AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis packages avocados into plastic bags during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

FRANKLIN TWP — Bill Chitwood can’t work the number of hours that would be required for a full-time job, so the AmeriCorps program is a good fit for his ability and his personal goals.

Chitwood has been an AmeriCorps member for the past two years, and for the past six months he has been working with Community Partnership through the federally-funded program. He said on Thursday, March 27, that the program has opened up a lot of opportunities for him since he started.

“It’s helped me out a lot,” Chitwood said. “I’m on Social Security, disability; a normal job, I wouldn’t be able to work as many hours. But here, it opens up a whole new level for me.”

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. From mentoring students to supporting disaster recovery, helping older adults age with dignity and tackling other pressing needs, AmeriCorps helps communities across the country, according to its website.

In Butler County, many AmeriCorps members are enrolled and assigned to positions via Independence Health System, and Matthew McConnell, program coordinator for Family Service Corps-AmeriCorps.

McConnell said PennSERVE is the state agency that oversees money allocated from the federal government to AmeriCorps programs, and agencies can apply to have AmeriCorps members work for them for a contracted time of a certain number of hours.

“That’s basically what our members do. They strengthen the programs within agencies by providing their service,” McConnell said.

Sandra Curry, executive director of Community Partnership, said the nonprofit has had AmeriCorps positions for a while now, and currently has two members in placement. In addition to Chitwood, Justin Lewis is also working at Community Partnership through AmeriCorps.

Lewis joined the agency and AmeriCorps more recently than Chitwood — enrolling for his first term with AmeriCorps in August. In his position, Lewis’ main role is to help the agency with its food distributions, as well as with work around Community Partnership’s new base off Route 422 in Franklin Township.

“It seemed like a good pair,” Lewis said. “We’ll be planting gardens, building a greenhouse, growing food.”

According to AmeriCorps information, members are typically contracted to work 1,700 hours over an approximate one-year period, according to its website. PennSERVE gives around $12 million in federal money from AmeriCorps to AmeriCorps programs in Pennsylvania each year, and assists organizations in creating and managing the programs.

McConnell said the next term, which begins in August, will require members to work 900 hours over the length of their contract.

Administrators and other staff members take care of the operating duties at Community Partnership, and the AmeriCorps members are helpful for support at the agency, Curry said.

“Bill does everything he can do here — organizing things, puts emergency food boxes together for us, he does all that kind of stuff,” Curry said.

According to Curry, both of Community Partnership’s current AmeriCorps members have helped develop the new space, and they also will help continue its mission of providing food to the community.

“Justin helps us in the kitchen when we need help, he has done some of the outside work,” Curry said. “As we get more outside stuff going, he’ll be involved more.”

Other positions available through AmeriCorps in Butler County are at agencies like Butler Memorial Hospital, the county Mental Health Association, Butler County Community College and Slippery Rock University.

A member can apply to a specific agency to work with for their service hours. McConnell said people who are interested in being AmeriCorps members have a variety of options when it comes to what type of work they are doing for an agency as well.

“Some positions need skills, like computer skills, they need to be able to have transportation to get out into the community,” McConnell said. “Other positions are site-based, they don’t have to have a driver’s license. It’s just a variety of different positions.”

Chitwood said he was referred to AmeriCorps by his sister, Mary Chitwood, who heads Robin’s Home in Butler. Prior to his work at Community Partnership, Chitwood worked for two of his service years at Suit Yourself, a clothing closet available to veterans that was based at the VA Butler Healthcare medical center on New Castle Road.

The ability to work with people in need appealed to Chitwood, and he said he has enjoyed his work at Community Partnership so far.

“(Curry) explained what they would be doing to get to the community, and I really like that a lot,” Chitwood said. “I also do the gardening and some of the maintenance out in the yard. They’re training me on the cash register, so I will be doing that too.”

AmeriCorps members can serve a maximum of four terms with the program, and then they become alumni.

Lewis, who is only in his first year of service, said he plans to make it through the max of four years in AmeriCorps.

“I like it and I can sign on again at the end,” Lewis said. “I plan on signing up again in August.”

Curry said Community Partnership only has two AmeriCorps spots open, but the agency will have an opening for a member in the summer. The nonprofit will have a lot of work to do over the summer, so an additional hand in planting gardens, making a greenhouse and selling produce will be helpful for efficiency, Curry said.

Chitwood said the work he has done with Community Partnership has been positive, and he plans to stay involved with the group even after he completes four years with AmeriCorps. That length of time, he said, is hardly enough for him.

“If I could do more I would,” Chitwood said. “Even after my AmeriCorps membership is up, I’m planning to still volunteer here.”

For more information on AmeriCorps in Butler County, contact McConnell at 724-284-6288 or by email at Matthew.McConnell@independence.health.

Nutrition specialist with Community Partnership Chris Wolff, right, hands AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis milk for a waiting car during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

Bill Chitwood, an AmeriCorps member, left, uses a cash register with Sandy Curry, executive director of Community Partnership, on Thursday, March 27, at Community Partnership in Franklin Township. Eddie Trizzino/Butler Eagle

AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis grabs milk for a waiting car during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis places milk and avocados in a car during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis places milk and avocados in a car during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis packages avocados into plastic bags during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips

AmeriCorps member Justin Lewis grabs milk for a waiting car during a food distribution event Tuesday, March 25, at Lernerville Speedway. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Morgan Phillips