During the 2020-21 program year, 748 AmeriCorps members with the 26 AmeriCorps programs served over 640,000 hours, making a significant difference in communities throughout the state. Some of the impacts of their service include:

With funding from the AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), Serve Wisconsin launched a program to help strengthen local communities in preparedness, response, and recovery to disasters. This VGF effort seeks to increase the number and capacity of existing Volunteer/Community Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs/COADs) throughout the six Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) Regions by supporting regional VOAD/COAD coordinators. The coordinators have engaged their regions with disaster planning, training, and coordination and have provided representation on the state Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WIVOAD). Since the launch, they have helped coordinate efforts responding to natural disasters, COVID-19 and provided assistance to support the Afghan guests relocated to Fort McCoy. WIVOAD quickly stepped in to coordinate the donations for the Afghan guests. Our six regional coordinators communicated the needs to their local communities and aided with collecting resources for the Afghan guests, and provided food and shelter for the volunteers serving at Fort McCoy.

This spring saw the launch of the Serve Wisconsin AmeriCorps VISTA initiative, which is placing AmeriCorps VISTA members in nonprofits, schools, and government agencies to help them build organizational capacity to alleviate poverty in Wisconsin. During their year of service, AmeriCorps VISTA members can assist organizations with resource development, designing or improving programming, volunteer engagement and management, developing outreach plans and materials, assessing community needs and assets, and other services to build organizational capacity. AmeriCorps VISTA members have already begun serving with ten organizations throughout the state, with additional organizations currently seeking AmeriCorps VISTA members to serve at their locations.

The Governor's Service Awards returned to being an in-person recognition this August, with nine individuals and five organizations honored from throughout the state for their outstanding volunteerism and service to the people of Wisconsin. The honorees' volunteerism and service addressed critical issues impacting Wisconsin communities throughout the last year, including COVID-19 response, food insecurity and nutrition, health care access, and students' academic and social support gaps. This year, we were excited to start a new recognition for Wisconsin's AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers who have volunteered for 20 years. During this inaugural year, we recognized 221 outstanding volunteers that had served for at least twenty years, and many had volunteered for several years past that milestone. Reflecting on the impact that these individuals and organizations have had for the people of Wisconsin, Governor Evers told the honorees that "on behalf of our entire state, thank you for your hard work and dedication. Your service is an inspiration to all of us and it exemplifies our shared Wisconsin values of empathy, compassion, service, and taking care of our neighbors."

To help build these connections between farmers and local school nutrition directors to get healthy local foods into school meals, the Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School Program launched the Wisconsin Local Foods Database. This resource allows farmers to provide information on local foods they produce that school districts can purchase for meal programs and contact information for schools looking to purchase local food. "We encourage all farmers and school food directors to sign up on the website for free marketing and networking," Schneider said. Through his own background operating Schneider Family Farms Red Angus Ranch, he is able to stress how this free database can help both groups, particularly when supply chain disruptions and other issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted their ability to sell/buy and store foods.

To learn more about David Lee Schneider’s service, the challenges that school districts have faced due to increased demands, and the impacts of Wisconsin Local Foods Database, read the article AmeriCorps Farm to School program is win-win for farmers, schools and community in the Wisconsin State Farmer.

To access the Wisconsin Local Foods Database, visit https://sites.google.com/dpi.wi.gov/wilfd/home

December episodes of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service stories from the Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program. Racine Zoo AmeriCorps members provide environmental education programming to elementary, middle school, and high school students to reinforce grade-level science curriculum through inquiry and research activities, environmental presentations, and programming. Our second episode explored the service of two AmeriCorps members serving with Serve Wisconsin's AmeriCorps VISTA initiative, which launched in 2021 to help nonprofits, schools, and government agencies statewide build up their organizational capacity to alleviate poverty. Check out these episodes below and access all of the episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members serving with the Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program. We start our conversation with Kelsey Sanders, who is serving this year at the Racine Zoo after serving as an AmeriCorps member in Florida. We then sit down to speak with Brian Butt, who recently completed his degree in zoology and brings this passion to his service at the Racine Zoo. Listen in to learn how Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program members bring engaging scientific programming and ambassador animals to students in the Racine Area School District and participate in caring for the animals at the Racine Zoo.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps VISTA members serving as part of the initial cohort of members with Serve Wisconsin's AmeriCorps VISTA initiative. We first speak with Kailee Remez, who is addressing food insecurity at Carroll University. She describes her work conducting a needs assessment to gain data on students experiencing food insecurity, her work with Carroll's Cupboards, which are small food pantries on campus, and several initiatives planned for the rest of her service. We then continue our conversation by speaking with Tony Schultz, who is working on several initiatives through his VISTA service at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council. He discusses how he is recording the stories of elders with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians as part of a program working with tribal youth, and helping to build up the capacity of the Arvid E. Miller Library/Museum in Bowler and the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center in Milwaukee. Listen in to learn how these AmeriCorps VISTA members are addressing poverty and strengthening the capacity of organizations as they address different concerns throughout the state.

Serve Wisconsin is hiring a Volunteer & Disaster Response Officer, with applications due for the position by January 3, 2022. This new position will provide administrative and programmatic support to promote volunteerism throughout the state and coordinate multiple disaster-related efforts, including Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs), engaging AmeriCorps members in disaster response, planning and organizing trainings, and collaborating with emergency and disaster response agencies/organizations.

View the full position description for more information on the job duties and required skills and knowledge.

Applicants will need to include a letter of qualifications and resume. For instructions on developing a resume and letter of qualifications for the application and what should be included in these materials, please visit the Resume and Letter of Qualifications Tips guidance

Applicant materials are due by 11:59 pm on January 3, 2022. Complete the application and submit materials here: POSITION APPLICATION LINK

Serve Wisconsin | servewisconsin.wi.gov | AmeriCorps