The UGA AmeriCorps Community Food Fellows program launched in fall 2023 with funding from AmeriCorps State.
The AmeriCorps Community Food Fellows initiative annually supports a cohort of up to 20 half-time AmeriCorps members who commit to provide 900 hours of service (September through July) with on-campus and off-campus partner organizations focused on food insecurity, food production, and food waste. The AmeriCorps Community Food Fellows meet regularly as a cohort to learn deeply about these issues and receive training and take part in group and individual service activities (such as garden planting and harvesting, food recovery, meal delivery, community education/outreach), supporting organizations such as Campus Kitchen, UGArden, Concrete Jungle, Abundance Athens, Athens Community Council on Aging, Marigold Collective, Farm2Neighborhood, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, City of Refuge, Our Daily Bread, the School Garden Network, and more.
Additionally, as part of this program, the cohort of AmeriCorps Community Food Fellows enhance their understanding of local food systems, food insecurity, food waste, and related community challenges through targeted training opportunities, networking with UGA and community experts, and direct service supporting food security and production, anti-hunger, and food waste reduction initiatives. Members provide leadership and gain experience in teamwork, volunteer management, supporting non-profits, and learn about potential career areas, among other outcomes. See the Program Overview PDF for more on the program structure.
Members for 2023-24 are currently in service. Interested participants with a desire to learn and serve in this area for next year’s program – undergraduate students, graduate students, and community members – should apply during late spring/summer, with an anticipated start by the beginning of September. As AmeriCorps members, they receive a modest living allowance (up to $10,800 for the year of service, paid out monthly via UGA) and an end-of-service education award. Exact scheduling of service and of meetings has some flexibility and is organized once the cohort is selected, but applicants need to have availability for approximately half-time service through the end of July of their program year. This program has been approved for meeting UGA’s Experiential Learning graduation requirement.
Benefits provided to members include: modest living allowance ($10,800), loan forbearance, and a Segal Education Award (up to $3447) that may be used to pay educational costs at eligible post-secondary educational institutions as well as to repay qualified student loans. For more information on AmeriCorps Member benefits: https://www.americorps.gov/members-volunteers/your-benefits
See more about the program and its impacts at these UGA news stories:
- https://news.uga.edu/uga-program-addresses-food-insecurity-in-athens/
- https://servicelearning.uga.edu/new-community-program-joins-the-fight-against-hunger/
Questions? Contact Dr. Coleman Allums, coleman.allums@uga.edu, or Dr. Paul Matthews, pmatthews@uga.edu or 706-542-0892.
