AmeriCorps was created in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and is a division of the Corporation for National Community Service. It is an American network of more than 3,000 non-profit organizations, public agencies, and fact-based organizations helping to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment.

Members may tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs or help communities respond to disasters.

AmeriCorps members in the Natchez-Adams School District have been participating in the second annual AmeriCorps Week, this week. The participating schools in the district are Frazier Primary, McLaurin Elementary, Morgantown Elementary, Robert Lewis Middle and West Primary. The schools will hold an AmeriCorps expo in the Natchez Mall on Saturday.

AmeriCorps Week is a recruitment and recognition event designed to bring more Americans into volunteer service. Salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their impact, and thank community partners who make AmeriCorps possible. It is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the work done by members in communities across the country — and to motivate Americans to join AmeriCorps or volunteer in their communities.

NASD members serve as America Reads Mississippi tutors at the schools where they are employed. They work through the Alcorn State University America Reads Mississippi Program under Dr. Helen Wyatt. They also do community service work by volunteering at the Natchez Community Stewpot, working with Habitat for Humanity, and cleaning up dumping areas in neighborhood communities. They recently cleaned up around the Natchez Youth Center and its surrounding area in honor of Global National Youth Service Day on Saturday, April 26. Junior Corp members, students, parents, and volunteer workers from area businesses also helped out with the clean up.

Please come out and join in as we celebrate those who give back to their community and find out how you can become a part of it. For further information on this event, please contact any of the following AmeriCorps members: Theresa Matthews at McLaurin Elementary, Jason Wright at Morgantown Elementary, Sholanda Jones at West Primary, Cathy Collins at Robert Lewis Middle School or Deborah Berry at Frazier Primary.

Please come out and find out how you can help your community. AmeriCorps motto is “We will get things done” and with your help things can get done right her in our community.

Deborah J. Berry is the AmeriCorps team leader at Frazier Primary School.