In response to the coronavirus, OneStar has compiled a living list of brainstormed alternative service and training activity ideas for AmeriCorps Texas members who have experienced disruptions in their normal service activities due to service site closures. The following list is intended to serve as an idea generator of allowable service and training activities to enable members to continue to accrue hours and provide service. We plan to continue to add ideas to this repository in the coming days and weeks. AmeriCorps members should check with their supervisors or program staff for approval before engaging in any of the suggested activities.
VIEW ALTERNATIVE SERVICE & TRAINING IDEAS
OneStar is also seeking to track and gather ideas for alternative service and training activities from AmeriCorps Texas programs:
- SHORT TERM DURATION: If your program is looking to reassign members from their regular service activities in the short term (3 weeks or less), please complete this form to inform us what alternative activities your members are doing. We understand these may shift over the couple of weeks, but please complete this form by this Friday, March 20, to give us a sense of what your program is doing.
- LONG TERM DURATION: If your program is looking to reassign members from their regular service activities over a more long-term time period (more than 3 weeks), then we will need to collect more in-depth information. This process is coming soon. Anticipate that we will be looking to gather information on: member activities, performance measure adjustments, process for verifying member service hours, and budget reallocations as necessary.
- We understand that program may start with a short-term reassignment that then becomes a long-term reassignment. We will continue to revisit what information we need, and encourage you stay in communication with your Program and Grants Officer on the impact of COVID-19 on your program.
OneStar is actively working on identifying specific COVID-19 response volunteer needs, and we will post updates here as they arise. We do not anticipate a required member activation at this time, but there will be response needs that members may be able to assist with. These would be optional volunteer opportunities and may comprise in-person activities, such as supporting feeding initiatives. If members are in a high-risk population, we recommend they do NOT participate in an in-person service opportunity.