Around 100 AmeriCorps members from all over the state will gather at Howard Park this Friday morning to celebrate the group’s Day of Service.
The event marks the finale to a week long celebration around the state of the federal service organization. In the morning volunteers will learn about SOut hBend's water ways and in the afternoon, groups will head to Ravina Park and Bowman to pick up trash and identify any invasive species of fauna.
“[It’s a] pretty urbanized creek that has a lot of built up environment around it. SO it has the potential for lots of opportunities for cleanup," said Michiana Area Council of Governments CEO James Turnwald.
MACOG is one group locally that has a relationship with AmeriCorps and has service workers embedded. Turnwald said when MACOG first formed a partnership with AmeriCorps two years ago, the focus was environmental sustainability and so the creek cleanup is a good way to highlight that goal.
"We have local governments ... that are focused on different environmental sustainability topics or economic resiliency topics and our members help provide them with additional capacity to serve around their focus areas," Turnwald said.
At the state level Serve Indiana facilitates AmeriCorps projects and director Stefanie Sebastian said up to 1,000 Hoosiers take part in AmeriCorps each year. AmeriCorps volunteers receive stipends, though there are opportunities for students to get funding for their education.
If you’re interested in learning more about AmeriCorps, head to MACOG.com/americorps.
