AmeriCorps 101

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AmeriCorps 101
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Catholic Network of Volunteer Service

• Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS) is a
  
• national membership organization of Christian
• volunteer and mission programs that fosters and
• promotes full-time national and international
• service opportunities for people of all
  backgrounds,
• ages and skills. CNVS supports and enhances the
• work of its membership by providing training and
• resources, networking opportunities, and national
  
• advocacy.

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CNVS AmeriCorps Education Awards Program (AEAP)

• A network of faith-based volunteer programs which
  serve people in low-income and
• high-poverty communities.
• Part of the national service movement engaging
  Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service
  to address the nations most critical needs.
• Funded by the Corporation for National and
  Community Service.

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CNVS AEAP

• Program founded in 1998-99.
• 80-90 faith-based volunteer programs participate
  each year in AmeriCorps through CNVS.
• More than 10,000 volunteers enrolled as
  AmeriCorps members since the program began.
• Over 40 million have been earned in education
  awards through CNVS AEAP.

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How the Program Works

• Program must be a CNVS member.
• Through CNVS, volunteer programs are able to
  offer eligible volunteers the opportunity to
  participate in AmeriCorps and earn an education
  award.
• Participation in AmeriCorps is subject to
  availability of slots provided by the CNVS. Slot
  availability ultimately depends on funding CNVS
  receives from the Corporation for National and
  Community Service.

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What is AmeriCorps?

• A national service network
• Addresses compelling critical needs
• Serves local communities
• Builds the capacity of organizations
• Develops members

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The National Service Network

• Created in 1993, AmeriCorps is part of the
  Corporation for National and Community Service,
  which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and
  Serve America. Together these programs engage
  more than 2 million Americans of all ages and
  backgrounds in public service each year.

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The National Service Network
Corporation for National and Community Service
Learn and Serve America
Senior Corps
AmeriCorps
State and National
Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)
National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC)
CNVS AEAP
CNVS AmeriCorps Program
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AmeriCorpsNational Education Award-Only Program

• CNVS is under the stream of AmeriCorps
  StateNational programs.
• It is an ed award-only program which means that
  the Corporation only provides forbearance and ed
  award benefits. Your program may provide other
  benefits such as health insurance.

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AmeriCorps Aims to meet 3 Different Goals
The purpose of AmeriCorps is to engage AmeriCorps
members in direct service and capacity-building
to address unmet community needs.
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AmeriCorps Programs

• AmeriCorps members participate in local service
• programs such as
• State and local nonprofit organizations
• Community and faith-based organizations
• State, local, and higher education institutions
• State and local governments
• U.S. Territories
• Private nonprofit organizations
• Partnerships among any of the above

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AmeriCorps State Service Commissions

• State Commissions are governor-appointed agencies
  that exist to develop and promote service
  programs within their respective states.
• They sponsor various celebrations, trainings, and
  offer networking activities for members serving
  in their state.
• For a list of state service commissions, see the
  Current
• Members site online.

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AmeriCorps Members

• Through direct service, AmeriCorps
• members help meet critical community
• needs such as
• Education
• Public Safety
• Environment
• Health and Human Needs

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AmeriCorps MembersCommon Myths

• Individuals who serve in National Service
  programs are called members they ARE NOT
  volunteers, participants or employees
• AmeriCorps Members serve they do NOT work
• Members receive a living stipend NOT a salary
  or wage
• Hours count toward the acquisition of the
  education award
• AmeriCorps Members take pride in being
  AmeriCorps Members. Programs should identify as
  being AmeriCorps Programs with AmeriCorps Members.

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Roles of a CNVS AmeriCorps Members
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Member Eligibility

• U.S. Citizen or U.S. national or lawful permanent
  resident of the United States
• Individual is at least 17 years old at the
  commencement of service.
• Individuals under 18 must have parental consent.
• Individual has a high school diploma or an
  equivalency certificate (or agrees to obtain a
  high school diploma or its equivalent before
  using an education award) and who has not dropped
  out of elementary or secondary school in order to
  enroll as an AmeriCorps member

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Member Service Terms
Not available in 2008-09.
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Prohibited Member Activities Examples

• Assisting, promoting, or deterring union
  organizing
• Participating in, or endorsing events or
  activities that are likely to include advocacy
  for or against political parties, political
  platforms, political candidates, proposed
  legislation, or elected officials
• Engaging in religious instruction conducting
  worship services providing instructions as part
  of a program that includes mandatory religious
  instruction or worship constructing or operating
  facilities devoted to religious instruction or
  worship maintaining facilities primarily or
  inherently devoted to religious instruction or
  worship or engaging in any form or religious
  proselytization
• Voter registration drives
• Raising funds for his or her living allowance,
  for an organizations operating expenses or
  endowment
• Writing grant applications for funding provided
  by any other federal agencies, for AmeriCorps
  funding or for any other funding provided by the
  Corporation for National and Community Service
• And more listed in the Member Handbooks.

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Exiting Early

• Early withdrawal
• You do not receive any portion of the education
  award unless you successfully complete the
  program AND meet the minimum-hour requirement.
• Compelling personal reasons
• Situations that are beyond the members control.
• Members can request a pro-rated partial award.
• See contract for details.

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Change in Term of Service

• Based on availability, a member may change their
  term of service. The change request must be
  submitted within 90 days of the members
  enrollment date.
• Requests are not guaranteed.

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Public Notice of Non-discrimination and
Non-harassment

• It is against the law for organizations that
  receive federal financial assistance from the
• Corporation for National and Community Service to
  discriminate on the basis of race, color,
  national origin, disability, sex, age, political
  affiliation, or, in most cases, religion. It is
  also unlawful to retaliate against any person
  who, or organization that, files a complaint
  about such discrimination. In addition to filing
  a complaint with local and state agencies that
  are responsible for resolving discrimination
  complaints, you may bring a complaint to the
  attention of the Corporation for National and
  Community Service. If you believe that you or
  others have been discriminated against, or if you
  want more information, contact
• CNVS AmeriCorps Education Awards Program
• 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 820
• Takoma Park, MD 20912
• 1-800-543-5046 (ask to speak to CNVS AEAP Staff)
• or
• Office of Civil Right and Inclusiveness
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• 1201 New York Avenue, NW
• Washington, D.C. 20525
• [phone] (voice) [phone] (TTY)
• [phone] (FAX) eo_at_cns.gov

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Grievance Procedures

• In case of a grievance, we encourage you to
• first make use of your programs conflict
• resolution process.
• You may, however, file a grievance with
• CNVS at any time. Information on the
• grievance procedures can be found in the member
• service contract and the Current Members site
• online.

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More Program Policies

• Reasonable accommodation provided upon request.
• CNVS AEAP is compliant with the Drug-Free
  Workplace Act.
• General liability insurance for members .
• (details in Member Service Contract)

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National Days of Service Get Involved!

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• National Volunteer Week
• National Youth Service Day
• Join Hands Day
• Community Build Day
• One Days Pay
• Kids Care Week
• Make A Difference Day
• Family Volunteer Day
• AmeriCorps Week

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AmeriCorps Pledge

• I will get things done for America -
• to make our people safer,
• smarter, and healthier.
• I will bring Americans together
• to strengthen our communities.
• Faced with apathy,
• I will take action.
• Faced with conflict,
• I will seek common ground.
• Faced with adversity,
• I will persevere.
• I will carry this commitment
• with me this year and beyond.

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AmeriCorps Resources

• CNVS Website AmeriCorps site for Current Members
• www.cnvs.org/americorps/index.php
• AmeriCorps
• www.americorps.gov
• My AmeriCorps Portal
• https//my.americorps.gov
• EnCORPS
• http//encorps.nationalserviceresources.org