Guadagno Marks AmeriCorps' 20th Anniversary

Marking the nationwide celebration of the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, Acting Governor Kim Guadagno today joined AmeriCorps members at the New Jersey State Museum to highlight the service and commitment of New Jersey’s AmeriCorps members and alumni over the past 20 years. The event also kicks off a year of service for nearly 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving coast to coast.

Since the inception of AmeriCorps in 1994, more than 20,000 New Jersey residents have made a difference in communities across the state by completing more than 27 million hours of service in areas such as education, disaster services and environmental stewardship.

“I have personally witnessed the dedicated work of these volunteers and their outstanding efforts following Superstorm Sandy,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “For the past 20 years, AmeriCorps members have been a tremendous asset to New Jersey. These volunteers commit thousands of hours of service to communities across the state, and their efforts have significantly improved the lives of many of our most vulnerable residents.”

Local and national AmeriCorps members dutifully responded throughout New Jersey following Superstorm Sandy. Staff from the Corporation for National and Community Service (the parent organization of AmeriCorps) and 378 AmeriCorps members from 18 programs were deployed to assist with recovery efforts. In total, 8,983 volunteers were leveraged through Volunteer Resource Centers and more than 54,000 volunteer hours were served.

Over the past year alone, AmeriCorps programs in New Jersey were able to engage 12,810 volunteers who, in turn, provided nearly 56,000 hours of service in communities throughout New Jersey. This includes:

· Educational and mentoring support to more than 3,300 children and youth;

· Helping 25 families return home after Sandy;

· Providing emergency food services to nearly 4,300 adults and children; and

· Cleaning two miles of New Jersey waterway and clearing almost one ton of debris.

AmeriCorps is the National Service Program that provides civic-minded Americans with an opportunity to earn education awards in exchange for community service. Members commit to either a one or two-year obligation to help meet critical national needs in the areas of education, public safety, human needs and the environment.

Those interested in seeking volunteerism opportunities in New Jersey or who wish to learn more about the efforts of the Governor's Office on Volunteerism are encouraged to visit Volunteerism.NJ.gov.