AmeriCorps

2011 - 2012 AmeriCorps Host Sites

The 2011-2012 Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness AmeriCorps host sites have been announced! The agencies selected as host sites for the upcoming year are:

• Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
• Safe Horizons (Port Huron)
• South Oakland Shelter
• Community Action House of Ottawa County
• Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency
• My Brother's Keeper (Flint)
• Metro Community Development (Flint)
• Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team
• Family Promise (Grand Rapids)
• Housing Services for Eaton County
• Lenawee Emergency and Affordable Housing Corporation
• Community Housing Network (Troy)
• Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County
• Every Woman's Place (Muskegon)
• Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan
• Midland Area Homes

AmeriCorps is a national service program designed to strengthen communities through engaging volunteers to meet critical local needs. Since 2009, there have been more than 2,000 AmeriCorps volunteers that have provided more than 4,600 hours of community service for the Campaign to End Homelessness.

Overview

 In 2008, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH) received federal funding to develop Michigan’s Campaign To End Homelessness AmeriCorps Program. The Campaign AmeriCorps Program is part of AmeriCorps*State and places members with agencies offering services to homeless or at-risk individuals.

Members in the program may opt to serve a full-time (1700 hours) or half-time (900 hours) year-long term of service. During this period, members are placed at organizations across the state and fulfill five critical functions—conducting outreach with consumers, providing housing assistance, linking consumers to necessary resources, providing follow-up support and recruiting volunteers for the agency. With their dedication to creating positive change in their communities, the Campaign’s AmeriCorps members are able to bring communities closer to achieving the goals outlined in their 10-Year Plans.

The Campaign’s AmeriCorps members are vital to the state of Michigan. Since the first group of members began serving in January 2009, the program has achieved the following:

• Served over 5,000 men, women and children who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness. This includes those facing foreclosure, when foreclosure assistance was a part of program goals during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding cycle in 2009-2010.
  
• Recruited over 2,000 volunteers, who in turn logged a total of 4,667 hours of volunteer service. Volunteers are most commonly recruited to assist with Project Homeless Connect (PHC) events. However, members also select volunteers to assist with duties at their organization such as greeting clients, teaching life-skills classes, mentoring youth and a host of other activities.
  
• Provided nearly 100,000 hours of AmeriCorps member service.

In May 2011, the program secured federal funding for an additional year and they are currently in the process of receiving applications from organizations interested in hosting an AmeriCorps member for one year. For a copy of the current RFP, please visit the MCAH website:  http://www.mihomeless.org/MCAH/AmeriCorps.html

For a snapshot of what our current members are doing, please visit the program’s AmeriCorps blog, The Campaign Trail, at http://americorpscteh.blogspot.com/. Interested in general information about AmeriCorps or volunteering? Then check out americorps.gov and serve.gov.

Finally, if you have a query about the program or would simply like to learn more, feel free to contact  Melissa Grant, Program Director at (517) 335-3213 or by e-mail at grantm2@michigan.gov

AmeriCorps Member Activities

Below is a list of activities that AmeriCorps members may perform at their host organization. It is not an exhaustive list, but rather, a guideline on what types of activities are appropriate for members. AmeriCorps members cannot supplant regular, paid staff.

• Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP);
• Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA);
• Homeless Assistance Recovery Program (HARP);
• Supportive housing set aside developments; and
• Project-based vouchers

• Conduct outreach with local and regional service providers to identify persons in need of housing and link them with appropriate services;
• Maintain regular and ongoing contact with emergency and domestic violence shelters, transitional housing programs, supportive housing programs and other area service providers in order to make appropriate referrals.

• Provide direct assistance in locating and securing safe, decent affordable housing;
• Develop relationships with local landlords;
• Maintain an updated and comprehensive listing of housing options and resources for homeless populations;
• Assist in the HQS process.

• Aid homeless individuals or households in identifying potential eligibility for mainstream resource benefits (SSI/SSDI, TANF, VA, Medicaid, WIC etc.) and assist with program enrollment.

• Promote housing stability by providing additional follow-up support, as needed, for up to one year after homeless participants obtain permanent housing;
• Assess housing status of program participants at three and six months following placement in permanent housing.

• Participate in trainings geared toward volunteer recruitment and retention;
• Attend local monthly meetings already established by the Campaign to increase homeless awareness and community volunteerism;
• Network with business and community leaders for the development of Project Homeless Connect;
• Work with neighborhoods and community leaders to educate them about the need for affordable and supportive housing. 

Demographics

• The program currently has 19 members
• The program serves 16 counties
• Since January 2009, members have served 2,174 homeless and at-risk individuals. 564 of those assisted were served by foreclosure prevention members
• 1,018 volunteers have been recruited for events such as Project Homeless Connect
• Members have logged 61,195 hours of service

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