COVID-19 Guidence Memo: AmeriCorps Staff and Members
This document is subject to change and should be reviewed daily for changes.
We will continue to facilitate weekly PD calls while under this emergency order in order to provide updates, wellness checks and to provide support.
Summary: This memo related to COVID‐19 restates in one place as clearly as possible the Governor’s Office of Volunteer Service’s guidance and policy for AmeriCorps grant management in response to the pandemic. Look for bolded statements on alternative service activities, compelling personal circumstances, and expenditures that empower you to act to support AmeriCorps members and keep serving Alabama. Keep a copy of this memo for your grant records.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The health of personnel and AmeriCorps members is everyone’s shared priority. The Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services directs subgrantees to comply with evolving guidelines from ADPH and Governor Ivey and to take responsibility for communicating up‐to‐date information on preventing the spread of COVID‐19 to AmeriCorps members, personnel, and the public. The best sources of COVID‐19 information are:
Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH): http://alabamapublichealth.gov/infectiousdiseases/2019-coronavirus.html
Alabama Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (ALVOAD)
Reasonable Accommodations
If an AmeriCorps member notifies their program that they have a compromised immune system or are high risk to infection, the program should follow their reasonable accommodations procedures and determine an appropriate alternative service for the member.
Discrimination and Confidentiality
The Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services directs all subgrantees to guard against discrimination in our response to COVID-19. To prevent stigma and discrimination during service, do not make a determination to send a member or volunteer home based on race or country of origin. Also, ensure that you maintain confidentiality of any member(s) and volunteer(s) who are confirmed to have COVID‐19 or other illnesses as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).