COVID-19- The Relay AmeriCorps Team hopes that you and your loved ones are safe during this uncertain time. You should have received this email in March directly from Chester Spellman, the Director of AmeriCorps State and National - Corporation for National Community Service. We echo the sentiments of the AmeriCorps national community. As a Relay AmeriCorps member, you may be wondering how COVID-19 impacts your service. Please check out two new AmeriCorps COVID-19 support center articles (Article 1, Article 2) for more information.

AmeriCorps Closeout- The 2019-20 service year is nearing the end! All Relay AmeriCorps members will be required to complete closeout steps in order to be exited from the term and receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Please reference the email you received on May 4 for more information about all closeout steps.

Tax Resources- The IRS extended the tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020. If you used $600 or more of an Segal AmeriCorps Education Award in 2019, log into the My AmeriCorps Portal to access your 1099 tax form. You will see My Tax Statements listed on the left hand menu. Please call the National Service Hotline at 1-800-942-2677 if you have any issues logging in. You can also locate links to more tax information here on the Resources page under Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

AmeriCorps Week Recap- March 8-14 marked AmeriCorps Week 2020. Relay celebrates all the ways national service members — like YOU — give their time and energy to improve communities across the nation. Head over to the Service Events page to check out photos of Relay members serving and be sure to check national service social media for posts that came in across the country (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. #nationalservice #madeinamericorps).

Congress Recognizes National Service for Responding to COVID-19 Nationwide- AmeriCorps members and commissions continue to step up and serve their communities through COVID-19. Whether coordinating volunteers, distributing food and supplies, operating call centers, or supporting students remotely, AmeriCorps members across the U.S. are currently providing essential services during COVID-19 locally while abiding by CDC guidelines for safety. Click here to view photos!

Curious about how you can help out? Check out this page that lists 10 ways to safely serve your community during COVID-19.

NCCC Donates Surplus N95 Masks to Louisiana- Check out this article to read about NCCC (National Civilian Conservation Corps) donating more than 14,000 N95 masks to the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for distribution throughout the state to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

UNITE Act Calls for Increased AmeriCorps Recruitment- The Undertaking National Initiatives to Tackle Epidemic Act (UNITE Act) has recently been proposed by Senator Markey (MA) and Senator Van Hollen (MD) to significantly expand AmeriCorps to 500,000 members (up from 75,000 annually) and fully leverage Peace Corps volunteers to combat COVID-19 across America. Read more about the proposal here!

Life After AmeriCorps Guide- As you approach the end of your 2019-20 service term, please know that this resource is available to you: The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Life After AmeriCorps Guide. As Relay professional corps members, you have already embarked upon your career pathway as a teacher. While some of the sections in this guide might not directly apply to your situation, these topics could be especially helpful:

• • • Share your Story (p. 3)

    • Segal Education Award (p.7-8)

    • Translating your Service to a Resume (p-22-23)

    • Serve Again! (p. 40)

    • How to Access your Verification of Service Letter (p.41)

AmeriCorps 2020-21 Enrollment Preview- If you are a current AmeriCorps member returning to Relay for the 2020-21 school year, please be aware that you will be required to complete the 2020-21 AmeriCorps application for a second year of service. However, you will not have to complete new background checks since we can use the Truescreen and Fieldprint checks you completed this year. Stay tuned for enrollment communications this summer!

Alumni Resources- Calling all Year 2 students! Be sure to log on to Relay Connect to know what’s going on around the Relay Nation and stay connected. Also check out this webpage for AmeriCorps specific alumni resources.