This is AmeriCorps week, a national celebration of community service and the extraordinary program that nurtures local talent and fuels transformation. LISC AmeriCorps is at the heart of our $1 billion in grants to community-based organizations, and of our commitment to building impassioned local—and national—leadership to show the way.
The talent in our communities is nothing short of remarkable. Passionate, creative, insightful people truly can change the world. That’s the first thing that struck me when I realized that LISC passed a major milestone last year: $1 billion in grants to community-based partners where people spend their days building homes, businesses, health, safety and jobs that raise local standards of living.
We invest heavily in local leaders who do this work because we know they are the foundation of every program that succeeds. Over the last 24 years, for example, LISC AmeriCorps has connected more than 3,000 people to nonprofits doing the crucial work of transforming communities in urban and rural areas. It has proven to be a powerful force for progress, and a source of ongoing inspiration for alumni.
“I bring those early experiences, seeing how meaningful human potential is and the power of economic opportunity, into the work that we do,” said Amy Millington, president of the eBay Foundation, who was among the first LISC AmeriCorps members. You can read more about Amy and other AmeriCorps alumni here, as we join the national celebration of AmeriCorps Week from March 11-17.
At LISC, nurturing generation after generation to serve is a top priority. I hope it is for your enterprise as well. Please reach out if you want to talk more about leadership in our communities. I’m at mjones@lisc.org.
Maurice A. Jones, President & CEO, LISC
Prior to joining LISC, Maurice was the Secretary of Commerce for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he managed 13 state agencies focused on the economic needs in his native state. Before that, he was second in command at the U.S. Dept. of HUD, serving as deputy secretary in charge of operations. He has also been Commissioner of Virginia’s Dept. of Social Services and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Gov. Mark Warner. At the U.S. Treasury Dept. during the Clinton Administration, he managed the CDFI fund. His private sector experience includes top positions at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, a Richmond law firm and a private philanthropy investing in community-based efforts to benefit children in Washington, D.C.