The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) believes that all Americans should have opportunities to participate in national service, including those that have been traditionally underrepresented in national service, including Native Americans.
CNCS recognizes that service can create powerful pathways to education and employment for underrepresented populations, revitalize tribal communities, and create broad economic benefit for the country.
AmeriCorps Tribal Programs
AmeriCorps State and National sets aside 1% of total grant funds to award grants to eligible federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations. The FY2016 AmeriCorps Indian Tribes portfolio includes 18 program grants and 3 planning grants, a total of 21 grants for $3.7 Million and 208 AmeriCorps members serving in Native communities around the country.
AmeriCorps Tribal Grantee Stories
The Gila River Indian Community
Gila River received its first grant award in 2014 to provide services to disconnected veterans and their families. The Community does not have a Veterans Services Office and as a result there is no comprehensive veteran's services coordination to assist veterans with identifying services and filing paperwork to receive those services. Veterans currently have to travel outside of the Community to central Phoenix, AZ or Casa Grande, AZ to file paperwork and receive services.
According to the Program Coordinator for the Gila River AmeriCorps Program, many of the Veterans in Gila River feel isolated; therefore, the AmeriCorps Program is vital to serving Veterans and their families.
To date, Gila River has 14 AmeriCorps members and six of the fourteen members are Veterans. All AmeriCorps members are recruited from the Gila River community.
Below are two success stories as told by the AmeriCorps members serving at Gila River.
“I think the most impactful client I had was a family member of a Korean War veteran. She came to my service site seeking help in getting a headstone for her father who had passed away. She contacted the AmeriCorps program in February stating that she would like to get a headstone for her father for his one year anniversary. She said that she heard about our program by word of mouth and from seeing the flyers posted at the service center. The outcome of this encounter was fairly rewarding as she was able to receive her father’s headstone and they were able to have the anniversary service they had been planning for him. It felt satisfying for me knowing that I was able to help her.”
“An Air Force Veteran was days away from being moved out of a Caring Home in Casa Grande and his wife called me not knowing what to do. The Local Elderly liaison also contacted me to see if there is anything the AmeriCorps program can do for the family. The Sacaton Caring Home would only take him for a couple days but his insurance was not yet finalized.
With only two days left to help, I contacted a local veteran representative - my site supervisor - to assist. We met with everyone we could to locate the veteran’s paperwork and where it needed to go to next so he can have a place to stay.
We spoke with hospital supervisors and board members and found out that this problem happens more often than most. We witnessed many people shed tears for helping a person we just met. We made call after call and met with many people. Then, we finally got him placed in the Sacaton Caring Home. His wife, the liaisons, and workers were all very impressed with what we accomplished in two to three days for this gentleman.”
Hoopa AmeriCorps and Hoopa Tribal Civilian Conservation Corps
Training and Technical Assistance
Resources
- Knowledge Network training and resource hub
- Manage AmeriCorps State and National Grants
- Tribal Specific Resources