Exploring the Transformative Power of Service: Reflections from LISC AmeriCorps' Annual Conference

By Saba Aregai

Fresh out of undergrad, I was ready to hit the field with my camera and support local efforts to lessen the blow of gentrification in DC. I wanted to extend a microphone and digital platforms to residents, helping them tell their stories widely and with dignity. I had the educational background and the work experience to do it, but a local group, just a few miles from where I grew up and lived that did the kind of work I wanted to be involved with, turned me down. At that time, I thought: “But I know this neighborhood, I know where these people live and gather, and the conversations that ruminate with big development coming at lightning speed.”

Since I needed a job and didn’t have the luxury of waiting for another opportunity to appear, I pivoted and moved on, and didn’t reenter the community development field for a few more years. But I knew my community and those around me needed better representation and a place at the table. I just didn’t understand how to step in to help fill that need. In fact, finding opportunities to support your own community is strangely more difficult than you might expect, especially for POC, and I know this is a situation that many others have experienced, too.

At LISC, we are intermediaries and our mission is to facilitate rather than impose in community change: we try to align with the community's natural rhythms and respond to its needs. Alongside prioritizing internal diversity in hiring to make this happen, we've established various programs to create similar opportunities in the communities we work with: our HBCU internship program, the Black Economic Development Fund , and the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund, to name a few. These initiatives empower residents and businesses to lead their community's development. One standout program we've championed for three decades is LISC AmeriCorps, which fosters community leadership and engagement nationwide.

Since 1994, LISC AmeriCorps members have played a crucial role in community development: from financial opportunity to housing, the on-the-ground teams are tirelessly working to bridge equity gaps—providing resources for people in their neighborhoods to thrive while advancing their own careers, enabling them to take leadership roles alongside other community members during decision-making processes. Through their service, AmeriCorps members work towards building sustainable communities and advancing economic opportunity. When they complete their terms, they invariably leave their posts in a better state than when they started. LISC AmeriCorps also serves as a valuable talent pipeline for community economic development as well, providing an onramp for individuals with lived experience to secure good jobs.

Last month I was able to dive deeper into this extraordinary program at the 2024 Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, IN. Among the 149 attendees were current and former AmeriCorps members, HBCU Interns, local leaders, and program administrators. Many stories resonated deeply: current members shared their testimony of service bringing them more than just “good feels” and former members urged current and potential members to embrace self-discovery, to navigate their paths with purpose, and to honor their service roles with reflection and celebration.

The journey of every member is unique and offers valuable insights for people in the early stages of their careers. Kiaora Muhammad, who I met at the conference, is a two-time LISC AmeriCorps member serving at the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center in Indianapolis. There she works with their Employment Enrichment Services department, helping job seekers write resumes and teaching high school equivalency and English language learners classes. Originally an aspiring cook, she always knew she wanted to help people feel their best, and that aspiration steered her onto a path of service. "Becoming a LISC AmeriCorps member was a leap of faith," she explained, but it has given her a role she feels is truly her own, Muhammad told me. “You get to see and feel the change within the community, and you get to grow and be a part of that community. I just love AmeriCorps."

As AmeriCorps members received additional training to enhance their skill sets and experiences, LISC staff also took the time to undergo similar training. I participated in these sessions where LISC AmeriCorps staff brainstormed ways to strengthen the program and ensure a seamless process for all involved. Throughout these discussions, a recurring theme was clear: it's essential to create opportunities for individuals from these communities to assume leadership roles within non-profits and beyond. By empowering the community to identify its own challenges and by hiring locally to plan and execute initiatives and projects, we can ensure more effective, culturally sensitive, and resilient solutions.

The proof is in the lived experience of members, but also in the numbers. Without a doubt, LISC AmeriCorps’ impact is evident in its collective achievements: over the past 30 years, members have been placed in over 30 states and Puerto Rico, across over 100 cities and 20 LISC markets. They have contributed to the development of 13,569 affordable housing units and have provided home ownership counseling to nearly 53,000 residents. They have coached over 37,000 individuals on employment skills, leading to jobs for nearly 9,800 of them. And members have recruited and managed nearly 200,000 volunteers who collectively served a total of 920,000 hours in their communities.

And that’s not all. Local economies are being strengthened by a skilled workforce that AmeriCorps service has helped build: over the last 10 years, 60% of members have worked directly in their own communities, with a high rate of them securing full-time employment after completing their service. AmeriCorps is shaping the future workforce, empowering communities, and paving the way for individual paths within and beyond their localities. It's crucial to ensure that AmeriCorps funding remains abundant and consistent because through service, our industry and communities nationwide benefit. As I heard people say over and over again at the conference, service is the demonstration of commitment.

In closing, my journey from the disappointment of denied opportunity to the inspiration found within LISC AmeriCorps illustrates the transformative power of perseverance and community-driven initiatives. Just as I sought to amplify voices silenced by gentrification in neighborhoods I grew up in, LISC AmeriCorps members are actively shaping the narratives of their communities nationwide. Through service, we not only honor our commitment to building better futures but also reaffirm our belief in the inherent strength and resilience of every community. As we navigate the complexities of community development, let us remember that true progress is measured not only by the projects we complete but by the lives we touch and the voices we uplift.

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