“We are proud to be part of AmeriCorps and grateful for the AmeriCorps members who are getting things done,” said Margaret Garvey, Program Director of the Yavapai County VISTA Project at Prescott College. “AmeriCorps and VISTA members in Yavapai County have made a tremendous impact allowing us to extend our outreach and services by contributing over 60,000 hours of National service at 20 different county entities and organizations this year,” said Margaret.
Since 1994, 706,000 men and women have joined AmeriCorps, and have given more than 860 million hours of service to the country. To mark AmeriCorps Week, a number of events are happening around the county including a “Kick-Off for Service” kickball game with Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters on Sunday, May 15th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Willow Creek Park. Community members are welcome to attend and participate in this event, as well as the open house for the SERVE Yavapai office on Monday, May 16th from 4-7pm. Additionally, SERVE is proud to have the opportunity to honor volunteers from the Prescott Police Department, Prescott Creeks, Open Door and SERVE team members with President’s Volunteer Service Award. The volunteers being recognized have contributed a combined total of 79,450 hours of service to the community and county.
AmeriCorps works with existing organizations and helps them reach more people and better achieve their mission. In 2010, the nation’s 83,000 AmeriCorps members recruited 2.6 million community volunteers to serve alongside them in some 14,000 nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations across the country.
AmeriCorps members typically remain actively engaged in their communities once their service is complete. They not only can be counted on as volunteers, but they also run nonprofits, marshal resources within their communities to address difficult issues, and frequently pursue public service careers. AmeriCorps alums who have served with SERVE Yavapai have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in public policy and social work, become an executive director of a youth center in Massachusetts, teach students with special needs, and much, much more.
Prescott College offers a resident B.A. program at its main campus in Prescott, Ariz., as well as low-residency B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degree programs through which students complete their studies in their home communities with the help of faculty mentors. All programs emphasize student-directed, experience-based learning by doing, environmental and cultural awareness, and social justice. More information is on the web at www.prescott.edu.
Youth Count is an umbrella organization that establishes and manages community programs to help create nontraditional solutions to the unique challenges facing communities across Yavapai County. More information may be found at www.youthcount.org.
