The Corporation of National and Community Service or CNCS is the name of an agency of the United States government. It rebranded itself as AmeriCorps, even though its official name remains the same. This one was created by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and is independent. It has a few aims, such as improving lives, strengthening communities, and supporting foster civic efforts through service and volunteering.
The Corporation of National Community Service (CNCS) or AmeriCorps involves more than five million Americans in service through several kinds of volunteer work programs in a few sectors. If you are curious about the programs of Corporation of National Community Service or CNCS or AmeriCorps, the list includes:
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- AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America, which is also more known as AmeriCorps VISTA in short, is a domestic version of the Peace Corps. This one was founded in 1965. It was included in AmeriCorps and its name was changed to AmeriCorps VISTA in 1993.
AmeriCorps VISTA is the kind of program that provides full-time members to nonprofit, faith-based and other community organizations as well as public agencies to create and expand programs that bring those with low income to exit poverty. As of now, there are more than 5,000 members of AmeriCorps VISTA who are serving in 1,200 AmeriCorps VISTA programs in the United States.
Every member of AmeriCorps VISTA takes the following oath: ”I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
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- AmeriCorps NCCC
AmeriCorps NCCC stands for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. It refers to a full-time residential team-based program that is created for both men and women ages 18 to 26. Everyone who joins the program will serve at one of four regional campuses that are located throughout the United States. These four locations include Vicksburg, Mississippi; Vinton, Iowa; Aurora/Denver, Colorado; and Sacramento, California. All these campuses share the same focus, which is on states within its region. However, it is possible to travel to the other areas in case there are any national crises. Aside from these campuses, in the past, there were some other locations, including in Washington, DC; Charleston, South Carolina; San Diego, California; Baltimore, Maryland; and Perry Point, Maryland.
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- AmeriCorps State and National
Among the other AmeriCorps programs, AmeriCorps State and National is the largest. This one provides grants to both local and national organizations and agencies. For the organizations, they include faith-based and community organizations and higher education institutions. As for agencies, they include public agencies. For funding, there are two things that are specially authorized. These two are Public Land Corps programs and Urban Youth Corps. Education Corps, Health Futures Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Veteran Corps, and Opportunity Corps programs are authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act as qualifying for AmeriCorps programs. Grants are really useful for the groups to recruit, train and place the members of AmeriCorps to meet critical community needs in a few aspects such as education, public safety, health, and environment.
In each state, AmeriCorps State operates through Service commissions, including Volunteer Florida and the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service. South Dakota is known to be the only state that has no Service Commission. The Service Commission of every state shares funding from AmeriCorps to organizations in their states. They usually do that through annual grant competitions. Since the beginning of the program, a number of organizations in the United States have been given the AmeriCorps State and National grants.
Every member of AmeriCorps State and National always takes part in direct service activities, including after-school tutoring or homebuilding, and capacity-building activities, such as volunteer recruitment, for the organizations that they serve. Once they have successfully completed everything, they may be awarded an Education Award. For those who are wondering about the award, it can be up to $6,095 or equal to the full Pell Grant for the year in which the service was approved. With this award, the members can also pay for additional college or graduate school courses. In addition, it can also be used to pay off existing student loans.
Apparently, every member of AmeriCorps State and National takes a pledge, as follows:
I will get things done for America – to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier.
I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity, I will persevere.
I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.
I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.
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- AmeriCorps Seniors
The AmeriCorps Seniors is the next program run by the Corporation of National Community Service (CNCS) or AmeriCorps. It consists of a total of three programs. All of them engage volunteers aged 55 and older to serve their communities. All these three programs include Foster Grandparents, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP, and Senior Companions. The Foster Grandparents program is the kind of program where volunteers teach and mentor children. The Senior Companions program is the kind of program where volunteers help the other adults to live independently in their homes. As for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP, it is the kind of program where volunteers can serve in different types of roles to meet the needs of the communities.
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- Other programs
In addition to these programs, the Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS) or AmeriCorps also has some other programs. These other ones include
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- MLK Day of Service
- September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance
- President’s Volunteer Service Award
- Presidential Freedom Scholarship Program
- Learn and Serve America (discontinued)
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