Serve Wisconsin celebrates its 30th Anniversary

Serve Wisconsin is happy to celebrate our 30th anniversary by supporting AmeriCorps service and promoting volunteerism in Wisconsin.

We appreciate the support the State of Wisconsin has provided in support of our mission, and we would like to give our immense thanks to the more than 15,0000 AmeriCorps members that have provided over 20 million hours of service through 93 different programs at sites across the state over the last thirty years. We are proud that over the last three decades these AmeriCorps members have provided educational programming to more than 150,000 students, assisted over 70,000 homeless and runaway youth,

provided therapeutic recreation to more than 7,000 individuals with disabilities, helped over 22,000 people access health care and programming, improved or treated more than 1,500 acres of parks and public lands, improved the capacity of more than 650 organizations to serve the public, and made a difference in numerous other ways through their service.

We look forward to many more years continuing to work towards the goals established when we were created on January 28, 1994, as Wisconsin's National and Community Service Commission by Governor Tommy G. Thompson under Executive Order "to encourage service and volunteer participation as a means of community and state problem-solving; to promote and support voluntary citizen involvement in government and private programs throughout the state; to develop a long-term vision and plan of action for community service initiatives in Wisconsin; and to serve as the State's liaison to national and state organizations which support its mission."

Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez and Mayor Eric Genrich join Green Bay Conservation Corps for MLK Day of Service

The Green Bay Conservation Corps (GBCC) organized a Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service project this year combining a service project shoveling snow for those in need of assistance with an event later in the afternoon reflecting on the legacy of Dr. King. The GBCC AmeriCorps members were joined by volunteers from the local neighborhood, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Mayor of Green Bay Eric Genrich, and Alderman Brian Johnson. During that afternoon, the service project participants helped members of the community in the Tank Neighborhood who needed assistance with snow shoveling and other projects.

Following the service project, the Green Bay Conservation Corps hosted a community event at the Brown County Central Library to reflect on how Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to serving and how people can make a difference through their own service. Keynote speakers Rashad Cobb and Charles Caston gave inspirational talks about building community and focused on answering the question “How has MLK’s legacy and work influenced your service to your community?" Community members were provided an opportunity following the event to then reflect on what they heard and foster conversations to build community, encouraging people to engage with each other following their service to continue the efforts to build the beloved community that Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted.

Media Coverage of Green Bay Conservation Corps MLK Day of Service project

• WGBA-TV NBC 26 - Green Bay, Appleton communities celebrate MLK Jr. through words and actions

Attorney General Kaul, Mayor Johnson, and County Executive Crowley participate in MLK Day of Service project with multiple AmeriCorps programs

Over 280 volunteers came together for a Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service project organized by City Year Milwaukee this year at Lloyd Barbee Montessori School. Participants included their fellow AmeriCorps members from Milwaukee Justice Center AmeriCorps and LibraryCorps through the Milwaukee Public Library, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (a Public Allies Wisconsin AmeriCorps alumnus), Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith Posley, former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, and volunteers from local businesses and the community as a whole.

The project was designed to help act as a catalyst to reinvigorate Lloyd Barbee Montessori School's sense of school pride and culture, and inspire the school's young scholar to pursue their goals. To do this, the project participants spent the day painting 56 new murals on the hallway walls, completing eight small construction projects by building benches and flower beds, and assembling 300 care packages for students. 

"My group’s assignment for the day was to outline and paint a quote in one of the school’s hallways," explained Milwaukee Justice Center AmeriCorps member Warren Murphy as he described on one of his meaningful interactions with his fellow volunteers during the day in his article for the MATC Times. "Shortly after we had begun painting, our group was joined by Attorney General Kaul. He spoke humbly and was very gracious in his responses as my group asked him every question we could think of. When prompted, he patiently explained his job and thoughtfully spoke about his time at Yale and Stanford. He did all of this with a smile on his face and a paintbrush in his hand, as he helped us paint our quote on the wall of Lloyd Barbee Montessori School..

Reflecting on the day of service, Murphy reflected that "the project was an overwhelming success. The school was transformed and the care packages were ready for students to receive when they returned to school. It was a great day of volunteers, service members, elected officials, teachers, and community members coming together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day."

Media Coverage of City Year Milwaukee MLK Day of Service project

• WISN-TV ABC 12 - Volunteers spend MLK Day painting dozens of new murals at Milwaukee school
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - People honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by helping others
• MATC Times - People honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by helping others (article by Milwaukee Justice Center AmeriCorps member Warren Murphy)

College Possible Milwaukee AmeriCorps members complete three projects for MLK Day of Service

The below article describing the three MLK Day of Service projects completed by the AmeriCorps members with College Possible Milwaukee entitled "Honoring the Beloved Community: College Possible Milwaukee’s impactful triad of MLK Day service projects" was published by College Possible on its national website on January 25, 2024

In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy, the College Possible Milwaukee Team rallied together for a day of service. We channeled our collective energy into three meaningful service projects that echoed the ideals of justice, equality, and community impact.

As the morning sun cast a warm glow on the winter snow, a dedicated group of College Possible Milwaukee volunteers joined the team at Milwaukee’s Urban Ecology Center. The center works to bring people in cities and nature together through recognizing and having respect for the cultural histories of the land that we occupy, and by providing wanted and accessible programming that prioritizes equity, dignity, and justice. This year we helped collect seeds from native plant species to create a healthy habitat for native flora and animals, and cultivate a thriving park and educational resource for all Milwaukee residents.

Simultaneously, another College Possible Milwaukee service project team rolled up their sleeves to learn MapSwipe. Properly mapping populations plays a major role in understanding populations and creating effective emergency response plans. Billions of people in vulnerable communities around the globe are absent from existing maps. In times of crisis, these unmapped areas may receive limited or no assistance, as first responders lack the essential information needed to help them. By using the cutting edge MapSwipe mobile app, our team aided the American Red Cross in updating existing maps with detailed information to better support populations after an emergency.

Meanwhile, a third group embarked on a mission to amplify our impact on our college scholars through a self-care package outreach activity. The beginning of winter term can be a challenging time for scholars, as this is a time of year when many first-year scholars get the second semester blues. We assembled a range of items, including school supplies and snacks, into care packages to support and encourage our scholars’ progression through college. The assembled care packages will be distributed to scholars by their coaches as a “welcome back gift.” This provides a great opportunity to reconnect with their college coaches and offer an emotional boost.

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service was established to honor Dr. King’s legacy and the ongoing struggle for an equitable society. College Possible Milwaukee was honored to participate in this rewarding and impactful day in commemoration of Dr. King’s vision of the “Beloved Community.”

WisCorps AmeriCorps members complete projects at four La Crosse County nonprofits for MLK Day of Service

The AmeriCorps members and staff with WisCorps' The Nature Place and the Wisconsin Conservation Corps, participated in four service projects at La Crosse County nonprofits in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service. As part of their annual day of service, they completed the following projects at the local organizations:

• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse - cleaning and sanitizing the homeless shelter and warming center, including sanitizing and deep cleaning restroom facilities and furniture, as well as. organizing and disinfecting the tote room where guests store items.
• La Crosse Hmoob Cultural & Community Agency, Inc. - organizing and cleaning their all-purpose room, sorting boxes in their library, and organizing items for their upcoming Spring Garage Sale 
• Cia Siab, Inc. - priming and painting a staircase
• Hope Restores - helping the organization put away Christmas Decorations and helping to get things organized for their upcoming Black Excellence Celebration

WisCorps divided into smaller groups to expand their overall impact, with Paige Manges, Administrative Coordinator for WisCorps, explaining that “we helped with small tasks that require manpower, which often take nonprofits an incredible amount of time and steals hours from the important work that forwards their mission.” She continued by describing how these projects “allowed AmeriCorps members and staff to gain insight into each organization's mission to better understand what they do through a cultural lens…. In turn, this allowed our employees and members to expand their mindsets on how we approach our own mission, vision, and program goals for this year and beyond to benefit our entire community.”

“I’ve participated in a few all-agency service days in the past and what I’ve always hoped to build in those experiences was a connection between the work I was currently doing and how it helped the organization move forward,” Manges reflected while describing the planning process for their MLK Day projects this year. “When selecting local nonprofits for our Annual Day of Service, I instructed each organization to give context on their missions and impact on our community before we got started. This set the intention of our service and allowed for perspective shifts in our employees and members to take place, which resulted in an inspired takeaway from the experience.” Looking back at the day of service, Manges stated that “this was an incredible opportunity for our organizations to engage, reflect and react in ways that will be of benefit to our community at large.”

Public Allies Wisconsin participates in two projects in Milwaukee for MLK Day of Service

In recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, Public Allies Wisconsin AmeriCorps members and program staff honored and celebrated the legacy of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a day of service. They began their day by spending the morning facilitating workshops and activities at the Beloved Community Event hosted by Ubuntu Research and Evaluation. They then spent their afternoon helping the Milwaukee Christian Center clean out the game room and art room at the Kosciuszko Community Center. 

Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics organizes coat donation drive for MLK Day of Service

The AmeriCorps members with the Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (WAFCC) came together for a belated Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service project on January 24 in Madison. The WAFCC AmeriCorps members collected donated coats at their service sites across the state. After coming together in Madison, WAFCC members sorted the coats and then wrote supporting notes in their pockets, with over 100 coats donated to Madison Street Medicine for their community closet at the conclusion of their day of service.

"Attending the MLK Day of Service with WAFCC was an amazing experience," reflected WAFCC AmeriCorps member Emma Bryant. "I enjoyed connecting with peers and learning about their work with AmeriCorps. It was inspiring to see so many coats collected that will directly impact our community in this chilly weather."

414 Fellows participate in MLK Day of Service event at Marquette University

The AmeriCorps members with 414 Fellows joined with other Marquette University students and staff to serve as part of a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event in Weasler Auditorium. Part of the day featured cleaning children’s books and creating bookmarks for the children at Next Door, where 414 Fellows AmeriCorps members engage low-income children ages 0-3 in one-on-one language-building Serve and Return Activities to increase school readiness through gains in language skills. They also joined with participants to help host a blood drive and create hygiene kits for those in their community. Additionally, those volunteering participated in two presentations on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and service in Milwaukee.

Three AmeriCorps service sites for Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services (WAHRS) nominated for National Runaway Prevention Month Awards

This January, three host sites for AmeriCorps members with the Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services (WAHRS) were nominated for recognition as part of the National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM) Awards. Over the last 12 years, WAHRS members agencies and AmeriCorps members have been partnering with The National Runaway Safeline (1-800-RUNAWAY) to provide prevention and education, raise awareness of the challenges faced by runaway and homeless youth, and take part in National Runaway Prevention Month each November.

The ceremony on January 10 recognized outstanding efforts across the nation to raise awareness about youth homelessness, with the following WAHRS host sites being nominated for awards this year:

• Briarpatch Youth Services in Madison was nominated for Most Influential Social Media Campaign
• Pathfinders in Milwaukee was nominated for the Greenest Team Award
• Home Base with Boys & Girls Club in the Fox Valley in Appleton was nominated for the Excellence in Community Engagement (NATIONAL WINNER)

National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM) is a public awareness campaign designed to “shine a light” on the experiences of youth who have run away and youth who have experienced homelessness that too often remain invisible. It is also an opportunity to spotlight the resources available to support youth in crisis throughout the nation. As part of the campaign, youth, adults, organizations, corporations and communities nationwide work together to prevent youth homelessness. In 2023, NRS and more than 220 partners across 46 states hosted creative events, engaged with followers on social media, arranged for landmarks to be lit up green (the official color of NRPM), secured proclamations and distributed campaign materials to educate the public about youth homelessness.

WAHRS AmeriCorps member Angelica Morales, who is serving at Pathfinders in Milwaukee, reflected that, “I was inspired during the WAHRS conference presentation about November being National Runaway Prevention Month. When I came back from that I brought it up during our shelter staff meeting on how we can make our space green and to shine a light on us. From there others joined in and we ended up having a little competition amongst programs on how to make our spaces more green.” To bolster this effort, Angelica described that “I was the one who created the banners at the shelter for NRPM and the one who started to create all the educational banners throughout the years as well.”

As part of their award-winning efforts for the Excellence in Community Engagement award, the WAHRS AmeriCorps members at Home Base helped create and release a public service announcement entitled Youth on the Move 2023. The PSA combined news footage and messages from the AmeriCorps members and staff at Home Base to provide greater awareness about youth homelessness and the services that Home Base can provide to those who need them. The PSA spotlighted the Youth on the Move campaign where they would be doing across the community, with green footprints and lights outside locations supportive of assisting homeless youth, as well as yard signs and flyers put up throughout November with a QR code to access more information about services.

For additional information about the National Runaway Prevention Month Awards, visit the following resources:

• NRPM Awards page of The National Runaway Safeline website
• Video of the NRPM Ceremony
• Youth on the Move 2023 PSA Video by Home Base

Chippewa Fresh Start holds open house to celebrate most recent home built by their AmeriCorps members

The AmeriCorps members and staff with the Chippewa Fresh Start program through Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council celebrated completing construction of their most recent home by welcoming the public to attend an open house on Thursday, January 4. The home in Fall Creek, WI, will now be sold to an income-eligible family in Eau Claire County with support from Western Dairyland.

Chippewa Fresh Start AmeriCorps members from the current and previous program years completed the construction and finishing of the home while also working on achieving high school diplomas/HSEDs, developing career goals, improving self-esteem, and alleviating barriers to economic self-sufficiency. 

Chippewa Fresh Start program director Shayne Gerberding expanded on this, explaining that "the members in our program are all ages 16-25. It's people who have faced barriers to education, employment, or independent living. So we are here to help support them, figure those things out, and we do that through the building of our house."

“I like to think to myself it’s more life skills cleverly disguised as carpentry,” described construction supervisor Dakota Rindahl when describing how the program helps teach self-sufficiency and boosting self-esteem alongside learning construction skills. “ I mean, no doubt, mistakes are going to be made out here. We’ll have a good laugh at our mistake and then we’ll fix our mistake and then we’ll move on…I like I was just walking around here myself kind of reflecting and there's been an awful lot of laughter in this house. And that's just the way I prefer…We're having a lot of fun, but we're getting the job done.” said Dakota Rindahl, Construction Site Supervisor.

During the open house, the AmeriCorps members were able to show some of their favorite home features they installed, such as the soft close cabinets, and describe the work they did throughout the home. AmeriCorps member Damian Niabwari gave an overview of the process for installing insulation, which was his favorite part of the construction process, describing that “we'd cut sheets, put four sheets on each wall. Over the window, you'd put the sheets on, nail them to the wall and then after that you'd mud the sheets and have tape and stuff go over the sheets."

AmeriCorps member Avery Spooner explained what it felt like to see the house have the final elements get completed, saying “it's just really cool to see the house get put together…It happens very fast. It doesn't look like a house, then once you finish the finishing work, it makes the house look like a home."

Media Coverage of Chippewa Fresh Start Open House

• WQOW-TV ABC 18 - Local teens show off new house they built
• WEAU-TV NBC 13 - Fresh Start program hosts open house for new home

Service story from AmeriCorps member with

Marshfield Clinic Health System Recovery Corps

January episode of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service story of AmeriCorps member Julie Wilson, who is serving this year with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Recovery Corps. Check out this month's episode below and you can access all of the episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

Leading the Sober Strong program while serving with MCHS Recovery Corps

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Julie Wilson, who is serving this year with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Recovery Corps at the YMCA of the Chippewa Valley in Eau Claire. Julie discusses the Sober Strong program that she created to provide support to women in early recovery from substance abuse disorder, including how she was inspired to create the program based on her own experiences in early recovery. She describes the recovery support meetings and group exercise classes she holds for program participants, as well as the recovery coaching that she provides to individuals throughout the week. Listen in to learn about how Julie has drawn upon her recovery journey to help others, educate the public and the future steps she hope to take to continue helping women in recovery. (listen to the episode here)

Serve Wisconsin to release RFP for 2024-2025 AmeriCorps program grants and planning grants the week of February 5

Serve Wisconsin will release its 2024-2025 AmeriCorps State Formula Request for Proposals (RFP) for AmeriCorps Program Grants and AmeriCorps Planning Grants the week of February 5.

Nonprofit-organizations, state and local units of government, institutions of higher education, faith-based organizations, and Indian Tribes looking to address a community need through AmeriCorps programming are encouraged to submit a proposal.

Interested organizations will need to submit a mandatory notification of intent to apply by February 22 and applications are due by March 12.

Links to the RFP, the Notification of Intent links, technical assistance, and other resources will be available on the AmeriCorps Grants page of the Serve Wisconsin website.

Please direct any questions regarding the RFP process or application to servewisconsin@wisconsin.gov.

Deadline for NCCC AmeriCorps Concept Papers is February 29 for Projects in July-September 2024

The deadline for submitting a concept form is February 29 for nonprofit organizations and government agencies interested in working with an AmeriCorps NCCC team this year between July 12 to September 6, 2024. Information on the application process for this upcoming period or for Fall 2004 is available in their Request for Proposal (RFP) for 2024 service dates.

AmeriCorps NCCC teams are 18-26 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 Aspen 2 AmeriCorps NCCC team partnered with Pringle Nature Center and the Kenosha County Division of Parks in May-June 2023 to construct three new features in the nature playground and improve the accessibility of the nature playground and park trails to wheelchair users. Additionally, the Oak 2 AmeriCorps NCCC team partnered with Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department in May-June 2023

to assist with management and improvement needs within the Ozaukee County Park System and habitat restoration areas by planting trees, removing invasive species, trail construction and maintenance, native prairie and wetland seeding, and completing environmental monitoring projects.

For those interested in taking an active role in promoting national service and volunteerism in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin National and Community Service Board has one vacancy for a board members for the following appointment type:

• 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.

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