"I will get things done for America to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier. I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities. Faced with Apathy, I will take action. Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground. Faced with adversity, I will persevere. I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond. I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done." (AmeriCorps pledge)

AmeriCorps - Are you up to the challenge?
Each year, approximately 70 members serve in programs throughout Hawai`i. Put your idealism to work through AmeriCorps. Make a community safer. Protect Hawai`i's unique and fragile environment. Help a child get a real education. Whatever your interest, there's an AmeriCorps program that needs your courage, skills, and dedication.

Get an education, experience, and skills.
You'll learn teamwork, communication, responsibility, and other essential skills that will help you for the rest of your life. And you'll gain the personal satisfaction of taking on a challenge and seeing results. As a full-time member, you'll receive a living allowance, health insurance, student loan deferment, and training. Plus, after you complete your service, you'll receive a $4,725 education award to help pay for college, grad school, vocational training, or to pay off student loans. Serve part-time and you'll get a portion of that amount.

Choose from seven statewide programs.
You can be an AmeriCorps member in any of the seven programs across the state.  Find the type of program you're interested in the area of the state where you want to serve. Or you may choose to serve in an AmeriCorps*VISTA or AmeriCorps*NCCC program. 

 

AmeriCorps State programs are administered by the Hawai`i Commission for National and Community Service. The programs are funded directly from the Corporation for National Service (CNCS) or from Hawai`i's formula grant. The currently funded programs are a mix of new programs (first year funding) and continuing programs (second to third year funding). These programs focus on advocacy of domestic violence victims, capacity building of parents with disabled children, assisting youth achieve educational success, access to justice for the poor and working poor, and educational and cultural outreach to private and public school students. AmeriCorps members, mentors, staff and clients are diverse in age, ethnicity, cultures and traditions. For more information about the programs or to request an application, please contact the following agencies: 

2008-2009 AmeriCorps*State Competitive Funded Program

Affordable Housing Alliance
AmeriCorps Resource Center (ARC) Program
Doran Porter
Executive Director
621 North King Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 845-4565
Fax: (808) 845-4569
E-mail: Doran@hawaiihomeless.org
http://www.hawaiihomeless.org
Service Area:  Human Needs
The Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance (AHHA) opperates AmeriCorps Resource Centers (ARCs) in areas of Oahu which currently have little or no access to services for the homeless.  The Centers provide the support and resources necessary to assist individuals and families to transition out of homelessness.  Services are tailored to the individual needs of those who are currently or at-risk of becoming homeless, with the goal of transitioning to appropriate housing. As a service provider we are committed to do whatever is necessary to get a person out of homelessness. Services are provided with an expectation that each client participates in, and is committed to, his/her transition out of homelessness. The integration of provider services, AmeriCorps members, other volunteer and community support, and client participation is paramount to the success of the program. The Homeless Resource Centers enable individuals and families experiencing homelessness to improve their quality of life, while empowering communities to work together to end homelessness.
Desired qualifications for Members:  AmeriCorps members provide a needed service by staffing the Homeless Resource Centers, providing services and volunteer leadership under the supervision of a primary service provider. AmeriCorps member activities include neighborhood outreach (to increase the involvement of the larger community) and homeless program development. We are looking for committed individuals who are interested in a work experience in the area of Social Services.  Applicants need to have a passion for helping others and making a difference in their community. 

ALU LIKE, Inc.
AmeriCorps Project
Dee Speer
AmeriCorps Coordinator
458 Keawe Street
Honolulu, HI  96813-5125
Phone:  808-535-6706
Fax:  808-524-1344
Email:  despeer@alulike.org
http://www.alulike.org
Service Area:  Hawaiian Multi-Service System Enhancements
AmeriCorps Members will assist ALU LIKE to build its capacity to more effectively reach and provide services to Native Hawaiians.  Members will work in four activities:  1) Develop and implement a volunteer recruitment and management system;  2) Develop community outreach efforts;  3) Enhance ALU LIKE’s intake system linked to a central database; and  4) Conduct surveys and focus groups of participants and partner organizations to assess and improve the effectiveness of services.
Desired qualifications for Members:  We seek skilled college students seeking work experience, including practicum assignments in the fields of: Public Administration, Public Health, Social Work, Human Services, Human Development, Human Resources, Urban Planning, Information Technology, Communications, Digital Graphics, Journalism, and other fields.  Prospective applicants need to have a passion and dedication to serving the Hawaiian Community during a year-long commitment, and to be sensitive to the needs of Native Hawaiians. 

Farrington High School, School-to-Work Center
Hana Like Program
Sylvia Hara-Nielsen
Program Coordinator
1564 North King Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: 808-832-3388
Fax: 808-842-9826 
Email: sylviniel@hotmail.com
Service Area: Education
AmeriCorps members will be engaged in community service internships  in health, education, environmental science, and social service areas to strengthen community-school linkages and prepare members for careers in these career pathway [areas] by extending learning beyond the classroom.  The goal of the project is to develop strategies to promote positive changes in members knowledge, skills, and attitudes as they engage in strengthening resources in their communities. Students enrolled in career academies are desired, however students engaged in independent study and career exploration will be considered for membership positions. There are three member positions available.

Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc/Youth Bank Program
Environmental Program
Donna Borge
Program Coordinator
99 Mahalani Street
Wailuku, HI 96793 
Phone: 808-873-3102
Fax: 808-873-3103
Email: donna.borge@meoinc.org
http://meoinc.charityfinders.org/Youth Services
Service Areas: Environment, Homeland Security
Maui AmeriCorps Natural Resources Program is an award-winning AmeriCorps program that engages young adults in extensive natural resource management and park conservation projects. Managed by, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. (MEO) since 1998. Maui’s AmeriCorps Natural Resources program provides members with opportunities for skill development and personal growth through a supportive, team-based environment.
Duties include: Community service projects working on endangered native Hawaiian plant restoration, invasive species removal, trail and remote fence building, ungulate control, aquatic resource management and marine mammal response. Maui AmeriCorps members work with the supervision of experienced staff, members engage in projects in the most beautiful pristine places on these islands, from State parks and forests to the ocean coastal areas.
Training: Member may receive training in CPR & First Aid, Basic Helicopter, Chain Saw, Wild land fire fighting and Marine mammal rescue. Members are also certified American Red Cross, Disaster relief responders, who may be mobilized to assist in areas where a disaster has occurred.
Partner organizations include: Haleakala National Park Service, Kalaupapa National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), Maui Coastal Land Trust, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Plant Material Center, Maui Restoration Group and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Position Availability: Year around full-time and part-time and summer positions in Hawaii on the islands of Maui and Moloka`i.

 

HIPPYCorps - Hawai`i
Hawaii HIPPY Corps
AmeriCorps*National Direct Program
JoAnn Bishop-Freed
HIPPYCorps Site Director
Family Support Services of West Hawai`i
75-127 Lunapule Rd #11
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Phone: 808-329-7773 x107
Fax: 808-329-4730
Email: jfreed@fsswh.org
Service Area: Education
Initially established as a project of the National Council of Jewish Women, HIPPY USA has grown to become the national center for a network of 110 local HIPPY programs. HIPPY programs serve different ethnic populations in different geographic regions throughout the United States. HIPPY is a home based program that engages children ages three to five in school readiness activities with their parents. AmeriCorps Members teach educationally disadvantaged parents of 3-5 year-olds how to become the children's primary educators. Members teach parents how to improve school readiness skills and literacy in the home. 

U.S.VETS at Kalaeloa
National Collaboration for Homeless Veterans
AmeriCorps*National Direct Program
Michelle Wilkins
U.S. VETS AmeriCorps Director
Yorktown Ave., Bldg. 34
Kalaeloa, HI 96707
Phone: 808-682-9000
Fax: 808-682-9006
Email: mwilkins@usvetsinc.org
http://volunteerhawaii.org/org/1429927.html 
Service Area: Human Needs
To help homeless veterans take steps to abandon life on the streets in Hawai`i, 28 AmeriCorps Members will outreach to veterans on the streets, in shelters, and other places not meant for human habitation and refer them to services based on mutually identified needs; engage in a variety of activities proven effective in helping homeless individuals deal responsibly with the issues that contribute to homelessness, helping them move from emergency or crisis situations to stability and permanent housing; help homeless veterans address their barriers to employment including identification, transportation and clothing, literacy testing and tutoring, and computer and other job skills training.  Members will help veterans obtain employment through resume and interviewing skills, and by identifying employment opportunities.

AmeriCorps*VISTA

AmeriCorps*VISTA is administered by the Corporation State Office. Current programs focus on diabetes education, community coalition building, computer and telecommunications technology to support educational goals of public housing families, a comprehensive outreach and education program for elderly and convalescing individuals, an economic development infrastructure building, mobilizing assets and generating resources for self-sufficiency, adequate affordable housing, resource center for homelessness, health promotion and disease prevention and management, and America Reads.

For more information about becoming a VISTA member, please call the State Corporation Office at (808) 541-2832
 

Hawai‘i is a single school system state and as such is both the State Educational Agency (SEA) and the Local Educational Agency (LEA). Funds received by the SEA from the Corporation for National and Community Service are allocated to schools based on an RFP process. Learn and Serve America has provided mini-grants for 15 to 20 of Hawai‘i's schools since 1994. 

In the 1996–1997 school year, over 8,000 students in 20 schools statewide directly participated in service learning projects. The state's vision is to have all students involved in service-learning and/or volunteerism in K–12 schools. All educators would recognize service to others as both a means and an end, and to accomplish this, the Learn and Serve Hawai‘i program goals are to promote awareness of service learning as an effective teaching and learning strategy and a way to promote positive changes to curriculum and instruction; to improve student learning of academic as well as social skills; and assist students, teachers, and administrators in collaborating with others to use service as a means of making schools and communities better places in which to live, learn, and work. Elements of service learning can also be found in the Department of Education's elective high school community service course and school-to-work initiatives. The Learn and Serve Hawai‘i program has also actively collaborated with community agencies such as State Volunteer Services in the Office of the Governor, Learn and Serve America Higher Education, the Voluntary Action Center of Helping Hands Hawai‘i, and the Aloha United Way.
 

Hawai‘i is the only state where all its institutions of higher education belong to the Campus Compact, a national service learning organization, which fund raises and applies for grants in behalf of member organizations. Hawai‘i has formed its own Hawai‘i Campus Compact, comprised of presidents and chancellors of five universities and seven community colleges, who support and promote community service at their institutions of higher education. The University of Hawai‘i–Manoa (UH–M) serves as the administrator of the compact which provides technical assistance, funding opportunities and a semesterly statewide newsletter. The State supports service learning at UH–M by providing funds for the program through the Office of Student Affairs. Staff administer the Service Learning Program and the Hawai‘i Campus Compact.
Hawai‘i has received funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service through the national Campus Compact. Funding for 1997–1998 weaves service learning into the Science, Engineering, Architecture and Mathematics (SEAMS) curriculum.
The Western Region Campus Compact Consortium formed by California, Oregon, Washington and Hawai‘i received a direct grant from the Corporation, $500,000 for three years starting in 1997–1998. This grant is being administered by Western Washington University. There will be an institute in Hawai‘i and most of Hawai‘i's share of funds will be granted to member organizations through an RFP process.
Kapi‘olani Community College (KCC) has been receiving Corporation for National and Community Service funds through the American Association for Community Colleges from 1995 ($12,500 has grown to $60,000 in 1997). Funds are for assigned faculty time for leadership roles, orientation sessions, evaluation/assessment and faculty support for innovations. More faculty are incorporating service learning in the general core curriculum and more non-profit agencies are being added each year to provide student experiences in service learning. 
 

National Senior Service Corps (NSSC)

The National Senior Service Corps, funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, is composed of three programs that provide volunteer opportunities for senior citizens. The Foster Grandparent Program offers support to children with exceptional and special needs; the Senior Companion Program provides assistance to help elderly individuals live independently; and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program provides senior volunteers for a variety of services that range from assisting at a local museum to teaching adults to read. 
 

• Foster Grandparent Program. Foster grandparents are all age 60 and older and meet income eligibility requirements. They serve 20 hours per week, providing person-to-person services as friends, companions, mentors, tutors, and caregivers for children and youth with special and exceptional needs. They serve in schools, hospitals, institutions, youth centers and other day programs.

• Foster grandparents bridge the generations by providing emotional support, love, friendship, and companionship to the children. Hawai`i's foster grandparents (approximately 115-120) serve on five islands, serving 500 to 600 children. They receive a nontaxable stipend to enable them to volunteer. The program is administered by the State Department of Human Services. 

• Senior Companion Program. Senior companions are all age 60 and over who provide assistance and friendship to elderly individuals who are homebound. By providing transportation to medical appointments and offering contact to the outside world, senior companions often provide the essential services that prevent or delay older Americans from entering nursing homes. They provide respite care to relieve live-in caretakers for short periods of time.
   

• Senior Companions serve 20 hours a week, meet eligibility requirements and receive small stipends to enable them to volunteer. Hawai`i's 127 senior companions serve 525 clients statewide. The program is administered by the State Department of Human Services. 
   

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) helps people age 55 and older find service opportunities in their communities. RSVP participants serve from a few hours to over forty hours a week providing a multitude of services in organizations from education centers, hospitals, to non-profit and public programs. RSVP enrolls seniors in service that maximizes their personal interests, experiences, and life skills to benefit the community. RSVP's services include assisting other seniors file their income taxes, serving other seniors in long term facilities, tutoring youths, acting as docents in museums, providing support to non-profit agencies and many other services.

The Counties of Maui, Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i administer the programs in their counties. Helping Hands Hawai‘i, an Aloha United Way agency, administers Oahu's program. Oahu has 600 volunteers, Hawai‘i has 1,000 volunteers, Kaua‘i has 500 volunteers and Maui County has approximately 500 volunteers on three islands, Maui, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i.