AmeriCorps Week Celebrates Americans Serving America

Washington, DC — America’s Service Commissions (ASC) joins its network of state service commissions, AmeriCorps programs, and the federal AmeriCorps agency in recognizing AmeriCorps Week, March 9-13. AmeriCorps Volunteers past and present provide critical community services supporting education, disaster recovery, youth mental health, and workforce development. 

“In communities across the country – urban and rural – Americans provide on-the-ground support to essential community programs in schools, food banks, homeless shelters, youth organizations, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit, tribal, and faith-based organizations,” said Kaira Esgate, Chief Executive Officer at America’s Service Commissions. “When Americans serve through AmeriCorps, everyone wins. Communities gain dedicated support for critical needs. Organizations expand their reach and impact. And those who serve discover that in changing lives, they transform their own.”

Earlier this year, Congress passed a bipartisan appropriations bill that was signed into law by the President. The bill sustains all AmeriCorps’ grant programs for the coming year. With a return on investment of $17 for every $1 in federal and donor funds, AmeriCorps is both cost effective and impactful.

State service commissions lead the nation’s service movement by administering volunteer programs including 75 percent of the federal AmeriCorps funds. State service commissions partner with local communities to host AmeriCorps programs and mobilize AmeriCorps Volunteers to solve local challenges. State service commissions are currently accepting proposals for AmeriCorps funding. Find your state service commission at https://www.statecommissions.org/find-your-commission.

AmeriCorps Volunteers receive professional development and training, loan deferment and interest forbearance, money for college or trade school, and a living stipend. Find current AmeriCorps Volunteer service opportunities at www.my.AmeriCorps.gov by clicking “search listings”.

Since 1994, 1.3 million AmeriCorps Volunteers have served 1.9 billion hours of service and earned $4.8 billion in education awards to apply towards student loan debt and tuition.

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About America’s Service Commissions
America’s Service Commissions (ASC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing and promoting the 52 state and territorial service commissions across the United States with the mission to lead and elevate the commission network. State and territorial service commissions are governor-led public agencies or nonprofit organizations made up of more than 1,000 commissioners, private citizens leading the nation’s service movement and administering more than 75 percent of the federal AmeriCorps funds to address pressing community needs.