AmeriCorps celebrates success

This past week, BVU students enthusiastically participated in the fourth annual AmeriCorps Week, a celebration that spanned the country.

The week, May 8-15, is meant to highlight the hard work that AmeriCorps members from all corners of Iowa and the rest of the country put in to improve their communities over the course of the year.

“This year for the event, we were just bringing awareness to what AmeriCorps is, and spreading awareness through word of mouth. We didn’t have any planned events, with it being so close to finals,” Director of Community Service Ashley Farmer-Hanson said.

This year, 16 BVU students participated in AmeriCorps, volunteering for a very diverse array of organizations. Locations ranged from the TLC Animal Shelter in Newell, IA, to local schools, to the Witter Art Gallery in Storm Lake. These students put in an impressive 5,700 hours of service this school year.

“I think AmeriCorps week is a great way for the BV campus and the Storm ake community to get to know what AmeriCorps is. And it’s a great way for the AmeriCorps members to showcase what they have done throughout the year for their community service,” first-year AmeriCorps member Jemira Payne said.

Every year, AmeriCorps gives almost 75,000 people from any background the opportunity to serve their community by working with non-profit groups on the national or local level. Full-time volunteers can even earn a stipend of $4,725 to be put towards paying for higher education.

Since the AmeriCorps program began in 1994, nearly 500,000 volunteers have given their time to non-profit organizations, earning over $1 billion in educational stipends.

“It’s a great opportunity to get involved, and if you’re already doing service, to get some sort of educational award for that service. When I was a BV student, I was an AmeriCorps member, and it was just a great opportunity. It was a leadership experience while doing service at the same time,” Farmer-Hanson said. “If people are interested in being a part of the AmeriCorps program, we will sign contracts again in the fall. Now is the time to ask questions if you’re interested in it, if it sparks your interest, because we’ll get started right away after the new academic year starts.”

If students are interested in participating in AmeriCorps or have questions about the program, contact Ashley Farmer-Hanson at Farmer@bvu.edu.