During AmeriCorps' 30th anniversary, we also celebrate the second anniversary of Public Health AmeriCorps. Read more from Public Health AmeriCorps Director AJ Pearlman:
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and accelerated the need for a more robust public health workforce. But, throughout the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and social determinants of health in our communities, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers were the boots on the ground, supporting more than 12 million Americans. In April 2022, we announced Public Health AmeriCorps, our historic partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to meet the public health needs of local communities and help rebuild the nation's public health workforce by supporting the recruitment, training, and development of a new generation of leaders. Two years later, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have met more than a few of the nearly 4,000 AmeriCorps members who address our communities' most pressing public health needs every day.
Recently, I spent time with our members serving with Public Health AmeriCorps members at Sinai Community Health Institute in Chicago. More than 20 AmeriCorps members support patients who come into the hospital with various challenges, helping individuals connect to care, navigate the health system, and access any additional resources they need. One member, Candice, shared how she wants to be a public service leader. During her service, Candice established a resource closet at the hospital because she wanted to see the patients leave with the dignity they deserve. Last week, I also celebrated National Public Health Week with American Public Health Association. I heard from members who lived through the community's public health challenges, those who transformed their lives by gaining professional experience through service, and from program supervisors who see how our members create lasting change in the community every day. Through discussions, I had the opportunity to hear the positive impact our members are making. Jennifer, a Recovery Coach with Marshfield Clinic Health System, shared how she started her service journey without any experience in public health, but a passion for helping people was all that was needed to serve.
I'm excited to see how AmeriCorps members like Candice and Jennifer will continue to make a difference in our communities and, in the near future, in the public health workforce.
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We are so pleased to be partnering on this project.