Ok, so we're "AmeriCorps" volunteers who give up a year of our lives to fight poverty and strengthen communities. What does that mean? And what's the deal with all these different "AmeriCorps" programs? Well, you've come to right place to answer those brilliant, incisive questions.

A Little History

Remember LBJ's War on Poverty? It was launched about twenty or so years before most of us were born, but it's still being fought by many of the 2300 new Bay Area AmeriCorps volunteers each year. These modern AmeriCorps programs grew out of Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), an early salvo in the War on Poverty. Our job description:

Taking a major step toward the current national service system, President George H.W. Bush signed the bill creating an independent federal agency--the Commission on National and Community Service--to support four streams of service: service-learning programs for school-aged youth; higher education service programs; Youth Corps; and national service demonstration models.

There can be no nobler goal than to strengthen the American ethic of community service and to help translate this ethic into meaningful action.

So what's with this "AmeriCorps" thing? Well, in 1993 President Clinton signed the bill creating the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide more national service opportunities. These new opportunities (along with the old ones like VISTA) were placed under the AmeriCorps network. In addition to fighting poverty, AmeriCorps volunteers now strengthen communities by addressing education, public safety, health, and environmental needs.

Service is a spark to rekindle the spirit of democracy in an age of uncertainty. When it is all said and done, it comes down to three simple questions: What is right? What is wrong? And what are we going to do about it?

This is a very abbreviated history of AmeriCorps. Hopefully it gives you an idea of where we coming from and of the scope of our mission. If you're a real history nerd, you might wanna check out the official timeline (it goes all the way back to 1903--oh boy!).


Fighting Poverty and Strengthening Communities in the Bay Area

• AmeriCorps volunteers are attacking poverty and strengthening communities on all fronts-- education, environment, community organizing, economic development, housing, immigration, healthcare-- the list goes on. We're in the schools, non-profits, city departments, state agencies, and anywhere else they can fit us.

• A very partial list: we're working to end homelessness in San Jose, helping to make sustainable systems for Habitat for Humanity in Oakland, teaching children in impoverished communities in San Francisco, assisting low-income immigrants in Berkeley, recruiting and training new volunteers everywhere.