by Brooke Bunch

Community Service Programs’ (CSP) AmeriCorps program, ComCorps, recently received a top honor — the Innovation Award — in a national competition among AmeriCorps programs across the country. CSP is the community outreach arm of OU-COM.

The competition was sponsored by Innovations in Civic Participation and America’s Service Commissions, with funding from the Ford Foundation, who joined forces to gather information about innovative AmeriCorps programs in an effort to help support state programming and increase the impact of AmeriCorps. 

“I’m really very, very pleased that our program was chosen as one of the best in the country,” says Nancy Schell, CSP program coordinator and director of ComCorps. “The program has been a part of CSP for six years now, and each year it has gotten better.”

AmeriCorps began in 1994 as a “domestic Peace Corps.” Since then, more than 170,000 volunteers have completed the program. CSP partnered with AmeriCorps to form ComCorps to provide health services and education for the people of Southeastern Ohio. ComCorps accomplishes this through its programs and through collaborative work with local homeless shelters, schools, and child welfare and social service agencies.

Schell says the national recognition will hopefully mean more federal dollars for ComCorps — and more local volunteers.

“Right now we’re recruiting volunteers for the next year, which begins Aug. 15. Volunteerism is the engine that drives our program,” says Schell.

“Our volunteers are compensated financially and academically for their service. But more importantly, they help provide health-care services and education in our underserved community that wouldn’t exist without their efforts.

“When the Washington, D.C., grant review committee looks at our program to discuss continued funding, hopefully they will see the merit in funding us.” 

ComCorps, which was nominated by the Ohio Community Services Council, was among more than 60 applications from 40 states. ComCorps was one of about 50 programs honored. There are more than 1,000 AmeriCorps programs nationwide.

Among the selection criteria were the innovativeness of the program, its successes, its use of funding and its partnerships. In addition, the program, says Schell, was evaluated for its long-term impact on members, community or state; use of volunteers; and potential for adoption in other states.

So what makes ComCorps an innovative program?

“We are one of the only health-focused programs in the state,” says Schell. “And we collaborate with different kinds of agencies, but we have one focus that transcends all those agencies — and a systematic approach that makes ComCorps work.” A recruitment open house for next year’s programs will take place Tuesday, May 3, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Alumni Room of Baker Center on Ohio University’s Athens campus. Schell encourages those interested to come and learn more about how you can help your community and how ComCorps can help you. Those interested can contact her at (740) 593-2293 or e-mail schelln@ohio.edu.

Applications can be downloaded from AmeriCorps’ Web site at http://www.americorps.org.