AmeriCorps Responds to COVID-19
February 28, 2021
This post was written by Jacob Frazier. Jacob is an intern with the Alhambra US Chamber.
Whether we like it or not, we are living through history as a national and global community. Some individuals and agencies have responded more positively than others to the conflict, but one thing is for sure: we will get through the COVID-19 pandemic faster if we work together. One of the best examples for how to respond to the situation we find ourselves in is provided by the AmeriCorps national service program, designed for the threefold purpose of assisting members, local organizations, and local community members. Every workplace can learn from AmeriCorps’ practices, and every citizen should consider the principles of the program for both their personal and professional lives.
AmeriCorps programs across the country are designed to benefit communities in a variety of ways. The programs were previously divided into four categories: AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps National Civilian Conservation Corps (NCCC), AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), and Senior Corps. These programs have since been reorganized under AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors. Although the divisions were all affected differently by the coronavirus pandemic, they both implemented strong procedures for handling the issue. Members continued to receive their full stipend for the year they had signed up for, and the capacity for different members to work from home was greatly expanded. Some members have worked completely from home since the beginning and continue to do so.
Furthermore, AmeriCorps has utilized its capacities to help the nation respond to the Coronavirus pandemic in a variety of ways. Just a few of these include tutoring students in person and over video call, helping administer COVID-19 tests, serving in food banks and other charitable institutions to fill the gaps left by a weakened economy, and assisting with contact-tracing to reduce risk of contamination. Our times call for a radical adaptation of existing work, especially an expansion of capacity to work remotely, as well as for the imagining of new types of work in healthcare and government.
AmeriCorps programs across the country exemplify best practices for getting the United States on the right track. They have given their members a consistent stipend to maintain financial stability, which also supports the economy at large. Along with other governmental and business institutions, they have demonstrated the hitherto untapped potential of remote work and shown how existing technologies can be leveraged to adapt to the environment. It was highly equipped to do so because of pre-existing best practices but exemplifies an ethos of adaptability that is valuable no matter what resources an institution starts with.
AmeriCorps is about more than serving local communities--they also offer career opportunities to their members at a time when the world is changing rapidly. By offering these opportunities in the fields that have responded to the Coronavirus, they are able to offer the most meaningful service to each community while providing the most practical growth opportunities to members. Members can learn to better persevere in the face of adversity and learn skills they will need in future employment, especially if they are pursuing a career in public service. Because AmeriCorps is a national service program, it has low barriers of entry, enabling people to strike out on a path distinct from any they have tread before. And through its response to the era of COVID-19, it has shown its members and the world how to deal with this challenge and the challenges we will face in the future.
If you, a family member, or a friend is interested in doing national service with AmeriCorps, either to help your country or just because you are looking for a change, visit https://AmeriCorps.gov/serve to apply.
