MA Service Alliance Announces $11 Million in AmeriCorps Funding for the Commonwealth

From Sudbury Valley Trustees:

Massachusetts Service Alliance’s (MSA) CEO, Emily Haber, announced that they have received $11,035,464 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to support over 1,400 AmeriCorps members across the state. AmeriCorps members will tackle critical challenges in Massachusetts in the areas of academic enrichment, early literacy, land conservation, mentoring, citizenship assistance, legal services and housing.

One of the programs focused on land conservation is the Massachusetts Land Initiative for Tomorrow (MassLIFT), which serves regional conservation organizations across Massachusetts. MassLIFT was established in 2010 and is managed by Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust of Athol, MA. This year 36 AmeriCorps members from around the United States will be recruited to serve MassLIFT’s 21 partner land trusts and conservation groups.

MassLIFT members now play significant roles in local land conservation efforts in the Bay State, and many program alumni have gone on to leadership positions at conservation groups around the US. MassLIFT members work in rural and urban settings to provide education in environmental stewardship; coordinate outreach to landowners; initiate efforts to protect farms and forests; and recruit, train, manage, and support community volunteers for land conservation in Massachusetts.

Ashley Davies, now Land Protection Specialist at regional land trust, Sudbury Valley Trustees, explains, “MassLIFT-AmeriCorps brought me a ton of experience that I needed to excel in the field of land conservation, it gave me many connections and a sense of being a part of the land conservation community, and it gave me a sense of purpose in serving communities as well as the desire to continue on with community service.”

The groups hosting MassLIFT-AmeriCorps members this year are: Mount Grace, Backyard Growers, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Buzzards Bay Coalition and Wareham Land Trust, East Quabbin Land Trust, Essex County Greenbelt / Town of Ipswich, Groundwork Lawrence, Groundwork Somerville, Hilltown Land Trust / Grow Food Northampton, Kestrel Land Trust, Mass Audubon Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, MassConn Regional Conservation Partnership (a project of Opacum Land Trust), Mill City Grows, North County Land Trust, the North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership, South East MA Pine Barrens Alliance, Sudbury Valley Trustees, and Westport Land Conservation Trust.

The full-time AmeriCorps positions require 1,700 hours of service from August 29, 2016 – July 28, 2017. Position descriptions, applications, and information about MassLIFT-AmeriCorps, the organizations hosting members, and two staff openings is online at mountgrace.org/join-masslift.

AmeriCorps programs provide equal service opportunities. MassLIFT will recruit and select persons in all positions to ensure a diverse and inclusive climate without regard to class, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, disability, veteran status, color, political affiliation, creed, national origin, marital status, or any other status as protected by law. MassLIFT encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations for interviews and service upon request. MassLIFT has accepted 17 applicants for the 2016-17 year so far and still has 19 statewide positions to fill by mid-August. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.

"The MassLIFT program enabled me to explore my own interests in land conservation while forwarding the mission of an established and progressive organization. Coming to the program as a recent grad, this was a perfect foundation to my career in conservation," says Alicia Coleman, who is completing two years of AmeriCorps service and now be entering a PhD program at University of Massachusetts at Amherst studying Regional Planning.

“National service is an essential part of the solution to many of the challenges facing our state,” adds Emily Haber. “These AmeriCorps members will meet pressing local needs and strengthen communities as they develop civic and leadership skills to last a lifetime. I congratulate these outstanding organizations and thank all those who serve their communities through AmeriCorps.”

Since 1994, 980,000 AmeriCorps members have given more than 1.3 billion hours of service to their country, earning more than $3 billion in education scholarships. Later this year, the one millionth AmeriCorps member will take the AmeriCorps pledge, committing to "get things done" for America. In Massachusetts, more than 31,000 AmeriCorps members have served more than 42 million hours and have qualified for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards totaling more than $101,140,000.

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