2022: A Year in Review

Highlights from Wisconsin AmeriCorps Service and Volunteer Generation Fund

As the year comes to a close, we wanted to thank all AmeriCorps members, program staff, host site supervisors, community volunteers, Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grantee organizations, and everyone that helps our AmeriCorps programs and VGF grantees make a difference in communities across Wisconsin.

AmeriCorps Programs

During the 2021-22 program year, 607 AmeriCorps members with 25 AmeriCorps programs served nearly 600,000 hours, making a significant difference in communities throughout the state. Some of the impacts of their service include:

• 16,836 Wisconsin students (132 Pre-K students, 14,999 K-12 students, and 1,705 post-secondary students) participated in AmeriCorps educational programming focusing on literacy, tutoring, academic coaching, nutrition education, environmental education, after-school and extended learning programs, and college preparation and success.
• 3,012 individuals participated in health-based programming focused on health education, healthy living, health care access, community resource navigation, or recovery from substance addiction 
• 555 individuals with disabilities participated in therapeutic recreational activities
• 1,533 youth facing housing insecurity received face-to-face crisis intervention services, and 1,259 homeless or runaway youth returned home or to a safe alternative placement
• 4 single-family homes were constructed or repaired to be sold to low-income individuals, families, or people with disabilities 
• 96.65 acres of parks and public land and 40.25 miles of trails and rivers were improved 
• 85 organizations received capacity-building services
• 4,417 volunteers were recruited, and they provided 83,322 hours of volunteer service in support of AmeriCorps programs

Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF)  

In 2022 the VGF funding was granted to five organizations to develop the capacity of existing Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs) and Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs) and support the creation of new VOADs/COADs within their designated Wisconsin Emergency Management regions.

• Southeast Wisconsin – Journey Disaster Response Team
• Southwest Wisconsin – Winding Rivers UMC
• East Central Wisconsin – Operation Community Cares
• Northeast Wisconsin – Operation Community Cares
• Northwest Wisconsin – Northwest Wisconsin Public Health Readiness Consortium
• West Central Wisconsin – River 2 Ridge Disaster Resilience

Impacts by Regional Coordinators

• 481 volunteers recruited or managed 
• 24,804 hours served by recruited or managed volunteers
• 80 organizations that received capacity-building services, such as trainings or 1:1 technical assistance from regional coordinator organizations
• 23 organizations that increased their efficiency, effectiveness, and/or program reach through trainings by regional coordinator organizations

Exploring the Launch and Service of the Green Bay Conservation Corps with the Mayor of Green Bay and its inaugural AmeriCorps members

December episodes of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the launch of the Green Bay Conservation Corps at the end of this summer and the service its AmeriCorps members have done so far. In our first episode, we spoke with the Mayor of Green Bay, Eric Genrich, and his Chief of Staff, Amaad Rivera-Wagner about the creation of the program and its connections with the larger community. In our second episode, we spoke with AmeriCorps members Lindsey Kurtz and Jared Gonzales about their service as part of the initial cohort of members with the program. Check out these episodes below and access all of the podcast episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

Leadership Launching the Green Bay Conservation Corps

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the envisioning, development, and launch of the new Green Bay Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program during a conversation with the Mayor of Green Bay, Eric Genrich, and his Chief of Staff, Amaad Rivera-Wagner, who previously served as an AmeriCorps member. Mayor Genrich and Amaad begin by describing why the City of Green Bay decided to create a municipally-based AmeriCorps program focused on conservation and improving access to the city’s parks and other outdoor spaces. They then discuss the launch of the program at the end of this summer, including events the program has held to engage the public in volunteering on conservation projects and the significant progress their AmeriCorps members have made towards clearing invasive species, adding native plants, and improving trails. Our conversation then turns to discussing the overall value of service and volunteerism for local communities, with Mayor Genrich and Amaad also sharing about some of their own meaningful service experiences. Listen to learn how Mayor Genrich and Amaad decided that launching an AmeriCorps program through the City of Green Bay would have positive impacts on the community and they future impacts that they hope AmeriCorps members will have for the people of Green Bay. (listen to the episode here) 

Growing Community and Career Skills with the Green Bay Conservation Corps

In this episode, we are exploring the service stories of two AmeriCorps members, Lindsey Kurtz and Jared Gonzales, who are serving with the Green Bay Conservation Corps, which launched earlier this year. Lindsey and Jared describe the service they have done so far this year in the city’s parks and other outdoor spaces, including the removal of invasive species and collecting seeds from native plants for planting in the spring. They also discuss their efforts to engage and educate the public through community volunteer projects and the educational series they have planned on both the history of Green Bay parks and engaging people this spring outdoor in the parks to learn about bees, pollinators, native plantings, and other subjects. They also describe how they have been able to use some of their individual skills to support programmatic efforts and planning for future projects, with Jared discussing using a drone for gaining aerial perspectives and data on the public lands they serve and Lindsey describing using geospatial data for the creation of GIS mapping for analyzing progress and informing the public. Listen to learn how Lindsey and Jared are forging greater connections with the community during their service in Green Bay and how their service is helping them gain experience they plan to build upon into the future. (listen to the episode here)

Serve Wisconsin is hiring an Auditor Senior

Serve Wisconsin is excited to announce that we are looking for someone to join our staff and to help us support AmeriCorps programs throughout Wisconsin. We are looking for a dedicated individual to become our new Auditor Senior, who will conduct federal expenditure audits on the AmeriCorps program and Serve Wisconsin grantees, conduct financial and administrative risk management audits during the grant application process, and provide training and technical assistance services to AmeriCorps program managers in the requirements of grant accounting.

Links for position

• Application Link
• Full Position Description

Volunteer for MLK Day of Service on January 16

The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream.  The MLK Day of Service is led by AmeriCorps and is one of only two national days of service in the United States, with the other being the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Throughout Wisconsin and the nation, hundreds of projects are completed each year in honor of the MLK Day of Service, working to answer the question stated by Dr. King in 1957 that "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Over the last few years, AmeriCorps members throughout the state have participated in multiple projects, helping to complete a house construction project, sorting food bank donations, serving meals at food pantries, painting rooms and murals at schools, organizing school equipment, assembling teacher appreciation kits, supporting youth workshops and recognition events, providing assistance at community MLK Day celebrations, and volunteering with other local projects and organizations.

For more information on MLK Day of Service, including how to find or register a project, access the MLK Day page of the AmeriCorps website.

Deadline for NCCC AmeriCorps Concept Papers is January 5 for projects in May-June or June-August 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 served between September 19 and November 8 at YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya to provide assistance to the Greater Green Bay YMCA. They completed 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 either between May 4 and June 27, 2023 or between June 26 and August 4, 2023 need to submit a concept form by January 5. The next deadline to submit a concept form will be March 2, 2023 for working with an AmeriCorps NCCC team next year between July 14 and September 8 or between August 11 and October 12. Information on the application process for these upcoming periods or for dates later in 2023 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.