Lt. Governor Rodriguez recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations for their service at the

2023 Governor's Service Awards

At the Governor Service Awards, Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez congratulated the honorees, stating that “all of you set an incredible example of what it means to take care of our fellow neighbor and the people in our state.” She continued, “Recognizing the hard work of dedicated volunteers like yourselves will always be a joy for me. Seeing your efforts and the projects and initiatives that you work on reminds me of my own experience in the Peace Corps after college, and that experience in the Peace Corps helped drive my decision to be a public health nurse and to pursue a career in service.”

Highlighting how each of the honorees has made a difference through their own service journeys, Lt. Governor Rodriguez described how “each of you represents a different path and approach to service and are sharing your unique skills, experiences, and insights in a way that allows you to have the greatest impact.” She then stated, “Whether you are working with individuals to advance their education goals, ensuring that people in need have access to quality, affordable health care, or being an agent of positive change for local families and communities, each of you is without a doubt, making a real, measurable difference in the lives of the people that you serve, and I thank you for doing that. So much of our local impact rests on the shoulders of dedicated volunteers and organizations like yourselves, and we could not have the reach and influence in this state without partners like all of you.”  

The Governor’s Service Awards honors outstanding Wisconsin volunteers, AmeriCorps members, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and national service organizations that address serious social needs across Wisconsin. The 2023 ceremony recognized sixteen individuals and one organization from throughout the state for their outstanding volunteerism and service and 49 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers for reaching the milestone of twenty years of volunteer service in their communities. The awards were presented on June 7 and were sponsored by Serve Wisconsin, the state commission for national and community service.

After acknowledging the unwavering dedication and generosity of the honorees, Lt. Governor Rodriguez thanked them for their service, saying, “To all of you being recognized as this year's member, alumni, program, or volunteer of the year, thank you for the critical work that you do in communities across our state. To those AmeriCorps seniors being recognized for 20 years of service, thank you for every hour of your time and energy you've given to helping those in need. The total impact of your collective years of service is vast and truly a feat worthy of this recognition. Thank you, everyone, for your dedicated service to Wisconsin and to the people of this state.”

Ceremony Recording and Honoree Information

• Recording of the 2023 ceremony 
• Service descriptions for 2023 honorees
• List of 2023 honorees and 20-Year AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers (website for Governor's Service Awards)
• WKOW Video/Article - Volunteers honored at Governor's Service Awards

Media Coverage for local presentations to unable to attend awards ceremony

• WFRV - Three Brown County residents recognized for Governor’s Service Award
• WLUK - Brown County volunteers honored with Governor's Service Awards

DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld meets with

AmeriCorps members and program staff at

service sites across Wisconsin

Serve Wisconsin and our AmeriCorps programs were happy to host Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld over the last month to highlight service being done throughout the state.

On May 31, Secretary Blumenfeld visited multiple projects at the Community Partners Campus in Wausau including the North Central Community Action AmeriCorps Program (NCCAP). NCCAP AmeriCorps members and staff shared about their service with local school districts and nonprofit organizations across the greater Wausau area to provide educational opportunities, positive social interactions, and outreach to underserved populations. They were joined by AmeriCorps members and staff from Marshfield Clinic Health System – Community Corps, which has multiple members serving in Wausau as part of their statewide program. The participants from MCHS Community Corps shared about how their service with nonprofits and public health organizations works to increase the capacity of their host sites to address local health needs, especially in rural areas.

A few weeks later, Secretary Blumenfeld traveled to Camp Wawbeek and Respite Camp in the Wisconsin Dells on June 22 to see Easterseals Wisconsin AmeriCorps members in action. During a tour of the two adjacent camps, Secretary Blumenfeld witnessed how their AmeriCorps members provide therapeutic recreation to individuals with disabilities across numerous activities. Exploring different parts of the longest continually operating Easterseals camp in the nation, she learned how the AmeriCorps members with the program make traditional summer camp activities such as swimming, ropes courses, and games possible for campers of all abilities.

Near the end of the month, Secretary Blumenfeld got a first-hand look at the impact AmeriCorps members with the Green Bay Conservation Corps are having through their service. Visiting with members at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, she saw an example of how they are completing habitat restoration, invasive species removal, trail maintenance, and other projects and educational programming in the city’s parks and outdoor spaces. They were joined during the visit by Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, who played a pivotal role in the envisioning, development, and launch of the Green Bay Conservation Corps by the city as a municipally-based AmeriCorps program.

MCHS Community Corps AmeriCorps member organizes beach cleanup on Lake Superior

The AmeriCorps members with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) AmeriCorps - Community Corps are placed in nonprofits and public health organizations across the state to increase their capacity to address local health concerns and other community needs. Kate Murray is serving as an AmeriCorps member this year with MCHS Community Corps at the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, a nonprofit that works to support the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve through volunteer events, community outreach, and advocacy. As part of her service, Kate organizes community and volunteer events such as beach cleanups, birdwatching walks, and raising beetles for non-local plant biocontrol. She organized a beach cleanup at Wisconsin Point on May 20, shared the following reflection about the project, and thanked the volunteers who participated.

Kate Murray - MCHS Community Corps

A big thank you to everyone who came to clean up Wisconsin Point! Between us all, we put in nearly 56 hours of work, and the beach has never looked better. It certainly didn’t hurt that it was such a beautiful day!

We found some strange things out there, from single shoes without a pair to jars still full of peanut butter. What a delicious sandwich that would make and if only we could find the other shoe… 

…Some of the people who attended helped by cleaning up the litter and identifying spotted knapweed plants. Spotted knapweed is an aggressive nonlocal species that crowds out native plants that are important to the soil and foraging habits of local wildlife. The plants identified have been logged on a map so that the Reserve can track its spread and organize the treatment of the infestation. On Lake Superior Day, they are organizing a morning event to pull the grown plants and will be able to use this map to prioritize areas for treatment…

…It was nice to see everyone come out in support of the Point. Caring about the estuary and taking steps to keep it healthy and beautiful is something we can all do to support the ecosystem we are a part of…I've really enjoyed working with the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve because there is always so much work going on in the estuary of all different kinds, and I have learned a lot during my AmeriCorps service.

Two AmeriCorps NCCC teams travel to Wisconsin to complete projects this May and June

This May and June, two AmeriCorps NCCC teams completed projects in Wisconsin as part of their service across multiple states this year within the AmeriCorps NCCC North Central Region. AmeriCorps NCCC teams are 18-24 year-olds who travel regionally to help communities meet their critical needs by completing projects that typically last 4-8 weeks.

Aspen 2 - Pringle Nature Center in Bristol, WI (May 4 – June 27)

The Aspen 2 AmeriCorps NCCC team partnered with Pringle Nature Center and the Kenosha County Division of Parks to construct three new features (musical instrument, small parts play area, and a sensory garden) in the existing “nature playground.” The AmeriCorps NCCC members improved the accessibility of the nature playground and park trails to wheelchair users. They completed projects laying gravel paths and wood chips, rerouting or labeling trails, and constructing benches and footbridges. They also supported efforts to restore native habitats through invasive species removal in Bristol Woods. The project the AmeriCorps NCCC members supported is expected to benefit the 80,000 to 90,000 annual park visitors from within Kenosha County, neighboring counties, and beyond, especially families with children and wheelchair users. The project will also benefit the natural preserve habitats home to native plants and animals. 

Oak 2 - Ozaukee County (May 25 – June 27)

The Oak 2 AmeriCorps NCCC team partnered with Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department to assist with management and improvement needs within the Ozaukee County Park System and habitat restoration areas. AmeriCorps NCCC members supported the project by planting trees, removing invasive species, trail construction and maintenance, native prairie and wetland seeding, and completing environmental monitoring projects. The work of the Oak 2 NCCC team directly enhanced the experience of the park and open space users while also making improvements in ecologically important areas. Thanks to their service, Ozaukee County residents and visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy improved ecosystems, parks and trails, public access, safety, aesthetics, and educational stewardship opportunities made possible through the work of the NCCC team. 

Serve Wisconsin offering funding to support volunteer programs in Wisconsin

Serve Wisconsin invites agencies to apply for funding awards between $4,000 and $40,000 through the Volunteer Generation Fund. The Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) invests in volunteer management practices that increase volunteer recruitment and retention. At a time of social need, when Americans of all ages are looking for ways to give back, we must be ready to engage all those who answer the call to serve.



VGF strengthens nonprofit organizations and their ability to recruit and retain volunteers to meet critical community needs. Funding must be used to support or promote general volunteerism, volunteer trainings, volunteer engagement, or agency capacity building through volunteerism. The last day to incur expenses reimbursable by the grant is September 30th, 2023.

Funding is open to nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and tribal, faith-based, or community organizations. As a condition of funding, awardees must track and report performance measures that capture program outputs and outcomes. Additionally, organizations are responsible for contributing match funding to support the project, as there is a 1:1 match requirement for all funds requested. For example, if you request $10,000 in grant funds, you must provide $10,000 in match funds, including in-kind contributions.  

This is a rolling application. The last day to apply for funds is July 15th. For information on how to apply, please contact Rachel Donaldson at rachel.donaldson@wisconsin.gov.

For more information about funding opportunities through Serve Wisconsin for organizations through the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), please visit https://www.servewisconsin.wi.gov/volunteer-generation-fund.

Service story from AmeriCorps member with

MPL LibraryCorps

June episode of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service story of AmeriCorps member Sabina West, serving this year with MPL LibraryCorps. Check out the episode below and access all the podcast episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

Establishing a Firm Foundation with MPL LibraryCorps

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sabina West, who is serving this year with MPL LibraryCorps through the Milwaukee Public Library. Sabina discusses serving during the program's inaugural year and the different ways their AmeriCorps members support students. She describes the information technology literacy activities she did with students at three Milwaukee schools during the school year, helping them build skills for their current grade that they will use long into the future. She then spoke about the after-school programming she did with students at her assigned library branch, with their activities based around a theme for each day of the week. Additionally, Sabina discusses how MPL LibraryCorps AmeriCorps members provide enrichment activities to students at multiple summer school sites based upon a curriculum they individually created, with hers designed around astronomy. Listen in to learn how Sabina helped set a foundation for the future success of both the students she worked with this year and MPL LibraryCorps as a whole while serving as part of their initial cohort of AmeriCorps members. (listen to the episode here) 

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.