AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides thousands of Americans of all ages and backgrounds with educational awards in exchange for a year or two of community service. AmeriCorps members help meet the nation’s critical needs in areas of public safety, education, human needs and the environment. Read more about the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps members at Milwaukee Habitat make an incredible impact! Full time and part time positions are offered.
What roles do AmeriCorps members play at Milwaukee Habitat?
Construction AmeriCorps members:
The construction AmeriCorps plays an integral part in building and repairing homes. Lead groups of skills and unskilled volunteers and homeowner families in construction activities while maintaining a safe, efficient work environment, thus, developing and enhancing your volunteer management and construction skills.
Family Services AmeriCorps member:
Members focus on recruiting families for homeownership and home repair projects as well as help ensure they complete program requirements.
Volunteer Services AmeriCorps members:
Members recruit and support volunteers for a wide variety of positions including interns, ReStores, and construction.
What are the financial benefits of the AmeriCorps program?
Please note that the AmeriCorps VISTA positions have different benefits and so those who are interested in our VISTA positions can visit here for more information.
The 2023 AmeriCorps National Direct living allowance minimum is $17,000 for full-time positions and $9,000 for part-time positions for 10½ months of service. The VISTA living allowance is similar but varies by location paid out over a one year term of service.
- Education award of $6,495 for full-time and $3,247.50 for part-time (as of 2023). The education awards are paid as vouchers by the National Service Trust, and may be redeemed within seven years to pay for current education costs at qualified colleges, universities, other post-secondary institutions and approved school-to-work programs, or to pay back qualified student loans already incurred.
- Many educational institutions have committed to being Schools of National Service and offer additional incentives to AmeriCorps alumni.
- Student Loan Forbearance: AmeriCorps members may be eligible to postpone the repayment of their qualified student loans through loan forbearance. While the loan is in forbearance during the term of service, interest continues to accrue. Accrued interest on qualified loans may be eligible for payment by the National Service Trust. Please check out the AmeriCorps website for additional details. Please note that not all loans are qualified for forbearance.
- Health plan benefits – eligible for an Affordable Care Act compliant-health plan.
- Personal and sick leave
- Childcare benefits, if you qualify.
- Housing Subsidy: Milwaukee Habitat offers a housing subsidy of $325 per month for part-time members and $500 per month for full-time members to be paid directly to your landlord. Subsidy applied during the first year of your AmeriCorps term.
What makes doing a year of AmeriCorps at Milwaukee Habitat special?
The work that you do will be substantial and will directly make an impact on the Milwaukee community.
You can expect lots of hard work, responsibility, and fun! You can expect to gain significant technical skills; however, we put as much or more emphasis on the soft skills. You’ll gain significant leadership, conflict resolution, and communication skills during your term and these types of skills translate to many different disciplines and provide a basis for success in the future. Construction members will have the opportunities to lead many volunteer teams, usually multiple times per week, and office members will have opportunity to take on significant projects during their service term.
You will have the opportunity to understand the neighborhood revitalization and community development work we are doing within the neighborhood and you have the option to choose with us one aspect of that work to assist with during your service year in addition to your main AmeriCorps role.
Ready to get started?
Questions? Reach out directly to Beth Van Gorp or schedule a brief call to find out what positions are currently available or what positions might become available in upcoming months.