“It is not just one family who is experiencing this—there are more stories like that here. Now that a lot of people are losing their jobs, the uncertainty is growing. I hope that all of us AmeriCorps members become a beam of light in these trying and desperate times.”

Sara Shams
AmeriCorps Community Health Advocate
Legacy Community Health

When COVID-19 emerged in the Houston and Beaumont area, Legacy Community Health was at the forefront of the local public health response and was one of the first organizations in the city to provide widely available testing to the community. Legacy serves 130,000 low-income patients regionally, many of whom have limited affordable healthcare options, and the organization has strategically deployed its AmeriCorps program to better serve these vulnerable populations.

“Moving forward, I think AmeriCorps members are going to play an increasingly important role in the in the services that Legacy provides the community,” said Jack Winn, Director of Grants and Programs. “It feels like every week is different than the next. As the weeks have gone on, our members have seen increased needs from individuals who were spending their time and energy worrying about the virus but are now suddenly realizing life has to go on.”

Legacy’s AmeriCorps members work with local communities to address social determinants of health—any factors that might impact an individual’s ability to live a healthy life and access quality healthcare. This encompasses a wide range of issues, including food security, housing and utility assistance, and access to transportation and technology to ensure medical appointments are kept. In the wake of the coronavirus, these needs have been magnified and become even more urgent.

“I thought I was ready for the new changes due to COVID-19, but I believe that it was not what any of us had expected,” AmeriCorps member Sara Shams said. “As I work mostly with immigrants and refugees, I realized that they feel a great deal of fear and anxiety. Imagine coming to a new country during a pandemic and a quarantine lock down, and you don’t know what to do or where to get help, and you hear false rumors about what is to come.”

Shams has been on the front lines directly assisting multiple families facing dire circumstances in the midst of the pandemic. In the past month, she recalls receiving an emotional call from a mother of four children on the brink of eviction from her apartment, so Shams sprang into action to identify rent assistance resources to keep them housed. She also learned of a family that had recently immigrated to Houston and found themselves in a completely bare apartment; Shams rallied the community to provide them with food and basic home essentials.

“It is not just one family who is experiencing this—there are more stories like that here,” Shams said. “Now that a lot of people are losing their jobs, the uncertainty is growing. I hope that all of us AmeriCorps members become a beam of light in these trying and desperate times.”

AmeriCorps has offered critical support to the coronavirus response effort in Houston. Legacy’s multilingual members have taken on the task of translating COVID-19 materials into a variety of languages to keep the city’s vast and diverse immigrant communities informed. Others are addressing the shortage of personal protective equipment by recruiting volunteers to sew facemasks for medical staff at local clinics and hospitals.

AmeriCorps member Larianna Varnado seized the opportunity to volunteer at the regional Texas Department State Health Services office, where she was trained to assist with contact tracing, phone line communications, and protective equipment distribution. Working closely with response leaders also means that she remains abreast of the latest public information and resources, which she is able to pass along to patients at Legacy.

“It has been a mind-blowing experience to work with senior-level epidemiologists to help map the Texas regions to ultimately minimize risk, answer general questions from the public about testing and resources, and also respond to the PPE shortage in Texas by helping pack boxes to distribute to different clinics,” Varnado said.

In the coming months, Legacy is expecting a spike in need as rising unemployment increases the uninsured patient population seeking affordable healthcare options, while COVID-19 continues to strain medical resources citywide. To address the anticipated demand, Legacy has turned to AmeriCorps as a potential solution.

“We are looking into how we can involve AmeriCorps members in increasing our capacity to provide healthcare services for those who have a hard time making it into the clinic physically and analyzing the true depth of impact to the community,” Winn said. “Our AmeriCorps members are so deeply like connected to their communities. The opportunity to use AmeriCorps members in assessing community need is very strong.”

“I personally never thought I was considered an essential employee until this all unfolded, and I was told my service was needed now more than ever.”

Sarah Flores
Parents as Teachers AmeriCorps member
United Way of El Paso County

Parenting can be a challenge even in the best of times. To support struggling families, United Way of El Paso County (UWEPC) offers Parents as Teachers, a home visitation program that fosters positive interactions between parents and their young children, with an ultimate goal of promoting kindergarten readiness and long-term education success. AmeriCorps members work alongside families in their own homes to assess basic household needs and provide training and activities to ensure developmental milestones are achieved.

But when social distancing measures were announced in El Paso last month in response to the coronavirus, the team had to adapt. When possible, curriculum has been revised for online delivery, and AmeriCorps members use video conferencing tools to continue conducting interactive lessons with families. To ensure parents have materials to keep their children engaged and learning, members have been packing activity kits with coloring books and art supplies and dropping them off at individual homes.

But beyond the instruction and skill-building that parents receive, even the simple routine of virtually checking in and being available as outlet for social interaction has been a gift in itself. AmeriCorps members give many families a link to the outside world and friendly place to turn for support and assistance.

“That’s something that we definitely always try to be cognizant of, but especially more so now with everyone being confined to their homes,” said Christina Lamour, UWEPC Vice President of Community Impact. “It is starting to be stressful for everybody for different reasons, and so we are looking at various ways to ease that stress and make sure our families feel supported.”

For instance, when retailer World Market donated its inventory of Easter candy and decorations to UWEPC after local business closures were announced, AmeriCorps members led the effort to carefully distribute the spring-themed treats into care packages that were delivered to about 150 families. The gesture brought some much-needed holiday cheer to children throughout the community.

“I’m without words,” said one parent, who is caring for three children under the age of 5. “This has been a tough time and you’ve made this better than ever.”

As local families endure the strain of the coronavirus and its societal effects, the vital necessity of supporting the family unit as a whole has emerged as a clear priority. UWEPC’s programs are constructed to address the focus areas of education, health, basic needs, and financial stability—issues that are more intertwined than ever as many families struggle to parent while also coping with potential layoffs, furloughs, and other economic hardships.

To address these interdependent needs, AmeriCorps has pivoted to expand service to new audiences within UWEPC. AmeriCorps have become a vital source of volunteers to pack groceries at local food banks and pantries. In addition, they assemble and deliver care kits containing cleaning supplies and toiletries to homebound senior citizens.

“We are now facing unchartered waters with the pandemic of COVID-19. Each and every member has stepped up beyond what we already do in order to continue to service our families during these uncertain times,” said Sarah Flores, a Parents as Teachers AmeriCorps member. “I personally never thought I was considered an essential employee until this all unfolded, and I was told my service was needed now more than ever.”

As UWEPC determines its next steps during these unprecedented times, national service proving to be a valuable asset for filling the gaps in service. While their commitment remains to promote school readiness among young children, the definition of what that entails and the role AmeriCorps members play in supporting El Paso families continues to expand and evolve in new and exciting ways.

“Their heart is in it, and they are willing to do what is needed to be done,” Lamour said. “Our AmeriCorps members are really great at what they do, and you can tell from the way that they interact with folks that that they’re really passionate about the work that they’re doing.”

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.

Last updated May 21, 2020

OneStar is closely monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the potential risk factors and implications on AmeriCorps Texas programming. To support our grantees, we have compiled the following guidance and resources, which also contains useful reference material for all Texas nonprofits.

We recommend that AmeriCorps Texas programs take the following steps to prepare and protect their members and the communities they serve.

Guidance for AmeriCorps Texas Programs

• Review COVID-19 FAQs issued by CNCS for guidance in the event of service site closures, member exposure, event cancellations, and other potential scenarios. This information is being updated on a rolling basis, so please check back for the latest updates. If you have additional questions or would like to discuss a specific situation encountered by your program please contact your OneStar Program and Grants Officer.
• The AmeriCorps Texas team hosted weekly COVID-19 Update Calls from the middle of March through the end of May.  During those sessions, we reviewed guidance shared over the past week, provided programs with contact tracing updates, answered questions, and allowed AmeriCorps Texas programs to share best practices with one another. All calls were recorded and are shared here.
  • View past recordings: March 13 | March 19 | March 26 | April 2 | April 9 | April 24 | April 30 | May 7 | May 14 | May 21 | May 28
• Review the OneStar e-mail archive for specific program and fiscal guidance sent to all AmeriCorps Texas grantees regarding the COVID-19 response.
  • Exiting Members CPC during COVID-19 Pandemic (sent April 8)
    Guidance for how to exit members whose service was disrupted due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic when they are unable to complete the required minimum number of hours for their slot type.
  • In-Person COVID-19 Response Activities (sent March 20)
    Additional guidance around alternative service and training activities and highlights on member safety guidelines.
  • Fiscal COVID 19 Updates (sent March 18)
    Contains guidance on increasing living alowance payments, budget reallocation requests, insurance, and additional financial support to members.
  • COVID-19 Updates (sent March 17)
    Shares a list of alternative service and training activity ideas and provides instructions on how to report alternative activities to OneStar.
  • AmeriCorps Texas COVID-19 Update Call Recording + Updated FAQs (sent March 13)
    Summarizes key points from the portfolio-wide March 13 Update call regarding performance indicator expectations and exit for compelling personal circumstances and contains sample teleservice policies.
• View our AmeriCorps Texas Grantee Resources page for tools and templates related to COVID-19.
• Check out these ideas for alternative service and training activities for AmeriCorps Texas members, and report to OneStar if your program plans to reassign members from their regular service activities. Programs may develop alternative service activities that are not currently in your approved grant if normal service activities are disrupted. Please keep in mind that these activities can not be prohibited nor unallowable. Please contact your Program Officer if you plan to deviate from your members’ regular service activities.
• Review your program’s member safety policy and procedures and update them as needed.
• Review and update your program’s teleservice policy and procedures. If you are considering remote service possibilities for your members, you must have a written policy and procedure in place that aligns with the AmeriCorps State and National Teleservice Guidance from CNCS.
• Share Member Assistance Program (MAP) resources, or program-provided mental health resources, with your members during this time. If you are unsure how to access these resources please reach out to your Program Officer.

If your AmeriCorps program experiences service site closures due to COVID-19 or if a member or program staff has a confirmed/suspected case of COVID-19 or been exposed to COVID-19 or anyone under quarantine, please notify your Program Officer IMMEDIATELY.

Visit OneStar’s Responding to the Coronavirus in Texas webpage for ideas on how to give or serve. 

Visit OneStar’s Texas Nonprofits online resource hub for nonprofits responding to COVID-19 to access tools and articles for your organization.

Thank you in advance for all you to do safeguard our members and communities during this emerging public health threat.

As 2019 draws to a close, OneStar reflects on 10 notable highlights from the past year. We are so grateful for our wonderful partners who are committed to promoting service and volunteering in Texas and are proud of everything we have accomplished together. We look forward to seeing how the seeds we planted this year strengthen our communities in the new decade!

1. Texas Strong Summit

In January, OneStar launched the inaugural Texas Strong Summit, which brought together nearly 200 partners from the local, state, and federal levels to explore creative, community-based solutions for dealing with post-disaster resource constraints. We engaged representatives from Long-Term Recovery Groups, community and voluntary organizations, and government officials across Texas in highly interactive discussions and group simulations, which attendees described as “enlightening” and “great networking” opportunities.

Click here to download the presentations, materials, and resources from the Texas Strong Summit.

2. National Commission for Military, National & Public Service

In March, OneStar was invited to testify before the National Commission on Military, National & Public Service to discuss ways to improve current national service policies and processes—ensuring access to, awareness of, and aspiration for national service. We recommended streamlining and simplifying national service grant programs to engage smaller and more rural organizations, increasing the living allowances to promote access and equity among prospective national service participants, and creating more part-time service opportunities to develop a pipeline of quality AmeriCorps members.

The commission has conducted public hearings throughout the country and will be making final recommendations for the Congress, the President, and the American public in March 2020. You can submit your ideas and comments to the commission through the end of the year!

3. Joint VISTA Training

In March, we hosted a joint training that brought together OneStar AmeriCorps VISTA Intermediary Project members with their counterparts serving with Texas Association of Charitable Clinics, Texas Homeless Network, Feeding Texas, and the CNCS Texas State Office. This event helped VISTAs from around the state grow professionally and gain skills with a variety of workshops covering social media marketing, event planning, interoffice communication, partnership development, asset mapping, project management, and so much more. VISTAs are often the only members serving at their site, so this opportunity provided valuable space to network with their VISTA colleagues and other nonprofit professionals.

If you are passionate about eliminating poverty while also honing your own professional skills, check out our current VISTA openings.

4. Resilent Response Forum

In June, OneStar, Good360 & All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response co-presented the Resilient Response Forum, which convened industry leaders to share disaster recovery best practices and identify ways to implement a more resilient response to natural disasters. Business, nonprofit, and government leaders explored and committed to the Resilient Response pledge, which outlines principles for thoughtful and purposeful giving for disaster response and recovery.

You can take the pledge for a more resilient response to natural disasters!

5. Rebuild Texas Fund Two-Year Progress Report

As we commemorated the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall in August, the Rebuild Texas Fund, a collaborative project of OneStar Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, announced that all $100 million in donated funds are at work in community rebuilding projects!

Over the past couple years, we have encountered creative ingenuity, inspiring resilience, and boundless generosity from Texans supporting their neighbors in need. We are grateful to the volunteers and donors who have been instrumental in the rebuilding and recovery process, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside local communities as they complete their funded projects in 2020.

To learn more about the incredible progress made over the past two years, read our 2-Year Community Progress Report.

6. ASC Innovation & Leadership Award

America’s Service Commissions named OneStar Commissioner Mary Grace Landrum as 2019 Outstanding Commissioner of the year during their Innovation and Leadership Awards reception this September in Washington, D.C. This awards program is held each year to recognize the leadership and accomplishments of state service commissions from across the nation.

Mary Grace has served on the OneStar National Service Commission since 2011 and has drawn from her extensive political and professional connections to educate and advocate for national service. She represents the state of Texas on ASC’s States for Service Public Policy Coalition and advocates for service and volunteerism at the local level. Click here to learn more about Mary Grace and this well-deserved honor.

7. New OneStar Leadership

OneStar was excited to welcome Chris Bugbee as our new President and CEO this year! Chris has been with OneStar for 13 years—most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer—and was appointed to the position of President & CEO by Governor Greg Abbott in October. In the months since his appointment, Chris has been meeting with our partners and stakeholders to learn how we can foster better collaborations and exploring new strategies and approaches to promoting service in Texas.

Chris fills the role of President & CEO following the departure Elizabeth Darling, who led OneStar for 10 years before being appointed and confirmed as Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this fall. We are so grateful to have amazing leaders committed to strengthening Texas communities through service and look forward to this new chapter!

Click here to check out a welcome letter from Chris.

8. 25 Years of National Service

In October, OneStar commemorated the 25th anniversary of AmeriCorps with lively and exciting celebrations across the state. This milestone was an opportunity for OneStar look back at the extraordinary accomplishments of AmeriCorps members over the years, and to look forward by welcoming a new class that will be carrying on the enduring legacy of national service in the coming year.

At OneStar’s flagship event in Austin, about 400 AmeriCorps members and friends of national service gathered for a celebration powered by AmeriCorps alums. The event featured with a ceremony showcasing stories from current and past members, a panel of AmeriCorps alums spanning 25 years, remarks from Director of AmeriCorps VISTA Desiree Tucker-Sorini, and the AmeriCorps pledge led by Austin Mayor Steve Adler. In addition, guests enjoyed networking at the AmeriCorps Festival, where AmeriCorps alums hosted interactive activities and resources as a living showcase of career paths stemming from national service.

You can check out our 25 Years of AmeriCorps Alums video series for inspiring examples of how national service can change lives. If you are interested in applying to become an AmeriCorps program, please review our notice of funding to learn more!

9. Governor’s Volunteer Awards

In October, we honored another group of inspiring Texans at the prestigious 36th Annual Governor Volunteer Awards, which recognizes the extraordinary service of individuals and organizations that have made a difference in local communities through service. This year, we added a new category for community colleges, which was awarded to the Austin Community College Student Life Food Pantry and Resources Program for creating on-campus food pantries maintained and operated by student volunteers. Award recipients were celebrated at a reception hosted by Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott at the Governor’s Mansion, and Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs also offered remarks of encouragement and thanks to the honorees.

Click here to learn more about the innovative accomplishments of these Texas volunteers, and consider volunteers in your network who you can nominate in 2020!

10. Texas Nonprofit Summit

After years of hosting smaller regional nonprofit summits, OneStar returned the Texas Nonprofit Summit to a statewide format that brought together about 300 nonprofit professionals, board members, funders, business leaders, and government and academic representatives this October in San Antonio. This year’s theme was Finding a Common Thread: Strengthening the Fabric of our Communities – and we did just that by networking and engaging in interactive learning. We were able to highlight the amazing collaborative community engagement efforts of SA 2020, screen the powerful documentary Community First, A Home for the Homeless, gather inspiration from our keynote speaker Edie Lutnick of Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, and participate in hands-on, research-driven workshops. It was a remarkable opportunity to connect with colleagues around the state and build resilience by strengthening our networks.

You can check out the photos and download event materials here, and stay tuned for details coming soon on the 2020 Texas Nonprofit Summit!

Hosted by OneStar Foundation and The American Red Cross on May 30, 2019, in Coldspring, the Neighbors in Recovery – Coaching on Long-Term Recovery workshop brought together guest speakers from the Disaster Leadership Team (DLT), Texas Rural Leadership Program – Texas A&M University, and Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group (CBDRG) to provide recovery and resilience training for the counties of Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto, and Walker.

Hosted by the Disaster Leadership Team in sponsorship with OneStar Foundation, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Bridging the Gap for Harvey Recovery brought together long-term recovery organizations from across the Harvey-affected area on June 11-12, 2018 in Gavleston to openly discuss disaster recovery issues they face.

Members of the DLT presented on topics including volunteer recruitment and retention, grant writing and fundraising, emotional and mental health strategies, and more.

Download Session Materials

Hosted by OneStar Foundation in collaboration with Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, Texas Division of Emergency Management, and Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VI, the Hurricane Harvey Long-Term Recovery Training Summit brought together long-term recovery leaders from Harvey-impacted communities on December 6-8, 2017, in Austin.

This leadership training built and strengthened the capacity of Texas communities to recover from Hurricane Harvey through active sharing of best-practices from governmental and non-governmental subject matter experts, peer-to-peer exploration of innovative solutions, and cross-sector relationship building.

Download Event Program | Download Session Materials