On Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 more than 250 Michigan's AmeriCorps members from across the state will focus on restoring Flint's Grand Traverse neighborhood. As part of the 2009 Russ Mawby Signature Service Project, AmeriCorps members will assist with building and landscaping projects and help construct a new play structure for area children in Memorial Park.

This year's project has been designated as the national AmeriCorps Week closing event. AmeriCorps Week is a nationwide recruitment and recognition event designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible. AmeriCorps Week provides an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners, and friends to shine a spotlight on the work done by members in communities across the country -- and to motivate more Americans to join AmeriCorps or volunteer in their communities.

"We greatly appreciate Michigan's AmeriCorps for choosing the City of Flint as the site for this year's Signature Service Project. This service project will reenergize the community and is another example of how Flint remains a ‘City of Promise'," said Margaret Kato, executive director of Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. "This project is an excellent display of the wonderful things we can do when we all work together."

The 2009 Signature Service Project is a partnership between Michigan's AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity of Michigan, and Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. The SSP is an annual event that serves a different community each year. Michigan's AmeriCorps is a program of the Michigan Community Service Commission, a state agency that helps strengthen communities by building a culture of volunteer service. Also on hand to support the event will be Flint's interim Mayor Michael Brown, Flint City Councilman Jim Ananich, and Genesee County Commissioner Omar Sims.

"When you see AmeriCorps members in action during the Signature Service Project and serving in their local communities, it's a powerful demonstration of how volunteerism is changing Michigan's landscape for the better," said Paula Kaiser Van Dam, executive director of the Michigan Community Service Commission. "At a time of increased needs for nonprofits across the state, AmeriCorps helps fill the gap often felt from critical community issues."

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