** News release prepared by and distributed for America's Service Commissions **

Contact: Rachel Bruns, America’s Service Commissions, 515-720-5892
                 Kari Wood, Washington Service Corps, 360-407-1356

WASHINGTON, D.C. –At a reception in Arlington, VA, the Washington Service Corps was announced as the 2015 Outstanding Service Programs part of America’s Service Commissions Innovation and Leadership Awards, recognizing the accomplishments and leadership of state service commission staff, commissioners, and service programs throughout the country.

The Washington Service Corps (WSC), created in 1983 and administered by the Washington State Employment Security Department, is a multi-focused AmeriCorps State program overseeing a consortium of 350 partner sites engaging 750 AmeriCorps members across the state of Washington. WSC AmeriCorps members succeeded in leveraging 38,305 volunteers who donated 778,088 hours of service in its 2013-2014 program year. Additionally, 66,100 individuals were trained in disaster preparedness, 36,331 were educated in environmental stewardship, 29,196 children and youth were tutored or mentored, 14,466 individuals participated in health education activities, and 788 veterans were engaged in community service.

“Without the infrastructure of the Washington Service Corps, organizations in severely under-resourced communities with limited capacity would not have access to national service resources like AmeriCorps,” said Debbie Schuffenhauer, executive director of Serve Washington, the state service commission for the state of Washington.

Awards winners in all categories include:

Friend of America’s Service Commissions: Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD) State Service Leadership Award: Governor Terry Branstad (IA) Outstanding Commission Executive Director: Thomas Devine (WI) Outstanding Commission Staff: Beth McGuinness (MA) Outstanding Commissioner: Autumn Karlinsky (FL) Outstanding Service Program: Washington Service Corps (WA)

“We’re pleased to present Washington Service Corps with this honor,”said Kaira Esgate, CEO of America’s Service Commissions. “As a statewide intermediary, the Washington Service Corps provides the infrastructure and technical expertise that enables its consortium partners to use evidence-based interventions to respond to locally identified needs in the areas of environmental services, education, health, veterans, economic opportunity and disaster services.”

###

About America’s Service Commissions
America’s Service Commissions is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing and promoting the 53 governor-appointed state service commissions across the United States and territories with the mission to advance national service, volunteerism, and the network of state service commissions. State service commissions are governor-appointed public agencies or nonprofit organizations made up of more than 1,110 commissioners, private citizens leading the nation's service movement and administering three-fourths of the federal AmeriCorps funds to address pressing community needs. Learn more: www.statecommissions.org.

Follow the Washington Service Corps on social media.
Twitter: @WSCbuzz | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WAServiceCorps