Unheard Voices of Service
By AmeriCorps
Unheard Voices of ServiceJun 11, 2024
Dream to Reality: Does Dr. King’s Dream Still Hold Weight Today?
It was over 60 years ago that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous March on Washington speech that inspired millions. As the federal agency responsible for leading Americans in MLK Day of Service, we asked “Does Dr. King's dream still hold weight today? Dr. Stacie NC Grant, the 26th International President & CEO of Zeta Phi Beta, Inc., joins us to explore this question and break down how service takes us from charity to justice. Tune in to hear how the first Divine Nine organization to partner with AmeriCorps makes a difference internationally, how we can all make a difference, and more.
Service to Survival: The Untold Story of Veterans and their Families
Going back to our nation's founding, men and women have stepped up in various ways to defend our independence, freedom, and peace. Whether on domestic soil or serving in foreign lands, our Veterans give their all to those of us who call the United States of America home. But how does national service shape the lives of those who serve? Their families? Celebrate Military Appreciation Month and explore the impact of two veterans' service, both in and out of uniform.
Choosing Love: 9/11 Day Victim Serves to Honor Her Lost Father
It's hard to imagine the 9/11 attacks inspiring someone to serve, but that's exactly what happened with AmeriCorps Alumna and 9/11 Day Ambassador Cait Leavey. Cait lost her father, Lieutenant Joseph Leavey, on that day in the World Trade Center attack but found ways to heal through service. Cait chooses to remember her father by inspiring others to give back and doing what her father loved – helping others in need. Tune in to hear how she inspires others to serve on this day and continue her father's legacy of helping others in need.
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From Jail to Harvard Graduate School
When she tells people she's an AmeriCorps alumna who's working to open doors to higher education for incarcerated youth, headed to Harvard graduate school, they make certain assumptions about her life. When she tells she she working as a stripper before 18 years old, inducted into a fraud ring, and spent more nights in jail, they're almost certain to make assumptions about how rest of her life will play out. The thing is, both stories of her life are true.
Meet AmeriCorps alumna Shani, who found her true calling through service. Shani was incarcerated, healing from a traumatic past as a single mother. Despite roadblocks in her life, Shani invested in herself, attending University of California, Berkeley, and serving with Impact Justice to help young people who face challenges like her. Today, she's completing her master's at Harvard University. Tune in to hear Shani's inspirational story.