News : AmeriCorps Week: A time to discover the possibilities of service to others

AmeriCorps is celebrating community service through a number of free events during AmeriCorps Week 2011. AmeriCorps invites residents to join them and learn about AmeriCorps programs at its Cedar Rapids Open House on May 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Public Library in Westdale Mall; Iowa City Open House on May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Public Library on South Linn Street; and Waterloo Open House on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Public Library on Commercial Street.

The fifth annual AmeriCorps Week is taking place from May 14-21, 2011 and to celebrate the week, the Corporation for National and Community Service State Office, Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and AmeriCorps NCCC are partnering to host an open house for Waterloo and the surrounding communities, where community members will have an opportunity to learn more about AmeriCorps programs in Iowa, how AmeriCorps members/program can assist organizations, opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps programs, and talk to current and past members about their experiences serving. This is also an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners and friends to demonstrate AmeriCorps’ impact on critical issues, bring more Americans into service, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible.

In addition to the three Open Houses, AmeriCorps NCCC teams are serving on projects on Saturday, May 14 in Vinton and Cedar Rapids. The campus is ending AmeriCorps week by hosting a volleyball tournament on Friday, May 20 at Volley’s in Cedar Rapids. For information about the Open Houses, service projects or volleyball tournament contact Angela at asarrels@cns.gov or 319-472-9664 x12.

Dan Milnes, Regional Director of the North Central Region campus of AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) says, “AmeriCorps supports nonprofits, faith-based and community organizations around the nation by assisting them with a variety of urgent unmet needs. The service AmeriCorps provides fosters community growth and gives Americans opportunities to give back to their country in a truly remarkable way. AmeriCorps Week is an opportunity to spotlight these individuals and organizations and the great work they accomplish through their partnerships. We invite you to join us in the celebration of service to our great nation.”

AmeriCorps consists of three main programs: AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), a team-based residential program for young adults 18-24, AmeriCorps State and National, whose members serve with national and local nonprofit and community groups, and AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), through which members serve full time fighting poverty. AmeriCorps members recruit, train, and supervise community volunteers, tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs, help communities respond to disasters, and build the capacity of nonprofit groups to become self-sustaining, among many other activities.

Over 706,000 people have served as AmeriCorps members since 1994, serving a total of 860 million hours. They were responsible for managing and mobilizing over 2.6 million Americans in fiscal year 2010 and are adding to their number of 14,000 nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations served every opportunity they get. Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps provides opportunities to members and organizations to get things done for their local communities. For more information on AmeriCorps visit www.americorps.gov.