IN THIS EDITIONAmeriCorps Update | November 10, 2020
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Important Deadlines & Events
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OneStar closed in observance of Veterans Day.
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New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation. Hosted virtually online. Registration is full.
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Rescheduled: Public Allies DEI Webinar Session 2. 2-3:30 PM CT. Analyzing patterns in our individual work practices and using critical consciousness to build an AmeriCorps program that works in the interest of everyone. Join
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OneStar closed in observance of Thanksgiving.
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ASC AmeriCorps Quarterly Webinar Series: Self-Care During Stressful Times. 1-2:30 PM CT. Register
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Public Allies DEI Webinar Session 3. 2-3:30 PM CT. Using collaborative approaches to strengthen the impact of AmeriCorps in local communities. Join
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| Governor's Service Awards National Service Winners
OneStar Foundation was pleased to announce the recipients of the 37th Annual Governor's Volunteer Awards last week! The Governor's Volunteer Awards honor the extraordinary impact of individuals and organizations in Texas that have made a significant and measurable difference in their communities through exemplary service and volunteering.
This year, we recognized two award recipients from the world of AmeriCorps for their contributions through national service.
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National Service “Make a Difference” Award: Samantha Mariel Sandoval Hernández Samantha has served as an advisor to Manor New Technology High School juniors and seniors for the past two years as an AmeriCorps member with College Forward, which pairs recent college graduates with students to empower them to achieve their post-secondary goals. During the 2019 school year, she served a caseload of 16 seniors and 17 juniors in the College Forward program. All 16 seniors completed the FAFSA or TASFA compared to a national average of 60%. In addition to managing her required caseload, Coach Sam provided individualized support and guidance to many additional New Tech students—100% of graduating seniors and 75% of juniors—introducing them to the college application process and discussing post-secondary plans.
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Community Leadership Award: AmeriCorps Central Texas AmeriCorps Central Texas (formerly ServeAustin Collaborative) is a collaboration of nine organizations that offer a wide range of opportunities to create a better future for everyone in Central Texas through paid AmeriCorps service. Together, the organizations engage 500+ AmeriCorps members annually in providing direct services to youth and adults living in low-income communities across the region. Because completing a service year can be a life-changing experience that builds skills, expands networks, and creates pathways to higher education and employment, ACT is working to build a more local, more diverse service corps whose members will shape their own futures while strengthening their local community.
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OneStar developed new Member Exit resources to assist programs with the procedure for exiting members. With these resources we hope to provide guidance on navigating the exit process and best practices.
We created a checklist to give programs an overview of the process and a step-by-step guide including screenshots. Both can now be found on our Grantee Resources page.
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| Get Ready for MLK Day of Service 2021
MLK Day of Service is on January 18, 2021! Start planning now to ensure safe and impactful civic engagement opportunities for your AmeriCorps members.
Visit the AmeriCorps website for MLK Day of Service project & communications resources that you can use to meaningfully commemorate this national holiday!
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| Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Resource Corner
OneStar is furthering its commitment to being more intentional with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work by sharing out a few resources in each AmeriCorps Update to help further our community’s learning and growth around how to create change in Texas.
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Veterans Crisis Line This resource connects veterans in crisis with qualified responders from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SAMHSA-Military Personnel This behavioral health resource focuses on the emotional and substance use effects that may come from serving in the military, or having a family member in the military.
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Session 1: Understanding and using foundational principles of equity, inclusion and social justice. | September 23, 2 PM CT View recording
Session 2: Analyzing patterns in our individual work practices and using critical consciousness to build an AmeriCorps that works in the interest of everyone. | November 23, 2 PM CT Join
Session 3: Using collaborative approaches to strengthen the impact of AmeriCorps in local communities. | December 8, 2 PM CT Join
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| AmeriCorps State & National Match Waiver Guidance
AmeriCorps, the agency, released the guidance on the blanket match waiver for FY19 and FY20 grants. This guidance formalizes the blanket match waiver that had previously been issued through COVID-19 FAQs, but does not change the implementation or the process of the waiver.
The blanket match waiver is in place for all of 2020-2021 program year, this allows you to drawdown your full federal award regardless of the amount you can report on grantee share. All programs should be reporting match to the extent that you are able throughout this program year. If you need to use the partial or full match waiver at any point this program year, please reach out to your Grants Officer so we can track the use of this waiver. Additionally, if you need to reclassify costs that had previously been reported as grantee share to federal share, please reach out to your Grants Officer for guidance.
If you used the match waiver in the 2019-2020 program year or need to use in the 2020-2021 program year, please ensure you have documented the partial or full use of the match waiver in your grant records.
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| Administration of Children & Families Allowing Federal Grants as Match for AmeriCorps
The Administration of Children and Families at Health Human Services announced that certain federal grants from their department have been authorized to use as match for AmeriCorps grants.
OneStar’s former CEO and President Elizabeth Darling was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Commissioner of the Administration of Children and Families last year, and we are excited to see she continuing to champion AmeriCorps opportunities within the federal government!
If your program receives federal grants from the Administration of Children and Families, please see the letter for details.
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| RESOURCES & TRAINING
Grantee Resource Library + eNewsletter ArchiveLooking for helpful forms and templates? Miss a recent AmeriCorps Update eNewsletter? Make sure to check out OneStar’s online Grantee Resource Library on our website. You can now also find AmeriCorps Update eNewsletters from the past year archived here.
If someone at your organization needs to be added to the AmeriCorps Update distribution list and is not receiving them, you can now directly request to be added to OneStar's AmeriCorps Updates list by registering here.
2020-2021 Grantee Monthly Call Schedule
Recordings of previous Updates From the Field calls can be found here.
Recordings of previous Fiscal Update calls can be found here.
AmeriCorps Texas Grantee Portal
For technical assistance and instructions, please visit our AmeriCorps Texas Grantee Portal Support Hub, which we will continuously update as new functionalities are added. Please contact your Program or Grants Officer if you have further questions or concerns.
You must be an authorized user to access the Grantee Portal. A current authorized user on your grant can add additional users. If you need assistance, please contact Kailee Selzer, kailee@onestarfoundation.org.
Updating Program Contact Information If during the year, you have any changes, additions, or deletions to your program’s contacts, please update your Authorized Representative through the Authorized Rep Update button on your grant record in the AmeriCorps Texas Grantee Portal. As a reminder, OneStar requires the following roles to be designated and corresponding contact information to be on file:
- Legal Authorized Signatory
- Primary Program Contact
- Primary Fiscal Contact
- Secondary Contacts (Primary or Fiscal) – as applicable
- Pre-Award Contact or Grant Manager - as applicable
Please note that it is a grantee requirement to update this form within 10 working days of a change in your program’s key personnel assigned to your AmeriCorps project.
Reasonable Accomodation Request FormThe Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) may have funds available to help cover the costs of providing reasonable accommodations to AmeriCorps members. CNCS promotes inclusive service environments, where disability is valued as a part of the range of diversity that exists in the human condition, and persons with disabilities are welcomed and given every opportunity for full inclusion and participation in national service.
For additional questions about reasonable accommodations and/or reasonable accommodation reimbursement requests, please contact Betty Jo Schafer at bettyjo@onestarfoundation.org.
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