Serve Wisconsin
July 2021 Newsletter
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With his signature, Governor Evers exempted the AmeriCorps Segal Education Award from state income tax, benefiting Wisconsin AmeriCorps members serving in communities throughout Wisconsin. Governor Evers proposed the exemption in his 2021-2023 Executive Budget to recognize and reward AmeriCorps members' contributions to Wisconsin through their service. "Wisconsin AmeriCorps members provide critical service throughout the state in education, conservation, health care, addiction recovery, disaster response, and through supporting a huge array of other vital local efforts," said Evers. "This good work exemplifies our shared Wisconsin values of empathy, compassion, service, and taking care of our neighbors. Exempting the Segal Education Award from state income tax will remove this unique tax burden from those that have served the people of Wisconsin and help make it possible for AmeriCorps members to more fully continue their education and expand their ability to serve our communities."
"We would like to thank Governor Evers for his strong support of AmeriCorps and service in Wisconsin and for proposing the exemption for the Segal Education Award in the Executive Budget," said Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin. "Additionally, we would like to thank the members of the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate for the wide support they have shown for this measure, including Representative David Bowen for his work creating the initial proposal and reaching out to the Governor and Senator Dale Kooyenga for his efforts guiding the proposal through the Joint Committee on Finance and into the final budget legislation."
Having served as an AmeriCorps member with Public Allies Milwaukee, Representative Bowen has a strong understanding of both the value of AmeriCorps service for communities throughout our state and the importance the ability to access the education award has for many of those that have served. "My AmeriCorps experience with Public Allies Milwaukee at the local nonprofit organization Urban Underground played a fundamental role in directing me towards a life of service, and as both a two-time AmeriCorps alumnus and a legislator, I am thrilled to see this important policy change come to fruition," said Bowen. "AmeriCorps members serve our Wisconsin communities with great pride and to great effect, and they deserve to have that service, often for very little financial compensation, fully rewarded with this education award. I am glad that even in an era of hyperpartisanship, we can all agree that the youth who serve our communities deserve to be fully recognized for that service without running into unnecessary financial disincentives."
Senator Kooyenga explained his support for pushing for the inclusion of the provision in the biennial budget, saying "Wisconsin has a special appreciation for those who serve our communities, and I especially salute the service of AmeriCorps participants. Under this budget provision, proceeds from the AmeriCorps education award would be exempted from the state income tax, and I was pleased to help usher this through the process."
"Eliminating the state income tax will help those that have already made a difference statewide and create an incentive to help to keep these dedicated individuals in our state following their service, and will attract new AmeriCorps members to serve in Wisconsin and use their education award at our colleges and universities," said Duffy. "While the total amount of this exemption is minimal in the context of the state budget, it will have a significant impact on those that completed their service commitment and made a difference in Wisconsin communities."
Each year, over 1,200 AmeriCorps members serve nearly 1 million hours at roughly 350 service sites throughout the state. Following service, members become eligible to access a Segal Education Award worth up to $6,345 for those providing a full year of service. However, the current level of state income tax on these awards prevented some AmeriCorps members from even accessing their hard-earned Segal Education Award. With the passage of this exemption, Wisconsin becomes only the fourth state in the nation to provide this targeted tax relief for AmeriCorps members
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2021 Governor's Service Awards on August 4 |
Serve Wisconsin is proud to announce the honorees for the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards. This ceremony honors outstanding national service participants, volunteers and programs that have met the pressing needs in their communities and enriched lives throughout Wisconsin.
Recipients will be honored at the Governor’s Service Awards ceremony, which will be held at the Monona Terrace in Madison at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.
The ceremony will honor 9 individuals and 5 organizations that were nominated for the awards and selected through a review process. Additionally, 221 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers that have served for at least 20 years will also be recognized.
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Public Allies Milwaukee celebrates 2020-2021 cohort with graduation at Washington Park |
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On July 16, Public Allies Milwaukee celebrated its 2020-2021 cohort with a graduation at the Washington Park bandshell. After a year of service like no other, the members of Public Allies Milwaukee were able to celebrate their work and growth in person. Many smiles and hugs were shared as the AmeriCorps were honored one by one.
County Executive David Crowley served as the guest speaker and was honored as this year’s recipient of the Public Allies Alumni Changemaker Award. The award was given to Crowley for his “commitment to building a more just and equitable society, (his) continued service to community, and (his) outstanding demonstration of (Public Allies) leadership values.”
Crowley was honored to receive the award, stating, “As a proud alumnus of Public Allies, it was a privilege and an honor to speak to this year’s graduating class. It was also seriously humbling to receive the 2021 Changemaker Award. When I was in my youth, Public Allies was one of two organizations that I credit with changing my life and helping me become the person that I am today. Thank you, Public Allies, for all that you continue to do for our community and your commitment to advancing social justice and equity.”
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WisCorps crews complete conservation projects throughout Wisconsin |
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WisCorps AmeriCorps members have been busy the last several months completing conservation and disaster relief projects throughout the state.
To close out the spring season, both the Spring Roving Crew and the Disaster Crew tackled multiple major projects this May. Early in the month, the Disaster Crew worked at Wildcat Mountain State Park after it experienced multiple storms that damaged and washed-out trails. The crew completed multiple projects, including resettling wooden steps, replacing stairs, and installing fencing. In mid-May, the Spring Roving crew celebrated the end of their 6-week session in the Driftless Area building trails.
WisCorps summer crews have now gone into the field and started expanding upon the hard work completed this spring. The summer started with the crew leaders completed two weeks of rigorous training at Camp Decorah to prepare to lead their crews through a series of conservation projects over the next 6-8 weeks. Following the completion of crew leader training, the crews headed off to different corners of the state and national parks outside Wisconsin.
Here is a brief update on what the crews have completed during the first few weeks of their service.
- Roving Crew 1 completed a multi-week boardwalk and viewing platform project near New Richmond, WI.
- Roving Crew 2 started off working on their chainsaw skills by clearing trees downed by storms at Camp Decorah before heading off to remove invasive species from parks around Ozaukee County
- The Wetland Restoration Crew headed off to Indiana Dunes National Park where they have worked to restore the movement of water in the wetlands by removing beaver dams
- The Isle Royale Crew first headed off to Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior to start their service and have since returned to the mainland in Wisconsin to complete three weeks of trail and carpentry projects.
- The Mayor’s Crew, a group of WisCorps members comprised of high school students in the La Crosse Area, installed a bridge built by WisCorps leaders on the Wood Duck trail in the La Crosse River Marsh.
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Nanis Rodriguez named as new Executive Director of Public Allies Wisconsin |
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Public Allies recently announced the appointment of Adriana (Nanis) Rodriguez as the new Executive Director of Public Allies Wisconsin. As Executive Director of Public Allies Wisconsin, Nanis will be charged with leading a growing, multi-region program encompassing Public Allies Milwaukee and Public Allies Racine/Kenosha, as well as related alumni programming.
Nanis will be bringing her prior experience as an AmeriCorps alumna, program manager, volunteer facilitator with Public Allies Milwaukee to fostering the development of impactful leaders in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha through those serving with Public Allies
We would like to welcome Nanis Rodriguez as the new Executive Director of Public Allies Wisconsin and wish her a great first day in the position!
Reflecting on her new role with Public Allies Wisconsin, Nanis stated “I am thrilled to be stepping into this role with Public Allies and excited for what we’ll accomplish at PA Wisconsin! I approach all of my work from an intersectional analysis lens, and aim to create spaces for multiple marginalized identities to be heard and honored. Public Allies’ values and mission align perfectly with this and I could not be happier to once again be a part of this team.”
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complete your community project in 2022
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AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) are teams of 18-24 year-olds that travel regionally to help communities meet their critical needs by completing projects that typically last 6-8 weeks. These projects address five main service areas: natural and other disasters, energy conservation, environmental stewardship and conservation, infrastructure improvement, and urban and rural development. NCCC partners with a variety of nonprofit organizations, government entities (federal, state or local), educational institutions, neighborhood associations, Native American Tribal Councils, and community-based or faith-based organizations to complete projects which address a compelling community need.
NCCC has released its Request for Proposal for 2022 service dates, with the application dates spread across the next several months, as they are based upon the time of year an NCCC AmeriCorps team would be performing their project.
NCCC is hosting webinars on August 12 and August 27 for anyone who is not familiar with the organization and would like to learn more about AmeriCorps NCCC as a resource for their community. Those interested in attending can click on this webinar registration link, with the same information being covered at both webinars and by registering you can attend on either date.
AmeriCorps NCCC Overview Webinars for North Central Region Sponsoring Organizations (registration link)
- August 12th -- 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. CST
- August 27th -- 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. CST
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Become an AmeriCorps Member Today! |
If you wish to engage in meaningful community service and acquire job skills, consider joining AmeriCorps!
To learn more about AmeriCorps or if you are ready to join and have questions about which program is right for you, contact us! We are happy to answer your questions and help you explore the different opportunities available. Program information is also available on our Serve Wisconsin website.
We look forward to speaking with you!
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Calendar: Upcoming Events and Key Dates
AUGUST
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August 4 - Governor's Service Awards - Monona Terrace in Madison
SEPTEMBER
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September 6 - Labor Day (National Holiday - Serve WI office closed)
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September 11 - September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
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