Green Bay Conservation Corps AmeriCorps members host Make A Difference Day project at John Muir Park

On October 25, the AmeriCorps members with the Green Bay Conservation Corps (GBCC) hosted their annual Make A Difference Day project at John Muir Park. The day of community service across the nation on October's fourth Saturday dates back to 1992, with GBCC hosting a project every October since their launch in 2022.

This year, the 13 GBCC AmeriCorps members were joined by roughly 20 community volunteers, including Mayor of Green Bay Eric Genrich, State Senator Jamie Wall, and Alderperson Melinda Eck. The project participants worked together to help remove invasive buckthorn as part of a project at John Muir Park that also featured a biochar demonstration.

Throughout the event, participants cleared out a third of an acre of invasive buckthorn. Instead of pushing out native plants, the removed invasive buckthorn would now be transformed into a valuable resource for soil health that GBCC can use as they restore habitats. The participants' hard work ultimately yielded 6.5 barrels of biochar, or roughly 325 gallons that can be used on future projects, as each barrelful is 50 gallons!  

“Since the start of the Green Bay Conservation Corps we have removed about 200 acres and this winter we have the goal of removing another 40 to 50 acres of invasive species,” described GBCC program director Maria Otto. “Our parks incorporate almost 3,000 acres in the city of Green Bay, so we are slowly chipping away at it and making more of our habitat and more of our space useable for the community.”  

Hoping to continue providing opportunities for community members to serve, the Green Bay Conservation Corps is partnering with the Baird Creek Preservation Foundation and the East River Collaborative on the afternoon of October 31to host a “Spooky Volunteer Event” to help clean up the “horrors” of garbage in local waterways. Volunteers will be meeting at Sullivan Park to remove garbage and debris that has been piling up nearby where Baird Creek meets the East River.

Media coverage of Green Bay Conservation Corps Make a Difference Day project:

• WBAY ABC 2 - Conservation Corps clears invasive plant species for ‘Make A Difference Day’
• WFRV CBS 5 - Green Bay hosts 'Make a Difference Day' with Conservation Corps focused on invasive species

Milwaukee County supports MJC AmeriCorps program with MacArthur grant funding

The Milwaukee Justice Center (MJC) AmeriCorps program launched in 2023 to provide assistance to members of the public accessing the Milwaukee County Courthouse by providing information and helping individuals navigate the processes of filing documents at the courthouse.

When AmeriCorps grants for programs in Wisconsin and across the nation were unexpectedly terminated in April, MJC AmeriCorps was unable to keep its members and staff serving. The federal court injunction that restored program grants in June came too late to bring people back before the end of the grant year in August.

Hoping to bolster the ability of MJC AmeriCorps members to continue supporting the public during the 2025-2026 grant year, Milwaukee County authorized support of their Courthouse Navigator Program this September through $22,680 in grant funding awarded to the county by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

“Federal funding cuts toward AmeriCorps programs had real, immediate consequences, including here at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where AmeriCorps members were tasked with serving the public in navigating a complex legal system," explained Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Public Allies Wisconsin AmeriCorps alumnus. "Because of these funding cuts, we needed a solution to continue helping people access services to avoid increased court backlogs, decreased governmental efficiency, and higher costs for working families."

The MJC AmeriCorps program has since been able to bring on a new program director and is recruiting AmeriCorps members to fully restart the program in January. In addition to accompanying self-represented litigants as they navigate court documents, MJC AmeriCorps members will also reopen the Civil Legal Helpline and help the Family Forms Clinic assist more people. The program also hopes to establish an information desk at the entrance of the Public Safety Building, much like the information desk they previously supported by the courthouse entrance facing North 10th Street, which became operated by staff following the grant terminations in April and the need to maintain the service for the public. Individuals interested in serving with MJC AmeriCorps can reach out to program staff at mjcamericorps@gmail.com.

Media coverage of MJC AmeriCorps and additional grant funding:

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Milwaukee County's Courthouse Navigator Program gets another year after DOGE cuts threatened it

Service story about AmeriCorps member service with

Marshfield Clinic - Community Corps

October episode of The S-Files podcast

This month on The S-Files, we explored the service story of Debra Bappert, who is currently serving her second term as an AmeriCorps member with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Community Corps at Stepping Stones of Dunn County. Check out this month's episode below. You can access all of the episodes on The S-Files podcast series website.

Supporting those in need with MCHS Community Corps at Stepping Stones of Dunn County and through previous AmeriCorps service with multiple programs in Minnesota

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Debra Bappert, who is serving her second term with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Community Corps Stepping Stones of Dunn County and had previously served terms with two programs in Minnesota. Debra shares about how her service supports the mission of Stepping Stones to help individuals in need through food and shelter. She discusses her role helping to manage volunteers and assist the public at their food pantry several days during the week. She also tells ups about her role supporting volunteers creating SAM bags for their Share a Meal Program, which packs easy-to-serve meals for school children that can be sent home to increase access to food during the weekend. She describes serving at their homeless shelter, Cairn House, helping to manage the kitchen on certain days each week and creating lunch menus based upon food in stock at the pantry and from produce donated by local farmers and gardeners. Debra also details her previous AmeriCorps service several years ago in Minnesota shortly after graduating college, first serving as an employment coach supporting welfare-to-work program participants with Minnesota Opportunity Corps, and later serving as a reading tutor for young elementary students as a part of Minnesota Reading Corps. Listen to learn how Debra’s AmeriCorps service journey with multiple programs has led to several full circle moments, including reconnecting with her supervisor from her first term years later in their time of need and returning to Stepping Stones as an AmeriCorps member the last two years after volunteering and sitting on their board two decades ago as a college student. (listen to the episode here)

Serve Wisconsin | servewisconsin.wi.gov | AmeriCorps

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