Serving in AmeriCorps

by Alicia Vasto, LandTrust AmeriCorps member

May 7, 2015

Perhaps you have heard of AmeriCorps before, and likely its more familiar cousin, the Peace Corps. Maybe you know someone— a niece, nephew, friend, or friend of a friend—that was an AmeriCorps member at one time. But did you really know what the program was and the kind of impact they had? Though I myself have participated in AmeriCorps in some capacity two previous times, it was not until last month, when I started a new position as an AmeriCorps member with The LandTrust for Central North Carolina, that I really learned about AmeriCorps and the impact it has on communities and participating members across the country.

AmeriCorps supports a wide range of local service programs and that engages thousands of Americans in community service each year. Since its inception in 1994, more than 775,000 members have served in AmeriCorps, gaining job skills and making a positive impact on the communities and organizations for which they serve. They have given over one billion hours of service, mobilized tens of millions of volunteers, and improved the lives of countless citizens like you and me.

Two of the programs I have not participated in are AmeriCorps NCCC and AmeriCorps VISTA. The VISTA program was founded in 1965 by President Kennedy as a service program to fight poverty. It was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993. AmeriCorps VISTA members are placed at a specific nonprofit organization or public agency and are tasked with a specific project that typically works to build the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of organizations that fight poverty. AmeriCorps NCCC members are based in five campuses across the country and travel in teams to neighboring states to do projects focused on disaster response, the environment, housing and youth.

The experiences I have had with AmeriCorps have been slightly different. I have done AmeriCorps State and National terms. The State and National program is the largest part of AmeriCorps, engaging more than 70,000 members annually. These terms are funded through grants that The Corporation for National and Community Service provides to local and national organizations and agencies that focus on needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. These organizations then use the funding to take on service members who commit to a term of service with that organization to help expand their programs and outreach.

My experiences with AmeriCorps have been some of my most formative to date. As an environmental scientist, I have served with environmental organizations and agencies. Among many things, I have done trail maintenance, environmental education, participated in wildlife surveys, and developed environmental monitoring programs. I have served through the Student Conservation Association with the National Forest Service in Pisgah National Forest here in North Carolina; through the American Conservation Experience with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Breton and Lacassine National Wildlife Refuges in Louisiana; and I am now serving with The LandTrust through the Project GEOS program with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina. As benefits, I have gained valuable job experience, Segal Education Awards, and a living stipend.

The experiences I have had as a developing environmental professional would not have been possible without AmeriCorps. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities to better our country and our planet. I would encourage anyone who is motivated and dedicated to community service to join AmeriCorps for a life-changing experience.