United Way of Greenville County’s AmeriCorps Upstate program welcomed nine new members for the 2021–2022 service year. These members will spend the next 11.5 months helping Upstate families and individuals through resource navigation, financial coaching and free tax preparation.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue to serve the people of our community through this new AmeriCorps class,” said Abby Blakely, Senior Manager of Capacity Programs at United Way of Greenville County. “Our members provide an invaluable service to partner sites and their clients — and to our community at large.”

AmeriCorps Upstate creates access to services for people in need through financial classes and tools, educational programs, food resources, and social service applications for SNAP benefits and Medicaid. Members provide financial education opportunities through classes and one-on-one sessions, and free tax preparation through United Way of Greenville County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Last year’s class of AmeriCorps Upstate served a collective 28,950 hours for a $2.27 million return on investment. Members managed 1,535 total cases, helping individuals apply for benefits, save on tax filing through VITA, and improve financial stability through financial literacy classes. The 2020–2021 AmeriCorps Upstate class were Grace Anderson, William “Trey” Austin, Deirdre Bowen, Julia Byrley, Jane Canniff, Jannah Jackson, Danielle Jeanty-Morton, Samuel Jones, Lisa Lawson, Ashley McDonald Snoddy, Jennifer Olivares, Kyra Ruch, Bryce Safrit, Chriss Spires and Alma Worthy.

AmeriCorps Upstate is still accepting applications for the 2021–2022 service year. Click here to learn more and apply.