U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
        Here’s how you know
    Goverment symbol**Official websites use .gov**
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        Lock symbol**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            A lock (
              A locked padlock
                 ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
              information only on official, secure websites.
 Skip to main content JoinDonate
    About
    About
          About
        
About menu block one
  

        
        What We Do
                Our Impact
                Agency FAQs
About menu block two
  

        
        Our Team
                Careers
About menu block three
  

        
        Agency Overview
                            Budget and Performance Plans
                Disability and Accessibility
                Federal Register Notices
                Open Government
                Plain Writing
                Privacy Policy
                Strategic Plan

  

  
Serve
    Serve
          Serve
        
Serve menu block one
  

        
        AmeriCorps
                            AmeriCorps NCCC
                AmeriCorps State and National
                AmeriCorps VISTA
                AmeriCorps Seniors
                            AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program
                AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP
                AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program
Serve menu block two
  

        
        Volunteer
                            9/11 Day
                MLK Day
Serve menu block three
  

        
        Find Your Fit
                Serve FAQs

  

  
Partner
    Partner
          Partner
        
Partner menu block one
  

        
        How it Works
                            AmeriCorps NCCC
                AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent
                AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP
                AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion
                AmeriCorps State and National
                AmeriCorps VISTA
                Research and Evaluation
                Volunteer Generation Fund
Partner menu block two
  

        
        Partnerships
                Communities and Initiatives
                Funding Opportunities
Partner menu block three
  

        
        Partner FAQs

  

  
Members & Volunteers
    Members & Volunteers
          Members & Volunteers
        
Members & Volunteers menu block one
  

        
        Your Benefits
                Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
                Education Award FAQs
Members & Volunteers menu block two
  

        
        Alumni
                Members in VISTA
Members & Volunteers menu block three
  

        
        Member and Volunteer FAQs
                Safety and Security

  

  
Grantees & Sponsors
    Grantees & Sponsors
          Grantees & Sponsors
        
Grantee & Sponsors menu block one
  

        
        State Service Commissions
                State and National Direct Grantees
                State Subgrantees
                VISTA Sponsors
                Research and Evaluation Grantees
                Volunteer Generation Fund and Days of Service Grantees
Grantee & Sponsors menu block two
  

        
        RSVP Grantees
                Foster Grandparent Program Grantees
                Senior Companion Program Grantees
                Senior Demonstration Program Grantees
                NCCC Project Sponsors
Grantee & Sponsors menu block three
  

        
        Manage Your Grant
                Grantee and Sponsor FAQs

  

  
Newsroom
    Newsroom
          Newsroom
        
Newsroom menu block one
  

        
        News
                Blog
Newsroom menu block two
  

        
        Stories
                Events
Newsroom menu block three
  

        
        In the News
                Communication Resources



  
Contact
    Contact
    JoinDonate
search Breadcrumb

              The Avengers of Civic Engagement
      Submitted by 
dsong
 on 
Fri, 09/29/2023 - 16:33Sep 29, 2023
        AmeriCorps Staff
  

                    Every day, there are individuals who make a significant impact on the world around them. These are the everyday superheroes who improve our lives through selfless acts of kindness and service. From the volunteer at the local food bank to the neighbor helping you with groceries, these individuals are heroes of our communities. They may not wear capes or have superpowers, but their actions make a real difference in the lives of those around them.

As we look back at some of the most triumphant moments of service during AmeriCorps’ 30th anniversary celebrations, let’s explore how Americans show up and embrace civic engagement. Earlier in 2023, AmeriCorps released our Volunteering and Civic Life in America research, which showed that 60.7 million Americans volunteered more than 4.1 billion hours between September 2020 and 2021. This is estimated to have an economic value of $122.9 billion. Our latest analysis shows that Americans also make a difference in their communities in a myriad of other ways. These Americans are the everyday heroes of our nation – the avengers of civic engagement. The assembled team of avengers has four different types of heroes: joiners, neighbors, advocates, and informers. Together, these heroes work in tandem to help create lasting change in our communities.

**The Joiners**

Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans continued to serve through organizations. These Americans joined, volunteered with, and donated to local nonprofit and community-based organizations, finding new ways to engage with their communities and foster a sense of constructive action, civic participation, and belonging. These “joiners” continue to support American schools and shelters, hospitals and hotlines, food banks, and civic, nonprofit, tribal, and faith-based organizations across the country.

Take for example this past September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Americans from all walks of life united to honor and remember the lives lost that day through volunteerism. More than 1,500 community members, including the Chicago State University women’s basketball team, volunteered to help pack more than 450,000 meals. These volunteers joined thousands of volunteers across the country to pack more than 6.5 million meals for communities in need.
SI-911DayServe Illinois and AmeriCorps members at the 2023 9/11 Day meal pack**The Neighbors**

We also see Americans volunteer informally every day. Despite challenges, Americans continue to serve each other and their communities, giving their time to help neighbors in need during one of our most challenging times. They helped neighbors by doing favors like watching each other’s children, running errands, checking on older adult neighbors, and other activities to lend a hand. These acts of kindness were as simple as talking to each other or uniting neighbors to do something positive for their community.

Historically, we’ve seen the impact neighbors have on the next generation. Paul and Louise Squibb were Neighbors known for tidying up their town of Cambria, Calif. Decades later, Beautify Cambria Association decided to keep their tradition alive by designating a “Squibbing” Day where community members honor Paul and Louise Squibb through neighborhood cleanups. In 2022, community members, old and young, participated in "squibbing" for 9/11 Day of Service, inspiring the next generation to take care of our planet.
SquibbPaul and Louise Squibb in Cambria, Calif.**The Advocates**

Advocates are the Americans who fulfill their civic duty through political engagement. Whether it be contacting public officials, donating to a political cause, attending public meetings, or voting in local elections, these ”advocates” help make change through the channels of democracy. Advocates use their voices and words to influence their network. Oftentimes they help raise awareness, promote, or advance a cause or social issues like climate change and racial equity.

We see advocates use the power of their voices all around us in art, music, and social media. We see them sharing their stories through films, expressing their stance through their art and music, or even helping Americans vote at polling stations during elections.

**The Informers**

Informers are our friends and family who teach us about the important issues at stake. Whether it’s discussing challenges our nation faces at the dinner table or exchanging thoughts on our community’s most pressing issues with friends, informers help spread awareness and educate our immediate social circle. We see informers in the national service community, too, like our member Livvie.

Livvie’s older sister, Sophie, decided to take a gap year and joined AmeriCorps NCCC after high school in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sophie tutored kids, served at food pantries, helped at vaccination and testing clinics, and supported conservation efforts at the Montana State Parks. Livvie was inspired to join AmeriCorps NCCC’s Summer of Service program after hearing how Sophie’s service not only transformed communities across the nation but also her life perspective, too. Livvie served in Little Rock, Ark., at a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve and restore its historic property. For three months, Livvie made a difference in the Little Rock community, helping prepare and plant crops for their hunger relief garden; tending to gardens and livestock; building new fence lining and water stations in grazing pastures; and educating the community on where their food is from and how it's made.
Livvie ServiceLivvie serving in Little Rock, Ark.**Join the Avengers**

Americans from all walks of life choose to serve and make a difference in our communities every day – and they are heroes to their friends, families, neighbors, and strangers alike. Those who engage in their community often possess a variety of unique and valuable superpowers that enable them to make a difference in the world. These superpowers may include compassion, empathy, a strong sense of community, and a desire to help those in need. And service allows individuals to utilize these qualities in a meaningful way and contribute to a greater cause. Whether they’re donating books to the local school, encouraging community members to vote, or joining a nonprofit, Americans have their own unique skills to help strengthen our nation’s civic engagement and life.

Join AmeriCorps’ efforts to support civic engagement across the nation. Find service opportunities that match your interests and passion. Plus, reap the health and education benefits national service offers members and volunteers.

Learn more about the data and analysis behind the avengers of civic engagement.

*Thumbnail image credit to Mimi Teller, Red Cross Los Angeles Region*
          Previous30th Anniversary: The Honor of Serving with AmeriCorps’ Inaugural ClassNextRecognizing the Strength and Culture of Indigenous Communities Back to main content Sign up to hear about our latest news, events, and opportunities.
  Sign up for our newsletter
    Footer about
  

        
        About
                            What We Do
                Our Impact
                Our Team
                Careers
                Agency OverviewFooter serve
  

        
        Serve
                            AmeriCorps
                AmeriCorps Seniors
                Volunteer
                Find Your FitFooter partner
  

        
        Partner
                            How it Works
                Funding OpportunitiesFooter Members & Volunteers
  

        
        Members & Volunteers
                            Your Benefits
                Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
                Alumni
                Safety and SecurityFooter grantees & sponsors
  

        
        Grantees & Sponsors
                            eGrants
                History Checks
                LitmosFooter newsroom
  

        
        Newsroom
                            News
                Blog
                Stories
                Events
                In the News
                Communication Resources
      Bringing Americans together to serve communities

Follow us
  
  1-800-942-2677
            
    help@americorps.gov
    USA.gov / Office of Inspector General / FOIA and Privacy Act / Federal Register notices / No FEAR Act/ Employee Whistleblower Rights / Contractor and Grantee Whistleblower Rights / Office of Special Counsel / STOCK Act / Fraud Alert

Accessibility / Privacy policy / Site map / Donate / Join

**AmeriCorps.gov**
An official website of AmeriCorps. Produced and published at taxpayer expense. 
 You are leaving AmeriCorps.gov
 The website you’re going to is not part of the AmeriCorps domain and may not be under AmeriCorps’ control. Its privacy and security practices and policies may differ from AmeriCorps’. AmeriCorps is not responsible for the link, nor does it endorse the content of the third-party website. Click on the continue button to proceed to the external website; otherwise click cancel to stay on AmeriCorps.gov.
 Cancel Continue