This year, we’re celebrating AmeriCorps Week from March 9 - 15, to recognize and thank the AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who raise their hands to help when needed. From a pioneering group of 20,000 Americans who first raised their hands to serve, AmeriCorps has grown into a nationwide force for positive change, making a difference in lives.
Join WT AmeriCorps as we celebrate and offer thanks to members, volunteers, and alumni who have committed billions of hours of results-driven service, creating lasting impact in communities nationwide. Check out our posts on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Brian Shields, a WT AmeriCorps member who joined the program in 2024, is a retiree who moved here with his wife from Show Low, AZ to be closer to his daughter. He thought he’d relax and enjoy retirement after moving here but needed something to do. After trying to work at Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot, his daughter recommended playing checkers at a community center. Despite his efforts, he thought, “I want to be involved where I feel like I’m doing some good. I have to feel like I’m worth something.”
Now, through WT AmeriCorps, Brian serves in a Community Resource role with Square Mile Community Development. Square Mile’s mission is to bring holistic and innovative development projects to Amarillo’s most neglected neighborhoods through collaborative and empowerment-based community partnerships. They primarily work from The Place, a multicultural community center with a refugee focus.
Brian supports Square Mile’s gardens at St. Peter’s Church and 6th Street. He also helps new or resettled refugees who come into The Place by connecting them to community resources.
“At the end of the day, I know I’ve been doing something, and I know it’s good for me.”
Brian says his service wasn’t what he expected, but that he wants to re-enroll with AmeriCorps to serve with Square Mile for at least another year.
“My biggest takeaway so far is the empathy Square Mile has for the community,” Brian said. “It’s my first time seeing that. I’ve always known that there are different opinions towards refugees but there was no personal contact until I started meeting some of these people. Some of them were judges, lawyers, and doctors. The United States brought them here, we’ve got to help them get situated.”
Brian reflected on how the people at his service site treated him with the same kindness they would show to anyone else who walked through their doors. Donna, the Program Director of Square Mile, brings in lunch often; Brian’s wife will stop by with quiche or stew for The Place; Brady, the Executive Director of Square Mile, even helped Brian find a new doctor.
“I was surprised that I actually had value,” Brian said. “To the community and to a group like Square Mile. That’s what I would tell other seniors. You’ve had a life of experiences, share them.”
If you’re interested in a summer or even a year of service, you can visit WT AmeriCorps’ website to learn more about the program. To support AmeriCorps members throughout the duration of their service, members are given a modest monthly living allowance and skills-based professional development and training. After successfully completing their service, AmeriCorps members are eligible for an education award which can be used to further their education as well as pay back federal student loans. The education award can be transferred to qualified children or grandchildren if the member is aged 55 or older at the time of enrollment.