Joey Breems, CNCS, Office of Research and Evaluation

Several recent reports show how national service can be a useful resource in times of great need, whether directly responding to a disaster or supporting recovery efforts in the weeks, months, and years that follow.

A study published in the Public Policy & Aging Report documents how Senior Corps volunteers were effectively used to support community resilience in the wake of the 2012 Colorado wildfires. The study focused specifically on Senior Corps RSVP volunteers serving through the Volunteers of America in Jefferson, El Paso, and Larimer Counties.

Findings from the study show that these volunteers were able to effectively support community resilience efforts while also continuing to support their previous duties; RSVP volunteers with disaster-specific skills were able to be used more heavily; and RSVP grantees were capable of effectively recruiting, training, and deploying volunteers to support these efforts.

Just a few states away, a group of graduate student researchers studied the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team as it responded to the 2015 Missouri floods. The researchers looked at the team’s Incident Command System (ICS) and its use of AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps NCCC service members. The study found ICS to be an effective way to respond to disasters using national service members, and saw opportunities to improve training, communication, and team-building.

These are just two examples of how national service can be an effective tool for responding to the country’s biggest challenges. For more research from CNCS and its grantees, check out the Evidence Exchange.