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: nicki@americorpsconnections.com

What does service look like after retirement—and why is it more important than ever?

In this powerful episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco sits down with Sarah, an AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Program Manager in Minnesota, and Carolyn, a 73-year-old AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer whose life—and community—has been transformed through service.

Together, they share an inspiring, real-life look at how AmeriCorps Seniors programs are tackling some of today’s most urgent challenges:
✔️ social isolation and loneliness
✔️ fall prevention and healthy aging
✔️ rural access to community-based services
✔️ purpose and belonging after retirement

Carolyn’s journey—from a longtime university executive assistant to a dynamic volunteer leader running packed exercise classes twice a week—shows what happens when experience, courage, and community come together. Through the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) and the evidence-based Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) program, she and her fellow volunteers are helping older adults stay strong, connected, and independent—while finding deep fulfillment themselves.

Sarah pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build sustainable, data-driven AmeriCorps Seniors programs, and why investing in older adults as leaders isn’t just smart—it’s essential.

This episode is a reminder that:
✨ service doesn’t end with retirement
✨ aging is not about slowing down—it’s about staying engaged
✨ AmeriCorps Seniors is building bridges across generations

If you care about national service, healthy aging, community connection, or the future of AmeriCorps, this conversation will move you—and might just inspire your next chapter. AmeriCorps runs the risk of being cut by the Federal Government!!!! Get involved!

👉 Subscribe, share, and help keep these stories of service alive.
Because the service may end—but the mission doesn’t

💡 Learn More / Get Involved:
👉 Join States for Service
👉 Americas Service Commissions - National Service Advocacy Academy

👉 Listen to more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@americorpsconnections/playlists

📬 Interested in sharing your AmeriCorps story?
Email Nicki Fiocco at nicki@americorpsconnections.com

#AmeriCorps #NationalService #StatesForService #AmeriCorpsAlumni #ServiceLeadership #GetThingsDone

In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco sits down with AmeriCorps NCCC alum Zach Steaple (Class 23A) to talk about the kind of service you can’t unsee — and how those experiences quietly reshape who you become.

Zach shares how a gray AmeriCorps sweatshirt from his mom and a youth sports program at Notre Dame first planted the seed of service, long before he knew what NCCC was. From planting willows and building beaver dam analogs in a national forest, to counting unhoused neighbors in North Las Vegas, to supporting fire recovery and hearing stories straight out of what felt like a movie — Zach unpacks how he realized he’d lived one of the biggest years of his life.

Today, Zach is “Mr. Zach” in a kindergarten classroom, bringing NCCC virtues like perseverance, responsibility, and compassion into a school that centers social-emotional learning and a “private school with a public mission.” He talks about being a male educator of color, the power of simply seeing people — whether they’re kids in the hallway or neighbors on the street — and why it’s okay to change your mind about what service means to you.

Whether you’re considering national service, still processing your own AmeriCorps year, or wondering how to keep serving long after your term ends, this conversation is a soulful reminder that service doesn’t stop when the program ends — it just changes shape.

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

• Share your AmeriCorps story: nicki@americorpsconnections.com

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Episode 91: National Service Advocacy & the Power of AmeriCorps — with Phil Kolling

In this episode, Nicki Fiocco talks with Phil Kolling, Executive Director of Serve Vermont, about the enduring impact of national service — from AmeriCorps VISTA and NCCC to the state commissions ensuring these programs thrive locally.
Phil reflects on his own AmeriCorps journey, disaster response lessons, and why the National Service Advocacy Academy and States for
Service are critical for preserving the legacy of AmeriCorps.
🎧 Listen to learn how you can become an advocate for national service and join a community of changemakers working to keep AmeriCorps strong.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

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

• Share your AmeriCorps story: nicki@americorpsconnections.com

#AmeriCorps #NationalService #Advocacy #ServeVermont #StatesForService #GetThingsDone

🎙️ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast: AmeriCorps Seniors Voices — Featuring Gina Ottrando

In this special episode, host Nicki Fiocco kicks off the AmeriCorps Seniors Voices Series — celebrating those who continue to serve after their professional careers have ended. Today’s guest, Gina Ottrando of Staten Island, New York, shares how she found renewed purpose through AmeriCorps Seniors and her service with Meals on Wheels, Project Hospitality, and SCORE.

Gina’s story shines a light on what it means to give back, stay engaged, and use a lifetime of skills to strengthen communities. After a 37-year career in a Fortune 100 company, she now dedicates her time to mentoring small business owners through SCORE, supporting local food pantries, and helping neighbors in need.

💡 About AmeriCorps Seniors
AmeriCorps Seniors is part of the AmeriCorps federal agency, engaging adults ages 55+ in service that strengthens communities and fosters connections across generations.
Each year, more than 170,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers contribute over 40 million hours of service through three main programs

🌟 Points of Light Recognition

Gina was honored as a Points of Light Award recipient (No. # 7987), recognizing her exceptional volunteer service. The Daily Point of Light Award, established by President George H.W. Bush, celebrates individuals making meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteerism.
https://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/empowering-the-staten-island-community-through-multifaceted-volunteerism/

From FEMA Corps deployments after Superstorm Sandy to leading AmeriCorps teams and serving as Program Manager for Serve Indiana. Willie Brooks has lived the full spectrum of national service. In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, Willie shares how his three terms of service shaped his career, the mentors who pushed him to lead, and the life lessons he carries into his role today.

He also opens up about the influence of his biggest supporter—his mom—who first introduced him to AmeriCorps and set him on a path of service, leadership, and purpose.

If you believe in the power of service to transform lives and communities, you’ll love this conversation.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to help us keep lifting up AmeriCorps voices!

✨ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast | Episode #86 – Denise Fowler ✨

What happens when a confused college student searching for direction finds herself in the room where AmeriCorps was first unveiled? For Denise Fowler, that moment changed everything.
In this powerful conversation, Denise reflects on her journey as one of the very first AmeriCorps VISTA members in 1994, serving at the Denver, Indian Center. From helping build mentoring programs and stepping in to run a computer literacy center overnight, to witnessing the daily struggles of families just trying to make ends meet, Denise shares the transformational experiences that shaped her career and her commitment to service.

💡 Denise reminds us that AmeriCorps is more than a service year—it’s a launchpad for careers rooted in purpose, leadership, and getting things done.
If you’re an AmeriCorps alum, a current member, or simply someone who believes in the power of service, this episode will leave you inspired to keep finding your piece of it.

👉 Learn more about Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (TSPPPA) https://tspppa.gwu.edu/

📢 TAKE ACTION: Use the Voices for National Service tool (linked below) to contact your Member of Congress and urge them to fund AmeriCorps.
📞 https://voicesforservice.org/take-action/contact-congress/
📣 Share your story using #AmeriCorpsConnections

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share!

Still Work to Do” — Sneha Gandhi on Service, Identity & Purpose | AmeriCorps Connections Podcast

📌 This episode is part of our 2025 Recruitment Series. BayAC is currently recruiting AmeriCorps members to serve youth in San Francisco and the East Bay!
👉 Learn more: https://www.bayac.org/
In this deeply inspiring episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco sits down with Sneha Gandhi—Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium (BAYAC) alum, educator, and empowerment coach. Sneha shares her transformative AmeriCorps journey, how her “Hidden Superheroes” classroom changed lives, and why now—more than ever—we need to speak up for national service.

🎧 From her service pivot during COVID to her current leadership supporting youth and future AmeriCorps members, Sneha reminds us: “If you still have a story, then the journey’s not over—it’s just beginning.”

📢 TAKE ACTION: Use the Voices for National Service tool (linked below) to contact your Member of Congress and urge them to fund AmeriCorps.📞 https://voicesforservice.org/take-action/contact-congress/
📣 Share your story using #americorpsconnections
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share!
🔗 Subscribe, share, and stay connected—because service doesn’t stop when the term ends.