20 Years Of Service

We’re back with another edition of Good News Tues to spread a little joy from our Habitat family to yours. We’re all in this together. Here’s hoping this brings a little light to your day. 

20 Years Of Service

During this second week of March, we’re celebrating AmeriCorps Week and the 270,000+ AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers united in service to help solve our nation’s greatest challenges. AmeriCorps members commit to a term of service, like a domestic Peace Corps, providing crucial support on our build sites and throughout the organization. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Milwaukee Habitat partnering with the AmeriCorps program to help local families in need of safe, affordable housing.

In that time, 90 AmeriCorps members have generously served more than 175,000 hours at our affiliate leading volunteers on our build sites, assisting families, recruiting volunteers and more.

Often times, the AmeriCorps that serve with us are recent college graduates looking to give back to their communities while developing real-world job skills. Over the past year, we’ve relied on a team of outstanding young adults to help lead construction sites during one of the most challenging years our organization has ever faced. They’ve responded admirably, adapting to new COVID-safe protocols and working on the front lines knowing the need for a safe home has never been more important.

Many AmeriCorps, invigorated by their term of service, go on to purse leadership roles in the non-profit industry. In fact, nine of Milwaukee Habitat’s staff are AmeriCorps alumni, including Construction Director Chris Garrison and me, your author of Good New Tues, Jake Brandt (Marketing & Communications Director).

Nearly 12 years ago, I joined the AmeriCorps program as a ReStore Volunteer & Marketing Coordinator. Fresh out of college, the opportunity opened my eyes to the need for affordable housing in our city and the tremendous impact it can have on families and communities alike. Watching blighted blocks be transformed into rows of new homes, hearing the prideful words of a single mother who built a safe and stable home for her children. These are the moments that turned my passion for service into a career. And it all started thanks to AmeriCorps.