Fletch's Perspective August 2026 - Friends & Neighbors of Martin County

Keith Fletcher

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County, President & CEO

AmeriCorps is back and looking for a few good mentors.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County proudly introduced this acclaimed national service program to our community in 2019. It made a significantly positive impact before federal funding cuts forced a local hiatus.

Its return is timely. AmeriCorps members are needed to compose the core of our elementary school literacy program. They’ll provide individualized and small-group support directly with kindergarten through fifth graders at four BGCMC clubs.

We don’t have to guess about the benefits of investing focused attention into a child’s reading and comprehension skills. Over a six-year period, AmeriCorps members worked with thousands of local schoolchildren. Literacy rates, English Language Arts grades and assessment scores improved dramatically.

Among some cohorts, we saw nearly eight in 10 students elevate their reading from Level 1 to Level 4 with about the same percentage maintaining or improving their ELA grades.

Although self-evident, it’s impossible to overstate how drastically literacy rates shape life trajectories. Everything from lifetime earning potential to propensity toward incarceration trace back to literacy rates.     

We’re happy to echo the good news shared earlier this year by Martin County School District of local kindergarteners tying for fourth place statewide in readiness scores, which include literacy assessments. This is the kind of success that AmeriCorps is uniquely positioned to build upon.

AmeriCorps members will experience the joy of creating meaningful connections with our members, contributing to their growth in self-confidence and equipping them for future success.

BGCMC AmeriCorps members will also take part in community service projects. Previously, our AmeriCorps members invested nearly 60,000 hours annually in our community and organized nearly 50 service projects.

So, what does it take to become an AmeriCorps mentor—besides a lot of energy, eagerness to help, and a heart for those in need? You must be at least 17 years old, pass a national service criminal background check and be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident-alien.

Benefits, beyond the happiness that accompanies acts of service, include a biweekly living allowance, healthcare insurance, childcare assistance, the chance to receive bonuses for hours completed, and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion.

Full-time mentors serve 1,700 hours and part-time mentors perform 900 hours. It’s usually a one-year commitment.

AmeriCorps traces to bipartisan roots. The national program was inspired by the late President George H.W. Bush’s initiative to renew national service. President Bill Clinton launched the program through the 1993 National Community Service and Trust Act.

The members service beings by taking an oath that reads:

I will get things done for America – to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy, I will take action.

Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity, I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.

If this sounds like you, please apply by visiting BGCMartin.org/AmeriCorps or emailing AmeriCorps@bgcmarting.org.

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