorps with the Corporation for National and Community Service, who highlighted the legacy of AmeriCorps service in Wisconsin, describing that more than 26,000 Wisconsin residents have served nearly 40 million hours as AmeriCorps members since 1994 and that this year alone, over 1,300 AmeriCorps members will serve at more than 400 locations throughout Wisconsin. "For more than two decades, Americans who want to serve have been pledging to "get things done" as AmeriCorps members," said Spellman. "As AmeriCorps marks its 25th anniversary, it's an honor to watch a new generation speak those same words today in Wisconsin. Through their dedication and sacrifice, I know our nation is in good hands."
AmeriCorps alumni in government participated in a panel on leadership and how their current service to the people of Wisconsin was influenced by their AmeriCorps service, with the panel featuring State Representative David Bowen (Milwaukee), State Representative Jonathan Brostoff (Milwaukee), State Representative David Crowley (Milwaukee), State Representative Amanda Stuck (Appleton), and Tawsif Anam, Regional Director for Senator Ron Johnson.
The theme of leadership and the impact of service was also featured in presentations by Joel Brennan, Secretary of the Department of Administration, and Dr. Alex Gee. Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin, said "we hope to both inspire you and encourage you to think critically on you how you approach service and leadership." Duffy continued, "The tone you AmeriCorps members set in your service locations matters. Good, strong leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. This is an opportunity for you learn values-centered leadership skills that you can use to become effective leaders now and in the future."
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The Impact of AmeriCorps - 25 Years Later
An Alumni Reflection from the beginning of AmeriCorps
This reflection on the impact of AmeriCorps service is by Kevin Heinking, who was one of the very first AmeriCorps members in Wisconsin, serving with Justice Programs through North Central Technical College. Kevin currently lives in Wausau and maintains an active role working with others in the community.
When AmeriCorps was initially established and slated to be started in 1994, I had no idea that I would become one of the first AmeriCorps members in Wisconsin and the impact that it would have on my life.
Twenty-five years ago, I was pushing forty, married with two teenage children, and had recently gone back to college to become a social worker. I had never been busier or more tired in my life, as I was working full time and taking a full class load. but this was that was very important to me. I was already working in human services, but I felt that I needed to take that next step. Yet at the same time, just like for many other families, money was an issue. Money for another college degree certainly did not fit into our budget and taking out more college loans seemed to be the only way forward, but I was determined to see it through no matter what. What I did not know at the time, was that serving in AmeriCorps would be a way forward that would impact not only me, but others in my community.
I saw a job position in the local paper for a new day shift only corrections program, which would be perfect if I could get it for my schedule. To top of it off, it would involve working in corrections, which is just where I wanted to be. When I applied, I was told the position was going to be working in a new pilot program in Marathon County called Justice Programs, which would be operated by Northcentral Technical College. My position would be funded by a new federal program called AmeriCorps, which I was informed would operate similarly to a domestic version of the Peace Corp. As applicants, we learned that through AmeriCorps, we would be paid a living stipend while serving and earn an educational award that could be used after finishing the program. This was a great opportunity, as we not only would be doing a service for the community while working at Justice Programs, but we would be able to do up to two years' service, work in the program either full time or part time, get paid, and then get an award to pay off our college bills. It couldn't get any better than that.
I fortunately got the AmeriCorps position with Justice Programs and I served with four other people over the next two years, with each of us being nontraditional college students during our AmeriCorps service. We put together a solid pilot program at the Justice Program that worked, as it allowed correctional clients, usually Huber or "work release" based inmates, to be a part of work crews completing various day labor jobs for the county. While not every participant was successful, most of those the correctional clients were able to successfully reduce their sentences by working off part of their sentence through completing work projects as part of the program. The program we helped develop and were able to get off to a successful start is still running today, with it being taken over by ATTIC Correctional Services, Inc. here in Wisconsin and it now operates in multiple counties around the state.
While the program itself was a success and had a tremendous impact on our correctional client participants that were able to reduce their sentences, AmeriCorps also had a profound impact on our entire team of AmeriCorps members at Justice Programs. All five of us went on to graduate with various college degrees and ultimately ended up in positions in the fields we were working towards. The money I received for the educational award also helped me keep my student debt low and allowed me to pay it off years sooner than I ever thought possible. On top of that, our program director in Marathon County, Cathy King, also went on to working in corrections in Portage County for many years following the end of our pilot program. To me these accomplishments alone are quite an AmeriCorps success story, particularly because we were all nontraditional college students while serving as AmeriCorps members and we were able to finish our degrees when many others may not have succeeded.
In addition to helping us complete our degrees, our AmeriCorps experience further laid the development for our future through the experiences we gained and the support of our host organization, Northcentral Technical College. They held meetings, receptions, dinners and outings for all of us, as the school wanted to showcase its new AmeriCorps program participants and connect us to the greater community. Meeting so many different people added to my professional network over the years and opened so many doors, as these connections I made while serving in AmeriCorps have been invaluable over the past 25 years.
Thank you AmeriCorps! You have really made a positive impact on my life. I don't know if I could have come this far without you.
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Easter Seals Wisconsin AmeriCorps members and campers complete Make A Difference Day projects
On Saturday, October 26th, the AmeriCorps members from Easter Seals Wisconsin volunteered with program staff and campers for Make a Difference Day. At the end of the project, 37 cards were created to be sent to soldiers overseas through Support Our Troops and 14 blankets were made to donate to the animals at the Humane Society.
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Teach for America Milwaukee AmeriCorps members participate in the Fall Weed-Out Project for Make A Difference Day
Teach For America Milwaukee AmeriCorps members participated in a Make a Difference Day service project alongside the Friends of Grant Park and the Milwaukee County Park System. Members joined the Fall Weed-Out project on Saturday, October 26 at Grant Park and helped to remove invasive plant species, including buckthorn and exotic honeysuckle, that pose a threat to our park environments.
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Public Allies Milwaukee AmeriCorps members volunteer at
Hunger Task Force - The Farm for Make A Difference Day 2019
As part of October 2019 National Make A Difference Day, the 48-Member Public Allies Milwaukee AmeriCorps 2020 class volunteered at the Hunger Task Force - The Farm. The Farm supplies half a million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to their food bank, supporting nutrition for those who normally rely on nonperishable foods. One of the challenges The Farm faces is the continued threat of invasive species, so AmeriCorps members were given an orientation by The Farm's staff and the members were able to clear a field of the invasive plants during the project.
For more information about the Hunger Task Force or how to volunteer at The Farm, please go to
https://www.hungertaskforce.org/what-we-do/the-farm/.
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Celebrating National Farm to School Month in Wisconsin
October was National Farm to School Month! In Wisconsin, the service of AmeriCorps Farm to School members throughout Wisconsin was highlighted in multiple news stories and publications. AmeriCorps members serving with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction - AmeriCorps Farm to School build up the capacity of Wisconsin communities to support farm to school programming through nutrition education lessons, local food taste tests, integrating local foods into school meals, local procurement education, school gardens, farmer engagements, and community volunteers.
One highlight was an article entitled
"Farm to School in Wisconsin" in the October edition of
Wisconsin School News, which featured the service of AmeriCorps members Charitee Seebecker in Juneau County and Jenna Sward with the Oregon School District.
Another highlight was participation in the 6th annual Great Lakes Apple Crunch Day on October 10, as nearly 1.6 million students from schools throughout the Wisconsin and other states in the Upper Midwest participated in this event that brings locally and regionally grown apples into schools. Participation in the day at Arbor Vitae Woodruff Elementary was covered in this news article and video by WJFW in Rhinelander, which featured AmeriCorps members Adriane Morabito and Emily Butler, together with hundreds of students at as they simultaneously bit into apples on October10. Additionally, the participation at five different schools in Juneau County was led by AmeriCorps member Erin Lenninger in this press release by the Juneau County Health Department.
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Serve Wisconsin is Hiring an AmeriCorps Financial Officer
Serve Wisconsin is now taking applications for an AmeriCorps Financial Officer. Applications for the position are due on Tuesday, November 19. Information on this position and how to apply is located
HERE
Position Description
The AmeriCorps Financial Officer develops policies and procedures, conducts program planning, monitoring, and evaluation for federal AmeriCorps funds, and functions as a technical expert to local and state government agencies and nonprofit organizations related to federal and state laws, regulations, and policies. This position works independently to provide complex financial oversight of organizations receiving AmeriCorps funding. This position conducts financial desk reviews, provides financial technical assistance to grant recipients and grant applicants, monitors expenditures and financial reporting, and conducts on-site evaluations to evaluate compliance with complex federal and state statutes and regulations.
Additional duties include assisting the Executive Director in planning and developing operational policies, administrative and programmatic support in oversight of AmeriCorps programs and select activities and projects that further the mission of Serve Wisconsin, and strengthening Serve Wisconsin's relationship with stakeholders including federal contacts, elected officials, administrators of non-profit organizations and the general public. State and national travel is required.
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Become an AmeriCorps Member Today!
If you wish to engage in meaningful community service and acquire job skills, consider joining AmeriCorps!
To learn more about AmeriCorps or if you are ready to join and have questions about which program is right for you, contact us! We are happy to answer your questions and help you explore the different opportunities available.
Program information is also available on our
Serve Wisconsin
website.
We look forward to speaking with you!
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Interesting in serving as a member of the Wisconsin National and Community Service Board?
For those interested in taking an active role in promoting national service and volunteerism in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin National and Community Service Board currently has three vacancies for board members for the following appointment types:
- A representative of community-based agency
- An individual between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who is a participant or supervisor of a service program for school-aged youth, or of a campus-based or national service program
- An open seat where the individual would meet any of the slot descriptions in state statute for one of the other appointed members
Those interested in serving are required to complete an application to the governor for the appointment. The online application for applying for a board position can be found
HERE, with additional information on the application process found at
Apply to Serve - Governor Tony Evers. If you are potentially interested in serving on the board and have any questions, please contact Serve Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Duffy at
[email protected].
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Calendar: Upcoming Events and Key Dates
November
- November 7 - Proposals and Additional Documents for RFP are Due
- November 28 - Thanksgiving (State Holiday - Serve Wisconsin office closed)
December
- December 3 - Program Evaluation and Development Committee Meeting (Lussier Family Heritage Center - Madison, WI)
- December 6 - AmeriCorps Transformational Leadership Training (Goodman Community Center - Madison, WI)
- December 12 - Wisconsin National and Community Service Board Meeting (Lussier Family Heritage Center - Madison, WI)
- December 24 - Christmas Eve (State Holiday - Serve Wisconsin office closed)
- December 25 - Christmas (State Holiday - Serve Wisconsin office closed)
- December 31 - New Year's Eve (State Holiday - Serve Wisconsin office closed)
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