Veterans gain unique skills and abilities through their military service, but some veterans find it difficult to match these skills with jobs in the civilian workforce. Many veterans overcome these hurdles by seeking out national and public service opportunities where they can leverage their leadership and problem-solving abilities to tackle challenges in their community. The camaraderie and mission-driven nature of the military overlaps with the mission-driven nature of government and national service.

Serving those who served us and engaging the talents of our veterans and military families is a top priority here at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers serve more than 600,000 veterans and their families across the United States. This service  includes numerous innovative partnerships with the Veterans Administration (VA) team.

Our commitment to our veterans and their families is deep and reciprocal: We serve them…and help them to serve with us.

This annual celebration of outdoor activities and their benefits has grown from a week-long celebration in 1998 to cover the entire month of June. Whether you are into fishing, camping, hiking, biking, or other outside pursuits, there are plenty of places to enjoy them. You could spend all summer exploring some of the 419 locations in the National Park System, or visit some of the thousands of state and local park facilities near you.

Every year, Conservation Corps across the country partner with local, state, and federal parks to engage thousands of AmeriCorps members in completing critical maintenance projects.

Elder abuse takes many forms — physical, emotional, financial, and sexual — and can come at the hands of strangers, family, and trusted caregivers or advisers. Studies estimate that 10 percent of America's seniors experience some kind of abuse and neglect, although it's generally agreed that incidents are under-identified and under-reported. For example, the New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study found that for every case known to programs and agencies, 24 were unknown.

The unusual storm was preceded by milder temperatures that surged northward ahead of it which allowed snow that was already on the ground to melt, ice on rivers to break up, and brought additional precipitation in the form of rain. The impact of this weather forced many evacuations, including a third of the 24,000 residents in Norfolk, Nebraska, due to concerns of flooding as the city's levee system neared its top.

Nearly 120 national service members responded during the disaster response in Nebraska from our CNCS programs.

More Americans than ever before are volunteering.

The latest statistics released by the Corporation for National and Community Service show the U.S. is riding a wave of generosity driven by millions of people who freely offer their time, labor, and expertise.

Overall, 77.4 million Americans volunteered 6.9 billion hours in 2017, the most recent figures available. That's worth an estimated value of nearly $167 billion, according to independent figures.

The following vignettes come from a sample of CNCS staff members who served in AmeriCorps and were transformed by the experience and lasting impact of service.

Dina Manco

Dina Manco served as an AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps member from 2016-17 on disaster preparedness and response efforts in Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi.

By now, most of the grantees’ planning periods have come to a close. For some, program development will carry on through continued efforts, while others have compiled their findings, which provide valuable guidance for other organizations seeking similar types of grants. With that, we conducted a final follow up with the grantees to hear about their latest program development updates, overall experience with their grants, and what’s next.

Each year during March, the Corporation for National and Community Service celebrates AmeriCorps Week to highlight the accomplishments of our members and alumni in the communities they serve. And the stories are as diverse as the members and the thousands of ways they volunteer to serve their nation. Every day we hear stories about how AmeriCorps service transforms communities — and also has a transformational effect on our members.

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