On April 27th our community came together to celebrate all we’ve accomplished over the past 30 years! If you missed out on the event, you can catch the highlights on our Facebook page, or check out photos here. Special thanks to our vendors: Dalie's Smokehouse, The GOAT Brand STL, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Insomnia Cookies, Ted Drewes Inc., Earthbound Beer, Soulard Mardi Gras, and Tommy Halloran for the music! And to the Wyman Center for being fantastic hosts!

Happy AmeriCorps Week! Today we’re spotlighting one of our amazing program alums, Bre Orcasitas. Bre served with our program from 1998 - 2002. Since then, she has gone on to a long career in the wildland fire community, holding various positions with the US Forest Service, and now works to train and advocate for others in the field.

Former AmeriCorps St. Louis Board Member and Ready to Serve Campaign Matching Partner, Bill Siedhoff

WASHINGTON, DC – AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, recognized four AmeriCorps members and two grantees in the State and National program for their excellence in service. Each year, AmeriCorps State and National recognizes programs and individuals for the Excellence in AmeriCorps Award that consistently supports its mission in the following categories: Impactful Service Award, Inclusive Service Award, Innovative Service Award and Lifetime of Service Award.

In mid June, we deployed two Members - Ellis and Dade- to Rolling Fork, Mississippi to help with long term recovery efforts following an EF-4 tornado that devastated the town. Ellis recaps what they have been up to this summer!

AmeriCorps St. Louis Staff and Board of Directors are pleased to announce that Ann Hannan will be joining the team as Executive Director. Ann takes the helm of one of the country’s first and most effective National Service programs as AmeriCorps St. Louis enters its 30th year of service.

Throughout the year on Tuesdays from 8am-1pm, our facility is welcoming to all of our unhoused neighbors. We provide showers, breakfast, lunch, clothing and outreach services like medical help, mental health and housing assistance.

We’re grateful to have dedicated staff to assist our unhoused services. Please get to know Mary and Joe!

In March, ACSTL Program Director Nick Ciaramitaro attended The Corps Network’s National Conference. As a new member of The Corps Network, this was our first time attending this conference in person. Read below for his recap of the experience!

Earlier in the month, our Outreach Coordinator JP joined a team for a project with the Missouri Department of Conservation focused on wildland fire in the Ozarks, as well as taking the Forest Service’s Work Capacity Test (“Pack Test”). Below are his daily field dispatches giving a snapshot of life on project.

The AmeriCorps St. Louis Staff and Board of Directors announce that Kenan Ender is stepping down from his position as Executive Director.

Kenan on his departure: “Over the last couple of years we have built a great team that continues to develop, gain experience, and share responsibility to effectively and efficiently run this organization, and I aim to work with everyone in the interim for any needs in support of this transition. Thank you for your trust and support during our time together. It has been the greatest honor to be part of this organization and I will be forever proud of what it represents.”

Last week, our Outreach Coordinator JP joined a team for a project with the Missouri Department of Conservation focused on glade and woodland restoration. Below are his daily field dispatches giving a snapshot of life on project.

After arriving in St. Louis and taking part in the initial orientation trainings, our new AmeriCorps Members headed down to Current River State Park for 10 days of field training and team bonding. This is always a very memorable time for the members, and it sets the tone for the rest of the service year! While at Current River, Members had the opportunity to learn about the ecology of the area, how to use and maintain chainsaws, get an understanding of basic trail maintenance, and more.

In AmeriCorps, Members get the opportunity to learn a lot of technical skills, like how to use a chainsaw and fell a tree, how to use a drip torch on a prescribed burn, or how to use different forms of technology to aid a disaster response. But more importantly, what Members come away from the program with is personal development they can carry with them no matter what path they take after the program. Reflecting back on his first year of service, current ACSTL Team Leader Brett Miller shares some of the lessons he learned throughout his service journey.

Big Sky Service!

AmeriCorps St. Louis is back in Montana to continue our yearly tradition of summer service with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest! During July & August our teams have been serving on a variety of projects around the forest. It’s been a great summer full of hiking, camping, great views, and some fulfilling service on beautiful public lands!

The Show Me Service Awards are held each May on Missouri Service Day to highlight the daily efforts of Missourians who serve others and strengthen their communities. In addition to individual volunteers, businesses and community organizations are also eligible to be recognized. All nominees receive a certificate and letter of appreciation. Nominations are received online, with 2023 nominations opening later this year. To learn more, including details about this year’s recipients and their efforts, visit ShowMeService.org.

This year, we are fortunate that our very own Saroja Schwager was a recipient of this award! Saroja was awarded this honor in the category of AmeriCorps Member in the St. Louis region.