AmeriCorps St. Louis

AmeriCorps St. Louis is a unique nonprofit that provides skill building and leadership development opportunities for young adults wanting to make a difference. We are a service organization that carries out projects related to environmental stewardship, wildland firefighting, and disaster response. In addition, we operate a homeless shelter at our location in Soulard. Just as the Peace Corps is Americans in service to the world; AmeriCorps is Americans in service to each other.

We partner with the U.S. Forest Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and other local agencies. These environmental stewardship projects include invasive species removal, trail construction, trail maintenance, bridge construction, preserving wilderness areas, maintaining and rehabbing recreational areas, prescribed burns, planting trees and wild land fire suppression. The Emergency Response Team operates as an AmeriCorps National Service Program which is supported at the state level by the Missouri Community Service Commission and at the national level by the AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. At AmeriCorps St. Louis, we have engaged over 1,700 Members in over 3 million hours of service, helping to address critical, unmet needs.

In 2009, a third element was added to our organization. During a particularly cold winter, AmeriCorps St. Louis opened an Emergency Winter Warming Shelter at the urgent request from the City Department of Human Services. For us at AmeriCorps St. Louis, it just made sense! When disasters arise, Members of our Emergency Response Team may be called to respond anywhere in the United States. The team is nationally acclaimed for its ability to set up Emergency Operations Centers, organize and engage unaffiliated volunteers, and manage donations coordination. So, why not use those same skills to address our hometown's critical unmet needs? The homeless shelter opens on nights when the temperature drops below a fatal 20 degrees, or when it's a little above 20 degrees and precipitation in the forecast. Partnering with St. Louis Winter Outreach, we have been able to provide beds for 60 homeless individuals per night offering shelter, meals, showers, and a welcoming, family friendly environment. This also led to our development of homeless weekly services (currently on Tuesdays) offering showers, meals, case management, mental health, hygiene services and mail pickup for our unhoused neighbors in the St. Louis community.