americorps member

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Americorps

First off, AmeriCorps is an amazing, life-changing experience. There is no questioning this fact. Teaching kids to read, meeting people from all over the country, cleaning beaches and holding premie babies... it's wonderful.

You are going to be driving around... a lot. Drive to your main service location, drive to special event locations, drive to third party volunteer locations to supplement yours hours (school literacy hours throughout the school year are fewer than the hours you are required to fulfill in your service year), and the hosting institution is sure to take advantage of you at some time or another with an event of their own. I had to drive from North Miami to one of the Keys for a 12 hour day of basically hard labor for a non-AmeriCorps related art auction. At $188 every two weeks, my car was not in very good shape, so it cut off on me on the way back and nearly flew off a ramp. I still have panic attacks on highways to this day, and it's been over ten years.

AmeriCorps is not possible if you don't live rent free (ie with parents or at least a ton of roommates), don't already have the means to move to the new area, or have any fiscal obligations in general.

The moving allowance is typically less than half of what you would need to secure a place to live in. It's usually $500, but every rental place I've ever lived in requires first and last month's rent, in addition to a security deposit, in advance. A few programs do have dormitories, but not many. You are mostly expected to become roommates with one another. Not really a possibility if you have a spouse, unless they join the program too, or if you both already live in the service area.

You receive a stipend instead of a paycheck for a couple of practical reasons. If you divide up the hours in your service year with the total stipend, you would actually earn less than minimum wage. It also keeps you from actually being an employee of AmeriCorps, the NCoPS, and establishes you as a volunteer, which gives you fewer rights. You can't claim unemployment, you can't get overtime, you can't get insurance. You may be told a grand, philosophical reason as to why you are paid poverty wages... it's part of the spirit of sacrifice and volunteering, knowing the pains of the people you are serving... Feel free to buy into it if it makes you feel better. It's really just a funding thing. Paying people who help the poor well has never been something the federal government has been very good at, if social workers and teachers are any indication.

You don't pay into any health insurance policies, which is nice, right? It's technically accepted everywhere, but it is up to every doctor's office to decide whether or not they take it. If they've never seen it before, it may weird them out. The health insurance they give you really isn't health insurance, but it does work. It's very odd. It's a company that pays for the care you need, up to an extent (there is something in the way of copay, but I don't remember what it was or if copay was the word they actually used), but the doctor's office has to call them and set up payment. It's kind of like going to a doctor that'll let you put something on the company tab.

You actually qualify for food stamps if you get this job. I suggest you get them, even if you don't think you need them. You're going to need that stipend money for things that come up with your transportation, clothes you're sure to ruin, or materials you may need for your service.

The educational reward at the end is awesome. You just have to know how to use it. It doesn't work the way they claim it does. In theory, it's an amount of money available to you for the purpose of higher education. In practice, it's an amount of money they hold tightly that you can ask for, up to a certain awarded amount, that is extremely hard to use for anything besides tuition.

I desperately needed an Apple computer for design school, and I was told that I couldn't just buy a computer. I had to get a list of specific specs from the school, submit it to AmeriCorps, verify that they deemed it a necessary educational expense, and wait. The entire process would have taken over a whole semester - which defeated the entire purpose. I had to take out a line of credit, when I supposedly had an education voucher.

What you can do is get your school registrar or bursar to add your school expenses to your tuition bill, and then use the voucher to pay the registrar/bursar. The bursar then gives you the actual cash you need to buy your stuff, or puts the credit on your school card to use at the school supply store. Just keep your receipts to prove you only bought educational things you needed, in the event that your voucher redemption comes into question.

TLDR: Life changing and awesome, but you will be poorer than the people you serve during your service. Health benefits are weird. Voucher is tricky. Only do it if you are really young or high energy.

This company is not around anymore, as they were a sub-system of the State & National branch of service.
There was no typical day for this position. Sites members were assigned to often did not see fit to be held accountable to standards set forth by their contracts, so prescribed duties were hit or miss in whether they met with the goals of the positions.

I learned that I could do everything the right way and still have to deal with someone who has it out for me. Personalities at one site were very antagonistic and I ended up being reassigned. A subsequent evaluation by a qualified psychologist found that I was not to blame for the problems with a select few coworkers, and that I was far more psychologically healthy and aware than most cases.
(I actually was well-liked by my coworkers, but my work ethic made one person look bad, because her abrasive personality meant that she had fewer clients, while her colleague had 11x as many. The problematic coworker, who is no longer employed at the site, often spent hours in the cubicle texting & downloading ringtones rather than working.)
I also learned my skills as a researcher and writer, as one project required that I compile research on a gamut of childhood developmental issues, and put them in accessible language. This required reading documents in my third language of German to ascertain the specifics of a disease, and listing things in typical encyclopedic index fashion: for larger articles with subsections on related or similar developmental problems, the reader was instructed to look under that larger article and the subsection.
Graphics were used for the articles which were medically accurate, and the details were given elaboration on more complex or obscure words, so that the non-inducted could understand everything. The person who assigned me the project insisted that a sloppy copy-paste from the internet would suffice, but it didn't, as hyperlinks and other formatting issues were copied alongside, and article space and lack of sufficient graphics or layman's speech made the document cumbersome and unwieldy. By the time that the deadline arrived, the project was completed ahead of schedule, and the product was superior to the slap-dash version. Those reviewing it were impressed by the work, and all was forgiven for going above and beyond in the time required.

Coworkers were congenial and enjoyed having me around, even if my duties were scattershot. My evening coworkers adored my abilities as a tutor, taking at-risk youth and helping them to develop confidence, motivation, study-skills, and enthusiasm. My unconventional style of approach mixed with a classical style and lateral thinking got the students hooked in no time, to where they were pushing themselves to highly marked success, and reaching their true potential for achievement.

The hardest part of the job was a sense of abandonment by my off-site supervisors, when one went on maternity leave. In an office of five people, one worker with two assistants going on leave should not have brought everything to a screeching halt and caused people to lose confidence in their supports, but it did, as my coworkers felt equally abandoned. The aforementioned antagonistic coworker at the site set a nasty tone for office politik, as I felt oppressed, abandoned, and desperate for the supports that I was in need of to fulfill my duties. Meanwhile, if I failed to follow procedures for things such as clocking hours or filing journal entries, I was called on to do so. So I was being held accountable by the unaccountable.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the security to complete my assignment, and the success I found in my work. Developing promotional and resource materials quickly became my chief operation at the first site during the day, after I volunteered a draft of some design work and writing. My tutoring was respected and regarded as some of the best in skill and dynamics for a diverse array of learners.
My students and later subordinates at another assignment in that term of service all flourished and learned important life skills.

Working with anything Americorps, its a term of service, not just a job. You work and feel good about the work you do at the end of each day, but you shouldn't get into it for the money. If you want to start out and get your feet wet with some real world experience and delve into different fields or careers, doing a year of service is an amazing way to build some experience. 

You commit yourself national service, it is not just a job. The expectation with Americorps is that you are focused, driven and committed to their mission, which varies from program to program. In my experience, you can gain the experience to apply for different roles within programs for different terms. For example, I started as a Crew Member and after that term, I had the exact experience they we're looking for that allowed me to return as a Crew Leader. 

There are no vacation days, paid time off, overtime, or hourly wages. Or at least where I served. You follow roughly a 40 hour work schedule and are paid a living stipend, which is just enough to just cover the cost of living and the amount varies from state to state and with each program. The purpose of serving a term shouldn't be for monetary gain but is for the desire to be the change you want to be in your community. That being said, even with that, it is difficult, even with a strong support system in doing a term of service, it will likely lead to some drastic lifestyle changes for some. 

You get out what you put in, there isn't opportunity for growth in the traditional sense of promotions or transferring or anything that would be experienced with a normal job. But its about how passionate you can be and how much drive you have. You'll likely work with a variety of people from other organizations, companies or groups. Which provides the amazing chance to network and really explore more into your field of interest, Americorps has provided me the space to work and learn about the multitude of opportunities I'd never even known had existed. As difficult as the work maybe and the difficulty of maintaining it's work/life balance, it's been fulfilling having served 3 terms and having a better sense of where I'd like to go and what career I'd want to pursue.

I myself have served 3 terms since I joined immediately out of high school. Having had a strong support system has helped immensely in serving as it's difficult to remain fully independent during a term of service, which I've been made aware of a given a number of different resources from Americorps staff to assist with things such as housing and food. Additional you'll be apart of the larger community of Americorps Alumni of past and present members who understand and are happy to help.

A term of service for a number of different roles and programs is ideal for the college student looking to take a gap year or a person with minimal job experience. As it is meant to serve as an opportunity for individual growth. The pay can have a dramatic affect on ones life and living situation, as I've known members that have been able to live in barrack like housing or have simply lived out of their cars to save money. The situation varies greatly depending of each individual programs pay and what they can provide. But on most cases, it's normal to relocate during the term to have more affordable housing.

I've been told this time and time again and I can only agree with it every time I hear it: "Americorps is the best kept secret for National Service." Since most people thin national service, and immediately thing of the military as some way to serve their country. But Americorps give people the chance to help and utilize their skills and vested interest to help at home in their own communities. I can comfortably say that Im happy about the time I've spent and everything I've gained from my service and where it's lead me to.

I would arrive 30 minutes before the school day started and leave 30 minutes after the day ended. Besides our work meetings that occured once a month, or our required service days (Such as the Lake County Children's Festival), I was working on the Riviera Elementary School campus. I shifted between 3 classrooms total throughout the day to take time to meet with all 15+ students on my caseload. Some of them needed help in Math, some in English, and most in behavioral issues. The teachers in whose classrooms I worked enjoyed my company and the extra help I provided. It also helped that children tend to naturally draw a liking to me, so I got along really well with a lot of my students. I learned a lot about young children and the frustration that they go through with their early education and with developing their social skills. Perhaps the hardest part of the job was finding ways to connect with the students who had behavioral problems, and finding ways to be empathetic while still making sure they understand what type of behavior is appropriate. But slightly on that same token, the connections I made with the students would often be the highlight of the job, when I would see the children's eyes light up with joy whenever they saw me, the handmade gifts that students gave to me, (all of which I kept!) And how much they said they would miss me when the school year came to a close. I had a lot of great days, a lot of terrible days, a lot of fun days, and a lot of boring days, but the friendships I made throughout my time as an AmeriCorps Student Success Coach are ones that I will never forget. 

My one big nitpick, however, is the obscene amount of data collection you are required to do, accounting for every minute of every day. You have to have a caseload that lists all students you work with total, what grade they're in, and what you typically work with them for. Additionally, you must keep daily logs that show what students you worked with that day, what exactly you worked on, what time you started, and how long you did it for (there is also a separate log for what games you facilitated during recess). I often did not have time to do this while I was on duty and would instead have to complete it during my own time at home. Furthermore, about halfway through the year, they added a new section to our log where we had to input every one of our students' grades in each subject, how many referrals they had in the year, and how many absences they had. We had to update this new part of the log regularly after this change occurred. I would have to go out of my way to speak with the secretaries in order to get this information and keep it up to date, which was annoying to both me and the secretaries, and I constantly would apologize that I needed to keep bugging them just to keep my logs up to date. If I could give one complaint, it's that I seriously think AmeriCorps should find a better system for its workers to collect data without unnecessary fluff or asking them to input data that they don't have permission to access on their own.

During my time as a fellow with the Choice Program, I worked as a mentor to youth in the legal system, the staple of the job being to make home visits from 5:00pm-11:00pm. 

Every day would start off with the team meeting to discuss contact with clients over night, followed by planning for the day in the form of deciphering which team member would see which clients at school or home. After making rounds to the schools and homes, everyone was expected to come back to the office, document the day's events, and have another team meeting to discuss information that needed to be relayed to clients, and whoever's turn it was would see clients in the field after 5:00.

While I learned a multitude of things as a Choice fellow, the most important thing I learned was how to effectively work with a team. I was one of three people regularly going into the field to see clients, so it was critical that I communicated my encounters with clients, as well as pay attention to my teammates' encounters, to better service our caseload as a whole.

The staff hierarchy at the time I was working was set up so there were three Fellows on a team, one Service Coordinator directly supervising one team, then two Assistant Directors supervising 2-3 teams at a time, two Directors to oversee all operations, and lastly an Executive Director oversee and represent the entire organization. As a fellow, I had the most contact with my Service Coordinator, and the main thing she did for me was biweekly supervisions where we would talk about how I was doing workwise, as well as set goals for me to turn my weaknesses into strengths and improve through my fellowship.

On average, my coworkers were very sociable individuals that gained energy from being around people. They also had strong hearts for service, and really believed in the AmeriCorps creed, which was "Getting Things Done for America." 

The hardest part of the job was working in the field on weekends, because I was required to plan activities with clients, get approval from my Service Coordinator to do the activity, then have my teammates communicate with clients to see who was interested. Furthermore, I would have to sometimes deal with clients not following through with their commitment to participate, and scramble to see if anyone else was interested. The good thing about that part of the job, however, was that it taught me to adapt, think on my feet, and maintain composure when plans fall through.

The most enjoyable part of the job was interacting with clients and being able to see the difference I made in the moment. My favorite example would be one weekend I was working, a youth had a math packet he had to complete, so I made it an activity to help him. As I tutored him, it was clear that he did not understand the material, so I kept thinking of different ways to explain it, until he finally got it and I could tell he understood it. Even though I did not complete the packet with him, it was rewarding to know that I gave him the means to do the packet himself.

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)  strengthens communities and develops leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based—local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national and state parks, Indian tribes, and schools, members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned.

AmeriCorps NCCC members serve for a 10-month commitment in teams of 8 to 12 and are assigned to projects throughout the region served by their campus. They are trained in CPR, first aid, public safety, and other skills before beginning their first service project. Members are based at one of five regional campuses and travel to complete service projects throughout those regions.

These words are directly from the AmeriCorps NCCC webpage and give a brief overview of what it is all about.  After two years in the program, I can attest that there is much more than just what you read.  I was a Corps Member and a Team Leader in the sister program, FEMA Corps, helping disaster survivors in need through monetary and charitable giving assistance to start reebuilding their lives after a disaster.

A typical day's work all depended on where you were and what disaster you were working on.  Working on SuperStorm Sandy in NYC was a typical 9 to 5 production whereas working in Denver right after the floods in northern Colorado was a 14-16 hour a day fare just at the office, not to mention having to come back home to cook, clean and do other team duties.  This program has helped me to see more than half of the United States and meet some truly great people along the way.  Most importantly, I learned more about myself in 2 years than I had at any other point in my life and I am truly grateful for the opportunities I got to do such great work.

Throughout the five campuses there are certainly the similarities and differences, but meeting great people in leadership roles really cemented in me that there are good people in this world that fight every day to make it a better place.  There are times that I as an individual and then as a part of the collective have questioned or even challenged the leadership's decisions but that is a part of growing up and recognizing and understanding everything that is in play as part of a government organization.  

Co-workers are your friends and peers and still the same people you go to work with, come home to and sometimes just can't stand.  However it is an amazing opportunity to branch out and meet new people and really make life-long friends.

The hardest part of the job is dealing with your team for ten months and trying to not get homesick and enjoying the experience and not getting bogged down by work and team duties and travel and planning and money and paychecks.  Just like that jumbled run-on sentence, it's a whole slew of things all at once.

The best part of the job is getting through it and realizing all of the things that you learned and remembering all the experiences and laughs and fun that you had with your friends and teammates through a crazy and awesome 10 months of service.

They lied in the interview. They told me the job involved working weekends. I asked, every weekend? And I was told not every weekend... just like if the school holds an event on the weekend and special occasions. Considering they schools don't have things going on every weekend and that special events happen every and now then, I agreed. Only to find out that I had to work every weekend. In addition, I thought I signed up only to work in the school. I wasn't ever told prior to accepting the job/volunteer position that in addition to working from 8am to 6pm M-F, I had to do additional volunteer work plus required volunteer work with the Red Cross. I tried to tell them it was kinda impossible to do since every place I called to do volunteer work wanted someone during the times I had to be in the schools.

I think it's a cool program to do part-time but not full-time because you literally kill yourself trying to fulfill their obligations. There was a bunch of favoritism and the supervisor always tried to make herself seem more important than what she really was, always bragging about who she knew and who she had met. You couldn't talk to her without her going, "I know the governor. I know the mayor. I know the Superintendent of the school system... blah blah blah."

I got along with my co-workers for the most part. However, shortly after I quit, my co-worker whom I ran into in the grocery store and was doing my best to avoid, had her kids follow me and snap my picture to take back to the supervisor. I'd already quit but I felt a bit outraged that this particular co-worker had her head so far up our supervisor's behind that she felt the need to snap my picture without my permission.

I don't eat pork and they were never considerate of that fact. They even asked me did I have any dietary preferences and I said, "Yes, I don't eat pork." And what did they serve? Pork. I wasn't the only one there didn't eat pork either. There were at least 3 other people that didn't eat it (I know one person said they were a vegetarian, another person said something about a medical reason, and one other for religious reasons). So, we'd have to sit around and watch everyone eat during pot lucks. I wasn't very vocal but there was this other lady there who made her displeasure very known. And then the supervisor would get mad and blame the poor woman for keeping up trouble when it was their fault for not being considerate enough to provide the type of food for everyone to enjoy! Why ask us about what we want to eat if you have no intentions of honoring our preferences?

As much as I loved the idea of helping people, I'd never do this program again unless it's under the direction of a better supervisor that is fair and equal to all employees, as well as culturally sensitive and understanding.

The program actually owes me money but I hate it so much I refuse to talk with them in order to get. There are things more important than money - like my pride and dignity.

I served in AmericCorp's National Civilian Community Corps for a 10 month service commitment in 2011. This program is a federally funded, residential service program for 18-24 year olds. Teams of 8-10 travel around a service area within the US doing different projects for 4-8 weeks at a time before moving onto a new community and a new project. During my Corps Year I completed 10 projects all over the midwestern US in places like Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio, doing things like tax preparation, urban gardening, trail building, and disaster relief (flooding, tornado, and hurricane). During my time, I received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, for serving over 1700 hours in 10 months. Although I joined the Corps to gain experience in multiple fields, the Corps also has members from Job Corps and Youth Build, as well as youths from military school and diversion programs and adjudicated youth who are serving in order to expunge their records.

Corps members are not actually "volunteers" because they receive room and board, uniforms, health insurance, and meals when traveling. However they are not paid, either. Upon completion of the service term, Corps members receive a $5000 educational award.

AmeriCorps has many other programs other than NCCC, such as VISTA, which is community based, and City Year which is school based. 

My time serving in AmeriCorps was life changing. I not only gained experience in multiple fields, but I served as Assistant Team Leader and Peer Counselor to my team, which gave me leadership and counseling experience. I learned to work with young adults from backgrounds vastly different from my own, and I lived and traveled and worked with people I never would have met otherwise.

I could not recommend AmeriCorps more strongly. 

You will always have access to a large network of AmeriCorps alum after you complete your service term.

My only word of caution is that AmeriCorps is not for the lazy, or faint of heart, or for someone who is very busy and wants an easy job for the side. AmeriCorps takes all of your time and effort and for the service period you commit to, you will have very little time for anything else.

Once a Corps member, always a Corps member.

A typical day as a VISTA can entail such a wide variety that there is almost no really "typical" day. You may be inventorying a storage closet, reorganizing a database, creating marketing materials, soliciting donations, researching grants, writing proposals, planning events, or any of a hundred other things. You're meant to be the behind-the-scenes facilitator, not the main event. 

I learned a lot about the nonprofit field in general and about my organization's subfield in particular. 

The other members are the best part! You meet lots of idealists, dreamers, and all-around characters. 

Management is very hit-or-miss: for better or worse, there's just a lot of variety out there. Same for training and professional development. You may get amazing, transformative leaders, or you may get a revolving door of "bosses" who'd bungle running an ice-cream stand at the beach. 

The national program leadership is (intentionally, I think) very hands-off with individual programs, so make sure you really mesh with the director and your supervisor(s) before you commit (and get some references from former members, too! I'd probably have thought twice and then come in with a MUCH more realistic set of expectations if I'd done that.) 

CNCS (the Corporation for National and Community Service) is the federal agency that runs AmeriCorps. CNCS's view seems to be "let a thousand nonprofit flowers bloom" ...which means there's not necessarily a lot of quality control going on. 

The hardest part of the job is the low, low, LOW pay. I'm talking about sub-minimum wage. Once you add in the ed award, you're looking at something closer to minimum wage... but, of course, you only get the ed award if you finish the entire term, and you can only use it for educational expenses, not rent or food or clothing for the year you serve! If you've ever had a "real job" before, it can be REALLY hard to adjust to being that broke. It's a humbling experience, I must say. 

There's often not that much of a "career ladder" to climb at your host organization, so that part's tough, too. Sometimes members get hired on as real employees after their year, but that's absolutely not something you can or should count on.    

The most enjoyable part of the job is that it can be a great experience to develop yourself while you give back.

Being an AmeriCorps State and National or VISTA member is a fantastic experience. You are offered a wide array of training, can often self-select many of your duties, try out many aspects of non-profit or government work, and typically have full support for whatever scheduling flexibility you need.  It can get you a wide array of experience much faster than you possibly could in most private-sector jobs.

AmeriCorps is usually very inclusive of all gender identities, ages (if 17+), experience levels, races, ethnicities, etc., and it sort of runs on the assumption that everyone involved wants to be inclusive. I'd strongly recommend AmeriCorps for recent graduates, people who have spent some time out of the workforce, people who want to drastically change their career courses towards government or non-profit positions, students who want summer jobs, and retirees who want something to do.

As for benefits, you receive the equivalent of a full Pell Grant towards educational expenses for a year of full-time service, and it's scaled down proportionately for part-time and short-term positions. Student loans are also put in deferment with interest covered by AmeriCorps during one's term of service. There are some policies to help with childcare and medical expenses, but it does not directly offer insurance. You probably qualify for some government assistance if your primary income is through AmeriCorps, and both AmeriCorps chapters I've been involved with offered helpful advice on the process to receive them. Unfortunately, these vary by state, so this may not be a universal experience.

The AmeriCorps VISTA program offers a fair amount of assistance with relocation in my opinion. $750 + $0.40/mile.

The income for AmeriCorps member positions is based on the poverty line for the county they're based out of, which has typically been close to Federal minimum wage in my experience. That is the primary roadblock to working for AmeriCorps in my opinion and observations. 

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