Arizona Serve of Prescott supports a community in distress

AmeriCorps members are filling vital roles in response to COVID-19 through Arizona Serve of Prescott College. Arizona Serve has over 100 AmeriCorps members that are working hard to create meaningful interventions in over 45 nonprofit or governmental agencies in Yavapai and Pima counties.

GEM Environmental, a nonprofit organization in Prescott that helps provide field experience and educational resources to students in STEM fields, partnered with Arizona Serve last year for their MLK Day of Service.

According to GEM Environmental Executive Director Eric Welsh, the experience initiated further collaboration.

“We may be a small grassroots organization, but those roots continually grow stronger thanks to our partnership with Arizona Serve and the continuing hard work of their AmeriCorps members,” Welsh said.

Arizona Serve and GEM Environmental have since established an official partnership prompting the creation of an AmeriCorps VISTA position as well as three AmeriCorps state positions, which have helped GEM reach 500 students, deliver five outreach presentations, and organize eight guest lectures.

Madison Link, the AmeriCorps VISTA Program Coordinator for GEM Environmental explained that serving as a VISTA for GEM has taught her how to create sustainable programs that are designed to target those that would benefit the most.

“My experience has allowed me to grow exponentially and I’ve been given more opportunities to expand on my skills through the responsibilities I’ve been given at GEM,” Link said. According to AmeriCorps Refugee Program Support Specialist Nolan Rose, his service position led him to develop professional skills and work values.

“As a new graduate, I was given priceless opportunities to practice taking leadership and initiative in problem solving around the office,” Rose said. “Additionally, I learned that I deeply value work that advances the public interest and creates a more robust community.”

Rose helped initiate three harvesting projects with Arizona Serve members during the COVID-19 pandemic, where AmeriCorps members harvested 1,250 pounds of citrus.

Arizona Serve of Prescott College continues partnerships during the pandemic. If you are a nonprofit, government agency, school, or faith-based organization who would like to leverage AmeriCorps resources, contact Annie Refisnyder at 520-329-7613 in Prescott and Ann Drazkowski at 928-848-7869 in Tucson. Apply for part-time or full-time service openings at http://arizonaserve.org/apply/ or email americorps@arizonaserve.org.

Jesse Bertel is a reporter/videographer for the Prescott News Network. Follow him on social media @JesseBertel, email him at jbertel@prescottaz.com, or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2043.