Engaging in a Lifetime of Service

My name is Ben Duda and I am the Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums, the national network of over 700,000 alumni of National Service. First off – THANK YOU for your service. You are in the midst of an incredibly challenging and important time in your life that will define and influence future actions and passions in life – whether you go on to start your own nonprofit organization or become an accountant. As you continue your term of service, I want you to consider joining our organization, specifically created for former AmeriCorps members looking to be leaders and advocates for the advancement of national service.

I am an AmeriCorps alum, having served three terms of service. My national service story starts in the late ‘90’s, when I first learned about the program from Senator Harris Wofford, one of the original founders, during my junior year at Cornell University. I was inspired by the opportunity to make a real impact; excited to engage and serve in different parts of the country. Upon graduation, I spent two years serving in the NCCC - first as a Corps Member at the Capital Region campus in Washington, DC, and then as a Team Leader in Class VII at the Western Region campus in San Diego, CA. MY 3rd, non-Ed Award year was part of a two year Fellowship with Citizen Schools in Boston. I can honestly say that my experiences with AmeriCorps have been the most important thing I have ever done; providing me with impactful experiences and immeasurable personal growth that propelled me on a leadership trajectory to my current role at AmeriCorps Alums.

My favorite memory during NCCC would be the three months my team spent in Cincinnati with ReSTOC, a community-based nonprofit that provides affordable quality housing for low income residents in what was then a slowly gentrifying neighborhood. When my team first arrived in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, I remember the team feeling very intimidated and unsure about the difference we could make. During our three-month stay, my team provided outreach service to those in the community, including mentoring local children and job readiness training for adults. Every day, we wore our uniforms proudly and were easily identified by the neighborhood residents as outsiders, but were embraced for our contributions and service. By the end of the project, we could see the difference we made in the housing rehabs we had completed, the relationships built with individuals, and the trust that had been built with our local neighbors. We all have stories and experiences from our years of service and I am interested in hearing yours!

AmeriCorps Alums is a great organization for past national service members to share their experiences with service-oriented peers, while also helping their transition into lifelong volunteerism. This includes helping new alums get connected with a local chapter, providing opportunities for leadership and professional development, and elevating the national brand of service to garner more recognition and funding. I welcome anyone who has completed a year of service to join AmeriCorps Alums, as they will immediately have the connection to our national network of alums, and will be able to connect to peers who understand the importance of service and can be advocates for current service members. You can find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

The conversations around funding for AmeriCorps have been a hot topic in recent times, so it has never been more important for alums to rally together in an effort to Save Service and continue supporting present and future AmeriCorps members. Join AmeriCorps Alums as we continue to be the leading voices in the service movement!