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Contacts: Kari Wood, Washington Service Corps, 360-407-1356

OLYMPIA – Hundreds of Washington Service Corps AmeriCorps members will plant trees, collect food for the hungry, beautify public places and protect wild spaces as they mobilize volunteers statewide in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Washington Service Corps members are experts in community service. More than 700 members serving 10 ½-month terms statewide are planning a variety of projects on Jan. 16, 17 and 18.

In Vancouver, for example, volunteers can join:

• A tree-planting project in Central Vancouver neighborhoods on Jan. 16.
• A tree and shrub potting project to help restore the Salmon Creek Watershed on Jan. 16.
• A winter walk for the hungry on Jan. 18.

See a list of events by county on the Service Corps website, along with contact and sign-up information.

The Washington Service Corps was the first program of its kind in the nation. It predates the federal AmeriCorps program, of which it is now a part.

Members ages 17 and up serve in schools, non-profits and public agencies, meeting pressing community needs such as reducing poverty, protecting the environment and improving literacy, public safety and access to healthcare. In return, they receive a modest living allowance and an educational scholarship.

During their 2014-15 program year, Service Corps members:

• Trained 46,071 Washington residents in disaster preparedness.
• Tutored 14,566 students.
• Provided job training and other skill development services to 9,102 people.
• Delivered meals or provided transportation to 2,894 homebound senior citizens and people with disabilities.
• Engaged 871 veterans in community service projects.

The Washington Service Corps is administered by the Employment Security Department. Join Service Corps members for “a day on, not a day off.”

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