For rebuilding after COVID-19, Rep. Dean Phillips proposes six-fold increase in AmeriCorps volunteers

As U.S. governments deal with COVID-19 at every level, there’s a feeling that this period of time is about simply getting through it — finding enough money to pay for city, county, and state services. But some are also planning for when the work of rebuilding starts.

AmeriCorps, a voluntary service program run by the U.S. government, could be instrumental in rebuilding the country in the wake of coronavirus. To that end, the organization established an Emergency Response Member program set to start next month that will recruit new volunteers for this work. ServeMinnesota, the organization that organizes AmeriCorps in the state, has already announced summer opportunities in communities to help with COVID-19 around the state, including Alexandria, Bemidji, Minneapolis, and Duluth.

But capacity is limited. Each year, in total, AmeriCorps only sends 75,000 people around the country to more than 21,000 locations. Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrat of Minnesota’s Third District, wants to rapidly increase the size of the organization. Continue reading.