Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes congratulated the honorees at the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards. “Throughout the tough times the last two years, it has been volunteers, just like the honorees here today, that have inspired us all to believe that an end to the pandemic is possible and that everyone doing their part is exactly the way that we can achieve that.” He continued by saying “I'm excited to help recognize 14 wonderful, amazing individuals and one organization from throughout the state for the impactful service that you've done with the Governor’s Service Awards, as well as 49 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers for reaching the milestone of twenty years of volunteer service in their communities.

The Governor’s Service Awards honors outstanding volunteers, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors participants and national service organizations that address serious social needs across Wisconsin. The 2022 awards were presented on May 26th and sponsored by Serve Wisconsin, the state commission for national and community service.

“I want to say thank you to all of those that are here today for the work you have done over the last couple of years and the work you have done beyond that, but most importantly, through the most difficult times of so many people's lives around us,” stated Lt. Governor Barnes. “When times are challenging and people fell into despair, frustration and desperation, it was you who have been there to lend a helping hand. You may not know it, but you make a difference.”

Serve Wisconsin board chair Christine Beatty concluded the ceremony by telling attendees that “you can see the wide breadth of the stories that we have told today, and we are so delighted that there are people like this in our community who are willing to share their knowledge, their skills and their abilities with others and make an impact in the community. I hope that you will leave charged and inspired to serve your community.”

Easterseals Wisconsin was excited to host their spring Veterans Family Camp the weekend of April 29-May 1. Facilitated by Easterseals Wisconsin AmeriCorps members, these weekends are for veterans and their families to reconnect with each other and network with other veterans while having a fun and relaxing weekend with many optional planned activities. In addition to the programming by AmeriCorps members and program staff, community volunteers assisted families and helped in the kitchen, and the Legion Auxiliary Post 229 provided treats for the families to enjoy.

Activities during these weekends include a high-ropes course, fishing, archery, tie-dying, arts and crafts, as well as activities outside of Camp Waubeek in the Wisconsin Dells. This year these optional activities included a trip to the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory and Nature Therapy and Forest Bathing activities facilitated by Dr. Namyun Kil and Research Assistant Cora Vogt of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

During each camp, Easterseals Wisconsin recognizes the veterans and their service, and on Saturday evening, the Wisconsin Dells Legion Auxiliary and Quilts of Valor Foundation awarded two of the veterans with a quilt through a Quilts of Valor ceremony.

The AmeriCorps members with the Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School Program helped students, teachers, and school foodservice directors from throughout the state celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day on May 19. Farm to School AmeriCorps members have been conducting hands-on learning activities with their students the last several weeks to get their gardens planted before the end of the school year so they can come back in the fall and harvest the fruits of their hard work.

To help highlight the service they have been doing with students across Wisconsin in their school gardens, the Farm to School AmeriCorps members created this video to spotlight these efforts: VIDEO - The AmeriCorps Farm to School Program Jumps into School Garden Season

Serve Wisconsin would like to thank Tracey Brent for all of her work and dedication to Serve Wisconsin over the last three years. Tracey left Serve Wisconsin in May for a position with Medicaid Services at the Department of Health Services.

Tracey joined Serve Wisconsin as our Compliance and Training Officer in November 2019, transforming our monitoring practices from a paper-based system to a fully digital format, which proved to be invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. By leading the transition to DocuSign and SharePoint, she streamlined our monitoring practices for both programs and staff and saved a small forest in paper. In addition to heading these efforts, Tracey organized trainings for both program staff and AmeriCorps members and served as the program officer for two AmeriCorps programs, Wisconsin HealthCorps and 414 Fellows. Outside of the office, Tracey also demonstrated a strong commitment to volunteerism, serving her local community as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician and CPR Instructor.

May episodes of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service stories of two AmeriCorps members that are serving different communities throughout the state. Check out these episodes below and access all of the podcast episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Maysee Lao, who is currently serving with the North Central Community Action Program (NCCAP) AmeriCorps Program at the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS). Maysee discusses multiple public health efforts that she is supporting while serving at WIPPS, including COVID-19 vaccination clinics through the Hmong and Hispanic Communication Network (H2N) and research on multiple public health issues, including the use of services by caregivers to Hmong individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Maysee additionally discusses supporting learners from multiple age-groups through the Central Wisconsin High School Leadership Program and with LENA Start. LENA Start helps parents and young children develop language and conversation sills to close the language gap that correlates with future success. Listen to learn about how Maysee has been gaining valuable experience as an AmeriCorps member that she hopes to bring to her future studies in medical school and her career as a doctor. (listen to episode here)

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Michael Smith, who is currently serving with Public Allies Racine/Kenosha (PARK) at the Racine Public Library. Michael discusses the different programs that he oversees at the library to boost literacy efforts and to support the community. He also shares about the activities with his fellow PARK AmeriCorps members, including projects supporting nonprofit organizations in the Racine and Kenosha area, and how they came together as a cohort during their activities at the beginning of the year. Listen to learn about how Michael both followed his mother’s steps in becoming an AmeriCorps member with Public Allies and is forging his own trail toward becoming a librarian through his service. (listen to episode here)

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 jeanne.duffy@wisconsin.gov.

Serve Wisconsin | servewisconsin.wi.gov | AmeriCorps