ServeRI at RIDE Releases Strategic Plan for Increasing Community Service in Rhode Island
Three-Year Plan Details Priorities and Seeks to Expand Volunteer Opportunities
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and ServeRI, Rhode Island’s commission for national and community service, today released the Rhode Island State Service Plan 2020-2023. Over the course of the past eight months, more than 500 Rhode Islanders provided input to the plan, which aims to increase volunteer and national service programs, like AmeriCorps, that benefit Rhode Island communities.
“The talent, compassion, and generosity of Rhode Islanders never cease to amaze me, and this State Service Plan will help to engage and inspire our communities to give back in meaningful ways,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “In education, housing, health care, and more, our volunteer workforce is a tremendous asset, and I applaud ServeRI for bringing Rhode Islanders in and developing a shared vision for the future of service in our state.”
“We are proud to be part of ServeRI and grateful to those who contributed ideas to the State Service Plan,” said Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Rhode Islanders want to help. The state ranks seventh among all states in producing AmeriCorps volunteers, and through planning, accountability, and the support of our service members, we will continue to grow our reach and expand our impact.”
On July 1, 2018, after a change in state statute, RIDE began administration of ServeRI, an appointed public body whose responsibility is to promote civic participation among Rhode Islanders and administer the federal programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Through the Rhode Island State Service Plan 2020-2023, ServeRI identifies grant funding priorities and strategies to achieve a revised mission: To catalyze inclusive, equitable service opportunities to strengthen Rhode Island.
The publication of the Rhode Island State Service Plan 2020-2023 coincides with AmeriCorps Week, March 8-14, 2020, a celebration of all things AmeriCorps – from the programs and organizations that make this national service initiative possible in communities across Rhode Island and the country, to the 7,500 AmeriCorps volunteers of all ages and backgrounds that have pledged to “Get Things Done” for Rhode Island since the program’s inception in 1994.
Learn more and read the plan at www.serverhodeisland.org.
ServeRI, Rhode Island’s Commission for National and Community Service, catalyzes inclusive, equitable service to strengthen Rhode Island by directing national service resources and local volunteers to evidence-based programs that make a measurable impact in education, health, housing, and other social services. ServeRI is housed and supported by the Rhode Island Department of Education.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation’s volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.