By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
On April 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GO-Serve) Director Josh Fryday announced that California is seeking 10,000 people to join the California Service Corps. Members gain meaningful work experience while helping their communities and earning money.
Over the coming year, the goal for the California Service Corps programs is to recruit over 10,000 volunteers who will serve nearly five million hours. Service members help communities by taking environmental actions; tutoring and mentoring students to help them succeed; supporting communities impacted by disasters; working to end hunger; and connecting vulnerable people to vital resources and services.
“As Californians, the spirit of service and giving back is in our DNA — it’s why we have the largest service corps in the nation, bigger than the Peace Corps and a model for other states,” said Newsom. “In the coming year, our service members will provide critical support — whether responding to disasters like the L.A. fires or tackling critical issues like loneliness — as we work to build a California for all.”
Combined, the California Service Corps is a force larger than the United States Peace Corps and will be mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, the L.A. fire recovery and the future of the state’s workforce.
“These are California’s future leaders, and we need their passion, energy and enthusiasm to address our greatest challenges,” said Fryday. “There is no better example of what they’re capable of than how they immediately mobilized to support the L.A. fire recovery efforts.”
California Service Corps members gain skills and experience while connecting with others and making a difference. Additionally, service experiences aim to foster a positive sense of connection and belonging, an answer to the loneliness crisis — as defined by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory.
Current partners and volunteers with the corps joined the digital press conference to share what they’ve experienced so far during their service.
Luckie Diwa, Program Director of Improve Your Tomorrow, was one of the speakers at the press conference. Her organization, which partners with the corps, aims to increase the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from colleges and universities.
“Our service members are absolutely pivotal to our mission we wouldn’t be able to achieve our mission really without our mentors,” said Diwa. “I have personally witnessed so much growth in brothers from just having this one-on-one guidance. A lot of school counselors are just outnumbered at a lot of our schools and can’t have that unique one-to-one connection that a lot of them would desire. So, our service members really come and help carry a huge torch.”
Service members at her organization meet with students once a week providing academic and socio-emotional support. Diwa shared stories of students starting with 1.0 GPAs and improving to 3.0 GPAs while working with the program. She also commented on the benefits she’s seen for the service members themselves.
Marybeth Carranza, an AmeriCorps California member working with Improve Your Tomorrow,spoke about how joining the corps has impacted her life.
“Serving with Improve Your Tomorrow as an AmeriCorps California member has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” said Carranza. “I’ve grown tremendously in a space dedicated to supporting young men of color on their path to higher education and leadership. Through this work, I’ve gained valuable skills, expanded my professional network and developed a lifelong commitment to contributing to this important cause.”
If you or someone you know are interested in joining the corps, you can learn more and register at CAServiceCorps.com.
