Michigan's AmeriCorps Member Council - Posting #24

Hi – this is Rachel with Jumpstart! It’s hard to believe the end of our program year is already here! It has been a very eventful and exciting eight months. As the Site Manager of Jumpstart- U of M Dearborn & HFCC, I have had the privilege of working with 25 AmeriCorps members who have each dedicated 300 hours of time to this program over the course of two semesters. I have watched the team grow, struggle, laugh, and above all learn from not only each other, but their preschool partner child as well. We have seen tremendous growth in our young partner children, and have loved being a part of their lives.


The AmeriCorps members not only served hours in the classroom this year, but in the community as well. As part of their 300 hour commitment to the program, each member is required to serve 25 hours within the community. We completed projects that included painting the gym of one of our program partner schools, teaming up with United Way and Panera to pack food boxes, and also lending a hand at the Scholastic Book Fair. One of our greatest accomplishments as a team, however, was pairing up with many other AmeriCorps programs in Michigan on May 11th to dedicate a day of service in honor of AmeriCorps Week. After many months of planning, we were able to set up service events in Detroit, working with over 150 other AmeriCorps members and Gleaners Food Bank to serve America. As a team, we sorted boxes of food donations, checking the expiration date on each and every item! The members also bagged thousands of potatoes and worked on restoring a house near by. This was an amazing day of service, and a true testimony to the amount of work that can be accomplished with a dedicated group of members - especially AmeriCorps members!


The AmeriCorps members also tirelessly provided service in the classroom, completing over 6,700 hours this program year! As a language and literacy program we strive to prepare “at-risk” preschoolers for kindergarten, giving them valuable one-on-one time they may not receive at home. The AmeriCorps members prepared materials for session, making sure to incorporate new vocabulary words and concepts each week. They worked hard to make each session exciting for the preschoolers, ensuring a nurturing and strong learning environment for each child in our program. I am proud to have worked with such a devoted and enthusiastic group of individuals. I know for certain our preschool partner children have been impacted in a positive way, and I am certain the AmeriCorps members who served in this program will never forget the difference they made in the lives of those around them.