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Serve Wisconsin
August 2020 Newsletter
Articles this month:
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 Governor's Service Awards rescheduled with new award categories for COVID-19 response service - Applications due Sept. 13
Serve Wisconsin will host the 2020 Governor's Service Awards as a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, October 15, 2020. New for 2020, we will honor the critical difference that individual volunteers and local organizations have made for their communities by responding to COVID-19.
The Governor's Service Awards honor outstanding national service members, volunteers, and programs that have helped to address pressing needs in their communities. Those honored by these awards will have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their service efforts, with their generous service impacting the lives of countless Wisconsinites.
The nomination form, which is the same for all award categories, as well as information on past recipients of the awards can be found at https://www.servewisconsin.wi.gov/governors-service-awards. The deadline for nomination submissions for the 2020 Governor's Service Awards is scheduled for Sunday, September 13. Nominations can be submitted electronically to [email protected].
The nomination categories for this year are listed below, with descriptions on the application form.
- AmeriCorps Member of the Year Honoree
- AmeriCorps Program of the Year Honoree
- AmeriCorps VISTA Member or Program of the Year Honoree
- Senior Corps Volunteer of the Year Honoree
- Senior Corps Program of the Year Honoree
- Veteran Volunteer of the Year Honoree
- Volunteer Engagement Honoree
- Marty Stein Friend of National Service Exemplary Supporter
- AmeriCorps Alumni of the Year Honoree
- AmeriCorps VISTA Alumni of the Year Honoree
- COVID-19 Response Volunteer of the Year Honoree
- COVID-19 Response Organization of the Year Honoree
2020 Nomination Form
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Volunteer Wisconsin AmeriCorps members create Chequamegon Bay Green Infrastructure Project to improve water quality
"Water is life, and Lake Superior is a central aspect of the local communities. From economics and tourism, to water infrastructure, to recreation and aesthetic value, to the environmental biodiversity it offers, the Chequamegon Bay communities rely on Lake Superior for our way of living. We must not take this gift for granted -- we can all do our part to keep it clean." This is how Coal Gass, an AmeriCorps member with MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin, describes why their service this year in Ashland, WI to develop the Chequamegon Bay Green Infrastructure (CBGI) Project is so important.
AmeriCorps members Coal Gass and Aidan Reilly have been serving this past year at the City of Ashland, WI, with their service focusing on developing the CBGI Project and creating volunteer programs to increase outreach and engagement with Ashland residents on things they can do to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and improve water quality in Chequamegon Bay. The city requested that this be the focus of their service as a result of increased attention being brought to Ashland's aging water and sewer infrastructure as large rain events and sanitary sewer overflows have become more common in recent years.
Aidan explained that "the Chequamegon Bay and inhabitants of the Great Lakes are susceptible to many impacts, including their own. Our program was initiated to connect people to their water source and bridge gaps in municipal and residential misunderstandings. Simple adjustments to daily water consumption can add up, and everyone can participate. Our green infrastructure program is just one way people can do their part to keep the Great Lakes great."
During their service, Coal and Aidan have been educating the community on issues of inflow/infiltration and water quality/quantity hazards, including the actions citizens can take to help. Through the CBGI, they have been implementing green infrastructure projects to help mitigate the impacts of large storm and wet weather events on water infrastructure in the city. As part of this effort, they have been implementing two volunteer programs, Stormwater Stewards and Slow the Flow from Home, as part of their efforts to educate and engage the community on ways they can contribute to local stormwater resilience. Some of their recent volunteer efforts during COVID-19 have included hosting a curbside pickup event for the rain barrel and compost bin pre-order sale, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day through a Facebook event having Ashland residents decorate their sidewalks with chalk, and having volunteers adopt storm drains outside their houses.
Coal reflected that "throughout my year of service developing the CBGI Program, I've gained skills and insights in areas I never expected. Serving through City Hall and working with Ashland Public Works and Utilities Department allowed me to see the daily hustle and bustle from a new perspective and emphasized my previous knowledge of the importance of water quality."
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The impacts of AmeriCorps service with DPI Farm to School
The AmeriCorps members with the DPI AmeriCorps Farm to School Program have been serving in many capacities since the transition to virtual learning due to COVID-19, including continued service over this summer. Throughout the year, they were able to provide nutrition education and engage their students in numerous ways inside the classroom and then online this spring. Their experience not only made a difference for students throughout the state, but they also described how their service and the relationships they forged has also had a significant impact on them.
Below are excerpts from reflections from DPI Farm to School AmeriCorps members and staff on their service this year and how it has had an impact for others and on themselves, with the full Farm to School reflections available here
Katherine Rakowski
Life is not the same as it once was and it can be challenging to find meaning during the difficult times of COVID, quarantine, and social upheaval. We are all looking for some sense of normalcy and grounding, something to anchor us and remind us of who we are as human beings. Gratefully, one way in which I find meaning is through growing food for the community, which I have done as an AmeriCorps Farm to School Specialist at the School District of Bayfield by continuing to plant seeds, tend plants, and share food. The School District of Bayfield holds an established school and community garden space with a high tunnel. Instead of allowing the garden to go uncultivated this year, I was able to dedicate time and energy to growing food for the community.... Food planted at the Bayfield School Garden is donated to the Food Pantry in Bayfield, Wisconsin and the summer lunch program & elderly center at the Red Cliff Tribe. Between these 3 locations, over 200 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables has been donated to the larger Red Cliff/Bayfield community....
Rachel Leibovich
AmeriCorps has given me so many things - life skills, professional development, trainings and knowledge, and so much more.... My AmeriCorps year of service allowed me to figure out my path, pursuing a Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability with Emphasis in Environmental Justice and Sustainable Food Systems....But the most valuable thing for me was the friends I made. Although we were apart for most of the year....we'll stay in touch as each of us goes forth to improve our communities as best we can, and support each other in countless ways....I moved from Minneapolis to Madison specifically for this program. I had read so many articles about how difficult it is to make friends once you have graduated college and entered the workforce. Slap a global pandemic on top of that and it becomes almost impossible. Without the friendships I made at AmeriCorps I don't think I would feel as guided or supported as I find my voice in the environmental justice movement.
Makalyn Peterson
...My term of service had a much different outlook than what was originally discussed and planned due to the changing world of the pandemic. I did my best to jump right in and start things off virtually. To say I've learned one thing during this time is an understatement... There is a quote that states, "Life is like a camera, Just focus on what is important, Capture the good times, Develop from the negatives, If things don't work out, Take another shot."....Focus on what is important today - in an AmeriCorps view, it is reaching students, faculty, and the community. Teaching them about the importance of nutrition and the resources there are to buy fresh produce. Knowing there is still a support system for them. Capture the good times - take in the AmeriCorps lessons and learn how to keep yourself and your family happy and healthy. Develop from the negatives - learn from the situations and be adaptive. In the fall, we hope to take another shot!
Madison Soukup
Looking back on my service year as an AmeriCorps member nothing really went the way that I was expecting. While much of that was far beyond my control I am still happy with the experiences that I had and I can confidently say that I will be leaving the year with an immense amount of knowledge and a lasting friendship. There are two things that stick out to me as highlights of my service year. The first is the experience that I had teaching students about nutrition, agriculture, and all things farm to school.... Seeing a child's face light up when they tried a new fruit or vegetable or had the opportunity to hold a real, live worm made the entire experience worthwhile!...The other highlight of my service year was the friendship that I made with the other AmeriCorps member at my host site. I often struggle to make friends and form close relationships with my coworkers, so I am so grateful that Rachel and I became close friends with a relationship that will outlast the one year of service we served together....
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Reflecting on the difference made at WisCorps through service
Despite the challenges they faced due to COVID-19, the AmeriCorps members and staff at WisCorps continued to make a difference for communities throughout the state this year, including operating a COVID-19 response crew this spring and multiple roving conservation crews and environmental education day-camps throughout this summer.
Below are excerpts from reflections from WisCorps AmeriCorps members and staff on their service this year and how it has had an impact for others and on themselves, with the full WisCorps reflections available here.
Bella Thiesenhusen
...Along with my fellow naturalists, we ran environmental education programs for school groups, developed and created new lesson plans that we utilized throughout the year, created and ran week-long summer day camps, and held events open to the community....Throughout my time at WisCorps, I grew more confident in my leadership abilities and had the opportunity to further my education of the natural world while sharing my new knowledge with students and community members. Due to the pandemic, our service year was unique as we met the challenges head on and reached out to help our community through volunteering at the Salvation Army, working in the community garden, and completed yard work for those unable to so....
Ashley Nowak
In the Fall of 2019, I served in my first AmeriCorps term with WisCorps on a crew focusing on environmental stewardship throughout the state. Physically, I endured the gamut of weather, from high humidity to multiple inches of snow while sleeping in a tent and living with people I had never met before. As far as having new experiences went, almost every day ticked this box. I gained new hard-skills such as using trail-building tools, power-tools, and learning about invasive species in Wisconsin. But even more, I learned what it was to create, and be a part of, a community living inside of a culture of care. Through this experience I gained some new interests, friends that I will have for the rest of my life, and greater confidence in myself. I sincerely loved my time with this crew--mosquito bites and frozen toes included....
David Wastart
...This year, we did not run a Spring Crew due to COVID-19...we had a project sponsor that needed a crew for tree planting, with the timing being sensitive. We scrambled a few people from the office as a super crew to go up to Northern Wisconsin near Lake Superior. We worked long, hot days and one in the rain to plant 2,500 trees and 1,500 herbaceous plugs on a 40-acre plot. Working with WisCorps isn't a cookie cut model, it involves adapting and overcoming obstacles that aren't always foreseen. With these experiences, I'm growing in a way that will help me navigate the rest of my life.
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UWEC ECLIPSE receives grant to provide literacy kits to enable virtual programming to reach 700 young children
UWEC ECLIPSE has been working hard this summer planning how they can best support children in the Eau Claire area due to the closures caused by COVID-19. They will be providing all of the 3-5-year-old children at their different program partner sites with literacy kits to keep at home, which will include 2 books, 4 step-by-step activity guides that correlate with the stories, materials, and supplies to use with all activities both in the kit and those posted on their Virtual ECLIPSE page. A significant part of their plan is to shift in service to a virtual model where the ECLIPSE AmeriCorps members will provide interactive and engaging read alouds that will be accompanied with developmentally appropriate and supportive activities posted regularly to the Virtual ECLIPSE website.
With the goal of being able to support the academic and developmental needs of as many early childhood children as possible in Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley, ECLIPSE applied for and received additional grant funding from United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley. Thanks to this grant, they will be able to double their reach to children in the area, expanding from the 350 children they would have served through their program partner sites to being able to provide literacy kits and programming to 700 children and families in the Chippewa Valley both in the fall and then again in the spring.
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Easterseals Wisconsin AmeriCorps member organizes distribution of hygiene bags for those in need in River Falls
The AmeriCorps members at Easterseals Wisconsin have been stepping up to "get things done" despite the closures of our summer camp sessions. During her remote service this summer, AmeriCorps Respite Apprentice Madelynne coordinated efforts to create hygiene bags to be distributed within her community for individuals in need. She reached out to the local community for donations and within hours received commitments to obtain all of the items needed for the project. By the end of the project, 48 hygiene bags were given to Our Neighbor's Place in River Falls to distribute to those in need, with the bags including a bar of soap, snack bars, wipes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, Band-Aids, hair binders, and other items.
Madelynne reflected on her service saying "serving with AmeriCorps in the midst of COVID has been very eye-opening and has allowed me to see the needs of my community and find creative and safe ways to reach out and make an impact and difference. Although this term with AmeriCorps has looked different than I thought it would, I am grateful for the ways it has helped shape me into a better leader and a more aware and involved member of my community."
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PASS AmeriCorps member creates podcast project to provide a voice to local youth in Madison
Partners for After School Success (PASS) AmeriCorps member Aaron Shavers created a podcast to give the Elver Park Neighborhood Center youth the opportunity and platform to voice their thoughts, ideas, opinions on current events, pop culture, and their community. This podcast is an example of how PASS AmeriCorps is trying to highlight youth voice as a focus of their Extended Learning Programming as they continue to provide academic and social support to their students while students attend school virtually due to COVID-19. The first episode of the podcast introduces the Elver Park Neighborhood Center to listeners, with the youth sharing about their transition to virtual learning, including aspects that went well and what they miss about school.
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Serve Wisconsin is continuing our series of video interviews with AmeriCorps members highlighting their service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AmeriCorps members from throughout the state have stepped up to make a difference in numerous ways over the past few months. Their service has not only impacted their communities and the lives of others, but it has also impacted the paths they are personally planning to take following their service.
Links to the next three interviews in this series, which were recorded and posted this August, are listed below with a brief description of each video. To view our additional interviews as they are posted, you can follow Serve Wisconsin's Facebook page, Twitter page, or YouTube channel. AmeriCorps members interested in participating in this interview series can contact Kyle Clower with Serve Wisconsin at [email protected]. INTERVIEW LINKS
- Interview - Parijat with MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin (video link)
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Parijat is serving this year with Marshfield Clinic Volunteer Wisconsin at the Marshfield Child Advocacy Center, which serves children who have suffered abuse or other adversities.
- Interview - Taylor with DPI Farm to School (video link)
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Taylor has served two years with DPI Farm to School at Fort Healthcare, making a difference for children and communities in Jefferson County as a nutrition educator.
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Kati is completing her first term of service with DPI Farm to School at the Bayfield School District, where she will continue to serve again next year as a nutrition educator.
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Complete your Community Project
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) are teams of 18-24 year-olds that travel regionally to help communities meet their critical needs by completing projects that typically last 6-8 weeks. These projects address five main service areas: natural and other disasters, energy conservation, environmental stewardship and conservation, infrastructure improvement, and urban and rural development. NCCC partners with a variety of nonprofit organizations, government entities (federal, state or local), educational institutions, neighborhood associations, Native American Tribal Councils, and community-based or faith-based organizations to complete projects which address a compelling community need.
For organizations interested in having a team between January 6 and March 11, 2021, the deadline for submitting a concept form is on September 1. Information on the application process for this upcoming period or for several other project windows over the next year are available in the 2021 RFP.
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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 has a current or pending vacancy for board members for the following appointment type:
- 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
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
SEPTEMBER
- September 7 - Labor Day (Serve Wisconsin office closed)
- September 15-17 - CNCS AmeriCorps Symposium (virtual)
OCTOBER
- October 15 - 2020 Governor's Service Awards (virtual)
- October 15 - Wisconsin National and Community Service Board Meeting (virtual)
- October 30 - 2020-2021 AmeriCorps Opening Ceremony (virtual)
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See what's happening on our social media sites:
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