What if volunteering looked like helping someone turn a lifelong dream into a board game? 🎲

Rok Locksley has been living in an Airstream with his family for four years, traveling all 48 states — and everywhere he lands, he brings community with him. Sparked by his AmeriCorps service in Macomb, Illinois (yes, the birthplace of Monopoly — and that story gets wild), Rok now runs volunteer game design sessions across the country, helping people bring their ideas to life through play.

From park programming to Kickstarter-funded games, Rok makes the case that games aren't just fun — they're how communities build real connections. And it all started with a service year that gave him the spark.

Oh, and we get into the untold history of Monopoly — turns out it was designed as a cooperative game to show the pitfalls of unchecked capitalism. Sound familiar? 🎲
#StillGettingThingsDone
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 🤝 This episode is part of a special series produced in partnership with 250&Beyond: Our American Story and our partners:

The National Museum and Center for Service — A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.

Independent Sector — The only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.

WETA — Founded in 1961, WETA is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, serving their community with educational, cultural, news, and public affairs programs and services. 
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AmeriCorps Connections lifts up real stories of AmeriCorps alumni — 100+ featured! Honest, unfiltered truth about national service. These alums aren't just reflecting — they're still getting things done! We believe these voices deserve to be heard, and we're just getting started!

Three years later, she still goes back to volunteer. That's how deep service runs for Shelbie Simmons.
Shelbie served as an American Connection Corps Fellow in Clay County, Kentucky — one of the top 25 poorest counties in the US — tackling digital equity, broadband access, and literacy in a place that's often overlooked. She built coalitions across three counties, co-created Little Free Libraries, taught senior digital literacy classes, and launched a "Seniors for Seniors" program pairing high schoolers with senior citizens. (Miss Helen now takes selfies. 📱)

Today Shelbie works as a philanthropy officer at Reset 180, a nonprofit supporting women leaving human trafficking situations — and she's still going back to Eastern Kentucky at least once a year to serve.

Her message is simple but powerful: you don't need an official name tag to volunteer. Helping a neighbor, sharing a skill, showing up — that's the spirit of service. And it doesn't have to be grand to matter.

"You don't have to be an AmeriCorps member to embody the pledge." — Shelbie Simmons
#StillGettingThingsDone
_______________________________________
 🤝 This episode is part of a special series produced in partnership with 250&Beyond: Our American Story and our partners:

The National Museum and Center for Service — A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.

Independent Sector — The only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.

WETA — Founded in 1961, WETA is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, serving their community with educational, cultural, news, and public affairs programs and services. 
________________________________________
AmeriCorps Connections lifts up real stories of AmeriCorps alumni — 100+ featured! Honest, unfiltered truth about national service. These alums aren't just reflecting — they're still getting things done! We believe these voices deserve to be heard, and we're just getting started!

Shayna Canty didn't know what she was doing with her life — and then AmeriCorps happened. Now she's a two-time state service commissioner, a national Youth 250 representative, and one of the most energetic advocates for young people in community engagement you'll ever hear.

Based in the Pocono Mountains and working as communications coordinator for her local Meals on Wheels, Shayna talks about what it really looks like to grow a life of service from a single volunteer coordinator role. From career fairs to Girl Scout events to statewide forums on youth civic engagement — she's building the pipeline, one conversation at a time.

Her big idea: service is an "open definition." You don't need a formal structure. Knock on your neighbor's door. Walk a kid to school. Share a skill. Show up. Self-activation is a superpower.

For Gen Z and younger — feeling like the world is too big to change? Shayna's got something to say about that. 👊
"You never know where volunteerism is going to take you." — Shayna Canty
#StillGettingThingsDone

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 🤝 This episode is part of a special series produced in partnership with 250&Beyond: Our American Story and our partners:

The National Museum and Center for Service — A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.

Independent Sector — The only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.

WETA — Founded in 1961, WETA is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, serving their community with educational, cultural, news, and public affairs programs and services. 
________________________________________
AmeriCorps Connections lifts up real stories of AmeriCorps alumni — 100+ featured! Honest, unfiltered truth about national service. These alums aren't just reflecting — they're still getting things done! We believe these voices deserve to be heard, and we're just getting started!

What does service look like 25 years after your AmeriCorps year? For Addie Madchen, it never stopped.

In this special edition of AmeriCorps Connections — part of our 250&Beyond: Our American Story series — Addie shares what brought her from Connecticut to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and why she never left. From coat drives and AIDS runs with City Year to teaching jazz guitar to kids in her community, Addie's service has taken a lot of shapes. But the throughline is the same: show up for people, share what you have, and look for the helpers.

Addie opens up about a raw moment during a 12-hour MLK Day of Service — flat on the floor of an empty school, exhausted and questioning the point — and how one act of service from a colleague changed everything. She also reflects on identity, belonging, and what happens when people who've been told to distrust each other end up serving side by side.
This one is a mic drop moment. 🎤
#StillGettingThingsDone
________________________________________
🤝 This episode is part of a special series produced in partnership with 250&Beyond: Our American Story and our partners:

The National Museum and Center for Service — A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.

Independent Sector — The only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.

WETA — Founded in 1961, WETA is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, serving their community with educational, cultural, news, and public affairs programs and services. 
________________________________________
AmeriCorps Connections lifts up real stories of AmeriCorps alumni — 100+ featured! Honest, unfiltered truth about national service. These alums aren't just reflecting — they're still getting things done! We believe these voices deserve to be heard, and we're just getting started!

From Serving Abroad to Serving Delaware — His Next Stop? The US Senate! | AmeriCorps Connections Podcast

👉We are NOT a political podcast. But when a US Senate candidate shows up who is also an AmeriCorps alum, Peace Corps volunteer, AND a Fulbright Scholar — we open that door WIDE! 🚪

Christopher Beardsley is a Wilmington, Delaware native who has served from Rwanda to South Africa and back home to Delaware — and now he's running for US Senate because, surprise surprise, all roads lead back to service!
In this episode, Christopher gets real about growing up working class and discovering a whole world of public service opportunities he never knew existed. He shares what Peace Corps taught him about his own superpowers, why he jumped straight into AmeriCorps with Public Allies after being evacuated from South Africa during COVID, and what national service has to do with his vision for Delaware.

This one is special
🎙️ AmeriCorps Connections lifts up the real, unfiltered stories of AmeriCorps alumni — 100+ featured and counting! These alums aren't just reflecting on their service years — they're still getting things done!
🔗 Learn more about Christopher Beardsley and his campaign

⚠️ Disclaimer: AmeriCorps Connections is a podcast dedicated to lifting up the voices of national service alumni. This episode is not an endorsement of any candidate or political campaign. We are here for the service — always!
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode!
#AmeriCorps #NationalService #PeaceCorps #Fulbright #PublicAllies #Delaware #USSenate #ServiceYear #AmeriCorpsAlumni #GetThingsDone

What really happens during an AmeriCorps service year? Callie Fishburn did her VISTA year in Bennington, Vermont in the middle of a global pandemic — and came out the other side with lessons nobody prepared her for.

She gets real about the financial sacrifice of national service, the hard truth about building projects that don't outlast you, and why she made the unconventional choice to stay in her service community after her year ended.

Plus — what a community grocery store, a food desert, and MacKenzie Scott all have in common.

🎧 This one's for the alums, the curious, and anyone who's ever wondered if a service year is worth it.

📝 Rate, review and share - help keep these service stories alive.
🎥Watch on YouTube @AmeriCorpsConnections

• Join States for Service
  
  
• Americas Service Commissions - National Service Advocacy Academy

• Share your AmeriCorps story: [email protected]

🎙️ AmeriCorps Week 2026 — A Celebration of Service, Purpose & Impact

"AmeriCorps just gave me purpose. It gave me perspective. It gave me passion." - Alex Schwartz (eps. 94)

This special AmeriCorps Week 2026 Compilation is a love letter to the 1.3 million AmeriCorps alums who have shown up — for their communities, for each other, and for this country.

From tutoring students and fighting for national service in the south, to seniors serving post-career and young leaders finding their footing — these are the voices, stories, and testimonies of people who chose to serve. And in doing so, changed everything — including themselves.

🔥 IN THIS COMPILATION YOU'LL HEAR:

Why national service alumni are speaking up and fighting back -,we continue to serve.
How ONE year of service can shape a lifetime of leadership
The real, unfiltered impact AmeriCorps has had on careers, communities, and lives
Why 1.3 million alums need to keep telling their stories — NOW more than ever

💡 IF THIS MOVES YOU — HERE'S WHAT TO DO NEXT:
✅ LIKE this video to help more people find these stories
✅ SUBSCRIBE to the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast on YouTube
✅ EXPLORE our full catalog of interviews — there is a story here for every alum, advocate, and champion of national service
✅ SHARE with a fellow alum, a colleague, or anyone who needs to be reminded why service matters
✅ COMMENT BELOW — tell us how YOUR service year shaped you 👇

🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM: https://americorpsconnect.transistor.fm/
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Amazon Music 
📺 WATCH THE FULL CATALOG:
youtube.com/@americorpsconnections

The AmeriCorps Connections Podcast — where service stories live on.
One year of service. A lifetime of leadership. 🎙️✨

Cali Moore knew she would serve in AmeriCorps before she ever graduated college.

After growing up in a community center staffed by AmeriCorps members, she intentionally chose to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Horton’s Kids in Washington, DC. From there, she became a Segal Fellow at AmeriCorps headquarters, rotating across departments and even deploying for national disaster response.

Her journey continued through Service Year Alliance, the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, and into tech consulting — where she now builds software for federal agencies and global nonprofits, including Peace Corps.

In this episode, we explore:

• How service builds lifelong adaptability
 • Translating nonprofit skills into for-profit spaces
 • The Segal Fellowship experience
 • Why alumni networks matter
 • The growing AmeriCorps Alums DC Chapter
 • What 1.3 million alums could accomplish together

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Application for DC Board Alumni Board

DC chapter website -

other chapters can connect through

Do Good Institute – University of Maryland
https://dogood.umd.edu

The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program

In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco sits down with Luis Sierra Moncion, a City Year alum whose service year brought him full circle—back to his own high school in Miami.

Luis shares how his City Year experience helped cement his identity as a community member, leader, and advocate, and how national service became the foundation for a career in higher education, civic engagement, and student leadership. From mentoring students at his alma mater to now serving as Deputy Director of the Center for Social Concern at Johns Hopkins University, Luis reflects on the long-term ripple effects of service.

This conversation explores:

• Serving in your hometown—and what that means for identity and belonging
• The professional and leadership development built into AmeriCorps service
• Trust-building, relationship-centered service, and showing up with humility
• Why national service matters for workforce development and democracy
• How service plants seeds that continue to grow long after the year ends

🎧 Whether you’re a current AmeriCorps or City Year member, an alum, or someone considering a year of service, this episode is a powerful reminder that the service ends—but the mission doesn’t.

What happens when you say yes to service — and keep saying yes?

In this powerful and deeply human episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco sits down with Alex Schwartz, an AmeriCorps alum whose journey spans nearly every corner of national service: AmeriCorps NCCC, State & National, VISTA — and now AmeriCorps staff.

Alex shares the story that changed everything — a single moment during disaster recovery after the Camp Fire in California, when helping a survivor receive two pairs of donated pants revealed the true impact of service. From building homes in Montana, responding to wildfires in California and Maui, restoring prairies in Minnesota, and strengthening disaster preparedness with the Red Cross, Alex reflects on how
AmeriCorps gave him purpose, perspective, passion, and community.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:
 • How AmeriCorps helps people and the people who help people
• Why service changes how you see the world — and yourself
• The power of disaster response and community resilience
• How AmeriCorps service can shape a lifelong career and calling
• Why we can’t afford to lose national service

If you’ve ever wondered what AmeriCorps really looks like in action — or how service can become a way of life — this episode is for you.

📝 Rate, review and share - help keep these service stories alive.
🎥Watch on YouTube @AmeriCorpsConnections

• Join States for Service
  
  
• Americas Service Commissions - National Service Advocacy Academy

• Share your AmeriCorps story: [email protected]