AmeriCorps finds new home

    Help is on the way. AmeriCorps and Hands-On Georgia are sending help to two of Milledgeville’s hardest working non-profit organizations, Hands-On Milledgeville and GCSU’s The G.I.V.E. Center. Application and interview process is already underway to fill the two AmeriCorps positions that will help serve the Milledgeville community. One will serve with the Hands-On Milledgeville and The G.I.V.E. Center where they will assist with volunteer recruitment, leadership, development and training. The second position will focus on educational services and work closely with organizations that deal with after-school programs, tutoring and various children’s and educational programs around the area.
    “Having AmeriCorps on board with The G.I.V.E. Center and Hand-On Milledgeville is such a blessing,” Kendall Stiles, director of The G.I.V.E. Center, said. “We are so fortunate and thankful to have this kind of support.”
    AmeriCorps is a conglomerate of local, state and national service programs that comprise of over 70,000 members nationwide. It is an intensive service program that helps roughly 2,000 non-profit organizations with various duties such as raising awareness, community service work, and other critical needs that deal with public safety, environmental, security and awareness needs throughout America.
    AmeriCorps was established in 1993 after President Bill Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act where domestic community service programs were brought together under one umbrella. In 1994, the first class of AmeriCorps members served all over the country. In 2003, President George Bush signed the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act, doubling the number of members serving across the nation and building bipartisan support.
    “AmeriCorps is definitely a character building experience,” Stiles said. “I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about working for a non-profit organization because it will teach you several skills that will definitely benefit your resume and broaden your outlook.”
    People interested in non-profit work should be aware that joining the AmeriCorps is a full-time commitment. Those who will join the AmeriCorps, particularly the positions in Milledgeville, will serve a 12-month commitment and over 1,700 community service hours. In addition, they will also be required to work with at least 10 non-profit organizations around the Milledgeville area. AmeriCorps recipients will also receive a meager living stipend and an education grant upon completion of the service.
    “It is definitely not going to get you money if that’s the reason you’re doing it,” Revel Pogue, GCSU community liaison and a member of the AmeriCorps interview, said. “Most people join AmeriCorps for the experience and the service. It’s a full-time job that needs close attention and dedication.”
    In exchange for a year of full-time service,  members earn an education award of $4,725 that can be used to pay for college or graduate school or to pay back qualified student loans.   

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 6 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry