Camp Verde News – Camp Verde Community is celebrating the valuable contributions of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who pledged to “get things done” for our nation as part of the annual AmeriCorps Week, March 13-19, 2022.
The weeklong celebration honors the contributions and support of thousands of local organizations, like Camp Verde Community Library, that make AmeriCorps programs possible. AmeriCorps members are making a significant impact on Arizona’s ability to meet many local needs.
In Arizona, approximately 6,800 AmeriCorps members serve each year. “We are proud to be part of the AmeriCorps program and grateful for our AmeriCorps member, Nicole Metz-Andrews who has had a tremendous impact on revitalizing and increasing the capacity of our volunteer program at the library,” said Library Director, Kathy Hellman.
Since starting at the library in August 2021, Nicole has
- recruited and helped train new volunteers to work in a variety of places and tasks in the library that previously had no volunteers
- worked with Friends of Camp Verde Library to reenergize the group and help them see the impact they have on the entire community, beyond the library
- established book donations to support the Yavapai County Jail education program
- surveyed community members and started a successful series of information and technology classes
- introduced and implemented, Volgistics, a volunteer sign-up, training, and tracking program to be used by the Town
- begun working on an Adopt-a-Plot program to recruit volunteers and sponsors who will be responsible for specific garden plots on library grounds
AmeriCorps engages 250,000 Americans each year in sustained, results-driven service through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs. These dedicated citizens help communities manage COVID-19 response, ensure students stay on track to graduate, combat hunger and homelessness, respond to natural disasters, fight the opioid epidemic, help seniors live independently, support veterans and military families, and much more. More than 1.2 million Americans have served their country through AmeriCorps and millions more have served in AmeriCorps Seniors since 1994.
A growing body of research shows that service has an effect on more than just the communities served, but also on the members themselves. AmeriCorps alumni credit their year of service for developing leadership skills that bridge divides, solve problems, and open doors to career and educational advancement.
As an agency, AmeriCorps has created initiatives to support AmeriCorps alumni, building on this research. Through Schools of National Service, AmeriCorps seeks to improve college access and affordability for those who’ve successfully completed a term of service. The Employers of National Service effort builds a roster of public, private, and nonprofit sector employers committed to hiring AmeriCorps alumni, as research shows national service alumni gain skills and experiences that employers find valuable.
To join the celebration, follow @AmeriCorps on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. To join the conversation, share pictures and stories on Twitter, using #AmeriCorpsWeek. Learn more about AmeriCorps opportunities at AmeriCorps.gov/join.
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.