Each year during AmeriCorps Week, United Way and the Corporation for National and Community Service recognize the dedication and commitment of nearly 80,000 AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC members helping fight for the education, health and financial stability of every person in 21,000 communities.
This week we’re celebrating all AmeriCorps members and alums for their service, thanking community partners, and sharing stories that demonstrate the value these programs add to our communities and the country.
The impact of these programs is hard to ignore, with well documented improvements in school-readiness, reading and match achievement, school attendance, access to college and careers, employment and earnings and much more. Here are just a few stories of how United Ways and AmeriCorps collaborate to address difficult and important challenges.
In Wichita Falls, Texas, a young, energetic team of AmeriCorps volunteers are helping prepare tax returns at no cost for low and middle-income families as part of the North Texas Area United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley’s North Shore AmeriCorps Program volunteers serve in schools and community based non-profit organizations to help reduce barriers to academic success among English Language Learners and their families through tutoring, mentoring, and family support services.
And in Macon, Georgia, United Way of Central Georgia, like many United Ways around the country, leverage the skills, talents and commitment of AmeriCorps VISTA Members who help build an organization’s capacity to recruit volunteers from the community to help improve the reading proficiency of early grade students.
These are just a few of the thousands of extraordinary stories of people contributing every day to a smarter, stronger, better America. This week, I invite you to consider contacting your members of Congress and other elected officials to share your experience of how #AmeriCorpsWorks in your community.