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We are the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that helps millions of Americans improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service. Working hand in hand with local partners, we tap the ingenuity and can-do spirit of the American people to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our nation.


From Our Blog
From Our Blog
By: Lisa Cohn, AmeriCorps VISTA, ServiceWorks STL

“Tell me about a time you made a mistake.”
Every young person has been asked this question in a job interview. After all, what better way to assess someone’s work ethic, perseverance and self-reflection than hearing how they learn from failure or just life’s challenges?
Ask any seasoned academic, entrepreneur or parent and they will tell you mistakes were invaluable to their personal development and ultimate success. Yet, despite our society’s theoretical value of resilience, when it comes to justice-involved youth, we undervalue the growth and insight that result from overcoming adversity.
Approximately 30 teenagers are housed at the St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center at any given time. And whether it was in my role as a volunteer there for four years, or now as an AmeriCorps VISTA with ServiceWorks STL, every session I spend at the center continues to leave me surprised and humbled by the young men’s underappreciated assets and abilities. I’ve seen firsthand just how ambitious, intelligent and compassionate they can be.
ServiceWorks is a youth development program from AmeriCorps, the Citi Foundation and Points of Light that uses volunteer service to teach 16- to 24-year-olds the life and leadership skills necessary for college and career success. And this group of about 10 youth was the first time ServiceWorks has hosted a cohort inside a juvenile justice facility.
Not only do these teenagers have the potential to be changemakers in their community, they truly want to be. I first noticed their innovative problem-solving skills during a ServiceWorks module called “Passion and Community.” In this workshop, the program’s participants, known as “Service Scholars,” brainstorm community needs and discuss ways in which they can use their passions and talents to meet those needs.
By: Lisa Cohn, AmeriCorps VISTA, ServiceWorks STL
“Tell me about a time you made a mistake.”
Every young person has been asked this question in a job interview. After all, what...
By: Carol Wills, Midtown Magazine, and Photography by Davies Photography

Jeanette Golden was an AmeriCorps volunteer in college, and enjoyed it so much that after graduation, she applied to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer for the City of Raleigh. That was five years ago, and Golden is now a community specialist for the Community Engagement Division of the Housing and Neighborhoods Department. “I’m passionate about service,” says Golden. “I enjoy that I get to share in the spirit of volunteerism through my work with the Senior Corps Programs.” These programs include the Foster Grandparents, RSVP (formerly the Retired Senior Volunteer Program) and Senior Companions, an organization made up of seniors helping seniors – seeing that people get to medical appointments, checking in with them to make sure they’re all right, and providing pleasant companionship.
Perhaps the most important part of Golden’s job as a VISTA volunteer was to implement a volunteer program to connect Raleigh citizens with partnering community agencies. The program that she started, Volunteer Raleigh, is the go-to place for people who are interested in building a resume, giving back to the community, or who are looking for a useful and meaningful way to spend time in retirement.
Golden’s program is the hub that helps people find opportunities appropriate to their skills and interests. Three volunteer programs that come under the city’s umbrella are Foster Grandparents, the Police Department and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources.
By Bill Basl, Director of AmeriCorps

It’s one of the most unexpected places to find a teen center, in a city hall, or perhaps this is a statement from Montpelier, VT that teens and youth matter to this community. The facility speaks to warmth and caring, the human touch that sometimes is lost in an overly stimulated electronic world. This is a place where you matter for who you are not with what you currently have on your (play list) or how you dress, or how you look. Unconditional support and caring is offered by AmeriCorps members sponsored by the Vermont Youth Development Corps.
These AmeriCorps members reach out throughout Vermont to provide the emotional, educational, and life support words of encouragement teens and youth adults are seeking. Above all, they convey a sincere desire that teens do matter and they have a person who they can share the large and small joys and challenges that we all face each day. They also perform a key role of connecting teens to resources and services that can assist them as they go forward in life.
Helping make this happen at the Montpelier Teen Center is AmeriCorps member Kayla Gottwalt who helps lead program and resource development including the offering of direct services that are offered to teen participants.
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From Our CEO | Wendy Spencer
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By John J Lira, Veterans and Military Families Program OfficerThe Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the National Veterans...
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What a great way to get some important tips! #AmeriCorpsWorks https://t.co/ZaTHEIOcES
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