"What is service?  Service is defined as “the action of helping someone.”  A very simple definition with a powerful meaning.  Serve Illinois believes in advocating, coordinating, and recognizing service alongside community.  For Serve Illinois this past summer, service was manifested in multiple ways in partnership with organizations from communities across Illinois.

Service is welcoming thirty AmeriCorps sub-grantees to the new program year that began August 1st.  The AmeriCorps sub-grantees will be enrolling over 1000 new members to serve communities while supporting the capacity of the organization.  This year, several new agencies will be joining the call to serve as new sub-grantees through a planning grant or as an agency supporting Southern Border Arrivals in Illinois.

Service is working alongside organizations that are answering the call to aid community members in Southern Cook County that were impacted by massive flooding.  In partnership with AmeriCorps, members from NCCC were requested to assist impacted areas in Chicago communities, other members were trained in gutting and mucking of affected homes in the next three months, along with volunteer coordination across several communities.

Service is building a long-term commitment to civic engagement among young people in Illinois schools in partnership with the University of Illinois.  Facilitating learning for young people to understand the what, how, and why of service, so they can be the future action in service to their communities.

Serve Illinois is proud and grateful to have been a part of these opportunities this past summer and will continue through the fall alongside our partners and communities ready to serve.

Exciting news! The 2025 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards are open for nominations. If you know a standout volunteer making a difference in their community, now’s your chance to honor their work!

Categories include: Senior, Adult, Youth, and AmeriCorps Members.

Apply between September 23 and October 23, 4:00 PM CST.

To nominate a volunteer, complete the form here: GVSA Nomination Form

Winners will be celebrated at a spring awards luncheon.

Let’s celebrate those who make a difference!

In partnership with 9/11 Day, AmeriCorps, PR Chicago, Meals of Hope, and corporate sponsors, IDHS-Serve Illinois joined over 21 cities and 30,000 volunteers to pack meals benefiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The initial meal-packing goal was 500,000. Thanks to the over 1,000 volunteers, we are proud to announce that 528,000 meals were packed, breaking another record for Chicago!

We would like to thank our partners, volunteers, and staff for all their amazing work in making this another successful 9/11 National Day of Service!

Thanks to all for “Doing a Good Deed” on this special day.

The finalists were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges who reviewed more than 40 applications. The final four community-based projects covered the categories of Youth Development and Education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Healthy Futures. ​ 

The ceremony honoring finalists and the winner was held at Erin’s Pavillion in Springfield Wednesday evening, following presentations by finalists at the Illinois State Fair earlier in the day. ​ 

The winner of the Governor’s Cup was the City of Edwardsville's Challenger Baseball. All four communities were also given a highway sign that will be installed later this year.