Since 1997, St. Paul's CDC has welcomed AmeriCorps Members from around the world to help "Get Things Done in Paterson"--a densely urban environment which faces numerous social and economic challenges.

AmeriCorps is a national service program funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service designed to facilitate and encourage community service in the United States. St. Paul's CDC currently hosts two AmeriCorps programs: AmeriCorps*State and AmeriCorps*Recovery. The combined programs account for nearly 50 full-time, half-time, and seasonal Members. Our AmeriCorps Members recieve a living stipend and an educational grant after completing one term of service.

AmeriCorps*State

At St. Paul's CDC, AmeriCorps*State Members serve as tutors and mentors. They address the educational needs of Passaic County adults and at-risk youth. They work with after-school programs and provide support to adult students training in Basic Skills, computer literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), and those preparing to recieve their GED. They serve as food pantry workers, shelter aides, case management aides, volunteer recruiters, and as general operations support.

Our AmeriCorps*State Members can take advantage of the educational programs at SPCDC, as well as job placement assistance when their terms have ended. Each Member's term of service is an opportunity to build work experience while helping SPCDC provide critical services to the greater Paterson community.

AmeriCorps*State Class of 2009-2010.

In 2009, 20 State Members successfully completed their year of service, providing 19,914 hours of community service time, and earning a total of $31,425 in educational awards.

AmeriCorps*Recovery

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has demonstrated that national service is an effective way to both engage Americans in intensive national service - including many from high unemployment groups - and direct that service toward addressing critical problems in economically distressed communities. 

At St. Paul's CDC, AmeriCorps members funded by the Recovery Act are providing vital services to people facing unemployment, poverty, or other challenges, by offering job counseling and placement services, providing foreclosure prevention and financial counseling, weatherizing homes, strengthening food banks and pantries, supporting health care and independent living services.

The Corporation's swift implementation of the Recovery Act - swearing in the first  AmeriCorps*Recovery Members two months after enactment in March 2009 - and making AmeriCorps*State and National grants available a month later, has allowed for the immediate distribution of assistance to those individuals and families adversely affected by the economic downturn.

CityServe

The CityServe Program provides year round supportive services to young people ages 7-15. After-school programming focuses on tutorials and enrichment activities while the summer program focuses on community service and civic education. The CityServe Summer Program is modeled after City Year-Boston and brings together Northern New Jersey students 13-15 years of age to work cooperatively on community service and self-enrichment projects in and around the City of Paterson. Click here for a video of the CityServe Summer Program 2010.

Visit our AmeriCorps Alumni page for a list of all those who have served at St. Paul's CDC (since 2005). There are also program newsletters available here and the Related Links section.

Are you interested in joining AmeriCorps?

If you would like to learn more about the positions available at St. Paul's CDC, please visit our jobs/volunteer page, or send questions to our AmeriCorps Program Director.  

Interested candidates should complete an AmeriCorps application and send a copy of their resume to:

Richard C. Williams 
St. Paul's Community Development Corp.
451 Van Houten Street
Paterson, NJ 07501

You may fax your resume to (973) 684-0686, or submit it via our online webform.