March 9 -15, 2025: AmeriCorps Week

WHEREAS, service is a hallmark of the American character and has the unique ability to bring people of all backgrounds together for a common cause, and throughout our history citizens have stepped up to meet our most pressing challenges of the day by volunteering in their communities; and,

WHEREAS, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs provide opportunities for more than 200,000 Americans to serve their country through service at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country; and,

WHEREAS, national service represents a robust public-private partnership that invests in community solutions and leverages non-federal resources to strengthen community impact and increase the return on taxpayer dollars; and,

WHEREAS, the American Connection Corps (ACC), a place-based national service program of Lead for America and powered by AmeriCorps, connects people, places, and possibilities by addressing the digital divide in communities across the United States. By placing ACC AmeriCorps Members with deep connections to digitally disconnected communities, we help individuals and families access critical resources, build stronger social networks, and unlock economic opportunities in the digital age; and,

WHEREAS, in the years since its inception, the American Connection Corps now places over 120 AmeriCorps Members annually in over 30 states where they have helped to raise over $65 million to expand broadband infrastructure, connect households to affordable high-speed internet, and provide workforce development training; and,

WHEREAS, in the State of Michigan the American Connection Corps has helped serve and impact rural and urban communities with digital innovation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 9 – 15, 2025, as AmeriCorps Week in Michigan.