Annual AmeriCorps Week recognizes AmeriCorps members and alumni for their service

COMCorps members create and support social and physical environments that promote good health and wellness for all. According to a release sent byCOMCorps, members aim for a county where children are healthy as they age into adulthood and a community that visualizes a healthy future. Primary focuses of the program include food insecurity, nutrition education, and emotional support for individuals living with chronic stress.

The 23 members serve 1,700 hours in 10.5 or 11.5 terms for an average 34-40 hours per week. Through service, members and organizations will address social determinants of health with a trauma-informed approach directing members in creative, community-generated solutions to pressing local needs.

“With the support of my AmeriCorps team and the resources provided by Athens County Children’s Service, we will continue alleviating these inequalities for our Appalachian Community. As an OHIO alumni and aspiring medical practitioner, I have been humbled serving our underserved population and have grasped a greater understanding of the unfortunate living circumstances and immense difficulties my future patients may encounter while seeking healthcare assistance,” says Bri Hart, a COMCorps Member serving in the School Outreach Team with Athens County Children Services.

This year, more than 1,000 AmeriCorps members serve at more than 500 schools, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations across Ohio dedicating more than 1.2 million hours of service. These members will be awarded more than $4.6 million in education awards to use toward continued education or student loan repayment.

Lucy Peloso, another member who serves at Community Food Initiatives (CFI), states “My role as Garden Education Coordinator with CFI allows me to be a part of the fun, beauty, and curiosity of the gardens, while also being immersed in the interconnected work that CFI does with healthy food access and food justice in our community. I get to serve primarily with kids in the school gardens and we are learning together about where our food comes from, how things grow, and how we each play an important role in our environment, food system, and community. It’s a very life-giving and nourishing experience — literally and metaphorically — for all.”

AmeriCorps programming is administered locally by ServeOhio, the state’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism. To learn more about AmeriCorps, visit serve.ohio.gov. To learn more about COMCorps and serving in SE Ohio, visit https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/community-health/community-clinic/programs/comcorps