AmeriCorps in Minnesota: Making an Impact

This year marks 25 years of AmeriCorps! And during AmeriCorps Week, what better time to reflect on the impact of National Service in our state?

Minnesota Roots

The movement for national service has deep roots in Minnesota, where in 1993, the original legislation for AmeriCorps was drafted by Sens. David Durenberger and Paul Wellstone. That bipartisan effort sparked an impressive effort in Minnesotans as they joined together to get things done in their communities. Today, the Twin Cities rank the highest in AmeriCorps members per capita in the nation!

Statewide Impact

Last year, more than 13,000 Minnesotans from all walks of life met local needs, strengthened communities and expanded economic opportunity through national service. AmeriCorps enabled citizens to work with several organizations – including Math Corps and Reading Corps – across the state to create effective community solutions.

Members have helped students obtain educational achievement, mentored youth, empowered adults to achieve economic success, fought the opioid epidemic, protected the environment and improved police-community relations. In 2018, this work occurred at more than 2,400 locations across Minnesota! This included schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veteran’s facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations.

Since the start in 1994, more than 32,000 Minnesotans have served approximately 52 million hours and earned education awards totaling more than $130.3 million. Service is part of what makes our state so great. We can’t wait to see what our AmeriCorps members accomplish over the next 25 years.

You can read the full report on Minnesota’s AmeriCorps impact on the Commission for National & Community Service’s website.