The State of Wisconsin has become an Employer of National Service

We are thrilled to share that the State of Wisconsin is now an Employer of National Service!  

In recognition of national service participants' unique and transferable skills gained during national service, Employers of National Service builds a talent pipeline to connect AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alums with employers from every sector to create recruitment, hiring, and advancement opportunities. Through this initiative, employers have access to a pool of dedicated and highly-qualified national service alums that have opportunities to translate their skills in the workplace.

“As an Employer of National Service, the State of Wisconsin recognizes that national service alumni that served with AmeriCorps and Peace Corps are strong leaders who are motivated, flexible, innovative, and outcome-oriented,” said Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin. “They learn quickly, work well on diverse teams, and know how to mobilize others to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our state.”

Thank you to the State of Wisconsin for becoming an Employer of National Service and recognizing the valuable contributions national service alums can make in service to the people of Wisconsin.

MCHS Community Corps AmeriCorps members answering the call to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian

Without leaving Wisconsin, two AmeriCorps members with Marshfield Clinic Health System – Community Corps have been helping those impacted by Hurricane Ian over the last few weeks. Laura Kaiser and Jenifer McKenzie responded to a national request to assist Crisis Cleanup as volunteer call line operators to help address their system's unprecedented call volume. Crisis Cleanup operates a website and remote call center where disaster survivors can register their cleanup needs, such as temporary roof repair, mucking and gutting, and debris clearance. Speaking with impacted individuals to record their needs they guided the deployment of volunteer teams to help disaster survivors clean up to repair property and homes.

Jenifer described that after completing some online training that “I was then able to take calls that were sent through the website to my phone. We had to collect basic information (name, address, phone, over age 60, children in the home, Veteran status) and then gather info on what help was needed… After saving the info the case was added to a map that is available to all volunteers in the areas that were impacted by Hurricane Ian. We had to let the caller know that we could not guarantee when or if help would come but they would be on the map where volunteers could select their case and come help them.”

Laura explained that “the needs of individuals calling in varied quite a bit. Some needed assistance with a few trees whereas others needed assistance with taking everything out or their residence due to extremely high waters that were over 6 feet high. The flood waters wrecked everything and mold was becoming an issue.”  

Describing the experience so far, Jenifer said, “the thing that stood out the most to me was how many people said, 'I know others have it worse' and how thankful each caller was that even though I was not on the ground, there were volunteers taking calls to help set things in motion. Not only were there callers who were dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane, but also those who were struggling even before that and are now left with no running water, debris in their homes, or some with homes that are now uninhabitable. 

Additionally, Laura reflected that “two of the phone calls that really stuck out to me were from an elderly individual who had just been released from a hospital and a veteran with mobility disabilities. I ended up marking these two cases as high priority. Other individuals called in to have their needs documented, but also just needed someone that would listen. One individual talked to me about how his wife and himself had fortunately moved the kayaks into their main living space before Hurricane Ian hit. They ended up floating in their kayaks with their pets until the flood waters subsided…So far I have accumulated around 10 hours as a Crisis Cleanup phone volunteer and I plan to continue assisting while there is a need.”

Milwaukee Christian Center YouthBuild completes construction of 20th home by their AmeriCorps members

The AmeriCorps members and program staff with the Milwaukee Christian Center YouthBuild Program hosted an open house on October 18th, 2022, for the 20th home built by the young adults serving in their program. They were joined by Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Maricha Harris of the Dominican Center, Barabar Smith of Amani United, and LaQuandra Shaw of Northwestern Mutual Foundation to recognize MCC's tangible impact YouthBuild AmeriCorps members have on the local community by helping to reinvigorate neighborhoods. 

MCC AmeriCorps YouthBuild members' service helps make homeownership possible by constructing new affordable, energy-efficient housing for low-income homebuyers and making repairs and accessible home modifications for current low-income homeowners. In addition to making a difference for others in the community, the MCC AmeriCorps members also receive assistance furthering their education, from completing GEDs/HSEDs to receiving training in trades while serving. Their service and the skills they gain are setting them on a pathway for future careers and a continued path to positively impacting the community.

Celebrating the impact of Wisconsin AmeriCorps members during National Farm to School Month

The following article was written by Gene Whipple, Interim Program Director with the Wisconsin DPI AmeriCorps Farm to School, and published on DPI-ConnectEd Stories on October 3, 2022. Gene served as a Farm to School AmeriCorps member in 2018-2019 at the Bayfield School District.

Wisconsin's Farm-to-School Programs Connect Students to Our Land and Food Systems

The Farm-to-School movement helps connect our amazing school students to growing delicious food and being good stewards of our land. As we move deeper into fall, a time of harvest, bounty, and change, it makes sense that we celebrate October as National Farm to School month. It is a time when we are all more attuned to the cycles of nature, to storing and conserving summer's last bounty while taking care to put the land to rest for the long Wisconsin winter.

In Wisconsin, we have so many stories to celebrate. As the Interim Program Director of our state's AmeriCorps Farm-to-School program, I hear stories every day from folks serving their communities in every corner of the state. In La Farge, children are learning about nutrition through music, connecting their ears to their taste buds. In Bayfield, students learn the traditional ricing practices of the Anishinaabe people by collecting Manoomin and learning how to process it. In the Howard-Suamico School District, kids have harvested over 300 pounds of food from their school gardens this week, picking everything from blackberries to summer squash. These kids are building their own stories around the foods they eat while learning how to interact with food, farmers, and the soil at their feet in a fun, healthful way.

There are so many ways to celebrate Farm-to-School, in October (or any month!) and create stories of your own. The first is to find a local program to volunteer for. AmeriCorps members can always use help tending the school garden or conducting nutrition lessons! Beyond AmeriCorps, many schools have their own Farm-to-School program or are looking to start one. Join in the Great Lakes Apple Crunch on October 13th to enjoy Wisconsin’s delicious variety of apples. Visit the National Farm to School Network’s web page, go to the Celebration Toolkit and find resources to match your needs.

Happy National Farm-to-School Month everyone!

Welcome to Élysse Chay, our new Program Officer and AmeriCorps RFP Manager

Serve Wisconsin is happy to welcome Élysse Chay! As our newest AmeriCorps Program Officer, Élysse will coordinate our AmeriCorps RFP process and grants management activities and assist in monitoring and providing training to AmeriCorps programs. She is bringing to Serve Wisconsin over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, monitoring sub-grantees for compliance, providing training and technical assistance to promote compliance and quality program delivery, and developing strategic plans for community collaboration.

Élysse began her leadership journey as an AmeriCorps member with Public Allies Milwaukee in 2001, bringing a social justice lens to the redevelopment of Milwaukee’s largest brownfield, the Menomonee River Valley. She later served as Program Manager and Director of Evaluation at Public Allies from 2009 through 2012, where she supervised a team of AmeriCorps members, built systems to improve accountability, measure members’ impact and streamline compliance processes. Most recently, Élysse led the management of over $15 million in AmeriCorps grants at the Public Allies National Office, which operates up to 22 program sites across the US.

Élysse is a certified trainer of Youth Mental Health First Aid, QPR Suicide Prevention and the Youth Thrive curriculum that describes the effect on the adolescent brain development of adverse childhood experiences, while highlighting the protective factors that bolster young people’s resilience. She has particularly enjoyed providing trainings to several classes of Public Allies AmeriCorps members to build their self-awareness and professional skills through “Personality Types” and “Managing Up,” and earned the Public Allies Milwaukee Alumni Changemaker Award in 2015.  

Service stories from AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers and staff with RSVP of Dane County as it celebrates its

50th Anniversary serving the community

October episodes of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service stories of three AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers and two staff members with RSVP of Dane County. Check out these episodes below and access all of the podcast episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

The Golden Age of Service – RSVP of Dane County Turns Fifty

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers with RSVP of Dane County as it celebrates its fiftieth anniversary serving the people of Dane County. We sit down with RSVP of Dane County program directors Margie Zutter and Diana Jost to discuss the impact their AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have had through over eight million hours of volunteer service over the last fifty years and the multiple projects they are currently doing to support people in local communities. They describe several service efforts their RSVP volunteers, including driver services for medical appointments, home-delivered meals, the Triad safety program, the Homeworker program creating handmade items for people in need, and those volunteering with numerous sites and organizations throughout the county. Margie and Diana also describe the service their RSVP volunteers are doing through intergenerational programs and assisting students, including with their Computer Buddies and pen pal programs, as well as the service of their Foster Grandparents Program AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. Please listen to learn about the multiple ways the service done by AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers with RSVP of Dane County has made a difference for the community and the impact it has had on both those who are serving and the volunteers themselves. (listen to the episode here) 

Finding Service Passions by Volunteering with RSVP of Dane County

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer Judy Mayer, who has made a difference serving through RSVP of Dane County at multiple sites and with several programs since 2008. Judy describes the numerous ways she has found to impact the community through RSVP of Dane County, assisting people from students to senior citizens through her service with the Computer Buddies and Home Delivered Meals programs, as well as through volunteering at the Habitat ReStore of Dane County, the Henry Vilas Zoo, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Agrace Thrift Home Store, and with many other efforts. Please listen to learn about how Judy has made meaningful connections with people across her variety of service experiences and why she recommends that people try out volunteer service experiences and find their own way to make a difference for others. (listen to the episode here)

Promoting Public Safety and Serving Behind the Scenes with RSVP of Dane County

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service stories of two AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, Jim Jenkins and Peggy York, serving with the RSVP of Dane County. We start our conversation with Jim Jenkins, who describes the numerous volunteer service activities he has done over the last roughly eighteen years, including disaster response and preparedness training with the Red Cross and the Triad program, being a volunteer driver, and years of service on the RSVP board. We then sit down with Peggy York, who discusses her service on the Assessment Committee and Triad Committee and shares about her grandmother's volunteer service with the RSVP of Dane County as one of its earliest volunteers in the 1970s. Please listen to learn how both Jim and Peggy are making a difference by promoting safety for senior citizens and helping to support many other RSVP programs that impact people throughout Dane County. (listen to the episode here)

Deadline for NCCC AmeriCorps Concept Papers is November 1 for Projects in March-April 2023

AmeriCorps NCCC teams are 18-24 year-olds traveling regionally to help communities meet their critical needs by completing projects that typically last 6-8 weeks. 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 that address compelling community needs. These projects address five main service areas: natural and other disasters, energy conservation, environmental stewardship and conservation, infrastructure improvement, and urban and rural development.

As an example, the Cedar 3 Team of AmeriCorps NCCC members are serving between September 19 and November 8 at YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya to provide assistance to the Greater Green Bay YMCA. They will be completing several projects at the camp including improving trail systems, renovating the amphitheater, and building new camp sites.

Nonprofit organizations and government agencies interested in working with an AmeriCorps NCCC team between March 3 and April 27, 2023 need to submit a concept form by November 1. The next deadline to submit a concept form will be January 5, 2023 for working with an AmeriCorps NCCC team next year between May 4 and June 27 or between June 26 and August 4. Information on the application process for this upcoming period or for late spring, summer, and fall 2003 is available in their Request for Proposal (RFP) for 2023 service dates.

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:

• A representative of business
• A representative of local government
• A representative of local labor

Those interested in serving must complete an application to the governor for the appointment. The online application 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 interested in serving on the board and have any questions, please contact Serve Wisconsin Executive Director Jeanne Duffy at jeanne.duffy@wisconsin.gov.