Notes From the Director's Desk: January Edition

AmeriCorps sent this bulletin at 01/12/2023 01:00 PM EST

Notes From the Director's Desk:
January Edition

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in the RSVP program work on a Habitat for Humanity construction project. For 20 years, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in Racine County haves completed  400,000 hours of service. Read more. 

Message From the Director

Dear colleagues,

Happy New Year!  

I hope that during the holidays your homes were filled with joy, your hearts were filled with love, and your days were filled with laughter. Let’s carry that spirit with us into 2023. 

My team and I have some exciting plans in the works for 2023 that will bring new service opportunities and organizations to the AmeriCorps Seniors family, elevate our programs and the impact they have in communities, and provide new learning and networking opportunities.   

We have two open Senior Demonstration notices of funding, FY 2023 AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Senior Demonstration Program and  FY 2023 AmeriCorps Seniors Native Nations and Indigenous Elders Senior Demonstration Program, for pilot programming that will bring new organizations and communities to our network. We are increasing the stipend for AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs to $4 per hour. We will host a national in-person convening this year that will continue our culture of ongoing learning. The convening will provide learning opportunities on numerous programmatic and financial management policies, introduce you to innovations in older adult volunteerism, and give you the opportunity to hear from speakers throughout the aging network. Additionally, we plan to launch a new volunteer recruitment campaign with downloadable materials for your recruitment efforts, develop new partnerships that further demonstrate your value to communities, kick-off our multi-year research project, and prepare for the coming AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP competition cycle.  

There is a lot to be excited about in 2023, and I look forward to celebrating your successes and our continued partnership! 

In service, 

Atalaya Sergi, Director
AmeriCorps Seniors

Training Corner

Grantee Essentials Training and Technical Assistance  

Each month, we dive into specific technical assistance topics to help you build your skills while managing your AmeriCorps Seniors grant.

2023 Calls: [Register] 

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. ET   
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 1 p.m. ET   
Tuesday, March 21, 1 p.m. ET

Missed our last call? Check out the Grantee Essentials TTA and Tuesday Talks learning path in Litmos. This learning path includes webinar recordings, presentations, and other materials. 

Don’t have a Litmos account? Sign up.

Save the Date! AmeriCorps Seniors 2023 Convening

AmeriCorps Seniors 2023 Convening will take place in Arlington, Va., from Wednesday, May 24 to Friday, May 26. Until our event registration is live, hold booking and travel planning as the registration process will include important details related to travel planning. It is anticipated that registration will be live by mid-February. 

Questions? Contact americorpsseniorsconvening@aeioonline.com 

Elder Justice Corner

A Message from the Social Security Administration

Social security-related scams are widespread.  The scam tactics and scripts may vary, but the goal is to pressure victims to send money using methods such as gift cards or wire transfers. 

Be skeptical and cautious of unexpected calls or messages. Criminals are using the names of federal government officials and sending pictures of documents, evidence, federal employee credentials, and law enforcement credentials with the intent to scam people out of money or personal information. 

 Ignore suspicious calls, texts, social media messages, emails, and letters. 

 The Social Security Administration will never:

Send pictures of an employee’s official federal government identification. 
Suspend your social security number. 
Threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee. 
Require payment by retail gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or cash by mail. 
Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment. 
Send “official” letters or reports containing your personal information via email.

We only send automated emails and text messages if you have agreed to receive them from us and only in limited situations: 

When you have subscribed to receive updates and notifications by email or text. 
As part of our enhanced security when accessing your personal “my Social Security” account.

If you owe money to us, you will receive a letter with payment options and appeal rights. We do not accept gift cards, wire transfers, internet or cryptocurrency, or cash by mail. 

Report suspected social security-related scams, and other Social Security fraud, to the Office of the Inspector General.

Learn more

Upcoming Deadlines and Events

Progress Report Supplements

Progress Report Supplements are due Monday, Jan. 30. Review the official announcement for further instructions.

Fiscal Year 2023 Application

Note: The AmeriCorps Seniors quarter 4 continuation and renewal notification emails had an error in the subject line. Notification emails were sent to all quarter 4 grant recipients, not quarter 3. If you have a quarter 4 grant, please refer to the timeline below.

For AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent, RSVP, and Senior Companion program grantees that have a start date of Saturday, July 1 (Quarter 4 grants):    

Funding notices will open on Monday, Jan. 9.     
Applications will be due Thursday, March 9.                                                           
Technical Assistance Webinars:  
Review Notice of Funding Availability Requirements                                                             Wednesday, Jan. 18, and Tuesday, Feb. 7, 3 p.m. ET – Register   
Continuations and Renewals Overview                                                          Thursday, Jan 26, and Wednesday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m. ET – Register

Resources: 

Litmos FY 2023 Q4 Continuations and Renewals

If you have an award that has an off-cycle start date and/or have a Senior Demonstration program grant, your portfolio manager will share application due dates once finalized.     

Note: On-time grant application submissions will be expected in fiscal year 2023. Late applications that do not follow the notice of funding guidelines will not be accepted.  