DENVER —The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will bring on an additional 100 AmeriCorps members to serve in the COVID-19 Containment Response Corps (CCRC) in staggered nine month terms over the next year. AmeriCorps members will support case investigation, contact tracing, resource coordination, test result notification, isolation and quarantine monitoring, and other activities to contain the spread of COVID-19 within Colorado.
"The CCRC is an important part of Colorado's COVID-19 response and the addition of 100 AmeriCorps members will help boost capacity," said Governor Jared Polis. "Coloradans should cancel their social plans for the month of November and the services provided by CCRC like case investigation and isolation and quarantine monitoring are an important resource in the fight against the spread of this deadly virus.”
Conservation Legacy and Community Resource Center will recruit and help onboard the AmeriCorps members, who will all serve remotely. Each will receive a living allowance and an education award of $4,336.50 upon completing their service. Priority will be given to interested candidates who apply by November 13 to start on November 30 or December 13 to start service on January 6, 2021. Interested individuals can find more information and apply at colorado.gov/servecolorado.
“We are so proud of the service AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors have provided, and will continue to provide to the State of Colorado,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “These individuals stepped up to provide critical support during a challenging time. Because of their service, more Coloradans have received timely information and resources to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
The CCRC is a statewide effort created in June 2020 through a partnership between AmeriCorps, a federal agency; Gary Community Investments; Serve Colorado, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service; and CDPHE. Since June, more than 472 AmeriCorps members and 165 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have served in the CCRC.
CDPHE provided funding for the program and will train all AmeriCorps members. Gary Community Investments secured the technology and equipment necessary for the virtual service. Serve Colorado, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, is hosting the webpage for CCRCs national service efforts, creating a single point of entry for individuals interested in signing up to serve.
“The COVID-19 Containment Response Corps (CCRC) team owes a huge part of our success to our AmeriCorps members. Since the beginning of this pandemic, they have supported Coloradans by providing knowledge and wherewithal to the general public. During this unprecedented time, they have been essential to assisting the State of Colorado and the COVID response,” said Sarah Tuneberg, COVID-19 Innovation Response Team Lead and Senior COVID-19 Advisor.
CDPHE partners with the Colorado Public Health Workforce Collaborative to provide training for the national service corps members and volunteers. The collaborative consists of non-profit advocates, governmental agencies, hospitals, and university organizations coordinating efforts to hire, train, and deploy a comprehensive contact tracing and navigator workforce. For more information please contact the collaborative via email at ContactTracing@trailhead.
Serve Colorado, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, administers the AmeriCorps program in Colorado and promotes community service throughout the state to build a culture of citizenship, service, and individual responsibility. AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov