AmeriCorps

The Utah Conservation Corps has roots in the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps, and it, too, is about giving people an opportunity.

“November and December, it's oftentimes hard to find spots to volunteer in our kitchens and in donation rooms,” said Dan Benshoff of Volunteers of America Utah.

A new survey from the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps shows 28.3% or 75.8 million people in the U.S. volunteered with a nonprofit between September 2022 and September 2023. In 2021, the last time the survey was done, COVID shutdowns tanked participation by almost 7 percentage points.

The land and its waterways have long been sacred to Indigenous people, and they know how to care for it well. Now, some conservation groups are recruiting Indigenous youth to restore and protect these areas.

Utah’s ranks 5th nationally in producing AmeriCorp volunteers. That’s according to new a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service:…