Possible online services disruption due to Internet related outage
Fall 2024 Newsletter
Update from the Executive Director
"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.
Yours in Service,
Andres J. Fernandez
Serve Illinois Executive Director
Update from the Executive Director
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.
Yours in Service,
Andres J. Fernandez
Serve Illinois Executive Director
Data Snapshot
Focus on Service
“For the last 30 years, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have been creating lasting changes in their communities by addressing local challenges with local solutions,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. “Whether you’re just finishing high school or college, changing fields or are retired, there is an opportunity for everyone to make a difference and change lives, including your own.”
– AmeriCorps
Volunteer Spotlight
Ronna Paul - Volunteer Spotlight (September 9, 2024)
Angelique McDonald - Volunteer Spotlight (August 19, 2024)
Amit Bhatia - Volunteer Spotlight (July 29, 2024)
Audrey Woodley - Volunteer Spotlight (July 29, 2024)
Lakshmi Nair - Volunteer Spotlight (July 17, 2024)
Nominate a Volunteer!
Upcoming Events and Deadlines
AmeriCorps Member Recruitment Corner
Public Allies
Public Allies Chicago is a social justice organization committed to changing the face and practice of leadership by recruiting and training talented emerging leaders, with a passion for social impact, to create meaningful change in our city. Our Allies are diverse, equity-centered, innovative problem solvers, dedicated to mobilizing community assets to develop solutions to
local challenges. In partnership with nonprofit partners, we deliver our nationally recognized, values-driven, results-led apprenticeship to advance our mission to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it.
With Michelle Obama as its founder, it has been 31 years since Public Allies Chicago launched a community-based asset model that changed how emerging civic leaders are developed and engage with Chicago communities. With Mark Payne and Bianca Cotton, two Black Public Allies program alumni at the helm, Public Allies Chicago is focused on imparting knowledge and opportunities to Allies centered around Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), and how building upon assets can fuel the next 30 years of Public Allies.
Public Allies Chicago’s leadership understands that Chicago is rooted and grounded in community and is recruiting Allies from communities that may have been overlooked. These diverse community members have overlayed this asset-based leadership approach in community-based institutions, local and national government, health care systems, and philanthropy; resulting in racially inclusive practices, community-focused problem solving, and a long-standing, anti-racist network of 10,000 changemakers committed to social justice and equity.
Potential members can contact AJ Owusu at ajo@publicallies.org
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI)
The Girl Scouts Live Well Initiative (GSLWI) will focus on mental health, financial health, physical health, and self-discovery health (S.T.E.A.M Curriculum) for the girls who need it most. This is an
exciting opportunity for AmeriCorps Members to team up with Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana as a Community Troop Experience Member. AmeriCorps members will partner with community organizations aligned with GSGCNWI to recruit and lead Girl Scout troops within those communities. You will plan weekly meetings for each troop, facilitate and plan for any additional troop activities or field trips. AmeriCorps members will also recruit and train adult volunteers to foster long-term interest and buy-in to the Girl Scout program within the communities that they serve. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for assisting Girl Scouts of GCNWI to alleviate poverty by expanding health education while prioritizing investment in the most underserved individuals and communities in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. During these initial meetings, facilitators or VISTA members will provide Girl Scout programming to new girl members while identifying, nurturing, and mentoring potential volunteer leaders. When a volunteer cannot be recruited for many reasons such as, parents working more than one job or school communities not having good parent engagement. State and National members step up to deliver in/out of school programming for girls and families most in need.
Potential members can contact Jessica Hickman at JHickman@girlscoutsgcnwi.org
Southwestern Illinois University (SWIC)
Established in 1995, Belleville AmeriCorps is a partnership between Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville School District #118, Belleville School District #175, and the city of Belleville. AmeriCorps members serve as tutors, volunteer coordinators, mentors, and summer camp counselors. Through service, AmeriCorps members: increase the academic success of elementary-aged children through tutoring; provide positive recreational and enrichment activities for youth after school and during the summer; recruit, support, and train volunteers to serve organizations in the Belleville area; perform service projects throughout the Belleville area; and develop leadership skills by participating in team-building and service-learning activities.
Potential members can contact Jay Stokes at AmeriCorps@swic.edu or call 618-641-5711
College students and alumni interested in employment opportunities, please visit: Handshake
Special Features
Phone Banking on Westside
From Monday, September 16th through Thursday, September 19th, IDHS-Serve Illinois was at Alderman Emma Mitt’s Office assisting the Westside Long-Term Recovery group with phone banking to speak with those affected by the 2023 flood disaster. Illinois Disaster Response Volunteers, Southside Resilience and Recovery Coalition, Illinois AmeriCorps Programs Association House, and Illinois JusticeCorps helped connect hundreds of residents to resources.
9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
IDHS-Serve Illinois was hard at work on September 11, 2024, in its fifth year participating in the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance Meal Packing Event at Union Station.
9/11 Day is a nonprofit organization created by 9/11 family members immediately following the September 11th tragedy. The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the largest federally-recognized day of service in the country.
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.
Over 400 volunteers were recruited by IDHS- Serve Illinois as support staff for this event and over 1,400 corporate volunteers were managed on-site.
Singers Aria Brown, Davin Colobong, and the Leo High School Choir inaugurated shifts with renditions of “America the Beautiful” along with a Veteran-led moment of silence in remembrance of those lost 23 years ago.
The initial meal-packing goal was 500,000. We are proud to announce that 528,000 meals were packed, breaking another record for Chicago!
Sensory Station at the Illinois State Fair
For the second consecutive year, The Illinois State Fair partnered with DHS - Serve Illinois to offer fairgoers a unique, sensory-friendly experience. The Sensory Station was initially envisioned in 2023 as a quiet zone to give those who need help processing the sights, smells, sounds, and crowds at the fair a chance to regroup.
By offering helpful tools such as weighted blankets, noise-canceling headphones, calming pods, and quiet time activities, The Sensory
Station has become a popular reprieve for fairgoers. The Twinkle Tunnel, foam pit, and stuffed animal petting zoo were among this year’s most appreciated aspects, along with a separate section, complete with changing tables and curtained-off nooks that allowed parents with young children to get out of the heat and away from the hustle and bustle of the fair to feed or change their youngsters and avoid public restrooms.
Over 60 volunteers participated in helping to facilitate this year’s sensory-friendly experience, direct fairgoers where to go, and make them feel welcome. DHS - Serve Illinois and State Fair officials would especially like to thank the teams from UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children, EnRich at Richland Community College, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, Youth with a Positive Direction from Decatur, and several returning volunteers who helped this year to make The Illinois State Fair a positive experience for all.
Formerly Kid's Korner in the Emerson Building, The Sensory Station was open all 11 days of the fair from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) - August
On Thursday, August 22, 2024, IDHS-Serve Illinois Upstate Volunteer Programs Coordinator Cecilia Maciel Martinez visited Elwood, Illinois to recognize AmeriCorps NCCC Team Oak 8 for their work with the Will County Habitat for Humanity by presenting them with the Office of the Governor Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service Certificate of Appreciation.
AmeriCorps NCCC partnered with Will County Habitat for Humanity to enhance various Will
County communities. Will County Habitat for Humanity envisions a world where everyone has a decent place to live, driven by their mission to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. AmeriCorps members of the NCCC program constructed new affordable homes, renovations, and repairs.
AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full-time, team-based residential service program that strives to strengthen communities by engaging young adults ages 18-24 in national and community service. NCCC members are assigned to one of four regional campuses into teams of around 10 members. These teams complete 3-7 service projects that last 6-8 weeks in length, addressing the critical needs of communities throughout the United States over a 10-month service term. These critical needs are related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development. In addition, AmeriCorps NCCC supports two service tracks: FEMA Corps, where members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery work; and Forest Corps, where members focus on wildland fire prevention, reforestation, environmental conservation, and resource management.
These programs are administered by AmeriCorps, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts.
On behalf of the IDHS-Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, congratulations to NCCC Team Oak 8 for their outstanding work!
2024 Governor’s Hometown Awards (GHTA)
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.
“Illinois is so lucky to have some of the most generous and compassionate people. I am grateful to honor these Illinoisans whose contributions have bettered our communities – with focuses on youth and more equitable and healthy futures for everyone in our great state,” said Dulce M. Quintero, IDHS Secretary Designate.
“Serve Illinois brings representatives from communities across Illinois together to celebrate the true meaning of the Governor’s Hometown Awards call to collective action. Each project strives to raise the quality of life for their residents which is a building block for better outcomes in their lived experience in Illinois and community,” said Andres J. Fernandez, Serve Illinois Executive Director.
Now in its sixteenth year with Serve Illinois, the Governor’s Hometown Awards continue to bolster the commission’s mission to improve Illinois communities by enhancing volunteerism and instilling an ethic of service throughout the state.
Volunteers continue to step up each year to serve unmet needs in their communities and recognition of these community service projects is essential.
Central Illinois Volunteerism Conference (CIVC)
On June 28, 2024, the Central Illinois Volunteerism Conference was hosted at the University of Illinois Springfield. The theme this year was “One Voice, Many Generations: Shaping the Future of Volunteering”. The keynote speaker was Payne Shoen, an internationally renowned expert in leadership development. With a keen understanding of each generation's unique characteristics and motivations, Mr. Shoen was responsible for providing conference attendees with practical
strategies to bridge divides, foster collaboration, and harness the collective power of a volunteer force. From “Boomers to Zoomers”, the conference’s goal was to understand how to create a culture where every individual feels valued, engaged, and empowered to make a lasting impact.
The morning and afternoon sessions were broken into three unique workshops each in which presenters who had firsthand knowledge of volunteer recruitment, engagement, and management, and were able to present a specific topic and need volunteer managers may likely encounter.
IDHS-Serve Illinois Upstate Volunteer Programs Coordinator, Cecilia Maciel Martinez, and Downstate Volunteer Programs Coordinator, Anthony Wanless, presented on Creating Micro-volunteerism Opportunities for a diverse volunteer pool, and IDHS-Serve Illinois AmeriCorps Program Manager, Kristen Bethke, presented on AmeriCorps 101.
The conference concluded with a panel discussion entitled “Generational Voices: Bridging Perspectives in Volunteerism”, where members representing various generations were present to answer questions from the audience and give their take on volunteering from a generational perspective.
Mt. Vernon Fight Food Insecurity
In April 2024 in recognition of National Volunteer Month, IDHS-Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service announced the Fight Food Insecurity Challenge to organizations and communities statewide. According to Feeding America, in Illinois alone, 1 in 11 people are facing hunger and 1 in 9 are children. Among the many to heed the call, one organization rose above the rest to collect the most non-perishable food items in a single period. Angels on Assignment
of Mt. Vernon and Jefferson County collected over 9,000 pounds. of non-perishable food items, most of which they shared among other non-profit organizations in the region who would go on to distribute it to those who were most in need.
On June 25, 2024 Volunteer Programs Coordinators for the Upstate and Downstate regions, Cecilia Maciel Martinez and Anthony Wanless made a special trip to Mt. Vernon to recognize over forty individual volunteers and groups that made this possible by presenting them with Office of the Governor Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service Certificate of Appreciation. Among those recognized were several representatives from District 80 Schools, The City of Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Waltonville School District 1, and the Village of Bluford.
A spokesperson for Angels on Assignment and Thrift Store Manager, Lynn Lenker, and several others including Senator Terri Bryant, Representative Dave Severin, Mayor Mike Bullard, Mayor Michelle McKinney, Mayor John Lewis, David Keen, and Debbie Jones were named Honorary AmeriCorps Members in honor of AmeriCorps’ 30th anniversary celebration. Honorees took the AmeriCorps Pledge promising to “get things done” for all those in need throughout the region and the state.
On behalf of the IDHS-Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, thank you all for your dedication to service and hard work in making the Fight Food Insecurity in Illinois Challenge a huge success!
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) - June
On June 21, 2024, Serve Illinois Executive Director Andres Fernandez and Upstate Volunteer Programs Coordinator Cecilia Maciel Martinez visited Alderman Emma Mitt’s office to recognize the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Maple 2 team for their work in assisting the Westside Long-Term Recovery Group with administrative support.
From June 29 – July 2, 2023, and September 17 – September 18, 2023, there were record-setting floods in Cook County. Since then, hundreds of
residents have requested assistance for damages in their homes.
The NCCC team met with Westside residents daily to learn about their needs and assist them with any paperwork. Thanks to this team, several residents on the Westside are finally receiving the help they need.
Juneteenth Celebration Recognition
On June 13, 2024, IDHS-Serve Illinois Upstate Volunteer Programs Coordinator Cecilia Maciel Martinez visited the Village of Richton Park and Village of Hanover Park Sister Cities Committee for their outstanding efforts in the planning and execution of Juneteenth Celebrations.
Juneteenth recognizes the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas, signaling to slaves living in the farthest-reaching U.S. state at the time that they were freed.
The Village of Richton Park held their Juneteenth Celebration on June 15, 2024, at Glaeser Park, while The Hanover Park Sports Complex held their Juneteenth celebration on the same day.
Congratulations to both!
Points of Light Conference
Serve Illinois attended the Points of Light Conference from June 11th through the 14th in Houston, Texas. As one of the largest civic engagement conferences, over 70 workshops were offered in connection with the "Leading Change Together" theme. Pictured is Volunteer Program Manager, Jacob Jenkins, with Michael Smith, AmeriCorps CEO, Sonali Nijhawan, AmeriCorps State and National Director, Chicago Cares Chief Executive Officer and Serve Illinois Commissioner Rosie Drumgoole, and Sawyer Knibbe National Service Programs for the Greater Chicago Food Depository Manager, an Illinois AmeriCorps Program.
Stay up to date!
Visit our social media accounts:
To be added to our newsblast, please email DHS.ServeIllinois@Illinois.gov with "Newsblast" in the subject line.