2012 AmeriCorps Members Sworn In

At the Sept. 11, 2012, Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commission Chair Shelley Vana administered the oath of service to this year’s new members of the Literacy AmeriCorps program. These recent college graduates have agreed to put their career plans on hold for one year in order to do full-time teaching, tutoring and mentoring during the week and performing community service projects on most weekends. Each member receives a stipend of only $12,100 for the year.

These young adults have come from 23 states to serve in Palm Beach County and will give 68,000 hours of community service this year. AmeriCorps members are placed at 35 different sites around the county helping adults, adolescents, children and families improve their literacy skills.

The local AmeriCorps program, managed by Literacy Coalition CEO Darlene Kostrub, Program Director Audrey McDonough, and Program Coordinator Brad Hertzberg, has grown from 12 members its first year to 40 members this year. It was honored at a national meeting in New York for its inclusion in the publication, “Transforming Communities through Service: A Collection of the 52 Most Innovative AmeriCorps Programs in the United States.”

AmeriCorps is funded through the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Volunteer Florida) in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service. In addition, many local partners provide matching funds for the program.