2023: A Year in Review

Highlights from Wisconsin AmeriCorps Service

As the year comes to a close, we wanted to thank all AmeriCorps members, program staff, host site supervisors, community volunteers, and everyone who helps our AmeriCorps programs make a difference in communities across Wisconsin.

AmeriCorps Programs

During the 2022-23 program year, 625 AmeriCorps members with 24 AmeriCorps programs served nearly 500,000 hours, making a significant difference in communities throughout the state. Some of the impacts of their service include:

• 20,806 Wisconsin students (108 Pre-K students, 19,154 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.
• 8,240 individuals participated in health-based programming focused on health education, healthy living, health care access, community resource navigation, or recovery from substance addiction, and 8,014 individuals had improved access to medical care
• 880 individuals with disabilities participated in therapeutic recreational activities
• 913 youth facing housing insecurity received face-to-face crisis intervention services, and 899 homeless or runaway youth returned home or to a safe alternative placement
• 5 single-family homes were constructed or repaired to be sold to low-income individuals, families, or people with disabilities 
• 537 acres of parks and public land and 42 miles of trails and rivers were improved 
• 74 organizations received capacity-building services
• 7,392 volunteers were recruited, and they provided 154,850 hours of volunteer service in support of AmeriCorps programs

Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps members and staff

present at two national public health conferences

Over the last two months, AmeriCorps members and program staff from Marshfield Clinic Health System’s two AmeriCorps programs, MCHS Community Corps and MCHS Recovery Corps, have had the opportunity to participate in national conferences to share about the impact of the service done by their programs.

In November, MCHS Recovery Corps AmeriCorps member Jennifer Podeweltz participated in the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo in Atlanta, which had an estimated 13,000 people in attendance as one of the largest public health meetings in the world. Jennifer presented a poster entitled “From Addict to Advocate: The Department of Justice Meets Social Justice” about her service experience as a recovery coach supporting individuals with substance abuse disorders who are on their recovery journeys. 

“Not only did I get to represent AmeriCorps and meet some of the leading pioneers in public health, but I also got to meet Michael D. Smith, the Chief Executive Officer of AmeriCorps,” Jennifer said. Reflecting on her participation, she described that “my experience attending the APHA annual conference really opened my eyes to the vast opportunities that together make up the field that is public health. I truly am blessed to be a part of Serve Wisconsin and MCHS Recovery Corps. I am an AmeriCorps member, and I am getting things done!”

A few weeks ago, two members of the Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps program staff, Meagan Barnett and Megan Miroslaw, attended the Public Health AmeriCorps (PHA) Grantee Convening hosted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Washington, DC. They spent two days learning from others around the country on how we can continue to build our public health workforce post-pandemic and the strategies programs are using nationwide. As part of the event, they attended an event in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House that included staff from PHA grantees, AmeriCorps staff, and members of the Biden-Harris Administration, where Megan Barnett was able to “testify on behalf of Marshfield Clinic Recovery Corps and carried their inspiration, passion, and dedication through each spoken word.”

At the convening, Megan Miroslaw partook in an interview which will be used in future recruitment efforts and gained valuable insights to help guide Marshfield Clinic’s two Public Health AmeriCorps programs. “What a remarkable opportunity to connect and learn with like-minded individuals," said Miroslaw. "Representing Public Health AmeriCorps at the White House was such an honor. Thank you to the CDC for sponsoring this event!”  

As part of the convening, Megan Barnett presented “How to Build Self-care and Equitable Practices into your PHA Program” to attendees. “It was really special to be amongst other public health advocates. I want to thank the CDC for this opportunity to learn and network with other AmeriCorps staff,” said Barnett. The highlight of this opportunity was hearing Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps, give a shout-out to an MCHS Recovery Corps member, Jennifer Podeweltz. It was pretty cool to listen to the CEO speak her name in the White House!”

Public Allies Wisconsin AmeriCorps members host

multi-organizational Legal Rights Night in Milwaukee

Three Public Allies Wisconsin AmeriCorps members serving at the Milwaukee Justice Center and Fathers Making Progress hosted a collaborative Legal Rights Night on November 30. The event was done alongside other community organizations, such as Employ Milwaukee, to help give community members brief legal advice, referrals, and eligibility guidelines for numerous civil issues. Topics they covered included driver's license recovery, child support, expungement, filing motions, and navigating the court system.

As part of the event, AmeriCorps member Dakota Loos-Wallace had the opportunity to sit on the program panel and talk to attendees about what the Milwaukee Justice Center does to provide free legal assistance to Milwaukee County's unrepresented litigants through court-based assistance, self-help desks, and legal resources, and to distribute information on referrals and eligibility guidelines. Dakota described, “Being able to not only bring our services at the Milwaukee Justice Center to a new community but also do it with my cohort beside me was the manifestation of the beloved community I work so hard to exemplify in my work.”

AmeriCorps member Demetris Simmons, serving at Fathers Making Progress, reflected on why the event was held, explaining that "everybody has a right to know their rights, and the impact we made, made a difference." Fathers Making Progress is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization that helps dads be the best they can be through support, information, and classes. It was founded by Terron Edwards, who served as a Public Allies Milwaukee AmeriCorps member as part of their Class of 2004-2005, in the years following his service.

Following the Legal Rights Night, Emerald Hawkins, who is serving a second AmeriCorps term this year at the Milwaukee Justice Center, reflected upon helping put on this event with the other Allies serving this year as part of their collective mission to advance social justice and equity in Wisconsin and grow as emerging leaders while expanded the capacity of nonprofits and government agencies. Emerald explained that “when my cohorts and I work together as a community, we as cohorts can accomplish much more than we could individually. Collective efforts of a group are far more powerful and effective than the efforts of each person working alone."

WAFCC AmeriCorps members assist with the opening of the new Perry Family Dental Clinic

On December 7, the Perry Family Free Clinic officially opened its new Perry Family Dental Clinic in Fitchburg with the support of community collaborators and the assistance of AmeriCorps members serving with the Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (WAFCC). Similar to the Perry Family Free Clinic, the dental clinic aims to provide preventative care while also striving to help overcome health disparities largely impacting Black men and their communities.

This expansion in the services that the clinics will be providing will be supported this year by WAFCC Public Health AmeriCorps members Brynn Beversdorf and Christine McAtee and WAFCC AmeriCorps VISTA member Carli Kallross. Throughout their service this year, they will be working on further building up the capacity of the clinics and help further efforts to increase access to healthcare services for low-income and uninsured patients. 

For more information about how WAFCC AmeriCorps members have made a difference while serving at the Perry Family Free Clinic, check out the Expanding Health Care Access for Black Men with the Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics episode of The S-Files podcast from this January featuring former AmeriCorps members Paige Hill and Kamya Moultry.

Media Coverage of Opening of Perry Family Dental Clinic

• Madison365 - New Perry Family Free Dental Clinic opens with focus on addressing disparities in dental care for Black men

Service story from AmeriCorps member with

Marshfield Clinic Health System Community Corps

December episode of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service story of AmeriCorps member Sigourney Vandeveer, who is serving her second term with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Community Corps. Check out the episode below and you can access all of the episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

Finding Joy Providing Opportunities through the Girl Scouts while serving with MCHS Community Corps

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sigourney Vandeveer, who is serving her second term with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Community Corps at the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes in Green Bay. Sigourney discusses the multiple ways she helps provide activities for girls in underserved communities who otherwise might not be able to participate in the Girl Scouts, including sessions during the school day, after-school programming, and staff-led troops. She also discusses her experience leading girls during summer camp and the opportunities she has had to expand the reach of those she serves through participation in numerous community events across the year. Listen in to learn about how Sigourney uses her specialty in origami as a strategy for connecting with the girls she works with and to help teach several things at once, as well as the overall joy she finds serving at the Girl Scouts that is “bundled up in cookies and laughter and friendship bracelets.” (listen to the episode here) 

Green Bay Conservation Corps welcomes community to join them for MLK Day of Service event on January 15

The Green Bay Conservation Corps (GBCC) is celebrating MLK Day of Service by hosting a three-part event on January 15th, 2024, and would like to welcome community members to join them that day.

The event will begin with a service project from 2:00-4:00 p.m., with volunteers assisting neighbors in need by either shoveling driveways and sidewalks if there is snow or completing general yard and garbage clean-up projects if there is not. The project will primarily target three neighborhoods: Tank, Joannes, and Kennedy. Community members can nominate themselves or a neighbor who would benefit from assistance through an online form.

Following the volunteer, GBCC is hosting a keynote speaker at the Brown County Central Library at 4:30 p.m. Their 30-minute talk will reflect on how Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to serving and building his community and focus on answering the question of “How has MLK’s legacy and work influenced your service to your community.

The MLK Celebration will conclude with a social hour directly following the speaker. This time is designed for community members to reflect on what they heard and foster conversations to build community. There will be food and drinks provided, as well as activities and conversation prompts to encourage people to engage with each other following their service to continue the efforts to build the beloved community that Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted.

Individuals interested in volunteering can sign up and complete a volunteer waiver on the Green Bay Conservation Corps website.

Volunteer for MLK Day of Service on January 15

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.  AmeriCorps led the MLK Day of Service, one of only two national days of service in the United States; the other is the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Hundreds of projects throughout Wisconsin and the nation are completed each year in honor of the MLK Day of Service. By serving on that day, you can honor Dr. King's legacy by working towards creating a more just and equitable society where everyone is valued and respected through service. Service can help bring people together, and bridge divides that may otherwise exist. When we help others in need, we can begin to see each other's humanity and put aside our differences. Please consider volunteering to help create lasting change in our communities.

As just a few examples of what you could do, AmeriCorps members and community volunteers throughout the state over the last few years have helped to complete house construction projects, sorted food bank donations, served meals at food pantries, painted rooms and murals at schools, organized school equipment, assembled teacher appreciation kits, supported youth workshops and recognition events, provided assistance at community MLK Day celebrations, and volunteered with numerous 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 4 for Projects in May-August 2024

The deadline for submitting a concept form is January 4 for nonprofit organizations and government agencies interested in working with an AmeriCorps NCCC team between May 2 to June 25, 2024 or June 22 to August 2, 2024. Information on the application process for this upcoming period or for late spring, summer, and 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 a current or pending vacancy for 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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