Americorps

AmeriCorps, often described as “the domestic Peace Corps”, is a national service program that involves people in “getting things done” in local communities. The program develops a lifelong ethic of service among the Members who serve.

Be the Greater Good

Each year in Illinois, thousands of AmeriCorps Members give millions of dollars in service back to their communities.

AmeriCorps East St. Louis/Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House (the Neighborhood House) is designed to improve the academic skills of the students in District 189 by all means possible. AmeriCorps East St. Louis is designed to address a broad range of community needs by addressing the following:

1) Education: understanding that children must obtain a good education, graduate from high school, and pursue post-secondary education programs.

2) Fighting Hunger: In the St. Clair County alone, research demonstrates that food insecurity leads to poor academic performance; therefore we seek alternatives by means of providing food through our food pantry to those in need–which is approximately 15,800 persons who live in extreme poverty throughout the county.

3) Building Capacity: in this focus area we are working to build character among Corps Members and youth in our community and aligning them on a positive trajectory to becoming self-sufficient while grooming our future leaders. In addition, our Corps Members are actively engaged in District 189 students’ academic assistance, also our Corps Members actively operate a food pantry in the community and complete a variety of other community service projects that will lead to positive and meaningful outcomes.