AmeriCorps Week is a recruitment and recognition campaign designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible.  AmeriCorps Week provides an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners, and friends to shine a spotlight on the service done by members in communities across the country-and to motivate more Americans to join AmeriCorps or volunteer in their communities.

As part of a nationwide effort, AmeriCorps Week events are happening across the country.  They include statewide AmeriCorps gatherings, award ceremonies, community service projects, recruitment fairs, and more.  The week will open with a big event near Denver, and close with a major environmental project near Miami.

First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern, chair of the Michigan Community Service Commission is challenging Michigan's AmeriCorps members to become engaged in service throughout the week and spread the word of their efforts.  "Our AmeriCorps members devote their heroic efforts to making our communities better," said Mulhern.  "We celebrate with them this week as they take on challenges and help those in need in our communities."

AmeriCorps Week activities are happening all over Michigan including Detroit, Grand Rapids, St. Joseph, Lansing, Muskegon, Holland, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, and Monroe.  Projects range in scope from a college visit for youth in foster care to city clean-ups to a pet food drive to a book and bottle donation day.  All projects will showcase the power of AmeriCorps members and alumni and educate the public about the role, impact, and importance of AmeriCorps in our communities.

AmeriCorps members and MCSC staff will also play a prominent role in the 2008 Nonprofit SuperConference, which will be held May 13-14 in Lansing.  This annual event has become a major celebration for community volunteers throughout the state.  The theme of this year's conference is Teaming Up for Community Success and AmeriCorps members hope to do just that as they band together for an on-site service project. 

Ask an AmeriCorps member about the children they've taught, houses they've built, or volunteers they've recruited, and you will not only hear numbers, you'll learn the names of students, addresses of new homes, and places where new volunteers have served.  This is because AmeriCorps members work directly with the people or causes that need their help the most.

AmeriCorps members believe in the AmeriCorps motto of "getting things done," and are part of the solution communities seek.   Michigan's AmeriCorps programs are housed within nonprofit, public agencies, faith-based, and other community organizations.  Each program sets its own goals to help meet local education, public safety, environmental, and human needs.  The host organizations receive federal funding from the Michigan Community Service Commission to recruit, place, and support AmeriCorps members.  These members serve full- or part-time for at least one year to help meet the goals defined by each program.  The federal funding is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In a recent report released by the MCSC, 2007 Michigan's AmeriCorps members:

• Completed over 700,000 hours of service and training.
• Recruited nearly 24,000 volunteers who served more than 188,000 hours.
• Impacted over 120,000 students, citizens, and volunteers.

For more information about AmeriCorps Week or to learn more about specific projects, visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc .