AmeriCorps Leadership Visits North Carolina to see Public Health AmeriCorps Members in Action

AmeriCorps awards Wake Forest University a Public Health AmeriCorps grant to support efforts in North Carolina

WINSTON SALEM, NC- AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, announced more than $200,000 in federal funding to Wake Forest University, a Public Health AmeriCorps grantee. The grant award will support the service of approximately 15 Public Health AmeriCorps members who will provide health education, support health-related research, assisting with testing and vaccination effort and provide surge capacity. This funding is part of more than $950,000 awarded to organizations in North Carolina through Public Health AmeriCorps, a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and AmeriCorps.

While in North Carolina, Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps, alongside representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, VolunteerNC and Wake Forest University, visited the Community Care Center in Winston-Salem. The Community Care Center provides health care services to uninsured patients who don't qualify for federal or private insurance and have family incomes below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. Last year, the Community Care Center served nearly 2,000 patients across Forsyth, Davie and Stokes counties.

"I am so impressed by our Public Health AmeriCorps members serving with Wake Forest at the Community Care Center in Winston Salem," said Michael D. Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps. "These members support the Community Care Center's mission to provide critical health services, with dignity, to hardworking community members who cannot otherwise afford healthcare. During their service, they are earning valuable skills and experience to launch careers in the public health field."

"CDC has supported more than 2,000 active members in Public Health AmeriCorps," said Dr. Charlene Wong, Senior Advisor for Health Strategy at the CDC. "They are at the forefront of addressing many of our biggest health threats - from supporting peers as recovery specialists in the opioid epidemic to connecting people to critical resources in the maternal health crisis and in response to disasters. Public Health AmeriCorps is a shining example of how to protect health as a team sport and the power of partnerships."

"We are excited to partner with Public Health AmeriCorps to make an impact in our community," said Marianne Magjuka, Assistant Vice President for Campus Life and Executive Director of the Office of Civic & Community Engagement at Wake Forest University. "At Wake Forest, our members are serving uninsured and underinsured populations and addressing health disparities in Winston-Salem. Public Health AmeriCorps is catalyzing a new generation of leaders who will be prepared to join the public health field and continue to make an impact in their communities for years to come. This program aligns with our institutional motto, Pro Humanitate, as we prepare graduates to be catalysts for good in the world."

"One key thing I've learned from my service term thus far is the importance of making healthcare accessible for communities that aren't normally able to obtain it because of lack of health insurance or language barrier," said Tiffany Tzintzun, a Public Health AmeriCorps member. "The Mobile Health Clinic is a free clinic that offers important healthcare services for people who lack health insurance, and I've seen firsthand how relieved patients are to hear that they don't have to pay to get their healthcare concerns addressed."

This grant announcement event comes on the heels of Hurricane Helene and the path of destruction it left in North Carolina. AmeriCorps members with NCCC and FEMA Corps are deployed along the east coast to provide disaster response. In the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Helene, the need for public health professionals becomes even clearer. Public Health AmeriCorps is building pathways into the public health field by recruiting individuals to serve in local health settings, while gaining hands-on experience that prepares them for careers.

Since the national launch of Public Health AmeriCorps in 2021, more than 5,000 AmeriCorps members have added much-needed capacity to health departments, community-based organizations and schools. Serving at the forefront of solutions to the opioid epidemic, the maternal health crisis and other public health issues, members support their peers as recovery specialists, connect new and expecting parents to critical resources, create safer communities for young people and respond to disasters.